Moscow, Aug 27 (IANS): A new small missile corvette under Project 22800 Amur, also known as the 'Karakurt-Class', has been commissioned into the Russian Navy, Russia's Defence Ministry announced.

According to the ministry, a solemn ceremony of acceptance into the Russian Navy and hoisting the St. Andrew's flag on the missile ship was held in the city of Kaspiysk in the Republic of Dagestan, with the presence of Navy Commander-in-Chief Alexander Moiseyev on Monday.

The newly accepted vessel is equipped with the Kalibr-NK cruise missile system. As Moiseyev noted at the ceremony, ships of Project 22800 Amur, designed by engineers of the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau, have embodied the power of shock weapons and high seaworthiness, reports Xinhua news agency.

Project 22800 missile ships are carriers of the universal Kalibr vertical-launch cruise missile system and, in the future, of Zirkon hypersonic missiles. The ships are relatively small in size and displacement, which allows them to operate in the near-sea zone and pass through inland river communications.

Earlier in June, the Russian Navy launched a new Project 20385 corvette 'Provorny' for its Pacific Fleet, in order to include a reliable and modern corvette capable of performing a wide range of tasks.

The Project 20385 large multipurpose corvettes, developed by the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau, are built to detect and destroy enemy submarines and surface ships, ensure landings, and solve various tasks in near-sea zones. They are equipped with artillery, anti-missile, anti-submarine, sonar and radar systems, and a deck for the Ka-27 helicopter.