Moscow, Feb 5 (IANS/RIA Novosti): The crew of new Russian stealth corvette the Boyky will begin trials in March, Baltic Fleet spokesman Capt. 2nd Class Vladimir Matveyev said.

Matveyev said Monday in November 2012 that the Boyky, built by St. Petersburg's Severnaya Verf shipyard for the Russian Navy, has successfully completed main systems tests in its initial sea trials.

He added that the Boyky has moved to the port of Baltiysk in the Kaliningrad Region for second-stage sea trials.

The 20380 class ships, designed by the Almaz naval design bureau, are optimized for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare and to provide support for land operations. The class incorporates stealth technology, which has considerably reduced its radar and infrared signatures.

The 20380 class can be equipped with Kh-35 anti-ship missiles and 3M54 Klub cruise missiles, Kashtan anti-aircraft gun/missile systems, a main 100-mm gun, two 30-mm close-range air defence guns, and torpedo tubes, according to naval-technology.com.

The Steregushchy class corvette also has a hangar and deck for operation of a Kamov Ka-27 anti-submarine warfare helicopter and is fitted with a Vinyetka-EM towed sonar array.