From: "Robert Comer" 

That is a pretty nice looking ship as you say.  I really don't see much
call for the stealth part either except maybe making it a teensy bit harder
to hit.  Small and fast probably do as much that way, and we really don't
know what they may have underneath to confuse torpedoes...

I'd still take a Aegis or it though... 

--
Bob Comer


"George Sherwood"  wrote in message
news:f8pdt3xa3j.ln2{at}athlon.p3pilot.gotdns.org...
> On Fri, 08 Sep 2006 10:54:47 +0100, Adam wrote:
>
>> http://www.mosnews.com/news/2006/09/01/stealthwarship.shtml
>>
>> "A modern stealth gunboat was supplied to the Russian Navy in St.
>> Petersburg Friday, RIA Novosti news agency reports.
>>
>> Built at St. Petersburg’s Almaz shipyard, the Astrakhan will be the
>> first in the navy warship to have stealth capabilities and can be armed
>> with various artillery systems previously used only on destroyers.
>>
>> “Our country is still capable of building combat ships without outside
>> assistance and there is no doubt it will be in the future,” Navy
>> Commander Vladimir Masorin said.
>>
>> Astrakhan would operate in the Caspian Flotilla, commander added.
>>
>> Almaz is one of Northwest Russia’s leading shipyards. It was established
>> in 1901 and has built more than 1,000 missile and patrol boats for the
>> Russian Navy and Coast Guard and foreign clients since then. Sales in
>> 2005 were more than 1.7 bln rubles ($61.46 million)."
>>
>>
>>
>> NB:
>>
>> "Astrakhan would operate in the Caspian Flotilla, commander
added."
>
> Here are some nice pics.  Pretty good looking ship, but then the looks of
> the Russian ships have always been nice. I am not sure I get the whole
> concept of stealth for ships.  It is still a big signature. Hopefully will
> make a port call here in Baku. 
>
> http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?t=90372
>
> George

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