Karakurt-class

Project 22800 Karakurt is a Russian class of small missile ships intended to provide long-range strike capability from a relatively compact hull. GlobalSecurity tracks the program as a small-ship missile corvette, while recent Russian reporting highlights continued deliveries into the fleet. The class reflects Russia's emphasis on distributed missile firepower from smaller surface combatants.

Karakurt ships are not blue-water destroyers; they are compact strike platforms. Their value comes from fitting naval cruise-missile launch capability, air-defense equipment in later variants, and sensors onto a smaller hull. This makes them useful for littoral and near-sea operations, but weather endurance, survivability, and multi-role capacity are limited compared with larger frigates.

The class can complicate an opponent's planning by spreading missile launchers across multiple small combatants. Its effectiveness depends on targeting, communications, air cover, and port or coastal support. In high-threat environments, the class would need integration with shore-based air defense, aviation, and larger fleet assets to avoid being isolated.