Project 1241.2 Molnaya 2 (Pauk)

Project 1241.2 Pauk was the patrol and anti-submarine branch of the wider Molnaya/Tarantul family. Instead of carrying the heavy anti-ship missile battery of Tarantul missile boats, it emphasized coastal ASW, patrol and escort duties. This made it a companion design for navies that needed small submarine-hunting craft rather than pure missile attack craft.

Pauk ships carried sonar, torpedoes, ASW rockets, guns and short-range defensive weapons on a compact hull. The design reused aspects of the Project 1241 lineage but changed the mission system toward submarine detection and coastal security. Its modest size limited blue-water endurance, while its ASW fit made it more useful than ordinary patrol craft in submarine-threat areas.

Operationally, Pauk-class corvettes protected coastal approaches, naval bases and local sea lanes. Export users could use them for patrol and ASW without buying larger frigates. Their value was practical and regional: they provided a small navy with a credible ability to search for submarines and enforce maritime security near home waters.