Vympel Shipyard launches lead high-speed passenger-carrying hydrofoil of project 23160, Kometa 120М (photo)
On 20 October 2017, Vympel Shipyard (Rybinsk, Yaroslavl Region) launched the lead high-speed passenger-carrying hydrofoil of project 23160 named Kometa 120М. Vympel Shipyard says it is the first passenger ship in the company’s history.
The vessel was designed by the Central Bureau of Hydrofoil Design named after R.E. Alekseyev (Nizhni Novgorod).
During the ceremony the company announced the establishment of its subsidiary “Marine high-speed passenger transportation”, an operator which will arrange passenger transportation by hydrofoils.
“It is a crucial project for the company launching a new activity – construction of civil ships. We are going to build five Kometa-type ships in the nearest future with the support of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. All in all, we are going to deliver about 20 units for the Black Sea. By 2025, civil ships are to make 30% of our backlog of orders”, said Vympel Shipyard Director General Oleg Belyakov.
Passenger ship of Project 23160 will be able to sail at a speed of up to 35 knots. It will offer high level of comfort for passengers. The ship is fitted with advanced control/navigation/communication systems.
The godmother of the newbuilding is Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, the deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation.
The Kometa 120М will be sent to Crimea for the trials in the Black Sea. The ship is to be put into operation in 2018. It will be deployed for operation at the Sevastopol-Yalta route.
Vympel Shipyard specializes in the construction of medium- and light-tonnage seagoing and river vessels and boats both for military and civil sectors. Since its inception in 1930, the company was built more than 30,000 ships of various types. Over the past 40 years, the shipbuilding company has delivered more than 1,800 boats to 29 countries in Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Africa and South America. Currently Vympel Shipyard is building serial combat missile / patrol boats of new generation, high-speed SAR boats, firefighting ships, hydrographic survey and fishing vessels, tugs and other dedicated fleet, providing warranty / maintenance service for its products.
