Four Russian Missile Corvettes Pass Near Japan’s Territorial Waters

Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force detected four Russian Tarantul-class (Project 12411M) Molniya-1 missile boats near Cape Soya on the island of Hokkaido while heading west.

Japan’s Joint Staff reported the incident.

The Russian vessels were monitored and information was collected by a P-3C patrol aircraft from the 2nd Air Wing of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. The Joint Staff said the Russian boats did not enter Japan’s territorial waters and passed 40 km from the coast.

According to the agency, the vessels were hull numbers 916, 946, 971 and 978. These are the same ships that Japanese military personnel detected on August 9, 70 km northwest of Rebun Island, and then headed east through the Soya Strait.

The corvettes’ return passage came as Russian dictator Vladimir Putin made his August 13 visit to the island of Iturup, which the Soviet Union occupied in 1945, in violation of the Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact.

Moscow considers the Kuril archipelago a strategically important area and has been increasing its military presence there. The Burevestnik military airfield is located on Iturup.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi described Putin’s trip as “absolutely unacceptable.” She said the visit contradicts Tokyo’s consistent position on the Northern Territories.

Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Russian Ambassador Nikolai Nozdrev and lodged a strong protest. The Japanese side also asked the diplomat to immediately convey Tokyo’s position to the Russian government.

Project 12411M Molniya-1 Missile Corvettes

The Project 12411M Molniya-1 series of missile boats, designated by NATO as the Tarantul III, was developed by the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau. The first boat in the project entered service in 1981.

The vessels are designed to engage surface targets in coastal and nearshore waters. The main difference from earlier variants of Project 1241 was that they were equipped with four 3M80 Moskit supersonic anti-ship missiles instead of the outdated P-15 Termit missiles.

Key specifications:

• Displacement: 436 tons standard, 493 tons full load
• Length: 56.1 m
• Beam: 10.2 m
• Speed: up to 41 knots
• Range: 1,600 nautical miles at 14 knots
• Endurance: up to 10 days
• Crew: 40
• Armament: two KT-152 twin launchers for four 3M80 Moskit anti-ship missiles, one AK-176M 76 mm naval gun, two six-barreled AK-630M 30 mm gun systems, and an air defense system with Igla-1 missiles

The boats detected near Japan belong to Russia’s Pacific Fleet: R-298 (hull No. 971), commissioned into the fleet in 1990; R-19 (hull No. 978), in 1992; R-24 (hull No. 946), in 1994; and R-29 (hull No. 916), in 2003.