Ukrainian Navy's largest ship readies for action: First sea trials complete
A recording has surfaced online confirming that sea trials are underway for the corvette Hetman Ivan Mazepa. The Ukrainian Navy should soon have it in service, and it will then become its largest flagship vessel.
Work on Hetman Ivan Mazepa began before the outbreak of the Ukrainian-Russian war. The construction and testing of the ship have been ongoing, as the unit was ordered in Turkey. Since its launch in October 2022, considerable time has passed, but the latest reports suggest that this time has been well spent.
Hetman Iwan Mazepa during tests
The official cycle of sea trials, which precede the ship's acceptance into service, began in May of this year, but until now, there have been only reports and a few photos. The Ukrainians also shared a short video showing the corvette Hetman Ivan Mazepa at sea this time. As with the earlier sea trials, this latest one occurred in areas controlled by Turkey, which did not raise concerns about a potential Russian attack.
The largest ship of the Ukrainian Navy
Hetman Ivan Mazepa belongs to the Ada-class vessels, which were developed in Turkey for the navies of several countries. The Turks want five such ships, Pakistan has ordered three, and Ukraine will receive two.
These ships are almost 100 metres long with space for a crew of about 100 people. Their displacement reaches up to 2,650 tonnes. After entering service in the Ukrainian Navy, Hetman Ivan Mazepa will become its largest flagship vessel.
The built-in engines allow for speeds up to 65 kilometres per hour. Hetman Ivan Mazepa is also expected to have autonomy of up to 10 days and solid armament. However, the Turks and Ukrainians have said little about its armament. It can be assumed that Hetman Ivan Mazepa will be armed with anti-ship missiles (probably RGM-84 Harpoon or RK-360 Neptune), launchers for anti-aircraft missiles, and cannons for combating smaller targets at closer range.
