Russian unique diving patrol boat and formidable features

One of the Sentinel’s advantages is the combination of patrol and submarines.
The Rubin Central Marine Engineering Design Bureau (part of the United Russia Shipbuilding Corporation) is developing the first submersible patrol boat for foreign customers, called “BOSS”.

The design of a patrol boat capable of diving under water in the Sentinel project. Photo: TASS This is an affordable submarine for countries with a modest defense budget. The new ship combines the features and advantages of submarines with surface patrol boats. This export-specific project, is expected to attract the attention of smaller countries looking to upgrade their fleets. The purpose of the project “BOSS” In mid-April 2021, the Rubin Central Marine Technical Design Bureau unveiled a new project. The agency provided background information on the project to build a special patrol boat, its progress and expected results. Along with that, is a three-dimensional image of a patrol ship with submarine features. The project dedicated to export is called “Sentinel” in Russian, and the English name is “BOSS (short for Border and Offshore Submersible Sentry). The Sentinel will most likely be marketed on the national market as “BOSS”. The cost of modern patrol boats is relatively low, making them suitable for countries with small budgets, project developers note. The aim of these ships is to prevent poaching and illegal fishing. In addition, they can also be used as security ships, lifeboats or for research purposes. Viktor Murahovsk – editor-in-chief of Homeland Arsenal magazine said: “The Sentinel project proposes building a ship capable of operating both above and below the water. When operating on water, it can patrol, identify and arrest offenders. When operating under water, it will secretly spy on intruders, scout and avoid bad weather while on mission. According to Viktor Murahovsky, the first version of the patrol diving boat will have the above characteristics, in the future they will be modified to meet the needs of foreign customers. Technical characteristics Officially released photos show that this ship takes the form of a submarine but has some properties that are not typical of those operating under water. The Sentinel has a rather long hull with a flat deck, on deck there is a cockpit with a limited size. In the bow is equipped with hydrophonic complex antenna. The ship has a conical control tower with horizontal rudders. At the stern, there was a compartment for the motorboats of the patrol teams. According to published information, in terms of architecture and size, the ship resembles the project 613 diesel-electric submarines built in the 1950s. It is the largest project in the history of the Russian Navy and is foreign customers are very popular. Depending on configuration, the Sentinel patrol boat will be 60 to 70 meters in length, displacing about 1,000 tons. The full details of the ship’s special systems and equipment are not yet clear. However, this patrol ship is believed to be able to carry weapons such as torpedoes, missile systems, and small caliber artillery platforms. To perform patrol and surveillance tasks, the ship will be equipped with unmanned aircraft (UAV) capable of flying for many hours continuously and canoe. A crew of 42 people, including a patrol team, is responsible for handling violators. Advantage over foreign competitors Expert Viktor Murahovsk said: “The development of the Sentinel project is aimed at meeting the current needs of the international market. Many countries are paying special attention to patrol boats. Thanks to this project, the Russian defense industry can gain a new position in the international market ”. To win against foreign competitors, the new patrol ship must have certain advantages, outperforming its competitors. One of the Sentinel’s advantages is to abandon the traditional form of a surface ship to a combination of a patrol boat and a submarine. “With the basic functionality of surface ships, the Sentinel can patrol and arrest violators just like other patrol boats. In addition, due to its built-in weaponry, it can provide the necessary combat capabilities, meeting the requirements for surface ships. On the other hand, diving will help the ship be stealthy and perform missions below the water, as well as provide other advantages, ”concluded Viktor Murahovsk. Most importantly, the Sentinel is not a specialized train, but a multi-purpose ship. Its equipment and weapons will be determined by the customer, depending on their needs. In the Sentinel project there are both simply minimally equipped patrol boats and state-of-the-art “powerful hunters” capable of destroying underwater and surface targets. Flexibility in using this vessel type can be an important competitive advantage.