The Steregushchy class corvette (Project 20380) is the newest corvette class in the Russian Navy, Steregushchy is the lead ship of the class and was commissioned on the 14 th of November 2007. The class was designed to replace the ageing Grisha class, and has been built as a multipurpose vessel with a potent array of offensive and defensive weapons systems. This is another good example of the well established and very elegant Russian naval design philosophy, and Steregushchy is just as pleasing to the eye as her larger cousins.

Some of you may recognize Gwylan Models from their earlier 1/1250 offerings, but this is the first effort in 1/700. This kit comes well packaged in a sturdy cardboard box, with the contents wrapped safely in bubble wrap. While none of the parts in my kit were damaged in any way, Gwylan offers an excellent parts replacement policy.

This kit is cast as a single piece waterlined hull. The hull is well made with only minor blemishes. The hull should be easy to clean up with a few swipes of sandpaper. Most of the superstructure and deckhouses are cast in place with the hull, forming a seamless, contiguous whole.

The deckhouses have great detail, when there is any present; a failing point with many modern low-observability vessels is the lack of radar enhancing protrusions and openings.

The remaining parts to build Steregushchy are on a single resin sprue. This sprue was attached to a piece of cardboard to protect the parts during shipping. The parts travelled with no blemishes or broken pieces.

The 100mm gunhouse and Kashtan CIWS air defense mount are quite detailed, as are the "Harpoonski" SS-N-25 quad missle cannister launchers. The ships boats are here, with the primary sensor mast and the two antenna assemblies. Both of the antennas have a slight bend to them, which will be easy to fix with some warm water.

Photoetch isn't always offered with 1/700 kits, but it is a nice accessory here. Railings for the main and helo decks are nice, as is the boat handling derrick. The etched jackstaffs are also here- but only for the brave. The blast doors that mount flush behind the SS-N-25 canisters appear to have a tight, flush fit.

Hull numbers and helo deck markings are provided in decal form. These are printed from an ALPS printer, and are not silk screened. Modelers will need to trim the clear carrier film closely before applying.

There are no paper instructions included in the kit at this time. Gwylan has an assembly guide available online here.

This is a neat little kit, and an impressive initial release 1/700 scale by Gwylan. This class of ship has been the source of much speculation and appreciation online, and is a welcome addition to the modern naval kits available. There are a few very minor issues with Steregushchy; the kit does not include any ASW helos, and I would like to see paper instructions. (Gwylan tells me these are in the works) A few of the parts show some slight finish issues; remnants of the rapid-prototyping process used in the model creation process. These should disappear with a coat of primer and paint.

If you are a fan of modern Russian Navy subjects, modern subjects or just of good casting, give this kit a shot! It would even serve as a good little starter kit for someone looking for an introduction to 1/700 resin kits.

Thanks to Gwylan Models for this review sample. GM700-01 1/700 Steregushchy is available direct from Gwylan. Prices vary depending on currency rates. Gwylan tells us there are more 1/700 subjects planned, (a modern aircraft carrier?) and perhaps even more scales in the future! I'd like a 1/350, full hull Steregushchy please!