Baklan (Project 19920B)

The Project 19920 'Baklan' is a class of large hydrographic survey boats designed for the Russian Navy to conduct coastal research and mapping. These vessels are equipped with advanced multi-beam echo sounders and precision positioning systems to ensure safe navigation in littoral zones. They also serve to maintain navigational aids, lighthouses, and buoy systems in challenging maritime environments.

Developed by the Vympel Design Bureau in the early 2000s, the Project 19920 was designed to replace obsolete Soviet-era hydrographic vessels. The lead ship, BGK-2090, was laid down in 2004 and commissioned into the Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet in 2008. Production has been distributed across multiple shipyards, including Vympel in Rybinsk and Blagoveshchensk Shipyard, with over a dozen units currently active across all major Russian fleets.