20.07.2009
After almost 20 years at the construction slip of the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad, the frigate Yaroslav Mudry in mid-June took off on its first mission. Russia meanwhile plans the launch of a series of new frigates.
The construction of
Yaroslav Mudry was started in 1990 but then halted in 1994 when 75 percent of the vessel was complete. Construction was restarted in 2002,
RIA Novosti reports.
The 3590 deadweight and 130 meter long vessel is part of the Project 11540, a class of which the Soviet Union originally planned to construct 70 ships.
The frigates were originally planned to be used as escort vessels. However, in today's situation, the vessel will have to operate more independently. Russia last year launched
Yaroslav Mudry's sister ship, the
Neustrashimy, which the last year has been hunting pirates off the coast of Somalia. It is believed that the
Yaroslav Mudry will operate primarily in the Baltic Sea.
Meanwhile, Russia plans to launch a series of new frigates of the new project 22350, the first one of which could be put on the water at the Baltic Shipyard already in the course of this year. That first vessel, the
Admiral Gorshkov, was started constructed in 2006.
The Navy intends to acquire up to 20 of the new project frigates,
RIA Novosti informs.
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