Russian cruiser Petr Veliky to call at Syrian port Tartus

12.04.2010 Northern Fleet (NF) heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser Petr Veliky on Tuesday will pay an official visit to Syrian port Tartus within the framework of preparation to large-scale naval exercise, informs Monday RIA Novosti citing the Navy's press secretary.

"Currently, heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser Petr Veliky is sailing in the Mediterranean and on Apr 13 will call at port of Tartus (Syria). Guard missile cruiser Moskva has passed Bosporus and Dardanelles straits and pursues an assigned course to the Aegean Sea", said the interviewee.

According to the official, the exercise program implies interaction between cruisers Moskva and Petr Veliky in distant ocean zone as well as conducting combat training activities.

Baltic Fleet (BF) frigates Neustrashimy and Yaroslav Mudry are presently deployed in the Atlantic Ocean along with the task unit, pointed out the interviewee.

"NF and BSF warships continue the long-range cruise under Russian Navy's ocean zone deployment. The purpose is to escalate presence of Russian ship groupings in key regions of the World Ocean; to conduct exercise with involvement of fleets' support forces; and to maintain Russia's naval presence", said the press secretary.

BSF flagship Guard missile cruiser Moskva sailed off Naval Base Sevastopol on Apr 9 to participate in ocean exercise.

Cruiser Moskva is a lead ship of Project 1164 Atlant which was the first Soviet series of cruisers powered by gas turbines. Moskva was laid down on November 4, 1976 at Nikolayev shipyard. The ship was launched on July 27, 1979 under the name of Slava and delivered to Soviet Navy late 1982. In Feb 1983 the cruiser was commissioned into Red Banner Black Sea Fleet. Afterwards, the ship was renamed into Moskva [Moscow] having inherited this honorable name from ASW cruiser Moskva.

Russian Navy's flagship NF nuclear-powered missile cruiser Petr Veliky sailed off Naval Base Severomorsk on March 31.

Petr Veliky is the world's biggest non-carrying attack ship. The cruiser is designed for destruction of large sea surface targets, antiaircraft and antisubmarine defense of naval formations in distant regions of the World Ocean.

Having passed trials, in 1998 the cruiser was delivered to Russian Navy. Her standard displacement is about 24,000 tons, total displacement is 26,000 tons. Powerful nuclear propulsion plant makes the ship capable to accelerate up to 31 knots (60 kph). The cruiser's length is 251 meters; beam is 28.5 meters; height is 59 meters; crew is over 700 men.

Main armament is antiship supersonic missiles P-700 (3M-45) Granit (Shipwreck). Twenty Granit antiship missiles are mounted under top deck and have elevation position of 60 degrees. The ship is also armed with various state-of-the-art weapons capable to hit surface targets, submarines, and repel aerial attacks.

Yaroslav Mudry is a BF frigate, second ship of Project 11540. The ship is designed for search, detection and tracking enemy's submarines; antiship and antisubmarine support of deployed warships; striking upon ships at sea and at bases; fire support of land troops' actions; and covering landing forces.

Yaroslav Mudry was laid down at Baltic shipyard Yantar in 1991 and commissioned into Baltic Fleet in June 2009. The ship's displacement is 4,250 tons; length is 130 meters; beam is 15.6 meters; draft is 8.35 meters; cruising range is 3,000 nautical miles.