Cruiser Petr Veliky entered Red Sea through Suez Canal

19.04.2010 Having successfully passed Suez Canal which is one of the most important artificial waterways in the world, Northern Fleet's (NF) flagship heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser Petr Veliky reached the Red Sea on Friday, reports RIA Novosti.

Through 18 days of long-range cruise started at NF main base Severomorsk the cruiser has covered somewhat 6,000 nautical miles. In Apr 13-14 the ship called at Syrian port Tartus. At present, Petr Veliky continues performing the cruise tasks.

"The ship has successfully passed Suez Canal. Basically, shallow and narrow channel constituted a problem. Egyptian pilot thoroughly knowing the fairway helped the cruiser in sailing through the canal", informed RIA Novosti citing Northern Fleet's official.

The Suez Canal stretches from Port Said (at the Mediterranean Sea) to the Gulf of Suez (at the Red Sea). Length of the canal makes 168 km; canal bed is located along meridian and separates the larger part of Egyptian territory from Sinai. The canal's surface width is up to 169 meters; its depth is enough for ships with displacement over 16 meters. The canal has no locks.

Attempts to connect the Mediterranean and the Red seas were made even in ancient times. Egyptians excavated the first canal at Isthmus of Suez connecting Nile and the Red Sea as early as 1,300 B.C.

Construction of modern Suez Canal was launched in Apr 1859; Universal Company of the Suez Maritime Canal was established in 1854-1858. Its concession was obtained in 1854 by French consul in Egypt Ferdinand de Lesseps from Said Pasha, Egyptian governor.

Channel navigation was opened on Nov 17, 1869; the excavation cost almost 30 mln GBP. Initially, navigable depth was 7.94 meters and bottom width – 21 meters. Later on, the canal was deepened; after its nationalization by Egypt in 1956 other improvement measures were taken. Since 1981 all ships with displacement less than 16.1 meters are allowed to sail through the canal.

By virtue of Suez Canal, waterway length between Europe and India became almost 8,000 km shorter. Basically, oils for West Europe are transported northward; and industrial products for Africa and Asia are transported southward.

Heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser Petr Veliky is a flagship of Northern Fleet; the ship sailed off Naval Base Severomorsk on March 30 to participate in large-scale ocean exercise along with Russian task force. Port calls and joint drills with Russian partners are scheduled during the cruise.

Petr Veliky is the world's biggest non-carrying warship. 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. Petr Veliky has no analogs in the world.