Admiral Chabanenko returned to Severomorsk

30.04.2010 Long-range cruise of large ASW ship Admiral Chabanenko has been finished. The ship spent greater part of the cruise in the Gulf of Aden; sailors have been afloat for 177 days covered 25,000 nautical miles, informed RIA Novosti citing Vadim Serga, press secretary of Northern Fleet's (NF) Commander.

"Among those who met the ship on the pier were Vice Admiral Nikolai Maksimov, NF Commander; top-level officers of Northern Fleet, Kola flotilla, and NF ASW division; officials from Murmansk regional administration and Severomorsk; and relatives of the crew", said the press secretary.

When the ship was lashed, the crew paraded on the heliport for solemn meeting associated with cruise termination. NF Commander Vice Admiral Nikolai Maksimov was the first who congratulated antisubmariners with successful completion of all given tasks and safe returning home.

He emphasized importance of the mission accomplished by Admiral Chabanenko and said that after detailed analysis all crewmembers distinguished themselves would be awarded".

The cruise started early Nov 2009 was performed under the flag of Capt 1 rank Evgeny Irza, NF ASW division commander. Most of the time NF mariners were countering piracy in the Gulf of Aden; they also cooperated with other Russian and foreign warships performing similar tasks in Indian Ocean.

"Large ASW ship Admiral Chabanenko has escorted 17 convoys with 60 vessels of various class, mostly under flags of Liberia, Antigua and Barbuda. Many escorted ships had Russian crewmen on board. Also, Northern Fleet mariners helped two Russian-flagged ships to pass through the hazardous zone", said Serga. Within the framework of the cruise, Admiral Chabanenko called at Syrian port Tartus, visited Djibouti, ports of Piraeus (Greece), Salalah (Oman) and Spanish enclave Ceuta at African side of Gibraltar strait.

Now the crew has time for rest, recovery and preparation for summer training period.

Project 1155.1 large ASW ship Admiral Chabanenko is presently the most up-to-date ship in her class. The ship holds second place among 1 rank ships after nuclear cruiser Petr Veliky. Length is 163.4 meters; beam is 19.5 meters; displacement is 8,900 tons; cruising range is 3,500 nm; crew is 296 men.

Large ASW ship Admiral Chabanenko is designed for antisurface and antisubmarine warfare, air defense, and covering landing troops; capable to operate both within task unit and independently. The ship was named after Admiral Andrei T. Chabanenko (1909-1986), NF Commander.