New PF anti-piracy task unit to head for Somali coast in Jan

28.12.2009
Subsequent PF task unit consisting of large ASW ship Marshal Shaposhnikov, sea tug and tanker will sail from Vladivostok to Somali coast to fight piracy late Jan, reported Capt 1 rank Roman Martov, the head of PF Information and Public Relations Service.

Sailors will be accompanied by marine unit. Large ASW ship Marshal Shaposhnikov will carry two deck-based helicopters which will obtain data of coordinates and routing of pirate vessels and transmit it to the unit commander, Martov added.

According to him, the ships are currently passing thorough maintenance check; provisions are put on board; crews receive required training.

Since Dec 1 the Russian Navy's task unit consisting of large ASW ship Admiral Chabanenko and tanker Sergei Osipov is securing navigation near Horn of Africa. The unit will escort sixth convoy through the Gulf of Aden on Dec 28.

The source in Baltic Fleet HQ has previously said frigate Neustrashimy had sailed to the Atlantic and would probably keep its second anti-piracy watch at Somali coast.

Neustrashimy was the first Russian warship deployed for anti-piracy mission. It had been performing tasks on enhancing navigation security there since Oct 2008 till Jan 2009. In January 2009 the frigate was shifted by Pacific Fleet's large ASW ship Admiral Vinogradov; it has been taking part in anti-piracy mission until March 2009. In April Admiral Vinogradov had been changed by large ASW ship Admiral Panteleev returned back to Vladivostok in June. After that the watch in the Gulf of Aden was kept by large ASW ship Admiral Tributs till Oct. On November 16 it returned to Vladivostok. Since January till now PF combat ships have escorted over 100 Russian and foreign ships, prevented several pirates' attempts to capture vessels.

Russia is ready to expand its military presence near Somali coast to continue countering piracy, said Dmitry Rogozin, Russian ambassador to NATO summarizing results of Council NATO-Russia held on Dec 4 in Brussels.

According to International Maritime Bureau, since Jan 1 till Oct 20, 2009 there were 327 pirate attacks worldwide, 37 vessels were captured and 639 men held hostages. During same period of 2008, those numbers were 194, 36 and 631 correspondingly. In the Gulf of Aden and east coast Somalia since Jan 1 till Oct 20, 2009 174 attacks occurred, 35 vessels were hijacked and 587 men held hostages.

Over ten percent of the world's maritime traffic and about one third of the world's shipment of crude are carried out through the Gulf of Aden. Every year around 20,000 vessels pass that region. Around 30 ships from more than 15 countries are currently patrolling the area near Horn of Africa.

Marshal Shaposhnikov is a Project 1155 large ASW ship.

REGISTRATION

Pacific Fleet

CONSTRUCTION, NAME

The ship was laid down in 1983 at Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad; launched in January 1985; commissioned on February 15, 1986.

MILESTONES

In 1987 the ship visited ports of Mozambique, India, Angola and Seychelles.

In 1988-1989 it was deployed at the Persian Gulf.

In 1990 the ship called a visit to North Korean port, evacuated Soviet citizens from Ethiopia.

In 1993-1994 in was under complete overhaul at Dalzavod Shipyard in Vladivostok.

In 1994 it visited Hawaiian Islands; in 2006 – Guam.

In September 2008 a fire occurred on board the ship during exercise in the Sea of Japan. Two seamen died.

In March 2009 the ship was recommissioned into constant readiness force after overhaul.

PERFORMANCE, DIMENSIONS

Speed: 29.5 knots, cruising – 14 knots
Endurance: 30 days
Crew: 220 men
Total displacement: 7,480 tonnes
Standard displacement: 6,840 tonnes
Length: 163 meters
Beam: 19 meters
Draft: 7.8 meters

PROPULSION

2 shafts, 4 gas turbines, 61,000 shp (2 x 8,000 shp cruise gas turbines M-70 and 2 x 22,500 shp boost gas turbines M-8KF)

ARMAMENT

2 x 4-container launchers of Rastrub rocket torpedo system
6-26 mines
8 Kinzhal SAM launchers (64 missiles)
1 coupled 100-mm AK-100 gun mount
4 x 6-barreled 30-mm machineguns AK-630M
RBU-6000 antisubmarine rocket launchers
2 Ka-27 helicopters

Source: RusNavy.com, photo: Marshal Shaposhnikov (4.bp.blogspot.com)