US 7th Fleet's command ship will probably call at Vladivostok on Victory Day

28.04.2010 US 7th Fleet's command ship Blue Ridge will probably visit Vladivostok on the occasion of the Victory Day, reports PrimaMedia referring to Pacific Fleet HQ.

According to the source, the American crew is supposed to participate in military parade to be held in the capital city of Primorsky Krai.

Yet neither Russia nor the U.S. have officially confirmed the participation of USS Blue Ridge in the festivities, although the president's executive secretary Vladimir Kozhin mentioned on Tuesday that US ships would call at Vladivostok in the holidays.

USS Blue Ridge paid an official visit to Vladivostok in July 2006 along with Vice Admiral Jonathan W. Greenert, then Commander of US 7th Fleet.

USS Blue Ridge is a command ship; lead ship of the same-named class. The ship was laid down on Feb 27, 1967; launched on Jan 4, 1969; commissioned on Nov 14, 1970. Displacement is 19,609 tons; length is 194 meters; beam is 32.9 meters; draft is 8.8 meters; speed is 23 knots; crew is 842 (1,341 including headquarters). Armament: two Phalanx CIWS; four 25-mm machineguns Bushmaster; eight 12.7-mm machineguns; Mark 36 SRBOC launchers; two helicopters SH-60 Seahawk.

US 7th Fleet comprises 50–60 ships; 350 aircrafts; 60,000 naval servicemen and marines. These forward-based forces are located at Yokosuka naval base, Japan.