MOSCOW, December 25. /TASS/. The Black Sea Fleet’s frigate Admiral Essen has accomplished missions as part of Russia’s permanent Mediterranean taskforce and has set off for its home base in Sevastopol, the Fleet’s press office reported on Tuesday.
"The warship has started to pass through the Black Sea’s Dardanelles and Bosporus straits, heading for the Black Sea Fleet’s permanent naval base - the city of Sevastopol," the press office said.
The frigate Admiral Essen performed missions as part of Russia’s permanent Mediterranean taskforce from August 2018.
In 2018, the frigate spent about 300 days at sea. During its stay as part of Russia’s Mediterranean Squadron, the Admiral Essen took part in the inter-fleet drills in the Mediterranean Sea under the direction of the Russian Navy commander-in-chief.
During the drills, the warship’s crew practiced conducting a battle by a sole ship and as part of a naval group. The frigate also held artillery fire against naval and air targets and practiced anti-submarine warfare.
The Admiral Essen represents a new series of Project 11356R/M frigates (the Project 11357 designation is also used). These frigates are designed to destroy enemy surface ships and vessels, submarines and ground installations, carry out patrols and defend sea lanes.
The frigates of this Project are armed with eight launchers of Kalibr-NK cruise missiles that are capable of striking surface, coastal and underwater targets at a distance of up to 2,600 km.
The warships of this Project are also armed with Shtil-1, Palash and AK-630M air defense missile and artillery systems, A-190 100mm universal artillery guns, torpedo tubes and RBU-6000 rocket launchers. The frigates also have a take-off and landing strip and a hangar for an anti-submarine warfare helicopter (Ka-27 or Ka-31).