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Black Sea Fleet frigate joins Russian Navy’s Mediterranean task force

The Admiral Essen is the second Project 11356 blue water frigate after the Admiral Grigorovich

MOSCOW, July 10. /TASS/. The crew of the Black Sea Fleet’s frigate Admiral Essen has restarted accomplishing missions as part of the Russian Navy’s permanent task force in the Mediterranean Sea, Fleet spokesman Vyacheslav Trukhachyov said on Monday.

"After briefly calling at Sevastopol, the crew of the Black Sea Fleet’s frigate Admiral Essen has set off for the Black Sea straits. Already today, the warship will restart accomplishing missions as part of the Russian Navy’s permanent grouping in the Mediterranean Sea," the spokesman said.

"In compliance with the planned rotation, the Admiral Essen will replace the same-type warship Admiral Grigorovich, which has been performing assignments as part of the grouping since March 2017," he added.

The frigate Admiral Essen returned to Sevastopol on July 5 after accomplishing combat missions off Syria. Russia’s Defense Ministry earlier said that the frigates Admiral Essen and Admiral Grigorovich and the submarine Krasnodar had destroyed large arms depots of the Islamic State terrorist grouping (outlawed in Russia) with cruise missiles in Syria.

The Admiral Essen is the second Project 11356 blue water frigate after the Admiral Grigorovich. It was transferred to the Black Sea Fleet in June 2016.

The frigates displace about 4,000 tonnes, develop a speed of 30 knots and have a sea endurance of 30 days. Another Project 11356 frigate will be handed over to the Fleet in 2017.

The Admiral Essen is armed with Kalibr-NK cruise missiles, the Shtil-1 self-defense missile system, the A-190 artillery gun, air defense artillery, a rocket launcher and torpedoes and can also carry a deck-based Kamov Ka-27 or Ka-31 helicopter.