SEVASTOPOL, July 28. /TASS/. The crew of the Black Sea Fleet’s frigate Admiral Makarov accomplishing missions within the Russian Navy’s permanent Mediterranean taskforce held drills for the ship’s air defense during its sea transit, the Fleet’s press office reported on Tuesday.
"Under the drills’ scenario, the frigate’s air defense alert team spotted a notional enemy’s aircraft approaching the ship, following which the personnel accomplished measures for repelling an air attack," the press office said in a statement.
During the drills, the shipboard team of the combat information post detected and identified the notional target while the air defense crew successfully eliminated it with electronic launches of surface-to-air missiles when the adversary plane came within the destruction distance, the statement says.
The frigate Admiral Makarov is accomplishing assignments as part of the Russian Navy’s standing Mediterranean taskforce, the press office said.
The warships like the Admiral Makarov represent 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).
Russian Navy’s Mediterranean Squadron
The Soviet Navy’s 5th Mediterranean Squadron served as a prototype for the Russian Navy’s permanent Mediterranean taskforce operating at present. The 5th operational Soviet Squadron dealt with the tasks of naval presence in the Mediterranean theater of operations during the Cold War period. Its main rival was the US Navy’s 6th Fleet. The Soviet Squadron was disbanded on December 31, 1992, a year after the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
In 2013, Russia started to create a new operational Mediterranean taskforce. Russia’s new permanent Squadron is dealing with planned and urgent combat missions arising in the Mediterranean theater of operations, including warding off threats to Russia’s national and military security.