Russian Navy latest frigate holds artillery firings in Black Sea

SEVASTOPOL, April 8. /TASS/. The frigate Admiral Essen conducted artillery firings in the Black Sea, successfully striking coastal targets at a practice range in Crimea, the Black Sea Fleet’s press office reported on Thursday.

"The crew of the Black Sea Fleet’s frigate Admiral Essen held preparatory and qualification artillery firings on coastal targets located at the Opuk training ground on the Crimean Peninsula. The firings on coastal targets were conducted as part of a final check of the Black Sea Fleet’s forces for the winter training period," the press office said in a statement.

At the first stage of the firings, the frigate’s artillery units practiced an algorithm of operations. At the second stage, the artillery personnel conducted preparatory firings from the A-190 gun on coastal targets, the statement says.

"As part of holding qualification artillery firings, the personnel successfully struck both visible coastal targets and invisible objects, using navigational data and an auxiliary aiming point," the press office added, noting that at the next stage the crew of the frigate Admiral Essen would be assessed in carrying out joint drills with fighters of the Black Sea Fleet’s naval aviation for repelling a notional enemy’s air strike.

The frigates like the Admiral Essen represent a new series of Project 11356R/M naval ships (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 versatile 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).