★ UNSINKABLE Russia's Anti-aircraft, Anti-ship & Anti-submarine missile cruiser BLACKCOM 1 /"Moskva" enters Mediterranean..★ [Archive Footage] Tasks of the Missile Cruiser 121 Moskva (Крейсер Москва): ★ giving the combat stability to forces fleet in the distant regions of seas and oceans; ★ the destruction of the surface ships of enemy, including aircraft carriers 'Moskva' weaponry: -16x SS-N-12 Sandbox anti-ship missiles - 8x8 (64) S-300PMU Favorit (SA-N-6 Grumble) long-range surface-to-air missiles -2x20 (40) OSA-MA (SA-N-4 Gecko) SR SAM -1x twin AK-130 130mm/L70 dual-purpose guns -6xAK-630 close-in weapons systems -2x RBU-6000 anti-submarine mortars -10x (2 quin) 533mm torpedo tubes Armor: Splinter plating Aircraft carried: 1 Ka-25 or Ka-27 helicopter Russia's Moskva missile cruiser, dubbed a "carrier-killer" by NATO, has passed through the Straits of Gibraltar and is now heading toward the eastern Mediterranean to assume command of the Russian naval force there. The Russian Navy said in a statement that the Moskva cruiser passed through the Straits of Gibraltar on September 10. Interfax news agency added that the Moskva cruiser, "commanded by Sergey Tronev, Captain 1st Rank of the Guards... has enough room for maneuver now." "The Black Sea flagship entered the Russian Navy's area of responsibility in the Mediterranean at 11:00 pm Moscow time yesterday," the agency reported a military source as saying. The missile-carrying cruiser is expected to join its final destination in eastern Mediterranean on September 15 or 16. Upon arrival, the command of the Russian Navy unit in the Mediterranean, currently stationed onboard the Admiral Panteleyev anti-submarine ship, will be relocated to the Moskva. "The armaments and technical equipment of the missile cruiser are in working condition. The crew is ready to perform combat missions," the source said. The missile cruiser, initially known to Western naval intelligence as "Slava" (Glory), was launched in 1979 and entered service in 1983. It was later renamed the "Moskva" in 1995. Designed to be carrier-killers, the cruisers of Class 1164 are equipped with 16 anti-ship launchers P-1000 Vulkan, or Volcano (SS-N-12 Sandbox anti-ship missiles, according to NATO classification). Another two vessels, the landing ship Nikolay Filchenkov and the guard ship Smetlivy, will join the Russian naval unit later. They will be pass through the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits by September 12-14 and will then head to the eastern Mediterranean. Russia's Defense Ministry has said the maneuvers are part of the "stage-by-stage rotation of warships and support ships of the standing naval force in the Mediterranean." The recent deployments are aimed at "complex monitoring" of the situation around Syria, military sources told Interfax earlier. Russia's standing naval force in the Mediterranean now involves landing craft carriers "Aleksandr Shabalin," "Admiral Nevelskoy," "Peresvet," "Novocherkassk" and "Minsk" of Russia's Black and Baltic Sea Fleets, as well as escort vessel "Neustrashimy," and the anti-submarine ship "Admiral Panteleyev." Russian naval maneuvers in the Mediterranean come amid growing tension in the region, which sparked speculation that Russia was boosting its naval presence ahead of a possible US strike against Syria. Previously, Russia's defense officials cautioned against making connections between the relocation of warships and the Syrian crisis, saying the maneuvers do not depend on the situation and "will continue after it." ARMAMENT: ★ AK 630 /M/M2 The AK-630M-MR-123-02 Artillery system is intended for defence of the surface ships from precision guided weapons, fixed/rotary wing aircraft, as well as for engagement of small sea and coastal targets and floating mines. ★ SA-8 / SAN-4 Gekko / 9K33 Osa ★ SA-N-6 Grumble / S-300* Rif The RIF task force protection AD system is designed to protect a naval formation against air attacks and destroy surface targets. The primary mission of the system is to destroy anti-ship/anti-radar missile carrier ships and electronic countermeasures ships at long distance beyond the formation's... ★ SS-N-12 Sandbox / P-500 Bazalt/V-1000 Vulkan SS-N-12 Sandbox is a Russian supersonic speed cruise missile with a range of 550 km carrying a payload of 1,000 kg. While no photographs of the Sandbox missile (4K80) have been released, drawings believed to originate with intelligence sources do permit a description of the missile. ★ FREGAT-MAE Radars The FREGAT-MAE shipborne 3D radars are intended for surveillance and acquisition of the maritime and aerial targets. ★ AK-130-MR-184 ★ RPK-8 RBU-6000 ASW The RPK-8 Antisubmarine Rocket System is designed to engage submarines, torpedoes and frogmen. It comprises the RBU-6000 Rocket Launcher, antisubmarine rockets, fire control system, and storage, transportation and loading facilities.

• published: 13 Sep 2013
• views: 327