Russian Black Sea Fleet to grow with regional haul ships - Admiral Komoyedov
MOSCOW. March 14 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Black Sea Fleet needs regional haul ships of the class of Project 1135.6 Admiral Grigorovich, which is being launched at the Yantar Baltic shipyard, amid tensions escalating in Ukraine, State Duma Defense Committee Chairman, former Black Sea Fleet Commander Admiral Vladimir Komoyedov told Interfax-AVN.
"I advocate the regional status of the Black Sea Fleet against the backdrop of Ukrainian tensions. It does not need aircraft carriers or cruisers. When I was in command I did not know where to put our cruiser Moscow in the time of danger," Komoyedov said before his departure for Kaliningrad to attend the launch of the lead ship of Project 1135.6, the Admiral Grigorovich.
There is a task of the provision of national security in landlocked seas, the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea, and this security is regional to a large extent, Komoyedov said. "And this mission requires medium-sized ships of the Admiral Grigorovich type," the admiral said.
The Yantar shipyard is building six frigates of Project 1135.6.
"The construction will end in 2016, and the Russian Black Sea Fleet will welcome all of these ships into it," the admiral noted.
In addition, this year the Russian Black Sea Fleet will grow with three brand new submarines of Project 636.3, the Novorossiysk, the Rostov-on-Don and the Stary Oskol, which are under construction at the Admiralty Shipyards.
"In all, six non-nuclear submarines will be constructed for the Black Sea Fleet before 2016. That will be sufficient for operations within the Black Sea Fleet's zone of responsibility, which comprises waters of the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea," Komoyedov said.
Sevastopol will be the main base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet irrespective of the results of the March 16 referendum in Crimea, the State Duma Defense Committee chairman indicated.
