Black Sea Fleet to have two new units - Russian Navy commander
MOSCOW. April 3 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Black Sea Fleet will form brigades of frigates of Project 1135.6 and diesel-electric submarines of Project 636, Russian Navy Commander Admiral Viktor Chirkov said in the Special Correspondent program of the Rossiya channel on Tuesday night.
"There is a program for deployment and delivery of new ships to the Black Sea Fleet. This fleet is the focus of our attention due to the instability in the Mediterranean Sea, its operational zone," he said.
The delivery of frigates of Project 1135.6 and diesel-electric submarines of Project 636 will begin next year. The fleet will receive six ships of each type. The brigade of diesel-electric submarines of Project 636 will accomplish missions in the fleet's operational zone, the Black and Mediterranean Seas, he said.
The fleet will create infrastructure for training personnel, from sailors to admirals, before the delivery of ships, submarines and aircraft begins, the commander said. Coastal training will account for 75-80% of the entire training time in order to save resources, he said.
The Kaliningrad Yantar Shipyards will build six frigates of Project 1135.6 for the Russian Navy. The construction of the lead ship, the Admiral Grigorovich, started on December 18, 2010. The construction of the second frigate, the Admiral Essen, began on July 8, 2011. The series will be ready in 2014.
It was reported earlier that the St. Petersburg Admiralty Shipyards is building four of six submarines for the Black Sea Fleet. Submarines of Project 636 were designed at the St. Petersburg Rubin Central Navy Design Bureau.
The designers said the low-noise submarines could trace and attack enemy ships with cruise missiles from a long distance.
The subs are 74 meters long, dive up to 300 meters, autonomously operate for 45 days and have crews of 52 men. They are armed with six torpedo units and carry 18 missiles, torpedoes and mines.
