The Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation will be replenished with the latest ships armed with modern Kalibr cruise missiles.
This was stated by the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Nikolai Evmenov on the occasion of Black Sea Fleet Day, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
The admiral emphasized that today the Black Sea Fleet is at the stage of active equipment and development, which is dictated by the need to prevent threats to Russia from sea directions in the south.
“Literally in the very near future, the Black Sea Fleet will be replenished with a series of 6 patrol ships of Project 22160. The surface component of the Black Sea Fleet will also be replenished in the near future with three new corvettes capable of performing tasks in the far sea zone, a series of small missile ships of Project 22800.
Of course, the most important segment of coastal infrastructure, ship repair and shipbuilding will continue to develop. The Black Sea Fleet will be balanced and self-sufficient in terms of the composition of forces and means,” said Evmenov.
It should be noted that the Project 22800 Karakurt MRKs are designed for combat operations on the high seas and have high maneuverability. Their main weapons are high-precision missiles of the Caliber-NK family. In addition, the ships are armed with artillery weapons and Pantsir-ME anti-aircraft missile systems.
Project 22160 patrol ships, which will also join the Black Sea Fleet, are designed to operate in the near and far sea zones, protect territorial waters, naval bases and ships and vessels of large displacement. They are armed with artillery systems, Igla-S MANPADS, and also provide for the deployment of a combat helicopter and drones. In addition, the ship can also be armed with Caliber cruise missiles.
Previously, former Deputy Minister of Defense, Admiral of the Ukrainian Navy Igor Kabanenko stated that Russia is critically increasing its influence in the Black Sea, which allows it to virtually completely control the region.