Russian warship to visit Singapore, Indonesia to take part in IMDEX-2011

Russian Pacific Fleet's destroyer Admiral Panteleyev will visit Singapore and Indonesia on May 16-27 to take part in IMDEX-2011 naval exhibition and hold joint drills with the Indonesian navy.

The biennial IMDEX Asia International Maritime Defence Exhibition (IMDEX) is held in Singapore on May 17-19.

"Russian warships have taken part in this exhibition several times in the past," the fleet's spokesman Capt. 1st Rank Roman Martov said. "

Russian warship to join Indonesian navy drill

MOSCOW (BNS): Russian Pacific Fleet's destroyer Admiral Panteleyev will take part in IMDEX-2011 naval exhibition and hold joint drills with the Indonesian navy.

Admiral Panteleyev, an Udaloy class destroyer, will visit Singapore where a three-day biennial IMDEX Asia International Maritime Defence Exhibition (IMDEX) will begin tomorrow. 

The Russian destroyer will stay in Singapore until May 20 and then depart for Indonesia to take part in anti-piracy drills with the Indonesian navy from May 25-27.

The simulated mission would involve the rescue of a tanker seized by pirates, Pacific Fleet spokesman Capt. 1st Rank Roman Martov was quoted as saying.

Admiral Panteleyev took part in the international anti-piracy mission off the Somali coast in 2009 and seized a boat carrying 29 suspected pirates, a Ria Novosti report said.

Voronezh region will reconstruct the first battleship of Russian Navy

Voronezh regional administration will appropriate RUR 200 mln for duplicating of God's Predestination, the first warship in Russian Navy; the reconstruction will be made by JSC Pavlovsky Shipyard, reported Friday RIA Novostireferring to a representative of the state order department. 

God's Predestination was the first Russian battleship and the first IV rank ship (as for British rank classification of 1706) built without participation of foreign specialists. The ship was constructed by a shipyard of Voronezh Admiralty with direct involvement of Peter the Great. 

Russian defense ministry is about to purchase 100 warships till 2020, reports RIA Novosti referring to deputy defense minister Vladimir Popovkin. According to him, procurement of ships will be carried out under State Arms Program 2011-2020 and will imply 20 submarines, 35 corvettes, and 15 frigates. Popovkin did not specify what kind of other 30 ships the Navy intends to buy. 

State Arms Program 2011-2020 has not been approved yet; its parameters are still uncertain. As was previously reported, defense ministry would receive RUR 19 trillions under this program. According to Russian Navy Main HQ, part of these funds will be appropriated for renovation of Black Sea Fleet (BSF).

Russian military justifies purchase of Mistral warships

Russia has decided to buy Mistral ships from France because it would have taken at least 10 years to develop a similar domestic model, Chief of the Russian General Staff Gen. Nikolai Makarov said Thursday.

"It could take at least 10 years to develop a ship similar to Mistral," Makarov said. "And meanwhile someone will create a better weapon [than Mistral]."

Makarov said Russia should buy the best of modern weaponry abroad to be built under license in Russia.

Russiaan USC dismisses rumors of exit from warship talks with France

Russia's United Shipbuilding Corporation dismissed on Tuesday media reports that it had left talks with France on the purchase of four Mistral class amphibious assault ships.

Kommersant business daily reported earlier on Tuesday that Russia would only be represented by state-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport in talks with France's DCNS.

"This information is not true," USC head Roman Trotsenko said. "We are a consortium member."

Moscow and Paris signed on January 25 an intergovernmental agreement to jointly build the helicopter carriers for the Russian Navy.

Russian warship escorts a 9-vessel convoy in the Gulf of Aden

Pacific Fleet (PF) large ASW ship Admiral Vinogradov which is currently deployed off the Horn of Africa escorts a convoy of 9 vessels, reports RIA Novosti referring to a spokesman for Russian Navy. 

"At present, the Russian warship is escorting nine civil vessels through dangerous waters. Totally, there are 8 Russian crewmembers on board those ships", said the official. 

He underlined that Russian Navy would keep on patrolling the piracy-risky regions. "Ships of all four fleets will carry out maritime security tasks rotationally", said the interviewee. 

PF task force which takes part in the international anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden recently escorted the fifth convoy in 2011. 

Fifth task force of Pacific Fleet consisting of large ASW ship Admiral Vinogradov, ocean-going salvage tug, and tanker Pechenga arrived to the Gulf of Aden from Vladivostok on Dec 22, 2010. Admiral Vinogradov has two deck-based helicopters conducting permanent aerial reconnaissance. All ships of the task force are reinforced with PF marine units; all of them had passed special training prior to the mission.