The missile cruiser “Dagestan” and the artillery vessel “Volgodonsk” will join the Caspian Fleet in 2012, Colonel Igor Gorbul, head of the press service of the Southern Military District, said today, RIA Novosti reports.
The RB-10 tugger joined the fleet a month ago, the “Volgodonsk” and “Dagestan” are being tested at the moment.
The “Dagestan” missile cruiser is a modernized multifunctional vessel based on the 11661 project. It is used against underwater, on-water and air targets. The first vessel of the series is the flagship “Tatarstan” of the Caspian Fleet, which started operating in 2003. The “Dagestan” has upgraded weaponry. It is the first Russian vessel equipped with the Kalibr-NK missile complex, capable of launching several high-accuracy missiles at the same time to hit on-water and coastal targets at a radius of 300 km.
The minor artillery vessel “Volgodonsk” is the second vessel of the 21630 project. The first vessel of the series, the “Astrakhan”, joined the Caspian Fleet in 2006. It may operate both in the coastal zone, rivers and inflows. Both vessels have stealth technologies to reduce detection.
