On Tuesday, the Pacific Fleet frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov launched a Kalibr cruise missile at a ground target for the first time. This shooting was conducted by the crew of the ship from the waters of the Sea of Japan.
The press service of the Pacific Fleet reported that at the estimated time, the missile successfully hit the target position at the test site in the area of Cape Surkum. The range of fire at the same time exceeded 1 thousand kilometers.
The fleet headquarters clarified that the launch of the "Caliber" was provided by warships and vessels, as well as aircraft and helicopters of naval aviation. They closed the dangerous area of the Sea of Japan and the airspace above it. Recall that the "Caliber" is not a single missile, but a whole family of high-precision cruise naval ammunition. They are designed for different purposes, have different power, principle of operation and method of placement.
For example, the ship's 3M14 missile (it was used to destroy terrorists in Syria in October 2015 by the crews of the Caspian Flotilla ships "Dagestan", "Grad Sviyazhsk", "Uglich" and "Veliky Ustyug") has, according to various sources, a range of up to 2.6 thousand kilometers. And the 3M54 ammunition used on the diesel-electric submarines of the project 636.3 "Varshavyanka" fires, according to some estimates, at 400 kilometers. Its submariners also tested it on terrorists operating in Syria and made sure that the NATO members did not call this missile "Sizzler" - "incinerator"for nothing.
By 2023, the number of warships and submarines armed with such missiles of the Russian Navy is planned to double. They will also be given to crews on duty in the Mediterranean.
Yuri Gavrilov
