http://en.rian.ru/russia/20080526/108442780.html
Russian 'killer of aircraft carriers' starts drills in Pacific
VLADIVOSTOK, May 26 (RIA Novosti) - The Varyag, a Russian Slava-class missile
cruiser dubbed 'the killer of aircraft carriers,' has started a series of
live-firing exercises in the Pacific for the first time since a recent
overhaul, a fleet spokesman said Monday.
Varyag, the flagship of the Russian Pacific Fleet, was commissioned in Russia's
Pacific Fleet in 1989 and re-entered service in early 2008 following a major
refit that lasted almost a year.
"The Varyag's crew is scheduled to conduct a series of live firing drills
against ground, surface, and air targets," said Captain 1st Rank Roman Martov.
He said the exercise was aimed at checking the performance of all on-board
weapons systems.
"The cruiser is equipped with a powerful array of missile systems, torpedoes
and artillery systems," Martov said, adding that NATO experts had dubbed
Russian combat ships of this class "the killer of aircraft carriers," as it can
carry 1,000kg of high-explosives, or a tactical nuclear warhead out to a range
of 300 nautical miles.
The Slava-class missile cruiser was designed as a surface strike ship with some
anti-air and ASW capability. The sixteen SS-N-12 Sandbox nuclear-capable
supersonic anti-ship missiles are mounted in four pairs on either side of the
superstructure, giving the ship a distinctive appearance.
In addition, the cruiser reportedly carries 64 SA-N-6 Grumble long-range
surface-to-air missiles (SAM) and 40 SA-N-4 Gecko short-range SAMs.
Two other ships of this class, the Moskva and Marshal Ustinov, are in service
with Russia's Black Sea Fleet and Northern Fleet, respectively.
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