Russian Navy Project 11356 frigate Admiral Essen has fired Kalibr missile.

The Russian Black Sea Fleet’s Project 11356 Admiral Essen Grigorovich class frigate has fired its Kalibr (NATO reporting name: SS-N-27 Sizzler) missile system against a coastal target under the combat training program, the Russian Defense Ministry’s press office said. The exercise was held at a training range in the Black Sea, the press office added.

Russian Navy Admiral Essen Grigorovich Class-Frigate. (Picture source Pinterest)

"During the exercise, the ship’s crew delivered a missile strike against a coastal target. The missile covered a distance of about 140 nautical miles (more than 250 kilometers) along a complex trajectory and hit the target set up at the coastal training range," the press office added.

The sea area where the live-firing exercise took place was closed for shipping by 10 warships and auxiliary vessels, as well as planes and helicopters of the Black Sea Fleet’s air arm and air defense forces. Unmanned aerial vehicles registered the target hit.

This was the second live-firing exercise held by advanced Black Sea Fleet frigates in the Black Sea with the use of Kalibr missiles.

In August 2018, the Admiral Grigorovich frigate performed the first live-firing with the use of the Kalibr system. During the live-firing, the target simulating the enemy’s ship was hit.

The Admiral Grigorovich class also referred to as Krivak IV class, Russian designation Project 11356Р/М, is a class of frigates built by the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad for the Russian Navy.

Project 11356 is armed with an A190E 100mm gun featuring a 5P-10E fire control system located on the forward bow deck, which enables to track and engage multiple targets effectively. The А190 naval gun can fire high-explosive (impact fuse) and AA (time fuse) ammunition at a rate of 80 rounds per minute for ranges more than 20km.

The ASW capability is provided by two DTA-53-11356 twin torpedo tubes, and an RBU-6000 depth charge rocket launcher firing 90R ASW rockets and RGB-60 depth rocket bombs.

The 3M-54 Kalibr also referred to it as 3M54-1 Kalibr, 3M14 Biryuza, (NATO codenames SS-N-27 Sizzler and SS-N-30A), 91R1, 91RT2 is a group of Russian surface ship-, submarine-launched and airborne anti-ship and coastal anti-ship (AShM), land-attack cruise missiles (LACM) and anti-submarine missiles developed by the Novator Design Bureau (OKB-8). According to Russian military sources, the missile has a maximum firing range of 2,000 km.

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