Frigate Admiral Grigorovich officially joins Russian Navy

The lead ship of Russia's Project 11356 class guided missile frigates Admiral Grigorovich, has officially joined the Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet after the presentation of colors in Kaliningrad.

Admiral Grigorovich, the first of six Project 11356 frigates, will substantially enhance the efficiency of the Black Sea Fleet, Russian media reported.

The frigate was named after Admiral Ivan Konstantinovich Grigorovich, the last imperial naval minister of the Russian Empire (1721-1917).

Descendants of Admiral Grigorovich attended the presentation of colors on Friday at the Yantar shipyard along with representatives of the Black Sea Fleet, the Baltic Fleet, the shipyard and local government.

The Yantar shipyard will build all of the six Project 11356 frigates and deliver them to the Black Sea Fleet between 2014 and 2017, under two contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry.

The Project 11356 series frigates are designed by Russia's Severnoye Design Bureau to counter surface ships, submarines and airborne targets. Each frigate has a total displacement of 4,000 tons, with a sailing speed up to 30 knots, a length of 125 meters and a staff of 180 sailors.

The present Russian Navy, which inherited the vast majority of the former Soviet naval forces, comprises the Northern Fleet, the Pacific Fleet, the Black Fleet, the Baltic Fleet, the Caspian Flotilla, Naval Aviation, and the coastal troops.

By 2014, the Russian Navy had some 130,000 personnel, 271 ships and approximately 359 aircraft. Endi