Russia may deploy another missile cruiser to the Mediterranean Sea amid heightening tensions in the region. Citing a “high-ranking source” in the Russian Pacific Fleet, Moscow-based RIA Novosti reported Friday that the fleet’s flagship Varyag Missile Cruiser could join the country’s naval task force in the Mediterranean while on a mission in the Indian Ocean. “The Varyag missile cruiser will carry out a number of tasks in the Indian Ocean until the end of this year and may join Russia’s task force in the Mediterranean if necessary,” the source stated. The development comes amid earlier media reports the warship would replace the Moskva missile cruiser as the flagship of the Russian task force currently in the Mediterranean. The unnamed source, however, did not elaborate on the nature of the Varyag’s mission in the Indian Ocean, but noted that the Mediterranean tour was not a priority for the warship. Russia had also announced earlier this week that its Black Sea Fleet assault landing ship Yamal is expected to join the Mediterranean task force by the end of September. Yamal will join the existing ten Russian military vessels already in the Mediterranean waters. The ten Russian warship already in the Mediterranean region are listed as large landing ships Aleksandr Shabalin, Admiral Nevelskoy, Peresvet, Novocherkassk, Minsk and Nikolay Fylchenkov; large anti-submarine ship Admiral Panteleyev; escort vessel Neustrashimy; guard patrol ship Smetlivy and guided-missile cruiser Moskva. Russia initiated its military build-up in the Mediterranean in 2012, establishing a steady naval presence in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea, near Syria, since last December. The mounting pressure around Syria has seen naval forces both friendly and hostile to Damascus building up off the country’s coastline. In addition to the Russian naval force in the Mediterranean Sea, there are two US aircraft carriers Nimitz and Harry S. Truman; two guided-missile cruisers Gettysburg and San Jacinto, as well as a number of other American warships deployed in the sensitive area. French Navy frigate Chevalier Paul, specializing in anti-missile capabilities, is also in the Mediterranean waters.
Posted on: Fri, 20 Sep 2013 09:42:11 +0000
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