The Russian Navy operates only one Project 1154 frigate named RFS Neustrashimy (FF 712), which currently serves in the Baltic fleet. RFS Neustrashimy (FF 712) displaces around 4000 tons and has a lower RCS than many older warships in the Russian Navy, but instead of unmanned subsurface, surface, and aviation unmanned systems, the Russian version is a 6th rate frigate sporting 16 SS-N-25 anti-ship missiles and 8 VLS launched SA-N-9 anti-aircraft missiles. The class, designed during the cold war, was intended to replace the old Krivak class frigates. The SS-N-25 is similar to the Harpoon missile, and sometimes called the Harpoonski, while the SA-N-9 is very similar to the Russian TOR SAM system. Despite these weapon systems, the rest of the platform is dedicated to being an ASW frigate.
According to Russian media reports, the ship deployed to Somalia on Wednesday.
Russia's Navy has sent a missile frigate to waters off the Somali coast to fight piracy in the region, a Navy spokesman said on Friday.There are still many questions, ranging from logistics to intention, and for my personal curiosity, the RoE the Russian Navy intends to operate under. If the ship deployed on Wednesday, that would have been before the seizure of the Ukrainian owned ship by the Somalian pirates that was reported to be carrying T-72s, but also reported to have Russian citizens as crew members.
"The Neustrashimy (Fearless) frigate from the Baltic Fleet left the main naval base in Russia's Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad on Wednesday to ensure security in several regions of the world oceans," Capt. 1st Rank Igor Dygalo said.
Also worth a look, RIA Novosti has an interesting photo album of the modernizing Russian Navy.
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