The distinguished guests were met on board by the ship’s commander, captain of the second rank, Sergei Merkulov. Photo: press service of the Russian Ministry of Defense
After Sergei Shoigu showed North Korean leader Kim Jong-un the hypersonic Kinzhal and strategic missile-carrying bombers at the Knevichi airfield (Vladivostok), the North Korean leader was invited to the Pacific Fleet frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov moored in Ulysses Bay.
The distinguished guests were met on board by the ship’s commander, captain of the second rank, Sergei Merkulov. He told Kim Jong-un about all the characteristics of the ship and anti-submarine weapons.
The delegation was led past four-tube torpedo tubes and RBU-6000 rocket launchers located on the upper deck. At the same time, the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Nikolai Evmenov, explained that the frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov, built in the mid-1980s as a large Project 1155 anti-submarine ship, underwent a deep modernization several years ago, during which modern weapons were installed on it.
The delegation was led past four-tube torpedo tubes and RBU-6000 rocket launchers located on the upper deck. Photo: press service of the Russian Ministry of Defense
Kim Jong-un was shown the latest Uran anti-ship missile systems and Kalibr universal cruise missile systems, as well as the 100-mm A-190 automatic artillery mount.
Nikolai Evmenov told the North Korean leader and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu about the expanded capabilities of the new control systems, which make it possible to effectively use Kalibr sea-based cruise missiles against sea and coastal targets at a distance of more than 1,500 kilometers from the ship.
“With these weapons, the frigate “Marshal Shaposhnikov” became capable of effectively fighting modern enemy submarines, but also of fighting surface enemies at long distances, as well as delivering precise strikes on coastal objects and objects located at a considerable distance from the coastline,” – noted Evmenov.
Kim Jong-un, who visited the main command post of the ship, was told that the frigate had recently returned from a combat cruise.
Nikolai Evmenov told the North Korean leader and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu about the expanded capabilities of the new control systems. Photo: press service of the Russian Ministry of Defense
“The frigate was in the far sea zone in the Hawaiian Islands as part of a detachment of ships of the Pacific Fleet,” Evmenov noted.
Kim Jong-un did not hesitate to ask questions through an interpreter about the frigate’s steering, its maneuvering characteristics and the peculiarities of using the GLONASS navigation equipment, which ensures the safety of navigation anywhere in the world’s oceans.
After inspecting the ship, Kim Jong-un left a review in the Marshal Shaposhnikov book of honorary visitors. As a good memory, the North Korean leader received a model of a warship from a team of naval sailors.
