Russian Warships With Kalibr Rockets to Be on Guard in Mediterranean 24/7

Putin: Russian Warships With Kalibr Rockets to Be on Guard in Mediterranean 24/7

Sputnik

16 May, 2018

According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the country's military vessels will be on permanent standby in the Mediterranean Sea due to a terrorist threat in Syria.

"Due to the remaining threat of incursions by international terrorists in Syria, our ships carrying Kalibr cruise missiles will be constantly deployed in the Mediterranean Sea," Putin said at a military meeting.

Speaking further, the Russian president said that the practice of distant sea campaigns and drills should continue.

"Some 102 sea campaigns by Russia's ships and submarines are to take place," Putin added.

At the same time, Vladimir Putin noted that Russia would continue reinforcing the maritime part of its nuclear forces to increase the role of the Russian Navy in the country's nuclear deterrence.

"It is necessary to bolster the marine component of the strategic nuclear forces. It will enhance the Navy’s capacity in nuclear deterrence. Developing multifunctional vessel groups, which should effectively fend off military threats on the sea, remains an important task. I also require special attention to be paid to coordination of such groups with the Aerospace Forces and other troops," Putin said.

The president added that Russia continues to supply its naval fleet with the latest weapons, communications systems, intelligence and targeting equipment in accordance with the state armament program.

"As before, the quality and timing requirements for the state defense orders should be kept most stringent. There are, of course, problematic issues related to manufacturing new equipment and to repairing surface ships and submarines. We’ll listen to concrete solutions on these issues," Putin said.

In the first three months of 2018, the Russian Navy received a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, three ships, two helicopters and 46 Kalibr cruise missiles.

READ MORE: Russia to Roll Out Hypersonic Missile for the First Time During V-Day Parade

Russia is actively modernizing its armaments and military equipment amid ongoing tensions in international relations. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, it is planned to spend 20 trillion rubles ($352.3 billion) on the 2018-2027 armament program.

Russian heavy Golan-1000 rocket launchers for Assad, Kalibr cruise missiles off shore

DebkaFile,

16 May, 2018

Light was shed on Wednesday, May 16, on Russia’s mysterious intentions after its puzzling non-interference in the Israeli-Iranian clashes in Syria. 

President Vladimir Putin informed the Russian high command meeting in Sochi of two decisions: “Our ships carrying Kalbr cruise missiles will be permanently deployed in the Mediterranean Sea,” he reported. They will take up position opposite the shores of Syria, Lebanon and Israel. DEBKAfile’s military sources take this step to mean that the Russian army command believes the military confrontation between Israel and Iran in Syria is not over and more clashes are still to come.

It was also revealed by military sources in Moscow that the Assad regime’s 4th Armored Division had received from Russia heavy rocket launchers deliberately dubbed Golan-1000, of 500mm caliber, which can deliver three rockets loaded with 500kg of high-explosive fragmentation ammunition. They have a range of up to 6km and are powerful enough to knock over IDF fortifications on the Golan.  Those fortified bases remained unscathed by the Iranian Al Qods 20-missile barrage on May 9. So what is behind Putin’s maneuvers in Syria between Iran, Israel and the Assad regime? The coming issue of DEBKA Weekly out on Friday, May 18, unravels this conundrum as well as shedding light on the, pivotal military shifts in motion on the Middle East landscape. 

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