A nuclear-powered Russian guided-missile cruiser was headed to Brest, France, for a 4-day official visit that will include joint naval exercises with French warships.
The commander of the French navy and Russia's ambassador to France will visit the Pyotr Velikiy, Russia's largest and most powerful warship named after Peter the Great, RIA Novosti reports. The public can board the ship Sunday.
A day later, the Pyotr Velikiy will take part in passing exercises, called PASSEX, with vessels from the French navy. The exercise will include joint naval maneuvers, supply replenishment, ship-to-ship transfer of goods and helicopter landings, RIA Novosti reports.
The Pyotr Velikiy will then continue to the port of Severomorsk, home to Russia's Northern Fleet, after having been cruising global waters for months following the Vostok 2010 exercises in Siberia. The massive 10-day war games involved around 20,000 troops, 70 warplanes and 30 warships. For the first time, the new Sukhoi Su-24M and Su-34 combat aircraft were deployed to the country's far east, nearly 5,000 miles from the planes' base in the western parts of the country.
Built in 1986 but not commissioned until 12 years later due to Russia's dire financial situation, the Pyotr Velikiy is a 823-foot steel fortress powered by two nuclear reactors and four large steam engines that ensure a top speed of 36 mph.
It's armed with 20 SS-N-19 Shipwreck missiles, designed to sink other large vessels, as well as 12 SA-NX-20 Gargoyle launchers with 96 missiles and 2 SA-N-4 Gecko with 44 missiles that can down enemy aircraft. The ship's flag radar can detect high-altitude targets at a range of more than 300 miles and its three KA-27PL helicopters can perform submarine seek-and-destroy missions. The vessel displaces around 26,000 tons fully loaded and has a crew of more than 700 sailors that can be on waters for months at a time while performing military missions.
The ship has sailed in waters all over the world and earlier this year anchored at the Syrian port of Tartus, in the Mediterranean, once a candidate in talks over a permanent base for Russian ships. In February 2009, the vessel captured 10 Somali pirates.
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