RFS Pyotr Velikiy
Encyclopedia
Pyotr Velikiy (Пётр Великий) is a heavy nuclear-powered cruiser (TAKR), the fourth Kirov class
battlecruiser
of the Russian Navy, originally named Yuriy Andropov (Юрий Андропов). Although the ship is not a battlecruiser
by the traditional definition of the type, but a missile cruiser (official: "Heavy Rocket Cruiser"), its size has given it the unofficial designation of a battlecruiser in the mass media of many countries. Pytor Velikiy is the flagship
of the Northern Fleet.
Because of economic problems both before and after the fall of the Soviet Union
, work on the ship was severely postponed. It was not commissioned until 1996, ten years after the construction started. It had now been renamed Pyotr Velikiy, Russian for Peter the Great
.
After completing its acceptance trials in November 1996, the vessel was transferred to the Northern Fleet at Severomorsk
becoming the flagship
of the Northern Fleet.
In August 2000 Pyotr Velikiy was in the Barents Sea
involved in the largest naval training exercise since the fall of the Soviet Union. The ship was to be the designated target of the Oscar-II class
submarine K-141 Kursk
, and was conducting evasive maneuvers when communication with Kursk was lost, the submarine apparently having suffered a catastrophic torpedo detonation with all hands lost. Pyotr Velikiy guarded the area where the submarine sank during the subsequent salvage operation in 2001.
In March, 2004, Russian Navy chief Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov declared Pyotr Velikiy unfit for service due to problems with the ship's engineering maintenance. On April 19, 2004, it was docked in the floating drydock PD-50 for painting of the underside of the hull, repairs and examination of the steering system. The repairs were completed later that year, and it was carrying out missions again by August.
Pyotr Velikiy has been known to carry two pennant number
s during its service; "183" and currently "099".
On September 8, 2008, it was announced that Pyotr Velikiy would sail to the Caribbean Sea
to participate in naval exercises with the Venezuelan Navy, along with the destroyer Admiral Chabanenko
and other support ships. This action would represent the first major Russian show of force in that sea since the end of the Cold War
.
On September 22, 2008, Pyotr Velikiy and Admiral Chabanenko left their homeport of Severomorsk.
On October 22, 2008 Pyotr Velikiy made a port visit to Aksaz Karagac, Turkey. and on November 6-9, 2008 the nuclear cruiser and Admiral Chabanenko made a port visit to Toulon, France.
before departing the Mediterranean on November 10, 2008 passing through the Strait of Gibraltar.
The Pyotr Velikiy arrived in La Guaira, Venezuela on November 25, 2008 coincident with a visit by Russian President Medvedev and a combined exercise VENRUS-200 with the Venezuelan Navy took place on December 1-2, 2008.
After finishing the exercises, Admiral Chabanenko made a short visit to Panama December 5-10, 2008 then to Bluefields, Nicaragua December 13 to 15 and Havana, Cuba from December 19 to 23.
Pyotr Velikiy continued alone to Cape Town, South Africa.
On January 11, 2009, the chief of the Russian General Staff announced that Pyotr Velikiy and six other Russian warships would participate in a joint naval exercise with the Indian Navy
later the same month.
On the way to India, the Kirov-class cruiser made a three-day visit to Cape Town
, South Africa
.
On January 31, Pyotr Veliky left the port of Mormugao in the Indian state of Goa. After a two-day visit that included a naval exercise with the Indian guided-missile destroyer INS Delhi
the cruiser left for African waters where the vessel joined other warships from the Russian navy and conduct the INDRA-2009 exercise.
On February 12, 2009, the ship captured 10 pirates
in three boats off the coast of Somalia
On March 10, 2009 Pyotr Velikiy returned to its homeport of Severomorsk, ending a six-month deployment.
.
On April 14 the missile cruiser visited the Mediterranean port of Tartus in Syria
. In September 2008, Russia was reported to be in talks with Syria about turning Tartus into a permanent base for Russian warships in the Middle East.
In early May 2010 Pyotr Velikiy met up with the Russian missile cruiser Moskva in the South China Sea
. There they conducted joint exercises and held a traditional farewell ceremony on May 5. The two vessels are due to arrive in Russia's Far Eastern port of Vladivostok
to take part in the Vostok-2010 large-scale strategic exercise.
On 29 September Pyotr Velikiy returned to its home base in the Northern Fleet after six months at sea. The flagship of the Northern Fleet had covered about 28,000 nautical miles since the beginning of the mission on March 30 2010.
Kirov class battlecruiser
The Kirov-class battlecruiser is a class of nuclear-powered military ships of the Russian Navy, the largest and heaviest surface combatant warships currently in active operation in the world. The Russian designation is heavy nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser...
battlecruiser
Battlecruiser
Battlecruisers were large capital ships built in the first half of the 20th century. They were developed in the first decade of the century as the successor to the armoured cruiser, but their evolution was more closely linked to that of the dreadnought battleship...
of the Russian Navy, originally named Yuriy Andropov (Юрий Андропов). Although the ship is not a battlecruiser
Battlecruiser
Battlecruisers were large capital ships built in the first half of the 20th century. They were developed in the first decade of the century as the successor to the armoured cruiser, but their evolution was more closely linked to that of the dreadnought battleship...
by the traditional definition of the type, but a missile cruiser (official: "Heavy Rocket Cruiser"), its size has given it the unofficial designation of a battlecruiser in the mass media of many countries. Pytor Velikiy is the flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of the Northern Fleet.
Because of economic problems both before and after the fall of the Soviet Union
History of the Soviet Union (1985-1991)
The history of the Soviet Union from 1982 through 1991, spans the period from Leonid Brezhnev's death and funeral until the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Due to the years of Soviet military buildup at the expense of domestic development, economic growth stagnated...
, work on the ship was severely postponed. It was not commissioned until 1996, ten years after the construction started. It had now been renamed Pyotr Velikiy, Russian for Peter the Great
Peter I of Russia
Peter the Great, Peter I or Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov Dates indicated by the letters "O.S." are Old Style. All other dates in this article are New Style. ruled the Tsardom of Russia and later the Russian Empire from until his death, jointly ruling before 1696 with his half-brother, Ivan V...
.
After completing its acceptance trials in November 1996, the vessel was transferred to the Northern Fleet at Severomorsk
Severomorsk
Severomorsk is a closed town in Murmansk Oblast, Russia, located about north of Murmansk along the Kola Bay. Population: This is the main administrative base of the Russian Northern Fleet. Severomorsk has the largest drydock on the Kola Peninsula....
becoming the flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of the Northern Fleet.
In August 2000 Pyotr Velikiy was in the Barents Sea
Barents Sea
The Barents Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of Norway and Russia. Known in the Middle Ages as the Murman Sea, the sea takes its current name from the Dutch navigator Willem Barents...
involved in the largest naval training exercise since the fall of the Soviet Union. The ship was to be the designated target of the Oscar-II class
Oscar class submarine
The Project 949 and Project 949A Soviet Navy/Russian Navy cruise missile submarines ....
submarine K-141 Kursk
Russian submarine K-141 Kursk
K-141 Kursk was an Oscar-II class nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine of the Russian Navy, lost with all hands when it sank in the Barents Sea on August 12, 2000...
, and was conducting evasive maneuvers when communication with Kursk was lost, the submarine apparently having suffered a catastrophic torpedo detonation with all hands lost. Pyotr Velikiy guarded the area where the submarine sank during the subsequent salvage operation in 2001.
In March, 2004, Russian Navy chief Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov declared Pyotr Velikiy unfit for service due to problems with the ship's engineering maintenance. On April 19, 2004, it was docked in the floating drydock PD-50 for painting of the underside of the hull, repairs and examination of the steering system. The repairs were completed later that year, and it was carrying out missions again by August.
Pyotr Velikiy has been known to carry two pennant number
Pennant number
In the modern Royal Navy, and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth, ships are identified by pennant numbers...
s during its service; "183" and currently "099".
2008-09 deployment
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
to participate in naval exercises with the Venezuelan Navy, along with the destroyer Admiral Chabanenko
Udaloy class destroyer
The Udaloy I class are a series of anti-submarine destroyers built for the Soviet Navy, eight of which are currently in service with the Russian Navy. The Russian designation is Project 1155 Fregat...
and other support ships. This action would represent the first major Russian show of force in that sea since the end of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
.
On September 22, 2008, Pyotr Velikiy and Admiral Chabanenko left their homeport of Severomorsk.
On October 22, 2008 Pyotr Velikiy made a port visit to Aksaz Karagac, Turkey. and on November 6-9, 2008 the nuclear cruiser and Admiral Chabanenko made a port visit to Toulon, France.
before departing the Mediterranean on November 10, 2008 passing through the Strait of Gibraltar.
The Pyotr Velikiy arrived in La Guaira, Venezuela on November 25, 2008 coincident with a visit by Russian President Medvedev and a combined exercise VENRUS-200 with the Venezuelan Navy took place on December 1-2, 2008.
After finishing the exercises, Admiral Chabanenko made a short visit to Panama December 5-10, 2008 then to Bluefields, Nicaragua December 13 to 15 and Havana, Cuba from December 19 to 23.
Pyotr Velikiy continued alone to Cape Town, South Africa.
On January 11, 2009, the chief of the Russian General Staff announced that Pyotr Velikiy and six other Russian warships would participate in a joint naval exercise with the Indian Navy
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
later the same month.
On the way to India, the Kirov-class cruiser made a three-day visit to Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
On January 31, Pyotr Veliky left the port of Mormugao in the Indian state of Goa. After a two-day visit that included a naval exercise with the Indian guided-missile destroyer INS Delhi
INS Delhi (D61)
INS Delhi is the lead ship of her class of guided-missile destroyers of the Indian Navy. She was built at the Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai and commissioned on 15 November 1997. This class is among the largest warships to be designed and built in India.INS Delhi is the second vessel of the Indian...
the cruiser left for African waters where the vessel joined other warships from the Russian navy and conduct the INDRA-2009 exercise.
On February 12, 2009, the ship captured 10 pirates
Piracy in Somalia
Piracy off the coast of Somalia has been a threat to international shipping since the second phase of the Somali Civil War in the early 21st century...
in three boats off the coast of Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
On March 10, 2009 Pyotr Velikiy returned to its homeport of Severomorsk, ending a six-month deployment.
2010 deployment
On March 30 2010 Pyotr Velikiy left the Northern Fleet for a new six month deployment. During its six-month tour of duty, the warship passed through the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea before entering the Indian Ocean via the Suez Canal. In the Indian Ocean the Cruiser conducted maneuvers with other Russian warships from the Black Sea FleetBlack Sea Fleet
The Black Sea Fleet is a large operational-strategic sub-unit of the Russian Navy, operating in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea since the late 18th century. It is based in various harbors of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov....
.
On April 14 the missile cruiser visited the Mediterranean port of Tartus in Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. In September 2008, Russia was reported to be in talks with Syria about turning Tartus into a permanent base for Russian warships in the Middle East.
In early May 2010 Pyotr Velikiy met up with the Russian missile cruiser Moskva in the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
. There they conducted joint exercises and held a traditional farewell ceremony on May 5. The two vessels are due to arrive in Russia's Far Eastern port of Vladivostok
Vladivostok
The city is located in the southern extremity of Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula, which is about 30 km long and approximately 12 km wide.The highest point is Mount Kholodilnik, the height of which is 257 m...
to take part in the Vostok-2010 large-scale strategic exercise.
On 29 September Pyotr Velikiy returned to its home base in the Northern Fleet after six months at sea. The flagship of the Northern Fleet had covered about 28,000 nautical miles since the beginning of the mission on March 30 2010.