The Russian Black Sea Fleet’s frigate The Admiral Essen (photo) has practiced counter-measures to repel a massive missile attack by a hypothetical enemy in an exercise in the Mediterranean, the fleet’s press-service told the media on Thursday.

“The air defense crews of the Black Sea frigate The Admiral Essen practiced measures to protect a base facility from a massive missile and air strike of a hypothetical enemy in the Mediterranean. The virtual targets were identified and classified and successfully eliminated as a result of simulated electronic launches,” the statement says.

The Admiral Essen is a second blue water frigate of project 11356 and the first serially built ship of this project. It has been part of Russia’s permanent group in the Mediterranean since March 2019.

The ships of this class have a displacement of about 4,000 tonnes, speed of 30 knots and endurance of 30 days. The Admiral Essen is armed with cruise missiles Kalibr, missile self-defense system Shtil-1, a 100 mm artillery piece A-190, air defense artillery, RBU-6000 rocket launcher and torpedoes and can carry a deck helicopter Ka-27 (Ka-31).

Meanwhile, the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) will provide 16 new combat ships for the Russian Navy this year, USC President Alexei Rakhmanov told a business conference at the theme park Patriot near Moscow.

“We are going to deliver to the Navy another 16 top-notch vessels,” Rakhmanov said.

Earlier, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the Navy this year was to get seven new combat ships, including four submarines and seven repaired ones.