Is Russia preparing for a strike? A carrier of "Kalibr" missiles has been deployed to the Black Sea. How many missiles can it launch?
On the morning of February 17, Russia deployed a military ship into the waters of the Black Sea. It is equipped with "Kalibr" cruise missiles.
This information was reported by the Naval Forces of Ukraine. It is noted that the ship is capable of launching four missiles simultaneously.
"Over the course of a day, in the interests of Russia, the following vessels passed through the Kerch Strait: 6 ships to the Black Sea, of which 2 continued towards the Bosporus Strait; and 12 ships to the Azov Sea, of which 5 were moving from the Bosporus Strait," the report states.
According to military sources, there are no enemy ships in the Azov Sea.
Meanwhile, there are four enemy ships in the Mediterranean Sea, three of which are carriers of "Kalibr" cruise missiles, with a total salvo of up to 26 missiles.
What is known about the "Kalibr" missile
These missiles were first introduced in the Moscow region of Russia in 1993. They were designed to arm ships and submarines. The purpose of the "Kalibr" missiles is to strike ground, sea, underwater, and surface targets.
The missile is equipped with a 450-kilogram high-explosive warhead with an airburst option. Additionally, there is a variant with a cluster warhead outfitted with fragmentation, high-explosive, or cumulative elements.
It is important to note that the "Kalibr" can fly at low altitudes, making it difficult for air defense systems to track. It has a solid-fuel rocket engine for launch.
According to assessments from the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, Russia has the capability for mass production of this weaponry—approximately up to 30 units per month.
Forbes reports that the "Kalibr" missile costs 6.5 million dollars.
Specifications of the "Kalibr" missile
- Length: 6.2 m;
- Diameter: 0.53 m;
- Wingspan: 2.43 m;
- Weight: 1,770 kg;
- Warhead weight: 450 kg;
- Speed: 980 km/h.
Recall that earlier "Telegraph" reported that at the end of January this year, a strange procession of ships was noticed in the Azov Sea.