A task force from the Russian Pacific Fleet led by the missile cruiser Varyag will set sail on June 4 on a friendly visit to the United States, the fleet's spokesman said on Thursday.
The naval group, which also includes the Fotiy Krylov salvage tug and the Boris Butoma tanker, will make a port call in San Francisco during a month-long voyage.
"During a visit to San Francisco the Russian sailors will get acquainted with the city and its history...while San Francisco residents will be able to visit the ship, meet with the crew and listen to the music performed by the Pacific Fleet's orchestra," the official said.
The Varyag is a Slava class missile cruiser, designed as a surface strike ship with some anti-air and ASW capability. The sixteen SS-N-12 Sandbox nuclear-capable supersonic anti-ship missiles are mounted in four pairs on either side of the superstructure, giving the ship a distinctive appearance.
NATO experts had dubbed Russian combat ships of this class "the killer of aircraft carriers," as it can launch 1,000 kg of high-explosives or a tactical nuclear warhead out to a range of 300 nautical miles.
In April 2009 the Varyag led a group of 21 foreign naval vessels participating in a parade to mark the 60th anniversary of China's Navy off the coast of the eastern city of Qingdao.
In November last year the flagship of the Pacific Fleet visited Singapore.
Hopefully they obey the littering laws. Russian ships toss their garbage over the side.
Oh, main reason I posted this, please get pictures of this, people who live in SF.
Goddamnit! I'm going to SF tomorrow! I'll be gone before they show up!
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Vympel wrote:
Hopefully they obey the littering laws. Russian ships toss their garbage over the side.
According to my info, Udaloy class destroyers (namely, the Admiral Chabanenko (BPK 650) - an Udaloy II class)
don't have any garbage disposal facilities at all - they simply can't abide the littering laws present in whatever port they happen to be visiting.
And not only that the project of the Slava-class cruisers is like, a decade older than the Udaloy project,
but Varyag itself is a decade older than Admiral Chabanenko, so I have serious doubts that the situation over there is any better than on the younger vessel.
Although the Varyag is a much bigger ship, so who knows...
MagnusTheReD wrote:
According to my info, Udaloy class destroyers (namely, the Admiral Chabanenko (BPK 650) - an Udaloy II class)
don't have any garbage disposal facilities at all - they simply can't abide the littering laws present in whatever port they happen to be visiting.
And not only that the project of the Slava-class cruisers is like, a decade older than the Udaloy project,
but Varyag itself is a decade older than Admiral Chabanenko, so I have serious doubts that the situation over there is any better than on the younger vessel.
Although the Varyag is a much bigger ship, so who knows...
Yeah I know what you're referring to, the French exchange officer on the Admiral Chabanenko back in 2004, right? If the Varyag doesn't have such facilities, there's another easy way to comply - just carry lots of big garbage bags with you and dispose of them properly in port. It'll create a very bad impression if they pollute the shit out of the water surrounding their mooring. Especially in SF.
Cruisers are a more prestigious vessel and are AFAIK more well equipped with amenities (this is certainly the case with the Kirov cruisers), so hopefully ...
Please, someone do try and get pictures. I'm still kicking myself for missing out on touring the LÉ Eithne when she was in Philadelphia last year. I didn't even know what I was looking at at the time.
Vympel wrote:
Yeah I know what you're referring to, the French exchange officer on the Admiral Chabanenko back in 2004, right? If the Varyag doesn't have such facilities, there's another easy way to comply - just carry lots of big garbage bags with you and dispose of them properly in port. It'll create a very bad impression if they pollute the shit out of the water surrounding their mooring. Especially in SF.
Cruisers are a more prestigious vessel and are AFAIK more well equipped with amenities (this is certainly the case with the Kirov cruisers), so hopefully ...
It'd be really really easy to fit a trash burner, the USN had to hastily fit them to all its warships in WW2 because while we did not exactly give a shit about dumping trash over the side, we realized it meant the ship was leaving a trail of trash to give away its position to recon aircraft. Course San Fransisco is not likely to appreciate trash burning either, unless its a modern plasma burner setup that can destroy nearly anything. California can't bitch about those because its installing them itself. Trash bags sound pretty likely.
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I spent about 2½ years on a ship stationed in Alameda, CA. All trash was taken off of the ship and down to trash bins or rollaways on the pier or at the end of the pier. I don't recall the shipboard incinerators ever being used in port. Maybe they were used for classified material destruction but I think even that was handled by an off ship incinerator. At least that's what I had to do in Mayport, Florida.
Unless it was just a USN policy I thought international law banned the dumping of trash within 50 nautical miles of shore. I would think that the Russians should be aware of this and hopefully they aren't going to San Francisco clueless as to that city's reputation when it comes to environmental issues.
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Open, locks,
Whoever knocks.
If I knew the exact date she'll be available for tours I'd try like hell to get down to SF for it.... Not like they'll allow cameras onboard, but still.
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I don't see why they wouldn't allow cameras onboard, I have a bunch of pictures someone took onboard of a Russian frigate not that long ago including the interior of the bridge. Its not like a Slava is cutting edge anymore, or not already photographed to hell and back. I mean... the Ukraine has one of the damn things.
"This cult of special forces is as sensible as to form a Royal Corps of Tree Climbers and say that no soldier who does not wear its green hat with a bunch of oak leaves stuck in it should be expected to climb a tree"
— Field Marshal William Slim 1956
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Apologies for the necro, but I finally found a firm date for the Varyag's arrival: she will be in San Francisco for five days, beginning on June 20, along with some JSDF vessels. If anyone in the area wants to meet up, I can be there any of the five days, and will hopefully get some good pictures to share.
Monday the 21st 4 PM or later is an easy one for me. Other dates might also work.
"I'm so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark." - Muhammad Ali
"Dating is not supposed to be easy. It's supposed to be a heart-pounding, stomach-wrenching, gut-churning exercise in pitting your fear of rejection and public humiliation against your desire to find a mate. Enjoy." - Darth Wong
starslayer wrote:Apologies for the necro, but I finally found a firm date for the Varyag's arrival: she will be in San Francisco for five days, beginning on June 20, along with some JSDF vessels. If anyone in the area wants to meet up, I can be there any of the five days, and will hopefully get some good pictures to share.
Did you see the end of that article?
June 20 will be a busy day on the San Francisco waterfront. Three Japanese Self-Defense Force vessels, all warships, are expected that day. If all six vessels arrive that day, it will be the largest number of foreign warships to call at San Francisco in many years.
I think I know what I'm doing Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately I don't have a camera.
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Quick update; The Varyag is at pier 30, almost under the Bay Bridge, and it will be open to the public on Thursday, if I heard correctly. So I'll be going back then. The Japanese ships are at pier 27, a little over halfway to pier 39 from the Ferry Building. At least one of them is supposed to be open to the public on Monday. Hopefully they still will be on Thursday, I guess I'll find out when I get there.
If anyone wants to try and meet up PM me and we can werk something out.
"Siege warfare, French for spawn camp" WTYP podcast
It's so bad it wraps back around to awesome then back to bad again, then back to halfway between awesome and bad. Like if ed wood directed a godzilla movie - Duckie
