Putin visits antisubmarine vessel

Russian President Vladimir Putin has visited the antisubmarine vessel'Marshal Shaposhnikov' in Vladivostok. The head of the state was informedof combat characteristics of the ship and was shown its military equipmentincluding a helicopter, torpedo launchers and missiles.During this visit the President declared that military exercises, likethose conducted recently on the Caspian Sea, would be carried out in thePacific and other fleets in the future.At a meeting with sailors, Putin said that the period of service fordraftees would not be increased, although in the current short period ofservice it was practically impossible to teach sailors to use modernmilitary equipment. According to the President, the way out of thissituation is to advance the number of voluntary enlistees and to creategood living conditions for the fleet, so that soldiers and sailors wouldwant to become voluntary enlistees.The construction of the antisubmarine vessel 'Marshal Shaposhnikov' wasstarted at the Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad on May 1983. The vessel waslaunched on December 27, 1984. According to the NATO classification,'Marshal Shaposhnikov' is a missile frigate. It has radio and electronicequipment installed, which is capable of detecting atomic submarines at along distance. The vessel also has deck-based artillery, missile launchersand anti-aircraft defense systems that are capable of destroying air,coastal and sea surface targets. The twice ship carried out specialmissions in the Persian Gulf..