A Russian Navy Pacific Fleet flotilla is on the move.

Admiral Vinogradov / Адмирал Виноградов docked in Busan, South Korea 2014-10-01
Photo Credit:  Jang Hun, ShipSpotting.com

Just a quick note... From snooping on the AIS movements of the Fotiy Krylov I noticed she was out of the harbour last week, but didn't know until @azlok re-tweeted why; a flotilla was on the move.  Three ships from the Russian Pacific Fleet embarked on March 28th, reportedly led by Captain 1st Rank Alexander Potapov (Александр Потапов) of the Russian Navy.

Coat of arms of Russia
-Wikipedia

According to the news reports and press releases from the Russian Navy, the flotilla is comprised of

• Admiral Vinogradov / Адмирал Виноградов, Udaloy-Class Destroyer
• Fotiy Krylov / Фотий Крылов, Ocean-going Tug / SAR / Salvage Vessel
• Irkut / Иркут, Dubna Class Light Fleet Oiler

They will visit at least five countries:

• Indonesia
• Brunei
• Singapore
• ?
• ?

They will participate in two multinational Asia-Pacific Exercises:

• Komodo Exercise 2016 - Multilateral Naval Exercise host by Indonesian Navy in Padang, 2016-04-12 to 2016-04-16 (The exercise's Twitter account is here)
• ADMM-PLUS-2016; A maritime security and counter-terrorism exercise to be held in the South China Sea in May with at least 18 other participating countries including Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the United States.

I'm going to keep an eye on this exercise and see where else they stop along the way... I suspect there won't be much buzz about this in the Western media.

Sources:
http://en.portnews.ru/news/216862/
https://rbth.com/international/2016/03/31/pacific-fleet-ships-to-take-part-in-asean-anti-terror-drills_580601
http://tass.ru/en/defense/865473
http://en.portnews.ru/news/217177/

RFS Fotiy Krylov and RV Marshal Gelovani visit Shanghai, China

To recap, ships from the Russian Navy Pacific Fleet, RFS Fotiy Krylov and RV Marshal Gelovani, have traveled from Vladivostok, to Nicaragua, did some stuff while they were there... and are on their way back to their home port.  To my surprise they stopped in the port of Shanghai! Luckily Shanghai has some excellent shipspotters that really go the extra mile.
Thank you for the pictures Justin Zhu!

See previous posts here and here for more details about their trip.

2015.11.01 Update:
They have left, going to Vladivostok (I think)
Они оставили , идя до Владивостока ( я думаю)

RV Marshal Gelovani / Маршал Геловани

October 29, 2015 - Shanghai, China

Photo Credit: Justin Zhu Twitter: @justin86zy

RV Marshal Gelovani / Маршал Геловани

October 29, 2015 - Shanghai, China

Photo Credit: Justin Zhu Twitter: @justin86zy

RFS Fotiy Krylov / Фотий Крылов

October 29, 2015 - Shanghai, China

Photo Credit: Justin Zhu Twitter: @justin86zy

RFS Fotiy Krylov / Фотий Крылов

October 29, 2015 - Shanghai, China

Photo Credit: Justin Zhu Twitter: @justin86zy

Russian supertug Fotiy Krylov and the Russian Research Vessel Marshal Gelovani pic.twitter.com/ZLg5SKCwLy

— justin zhu (@justin86zy) October 30, 2015

Last recorded position:

Berth where she docked:

Fotiy Krylov (Фотий Крылов) docks in Corinto, with a friend?

Marshal Gelovani
Photo Credit: Savitskiy Igor / ShipSpotting.com
Taken November 24, 2014 in Vladivostok

Following up on my last post about this interesting tug, the Fotiy Krylov (IMO 8613346 / MMSI 273441150) showed up at 2015-08-05 00:38Z at the Port of Corinto, Nicaragua.

The Port of Corinto is classified as a small port in the Northern Pacific, and has considerable warehousing and rail links to move cargo to/from the port.

So what?

Well, the Fotiy Krylov doesn't usually travel alone, but as a tug she usually has her AIS beacon on, unlike spy-ships or other ships of war.  So, who's she travelling with this time?

Rumour has it she's with the Project 862/II Marshal Gelovani (NATO: Yug Class) Hydrographic survey vessel. I can't find an IMO or MMSI for her, just a reference to 906O.  I also found reference that she is an AGE: General Purpose Experimental Ship (AGE = Auxiliary General Experimental).  I wonder if she's experimenting with something, and what they're up to?

The only thing I know that's going on in Nicaragua is the new canal which is being bankrolled by the Chinese, which is going to erode the American-controlled Panama canal's monopoly.  Just today they announced potential changes to the Pacific entry of the canal.  Are the Russians helping with oceanographic surveying?  Are they experimenting with new sonar?  Nicaragua is an ally of Russia, so any number of other projects could be going on, or they could have just stopped for some fuel and cigars.  I really don't know.

Title: Marshal Gelovani
Russian Navy Auxiliary
Project 862/II  |  NATO: Yug Class
Launched: 11.02.1983
Commissioned: 29.07.1983
Serving: Pacific Fleet / Vladivostok, Russia
Concept / Program (multiple sources have the ship listed differently):
  AGE: General Purpose Experimental Ship (AGE = Auxiliary General Experimental)
  General-purpose research ship
  Ekspeditsionnoye Okeanograficheskoye Sudno (EOS); Expeditionary Oceanographc Vessel
  Hydrographic survey vessel
Displacement: 1,892 tons / 2,490 tons (full)
Dimensions: 82.5 x 13.5 x 3.97 meters/270.6 x 44.3 x 13 feet
Propulsion: 2 Sulzer diesels, 2 shafts, 3,600 bhp, 15.6 knots
Crew: 46 civilian + 20 mission crew + 4 passengers/transients
Built: Poland, Stocznia Polnocna, Gdansk
  [information compiled from multiple sources]

Fotiy Krylov's last recorded position:

Corinto, Nicaragua:

View Larger Map  |  View Bird's Eye

Fotiy Krylov (СБ-135 Фотий Крылов) - A Six Hour Tour?

Sleeve Insignia of the
Russian Pacific Fleet

I signed up for MarineTraffic.com's notification service to tell me when ships of (my) interest come and go from Port. I'd sort of forgotten I'd done so, as I hadn't received a notice from any of my alerts lately. AIS transponders on military ships get turned off when they're being stealthy; but a ship that
wears more than one hat might choose not turn off their transponder, else it would be suspicious. One such ship, that I strongly believe serves multiple roles, is the Fotiy Krylov (СБ-135 Фотий Крылов IMO:8613346 MMSI:273441150). The Fotiy Krylov is the twin of the Nikolay Chiker (СБ-131 Николай Чикер IMO:8613334 MMSI:273543910), but serves the Pacific fleet, sailing out of the home of the Russian Navy's Pacific Fleet,Vladivostok (Владивосто́к) from what roughly translates to Golden Horn Bay, or Zolotoy Rog Bay (Золотой Рог) .

You may remember that the Nikolai Chiker was zig-zagging around the east coast of the US and Caribbean last year, in tight patterns, executing what I can only presume was a search for something, or survey of something uncharted (read: DoD underwater sensors).

Fotiy Krylov (СБ-135 Фотий Крылов)

Photo Credit: Unknown | Location: Port of Limassol

Both ships have very unique capabilities; underwater cameras, specialized gear, and a moon pool allowing un-monitored underwater operations. The ships are officially ocean going tugs, but I believe they are used for much more.

The Krylov left Vladivostok, executed some very interesting maneuvers at sea, and returned to harbour back at Vladivostok... all in 6 hours. From the pattern, what do you think they were doing?  That's more than a casual shake-down or idle cruise.

It looks to me like they were steering in large sweeping patterns listening for something, found something, and returned to the military side of the port.  Whatever it was, they didn't have an exact location of it, but circled in when they found what they were looking for.

The question is, what did they retrieve?

Я бы очень хотел недавний снимок корабля Фотий Крылов в золотой рог!

From my previous post, I aggregated as much open source information as I could, and compiled the following specifications for the Fotiy Krylov (and Nikolay Chiker, its twin).  These are the largest and strongest ocean going tugs in the world.

Baklazhan (Project 5757) Class Tug
 

Ship Name	No.	IMO	MSSI	Fleet	Launched	Commissioned
Nicolay Chiker	SB-131	8613334	273458540	Northern Fleet	1988-04-19	1989-04-12
Fotiy Krylov	SB-135	8613346	273441150	Pacific Fleet	1988-09-09	1989-06-29

Built by Hollming Oy, Rauma, Finland Keel Laid 1987   Standard Displacement 7417 tonnes (7299.9 (uk) t) (8175.8 t (short)) (7417000 kg) Full Load 8128 tonnes (7999.6 (uk) t) (8959.6 t (short)) (8128000 kg) Length overall: 99.0 m Beam overall: 19.5 m (64.0 ft) Draught hull: 7.1 m (23.3 ft) top speed: 18 kt (33.3 km/h) (20.7 mph) Standard Range 11000 n miles (20372.0 km) (12658.6 miles) at 16 kt (29.6 km/h) (18.4 mph) Machinery: 4 Wärtsilä Vasa 12V32 diesels; 24,160 hp(m) (17.76 MW); 2 shafts; controllable-pitch propellers; bow thruster; 1,360 hp(m) (1 MW) Firepower: None Complement: 51 plus 20 spare berths Radars: 2 Nyada MR-212/201 Vaygach-U (NATO: Palm Frond) navigation radars; I-band Cost: $50M ea "Both ships constructed by Hollming, Rauma, Finland. Laid down in 1987 and entered service with the Soviet Navy in 1989. Under ownership of Russian company Sovfracht, operated by Greek company Tsavliris during the 1990s before returning to Russian naval service in about 2006. Both tugs are probably still available for commercial use. Equipped with three water cannons." -Jane's Fighting Ships "Built by Hollming (Rauma), Helsinki and completed 12 April 1989. A second of class A Krylov SB 135 completed 30 June 1989 but was sold illegally to Greece in March 1993 and for a short time renamed Tsavliris Giant. These are the largest salvage tugs in the world with a 250 ton bollard pull on each of two towing winches with a third 60 ton winch. The crew includes two divers and there are two decompression chambers. Four firefighting foam/water guns are fitted on the bridge/mast. Designed to operate in extreme temperatures. SB 131 is in the Northern Fleet." -Jane's Fighting Ships "Rescue tug "Nikoli Chiker" was built in 1989 in Finland, commissioned by the Navy of the USSR. It was intended to be used primarily for towing large ships, ie, aircraft carriers, and conduct rescue operations. The construction of these two vessels, this one and the class leader the "Foty Krilov", cost the navy $ 50 million. Immediately after construction during the tests, type "Fory Krylov" was recorded in the Guinness Book of Records as the vessel which can create the most powerful traction when towing. Power plant is 25, 000 horsepower. These characteristics, as well as design features allow it to tow vessels of up to 250 thousand tons at a rough sea at eight points at a speed of four knots. Performance still unrivaled. Although by designation it is just a tug boat, even the most powerful in the world, this hides its other capabilities. This is a rescue complex. Installed on it is diving equipment which allows for complex deep-water work. It is equipped with a pressure chamber, dry suits, underwater cameras, the means to blur the ground, underwater welding and cutting, metal detectors. In addition to all tug capable apply for ships in distress flame retardant liquid, using their own equipment to extinguish fires. Helipad supports all-weather 24-hour operation of the helicopter with refueling. Fully equipped operating room and three wards." -Warfare.ru, Wikimapia "The moored lifting power of these tugs is 230 tons. Each is equipped with diving equipment for depths of up to 60 meters (nearly 197 feet). The tugs are also equipped with two 8-ton capacity cranes. They are also equipped with water cannon. Additional equipment includes a 3-ton capacity crane; two 32-ton salvage winches; two 10-ton salvage winches; two 150-ton towing winches; one 60-ton towing winch; two 400-ton cable/chain stoppers; a 250-ton bollard pull and a 441-pound transfer system for dry cargo and personnel. HULL: These ships have a burly profile. The raked bow has a large-radius nose rimmed with a bulwark, a forecastle extending well aft, tall superstructure topped by a bridge with 360-deg visibility, paired stacks on the after corners of the superstructure and a low-freeboard stern with curved counter. The helicopter platform is forward of the bridge and can accept a medium helicopter. The ships began service in the Soviet navy. Both were named in 1991. FOTIY KRYLOV was leased to a Greek commercial company in 1992 and renamed M/V GIANT, then renamed again as TSAVLIRIS GIANT. NICOLAY CHIKER also was leased to a Greek company. In 1995, both were returned for further service in the Russian navy." -MilitaryPeriscope.com Credit: Lloyd's Register - Fairplay's Internet Ships Register Jane's Fighting Ships MilitaryPeriscope.com warfare.ru Wikipedia Last recorded position: