The Project 11540 frigate "Marshal Shaposhnikov" of the Russian Navy's Pacific Fleet is heading to the site of the international naval exercise "Milan-2026." According to a statement by the Pacific Fleet press service, after a call at the port of Muscat (Sultanate of Oman), the ship will continue its transit to the northern part of the Indian Ocean to take part in multilateral maneuvers in the waters of the Bay of Bengal.
From February 18 to 25, 2026, the frigate's crew will make an unofficial visit to the port of Visakhapatnam on the southeastern coast of India. The visit is timed to coincide with the main phase of the exercise and will be part of the ship's planned logistical support during its long-range deployment.
Representatives of more than 50 states, including naval contingents from Russia and the United States, will take part in the exercise. The central event of the program will be an international fleet review scheduled for February 18 in Visakhapatnam. The "Milan" exercise, organized every two years by the Indian Navy's Eastern Naval Command, traditionally focuses on practicing joint actions to ensure the security of sea lines of communication, combat piracy, and conduct humanitarian operations.
The frigate "Marshal Shaposhnikov," which has been part of the Pacific Fleet since 1992, received expanded anti-submarine and air defense capabilities after modernization in 2020–2021.
The ship is equipped with 16 universal vertical launch system (VLS) cells for "Kalibr" cruise missiles, "Oniks" anti-ship missiles, "Tsirkon" hypersonic missiles, as well as "Otvet" anti-submarine missiles.
Air defense is provided by 64 cells for the "Kinzhal" missile system. The artillery armament includes a 100-mm A-190 universal gun, four 30-mm AK-630 anti-aircraft mounts, as well as anti-submarine weapons — two quadruple 533-mm torpedo tubes and two RBU-6000 rocket-assisted depth charge launchers.
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