Pyotr Veliky cruiser, INS Trishul to hold exercises in Arabian Sea

Russia's Pyotr Veliky nuclear-powered guided-missile cruiser and Indian Talwar class missile frigate INS Trishul will conduct a joint PASSEX-type naval exercise in the Arabian Sea on Wednesday.

The warships will practice joint maneuvering and carry out several communications drills.

The Pyotr Veliky, the flagship of the Russian Northern Fleet, is returning to its home base in the Barents Sea from large-scale naval drills in the Pacific Ocean. The cruiser called at the port of Mormugao in the Indian state of Goa on August 6. There it replenished water and food supplies.

Mormugao is the only port on India's western coast allowing visits by nuclear-powered ships.

The Russian cruiser already visited Mormugao in January 2009, when it took part in the INDRA-2009 joint anti-piracy naval drills with the Indian Navy.

Russia's largest and most powerful warship, the Pyotr Veliky has a displacement of between 24,000 and 26,000 tons, and a speed of up to 31 knots (almost 57 km/h). The ship is 251 meters in length and has a crew of more than 700 sailors.

The ship's main weapons include 20 SS-N-19 Shipwreck missiles, designed to engage large surface targets, and air defense is provided by 12 SA-NX-20 Gargoyle launchers with 96 missiles and 2 SA-N-4 Gecko with 44 missiles.