MOSCOW, July 5. /TASS/: The Russian Black Sea Fleet’s flagship, the Guards missile cruiser Moskva, will remain in service until 2040, a source in the Russian defense industry told TASS on Saturday.
The warship was placed in the dock of the 13th Ship Repair Plant in Sevastopol on April 22. The dockside repairs proceeded along with the cruiser’s maintenance, which was also done by the shipyard’s specialists. The vessel was brought out of the dock on July 2-3.
"According to expert evaluations, the repairs <…> will allow the ship to remain in service for at least 20 more years," the source said. "It will be a record of the overall time of service among Russian 1st rank warships."
TASS was unable to officially confirm the information at the time of the publication.
In late summer, the Moskva cruiser will head to the Mediterranean, to join the Russian Navy task force there.
The cruiser Moskva is the Project 1164 ‘Atlant’ lead ship. It entered service in 1983. As its main armament, the warship carries 16 launchers of P-1000 Vulkan missiles.
In the second half of 2015, the cruiser led the Russian Navy’s permanent Mediterranean task force, shielding Russia’s Hmeymim airbase in Syria with its air defense weapons. On July 22, 2016, the cruiser Moskva was awarded the naval Order of Nakhimov.
