Russian naval visit to Cuba reveals weakened fleet, American advantage
In early June, a squadron of Russian ships visited Cuba, allowing Americans to register one of them's acoustic signature. In July, more ships set off toward Cuba, but the voyage – instead of being a show of strength – is evidence of the pitiful state of the Russian navy.
In early June, the first Russian squadron to visit Cuba in many years was the Kazan submarine of project 885M (type Yasen-M). In its lineup, the squadron also included the frigate Admiral Gorshkov, a tugboat, and a tanker.
This vessel is characterized by very good soundproofing. The Russians' visit to Cuba allowed Americans to create a detailed acoustic profile of the Russian submarine, which will facilitate its tracking in the future.
According to Cuban sources, another Russian squadron will arrive in Cuba on July 27. However, its composition is much less impressive than before – the group consists of the old frigate Neustrashimy project 11540, a training ship, and a tanker. Contrary to propaganda messages, these units do not pose any challenge or threat to the USA.
Neustrashimy frigate without armament
Neustrashimy is a ship built in the 1980s. It is 136 metres long and displaces 4,600 tonnes. In 2014, it was sent to the repair yard. The repair, planned for three years, lasted eight years and would have taken longer, but in 2022, the frigate was hastily returned to service.
The repair did not involve any significant modernization (although there were such plans)—for years, the Russians had tried to restore the vessel to its capabilities in 1990 when it entered service. Therefore, the range of the frigate's anti-aircraft armament—the 9K95 Kinzhal system—is barely 11 kilometres, and beyond this distance, the ship can be attacked with impunity by aircraft.
The ship does not have the 3M24 Uran anti-ship missiles, which – although intended for this vessel – never made it onto it. The armament, apart from the 9K95 anti-aircraft system, consists of one AK-100 bow gun of 100 millimetres, two Kortik anti-aircraft defence systems (a marine variant of the Tunguska system), RBU-6000 depth charge launchers, and Vodopad-NK torpedo launchers.
So armed, the Neustrashimy, combined with its old sensors, poses no challenge to modern warships. However, it is suitable for combating pirates in the Horn of Africa, for which it was used before its repair.
