By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Mosocow : Russia’s newest Baltic Fleet warship, presently undergoing sea trials, was sprinkled with holy water during a blessing over the weekend, a Navy spokesperson said.
The priest blessed the corvette’s hull, weapons systems and superstructures, as well as the ship’s interior. The trials are due to end by mid-April, said Baltic Fleet spokesperson Captain 2nd Rank Vladimir Matveyev.
The Project 20380 Boiky corvette was blessed by a priest in a ceremony attended by the corvette’s crew, he added.
The 20380 class is optimised for anti-submarine and surface warfare and support for land operations. The class incorporates stealth technology, which has considerably reduced its radar and infrared signatures.
It can be equipped with Kh-35 anti-ship missiles and 3M-54 Klub cruise missiles, Kashtan anti-aircraft gun/missile systems, a main 100-mm gun and two 30-mm close-range air defense guns, as well as torpedo tubes, according to naval-technology.com.