The Fasan frigate enters the Black Sea

(To Tiziano Ciocchetti)
01/07/21

The frigate Fasan of the Navy has entered the Black Sea, and is monitored by the air and naval units of the Black Sea Fleet.

Il Fasan participate in the exercise Sea Breeze 2021, together with the Ukrainian Navy and the others of NATO.

Defense Minister of the Russian Federation, Army Corps General Sergej Kužugetovič Šojgu, told the press that "the forces and means of the Black Sea fleet are controlling the actions of the Virginio Fasan frigate of the Italian Navy, which entered the Black on 1 July 2021 ".

Sea Breeze is the name of the NATO operation (which began last June 28) which will last two weeks and will involve approximately 5.000 military personnel from the member states of the Atlantic Alliance and other countries. About 30 US ships and 40 aircraft will participate, including the USS missile destroyer Ross and the British HMS Defender. The latter involved in the incident a week ago, when a Russian ship fired warning shots after the British fighter had trespassed into the territorial waters of Crimea.

Il Fasan is a Bergamini class antisom frigate, equipped with 16 VLS A50 cells (filled with an unspecified number of ASTER-15/30 surface-to-air missiles) and armed with two 76/62 guns (with conventional ammunition), two 25 machine gunners / 80, 4 MILAS antisom missiles and 2 triple launchers for MU90 light torpedoes. While there would be no images that would ensure the validation of the Fasan the launch of the TESEO Mk-2 / A anti-ship missiles.

Photo: Marina Military