PHL Navy gets view of modern technology with foreign warship visits

The Varyag and her escorting tanker, the Pechenga, both of which belong to the Russian Pacific Fleet, are here for a goodwill visit until April 24. (Photo: PTV/ Facebook)

MANILA–The Philippine Navy gets a view of modern warship technology and a unique training opportunity with the visit of foreign warships, such as the missile-guided cruiser Varyag, a Navy officer has said.

“It’s a training opportunity. We can also view their technology as part of our modernization,” Navy fleet staff for maintenance and repair, Capt. Leo Ramon Miado, said on the sidelines of the Varyag’s arrival ceremony at Pier 15, South Harbor, Manila on Thursday morning.

The Varyag and her escorting tanker, the Pechenga, both of which belong to the Russian Pacific Fleet, are here for a goodwill visit until April 24.

This is the fourth visit of Russian warships in the Philippines since the arrival of missile cruiser Admiral Tributs and her tanker Boris Butoma last January.

The Varyag is the third ship of the Slava-class of guided-missile cruisers built for the Soviet Navy serving the Russian Navy.

She was launched in July 1983 and commissioned on Oct. 16, 1989, and is commanded by Capt. Alexsei U. Ulyanenko.

The Varyag has a displacement of 11,490 tons and has a length of 611.5 feet and a draft of 27.6 feet. Its propulsion system consists of four COGOG gas turbines, with two shafts giving it a top speed of 32 knots and a range of 10,000 nautical miles.

It is armed with a variety of anti-ship, anti-aircraft and anti-submarines missiles and gun systems.