>Black Sea Partnership Exercise 2009 Part-2

>Some of the ships that anticipated in the Black Sea Partnership Exercise 2009 are visiting İstanbul. They have arrived on 2 May and will leave on 4 May.

Among the participants the following ships are in İstanbul:

• F-244 TCG Barbaros, MEKO 200 TN2A class frigate, from Turkish Navy,
• F-495 TCG Gediz, Perry class frigate, from Turkish Navy,
• 260 Admiral Petre Barbuneanu, Tetal class corvette, from Romanian Navy,
• 071 RFS Suzdalets, Grisha class frigate, from Russian Navy,
• P-24 Sokhumi, MRTP 33 class, large patrol craft, from Georgian Navy.

Personally for me it is interesting to see that a Georgian and a Russian warship are in the same fleet at a time when relations between Russia, Georgia and NATO are at new low point.

The weather was fine so I was able to take some good photos of these ships

P-24 Sokhumi was build by Yonca-Onuk shipyard in Turkey and was exported to Georgia in 2008. Similar to MRTP 33 class, used by Turkish Coast Guard. This vessel has a ASELSAN STAMP, stabilized gun platform.

260 Admiral Petre Barbuneanu, Tetal class corvette, a unique Romanian design with a ASW emphasise.

071 RFS Suzdalets, Grisha class frigate, a dedicated ASW ship. She is showing her age.

F-244 TCG Barbaros, MEKO 200 TN2A class frigate. Her Mk29 SAM launcher will be replaced by Mk41 VLS in the near future. This will be the first major weapon system upgrade, performed on a MEKO warship. It will be a test for the modularity of the MEKO design.

F-495 TCG Gediz, Perry class frigate, she will receive MK41 VLS too.

This patrol vessel, SG-65 of Turkish Coast Guard was not a participant of the Black Sea Partnership Exercise. She was patrolling around the visiting ship and providing security.