KAZAN, September 24 (RIA Novosti) – A Russian shipyard on Tuesday started work on a second pair of frigates for the Vietnamese navy, the shipbuilding company said.
The Gepard (Cheetah) class frigates are designed to guard and patrol the state border and economic zone, fight smuggling, poaching and piracy at sea and aid vessels in distress. They are armed with modern missile and artillery systems.
The first contract was signed in 2005, and the first two frigates entered service with Vietnam’s navy in 2011, the Kazan-based Zelenodolsk shipyard said in a statement.
The second contract was signed in February 2013. Unlike the first two, the new frigates feature antisubmarine weapons and an advanced propulsion system.
