Russia's Pyotr Veliky nuclear-powered cruiser sails on mission in Indian Ocean

On March 30, the Pyotr Veliky nuclear-powered cruiser, the flagship of the Northern Fleet, set sail from its base in Severomorsk on a tour-of-duty in the Indian Ocean

The departure of the cruiser marked the beginning of large-scale naval drills conducted by the Russian Navy in the world's oceans.

Commander of the Northern Fleet Vice-Admiral Nikolai Maksimov said the warship and its crew are ready to accomplish the mission

The cruiser will pass through the Atlantic and the Mediterranean waters and enter the Indian Ocean via the Suez Canal. The tour includes various exercises, visits to foreign ports and joint drills with foreign navies.

The tour-of-duty will last for about six months, much like the ship's previous long-term mission in 2008

The crew has undergone all necessary training and thoroughly prepared the warship for the mission

The crew has been selected from volunteers, who passed a number of psychology and skills tests

Pyotr Veliky is the largest and most powerful surface combatant warship currently in active operation in the world.

The cruiser is designed to engage enemy surface warships and to provide reliable air and ASW defense for large naval task forces on The cruiser is designed to engage enemy surface warships and to provide reliable air and ASW defense for large naval task forces on long-range missions in the world's oceans

The cruiser has a standard displacement of about 24,000 tons, the speed of up to 31 knots (60km/h) and unlimited operational range at 20 knots (37 km/h) on nuclear power. Pyotr Veliky's main weapons include 20 SS-N-19 Shipwreck supersonic missiles designed to engage large surface targets, and air defense is provided by 96 SA-NX-20 Gargoyle long-range SAM and 192 SA-N-9 Gauntlet point defense SAM