Third Gepard frigate arrives to Vietnam from Russia

The Vietnam Navy’s third Gepard 3.9 (Project 11661E) frigate arrived from Russia to the Cam Ranh naval base on October 27.

The frigate arrived to Vietnam after a voyage that took over a month aboard heavy lift vessel Rolldock Star which got underway from Novorossiysk, Russia, mid September.

The frigate was launched in April 2016 at the Russian Zelenodolsk plant named after AM Gorky and was built under a contract from December 2011. The vessel is the first of two vessels from the second batch of frigates ordered in 2011. The fourth frigate was launched in May 2016.

The first two 2200-tonne Gepard-class frigates, delivered to Vietnam in 2011, were geared for surface and air defense while the second two are anti-submarine warfare oriented.