The Smolny, a Russian Navy Baltic Fleet training vessel, recently stopped in Cape Town for replenishment and resupply while on what was said to be “an unofficial visit” to South Africa.
She is currently on what the Russian Navy fleet press service says is a long range voyage conducting “maritime practice for cadets of naval educational institutions of Russia’s Ministry of Defence”. While in Cape Town cadets were expected to interact with SA Navy (SAN) personnel, go sightseeing and “visit the historical sights of the second most populous city in South Africa” according to the press service.
Arriving in Cape Town on 29 August, the stop is the third for Smolny on her current voyage. Previous unofficial port calls were Havana in Cuba and La Guaira, Venezuela.
She carries 300 plus cadets who will hone their communication and navigation skills.
The Russian Consulate in Cape Town said the Smolny’s visit “is aimed at strengthening naval ties between Russia and South Africa.”
The vessel departed Cape Town on 1 September, according to unofficial naval sources.
The Smolny (Smolnyy) is the lead ship of the class. The 138 metre long vessel vessel has a cruising range of 9 000 nautical miles at 14 knots, and a full speed of 20 knots. Standard displacement is 6 120 tons. Armament comprises four 76 mm guns and two twin 30 mm anti-aircraft guns.
Smolny was commissioned on 30 June 1976 and since mid-2015 has made various long sea voyages to train cadets of the naval educational institutions of the Russian Defence Ministry, calling at the port of Luanda (Angola), the port of Malabo (Equatorial Guinea) and the coast of Spain (the port of Las Palmas), amongst others.
