Iman: at Tartous with Russian Spetsnaz vets

MOSCOW. March 19 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Black Sea Fleet's Iman tanker with an anti-terrorist squad aboard is on a mission off Syria, and the Russian Equator reconnaissance ship is operating in the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea Fleet Staff told Interfax-AVN more.


"The Iman medium seagoing tanker has successfully sailed from Sevastopol to the Syrian cost. It is staying at the Tartous port to perform its mission. Marines make up the anti-terrorist squad based on the tanker," the Staff said.
Russian Chariot had 4 armed guards on board, Russian Spetsnaz vets 

“Like any other civilian support vessel taking part in the counter-piracy operation, this tanker [Iman]is carrying security units that will not allow pirates to seize this tanker or any other civilian vessel in the Gulf of Aden in the event of an attack,” 

 . It is unclear why the ship is docked 8,000 kilometers from the piracy area, off the coast of Somalia.
As violence has increased in Syria, Russia has rotated its Navy ships through Tartous, reportedly in case they are needed for emergency evacuation of Russian citizens from Syria. 


"The Equator special-purpose ship is also performing a Mediterranean mission. Over the past 45 days, the Black Sea Fleet Equator reconnaissance ship has covered the distance of several thousands miles in the rough seas while accomplishing its tasks," the Staff said. [below]


The Iman "replaced the Ivan Bubnov large seagoing tanker, which had been sent to Syria for demonstrating the Russian presence in the turbulent region and possible evaluation of Russian citizens," the Staff said. The Ivan Bubnov was also anchored in the Tartous port. Later, a Defense Ministry spokesman said the mission of the ship, the Iman, is to fuel Russian ships patrolling the Gulf of Aden. Russia, Mr. Assad's principal international backer, also reiterated its call for Damascus to agree to a two-hour-a-day humanitarian truce.

Gray vessel, possibly part of the bunkering fleet of the Laskaridis family in Eastern Europe 

IMAN - Bitumen Tanker - Ex:Dalnerechensk. Build: 1986 Rauma-Repola. 6,237 dwt. Owners: Laskarides Shipping

IMO: 6617427

Flag: Russia

Technical Data

Vessel type: Oil Products Tanker

Gross tonnage: 3,359 tons

Summer DWT: 4,471 tons

7724019 IVAN BOBROV UBKF2 General Cargo Ship 3182 1978

Name: Ivan Bobrov

IMO: 7724019

Flag: Russia

MMSI: 273333020

Callsign: UBKF2

Former name(s):

- Hans Lehmann (Until 2007 Aug 03)

Technical Data

Vessel type: Cargo

Gross tonnage: 2,359 tons

Summer DWT: 3,182 tons

Length: 95 m

Beam: 18 m

Draught: 3.2 m

Administrative Information

Home port: Arkhangelsk

Class society: Russian Maritime Shipping Register

Build year: 1978

Builder*: Jj Sietas Schiffswerft

Hamburg, Germany

Owner: Trans Nao Shipping

Narjan Mar, Russia

Manager: Trans Nao Shipping

Narjan Mar, Russia

INTSOK, The Norwegian Oil and Gas Partners has in co-oporation with Russian and Norwegian oil companies, supply industries and proffessional organisations established the project for partnership between Russian and Norwegian oil and gas insdustries. 

The Ekvator special-purpose ship is also performing a Mediterranean mission. Over the past 45 days, the Black Sea Fleet Equator reconnaissance ship has covered the distance of several thousands miles in the rough seas while accomplishing its tasks," 

Moma Class Intelligence Ship

Russian Designations:

SSV (Communications Ship) and

GS (Hydrographic Survey)

Manufacturer:

Polnocny, Gdansk

(Poland)

Role:

Intelligence Gathering Ship

(some serve as hydrographic survey vessels)

Year Adopted:

1967

Number in Class:

28 ships total

(production from 1968-1974)

Displacement:

1,260 tons (Standard)

1,540 tons (Full Load)

Operational Status:

Russia: Still in Active Service

Armament:

2x Quadruple SA-N-5 Grail launchers*

2x Twin 12.7mm machine guns**

*only in some ships, 16 missiles carried (32 on the Rybachiy)

**only on oceanographic research ship Rybachiy

Sensor Suite:

2 x 'Don-2' navigational radars

Engine:

2 x Zgoda/Sulzer 6TD48 diesel engines delivering 3,600 hp to two shafts

Crew:

41-120 Officers and Sailors depending on mission

Length:

240 feet, 5 inches 

(73.3 meters)

Draught:

12 feet, 6 inches

(3.8 meters)

Beam:

35 feet, 5 inches

(10.8 meters)

Maximum Speed:

17 knots

Range: 8,700 Nautical miles at 11 knots

Ekvator

Arctic Sea: hiding the S300 Missiles Aboard

Naval S300
A reporter has visited a ship similar to the Finnish-built Arctic Sea, to decide if it could have carried Russian S300 missiles destined for Iran: "The only feasible place is the ballast tanks, so I squeezed through a manhole and climbed into one of them to take a look.

Access to all these dark, damp areas is through an oval hole about 80cm (31 inches) at its widest.

The space beneath is fairly generous but manoeuvring a long, thick missile in there would be impossible."

Actually, the S300 missile is 7 meters long in its fiberglass launcher/container (22.90 ft), and .76 m (2.49 ft) span. The Arctic Sea is 105.1 meters in length. How the ballast tanks are now configured in the phantom ship is unknown. Further, the fiberglass container is not difficult to duplicate and the missile is comprised of smaller components.

"Military experts do not rule out the possibility of on-site S-300 assembly from components allegedly supplied to Iran. "

In January 2008, "Esmaeil Kosari, deputy chairman of the parliamentary commission on national security and foreign policy, told Iran's official Islamic Republic News Agency Sunday that Russia was already sending components for its formidable S-300PMU-1 system -- NATO designation SA-20 Gargoyle -- to the Islamic republic."

In May, 2009, "Russia's customs service said Thursday it uncovered a ring of active and retired military officers suspected of involvement in stealing millions of dollars worth of missile components and smuggling them out of Russia.

The Federal Customs Service said it has detained a dozen suspects and confiscated about 22 tons of missile components intended for smuggling.

It said that the criminal ring had smuggled parts of S-75, S-125, S-200 and S-300 air defense missile systems.

The customs agency said that the ring included Russian military officers on active duty along with some retirees and citizens of Belarus and Ukraine. It said the suspects were believed to work with senior officers of the military's air defense forces stationed in Russia's northwest, but would not give any names.
The latest capture of illegal weapons smuggling was reportedly only a part of a larger operation which has been going on for some time. Previously, Russian and other European customs had thwarted attempts to smuggle missile components for Latvia and "an unspecified Asian country", the Russian customs said."

The various methods the Russians are suspected of using to remove the missiles from the Arctic Sea in the Canaries would be applicable to oncarriage to Iran. Perhaps the missiles were transshipped by air in their containers or component parts as from Gran Canaria. Perhaps they were transshipped at sea as the 'evidence' was to a tanker (not a cargo vessel), the Iman. Tankers are the stuff of Iran's seaborne commerce.

Arctic Sea: evidence includes documents

Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said on 01 October: "We are taking all necessary measures to return the vessel to its owner, and to provide support to conclude its commercial delivery in line with the sea freight contract."

However, he said the vessel was slightly damaged as a result of its capture.

"Some navigation equipment was put out of action. Repairs must be carried out. This damage does not influence the safety of towing the Arctic Sea," he said. The Arctic Sea is apparently being towed by a tug. The Tanker Iman routinely travels with Rescue Tug SB-36.

A military-diplomatic source in Madrid has said the evidence unloaded from the Arctic Sea included documents which could provide clues on the Arctic Sea's mission.

"All the documents which could shed light on the investigation were loaded onto the Black Sea Fleet tanker ship Iman," the source was quoted as saying. The convoy is expected at Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiisk mid-October.

Arctic Sea: 'evidence' transferred to 'warship'

Gray vessel, possibly part of the bunkering fleet of the Laskaridis family in Eastern Europe
IMAN - Bitumen Tanker - Ex:Dalnerechensk. Build: 1986 Rauma-Repola. 6,237 dwt. Owners: Laskarides Shipping

...or maybe Russian military tanker, 'warship'

Item: Viktor Matveev, the director of Solchart Management which owns the Arctic Sea, told Russian daily Komsomolskaya Pravda on Tuesday that the Port Authority of Las Palmas did not allow the cargo ship to enter the harbour because 11 Russian military men were on the vessel.
However, according to an Interfax source in Russian law enforcement bodies, the Arctic Sea has been denied access to the port because it has not paid the necessary fees to the Spanish maritime authorities.

“The fact that the military are on board plays no role in this case. A vessel is only considered as having a military status if it carries the flag of a certain country,”

Solchart website Finland: " The vessel has to be securely exploited by the specialists (11 navy sailors do not pose to be these specialists) of the crew size not less than that indicated in the Minimum Crew Certificate, granted by the Flag Administration."

Arctic Sea: 'Evidence' off-loaded to military tanker

The Russian Navy's Iman tanker will deliver material evidence from the Arctic Sea vessel to the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk in October, a high-ranking military official said on Sep. 21. "The arrival of the warship [Finnish built Aksay type tanker] in the port of Novorossiisk is scheduled for mid-October."

6617427 IMAN Tanker 4471 1966 Russia

DNo: 6617427 Year: 1966
Name: IMAN Launch Date: 3.6.66
Type: Tanker Date of completion:
Flag: RUS Keel:
Tons: 3359 Link: 1875
DWT: 4400 Yard No: 155
Length overall: 105.1 Ship Design:
LPP: 96.9 Country of build: FIN
Beam: 14.8 Builder: Rauma-Repola
Material of build: Location of yard: Rauma

Item: The 'company representative' from the management of Solchart in Finland that was denied access to the Arctic Sea off the Canaries, was Russian-based 'the shipping company’s representative from Solchart’s office in Arkhangelsk.'

Item: At last report, Solchart never filed an insurance claim. "At this point, there is, fortunately, no need to file an insurance claim because we still do not know where the ship and its crew are located," the official said without disclosing the amount the vessel was insured for.