February–11 April and 24 June–19 October). 2021 In 2021, the task force was temporarily strengthened by Baltic Fleet's corvette (29 December 2020–19 April 2021), Northern Fleet's frigate Admiral Kasatonov (14 January–1 April) and destroyer Vice-Admiral Kulakov (18 August–23 September) and Black Sea Fleet's cruiser Moskva (18 June–5 July). In the summer, corvette Gremyashchiy and submarines Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Volkhov transited the Mediterranean Sea on their way from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean. The mainstay of the Squadron were Black Sea Fleet's frigates Admiral Grigorovich (24 December 2020–8 May 2021 and 28 October–), Admiral Makarov (2 May–13 August) and Admiral Essen (18 June–5 July and 7 August–30 October). On 25 May 2021, three Tu-22Ms maritime bombers were deployed to the Khmeymim airbase in Syria for the first time. The deployment took place after a significant boost in NATO amphibious capability in the Mediterranean earlier in 2021. French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle has left Toulon for a deployment in the Persian Gulf via the eastern Mediterranean in the mid February. American aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower conducted an exercise with the French helicopter carrier Tonerre off Greece in March and, in May, British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth embarked on a maiden voyage to the Indian Ocean via the Mediterranean, where it will hold exercises with Charles de Gaulle. On 25 June 2021, two anti-ship interceptors MiG-31K, armed with Kinzhal missiles were deployed to Khmeymim airbase for the first time and fired Kinzhal in an exercise the same day. They participated in a large-scale anti-ship exercise, which included cruiser Moskva, frigates Admiral Essen and Admiral Makarov and submarines Stary Oskol and Rostov-on-Don, three bombers Tu-22M3, as well as anti-submarine aircraft Il-38 and Tu-142. The newest air defence system S-500 was reportedly tested at Khmeymim airbase and obtained a lock on a F-35 fighter from the HMS Queen Elizabeth. The exercise included rocket fire 30 km away from the HMS Queen Elizabeth. The exercise took place during the deployment of the British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth to the Eastern Mediterranean and have coincided with aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower reentering the Mediterranean Sea after three months in the Indian Ocean through the Suez Canal on 1 July. On 16 November, British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth reentered the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal. Since the only Russian large surface combatant present in the area Admiral Grigorovich was