Sea phase of BLACKSEAFOR activation is finished

27.08.2010 Ships of the Black Sea Naval Co-operation Task Group (BLACKSEAFOR) completed sea phase of the international exercise on Thursday, reported RIA Novosti citing Capt 1 rank Vyacheslav Trukhachev, spokesman for Black Sea Fleet (BSF) Commander.

According to him, the participants practiced repelling of enemy's ship attack in conditions of restrained use of force, salvage of a ship in distress, and other drills.

Russian Navy was represented by BSF large landing ship Yamal under command of Capt 2 rank Alexander Kononenko.

"One of the episodes was repelling of enemy's ship attack in conditions of restrained use of force. Russian mariners masterfully acted while drills on sea isolation and inspection of a vessel, visual and voice communications", Trukhachev said.

According to him, the multinational task group also practiced salvage of a distressed ship, rescue of a man overboard, joint maneuvering, underway replenishment, and held a "drill on elimination of non-symmetric threat".

"Sea phase was one of activities closing the summer BLACKSEAFOR activation which was directed by representative of Romanian Navy", said the interviewee.

The participating ships laid a course for Bulgarian port Varna to summarize the exercise.

In accordance with an agreement tied between Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey on Apr 2, 2001 in Istanbul, main objectives of the BLACKSEAFOR naval co-operation task group are conducting of search-and-rescue, humanitarian, mine countermeasures, and ecological operations, good will visits, and other tasks in coordination with the member states.

BLACKSEAFOR Commander is appointed for a one-year term; the command passes from one country to another in alphabetical order.