Northern Fleet holds exercise in the Barents Sea

09.09.2011 Russia's Northern Fleet (NF) is taking part in the inter-branch exercise at sea. One of the main objectives is to practice interaction between branches. Apart from NF warships, submarines, coast defense troops, and naval aviation aircraft, the exercise is attended by airplanes Tu-95 and Tu-22M (long-range aviation, Russian Air Force), air defense units of 1st Air Force/Air Defense Command, and units of 200th Infantry Brigade (Western Military District), reports Northern Fleet Information Support Group.

Missile firings were effectively carried out on Sept 8 at surface targets planted in NF training ranges. Targets were hit with high accuracy. All types of cruise missiles in service on Russian Navy's surface ships, submarines, and coast defense troops were used during the fire drills.

High emphasis was placed on safety of the firings. The exercise area in the Barents Sea was closed for navigation. Crews of civil vessels were informed about the military exercise in advance.

The exercise will last till the next week. At present, NF several task groups are deployed in the Barents Sea. Among them are aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov, destroyer Admiral Ushakov, large ASW ships Admiral Chabanenko and Vice Admiral Kulakov.