BF Commander Visited Swedish Naval Base

18.10.2011 Baltic Fleet (BF) Commander Vice Admiral Viktor Chirkov and group of staff officers visited Stockholm on invitation of Swedish Chief of Naval Staff Rear Admiral Jan Thörnqvist.

During the visit both commanders discussed issues of cooperation between Swedish Navy and Baltic Fleet. Briefings and talks on regional partnership were held in Swedish Navy HQ.

Representatives of Sweden Navy informed Russian delegation on officer training system.

Russian party demonstrated photo presentation named "History and Present of Baltic Fleet" about development of Russian-Swedish naval cooperation. In the recent years, mutual visits of military delegations and warships have become a good tradition in relationship between the two navies.

In Dec 2010 Swedish Navy Commander paid unofficial visit to St. Petersburg and met with BF Commander. In Apr 2011 BF task unit headed by Baltiysk Naval Base Commander Rear Admiral Alexander Nosatov and consisting of small-size missile ships Geizer and Zyb paid informal call at Swedish port Karlskrona. Late in Sept delegation of BF marines visited First Amphibious Regiment in Berga, near Stockholm.

During his visit, BF Commander VADM Viktor Chirkov also visited the regiment's base in Berga and familiarized with everyday activities and armament of Swedish amphibious units which are analogous to Russian marines. Swedish servicemen demonstrated landing boats and amphibious troop carriers used in landing operations.

Also in Berga, members of Russian delegation visited ships of 4th Flotilla and watched service and living conditions of Swedish sailors.

In the end of his visit, Vice Admiral Chirkov invited Rear Admiral Jan Thörnqvist to pay a return visit to Russian Baltic Fleet.

It is planned that in 2012 Swedish Navy Commander would visit Kaliningrad, delegation of First Amphibious Regiment would visit BF Marine Brigade, and one of Swedish surface warships would call at Leningrad Naval Base.