BLACKSEAFOR Ships Visit Turkish Port Trabzon

13.08.2012 Within the framework of 20-th activation of Black Sea Naval Cooperation Task Group (BLACKSEAFOR), participating ships have completed first phase of the sea exercise and called at Turkish port Trabzon.

Through 3 days of interaction in the Sea of Marmara and then in the Black Sea, naval mariners of Bulgaria, Romania, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine held about 25 joint drills. They practiced monitoring of civil shipping, piloting behind sweeps, repelling attack of a small-size fast-speed craft, heading in formation, computer-to-computer communication, and rescuing a man overboard.

Representing Russia at the BLACKSEAFOR activation, Black Sea Fleet (BSF) landing ship Novocherkassk directed joint maneuvering and visual communications drills.

During the stay in Trabzon, BLACKSEAFOR Commander and ships' commanding officers will pay courtesy visits to local governor, city administration, and naval base commander.

It is planned to hold a number of consultations on the task group's activities, press conference for Turkish media, and pre-cruise conference.

Crews of the ships will have sightseeing tours in Trabzon and Istanbul. The visit of BLACKSEAFOR task group to Trabzon will finish on Aug 17.