Caspian Flotilla Task Unit Returned from Deployment

17.10.2012 Caspian Flotilla (CF) task unit consisting of frigate Tatarstan and seagoing tug MB-58 returned to home bases after deployment to central and southern parts of the Caspian Sea.

Crews of the ships have spent about two weeks at sea and covered about 2,000 nautical miles.

The task unit was deployed in order to secure Russia's maritime economic activity in the central and southern parts of the Caspian Sea.

Apart from joint tasks performed under the Russian-Kazakhstan bilateral cooperation agreement, the unit called at Kazakh port of Aktau. Naval mariners of the two countries held a headquarter exercise and practiced joint maneuvering in different formations.

For the first time since 2005, the task unit headed by CF Commander RADM Sergei Alyokminsky visited Baku port in order to strengthen relations between Russian and Azerbaijan navies.

During the deployment, crew of frigate Tatarstan assisted by naval aircraft held an air defense exercise. The ship's missilemen hit the "air target" by two antiaircraft missiles of Osa-MA SAM system.

That was the first deployment for five young navigator officers who had just graduated from naval colleges in 2012. Each of them received individual navigation task with different conditions. Under supervision of CF chief navigator, they studied operational theater and practically laid the course for the task unit. All officers have excellently accomplished assigned tasks and obtained good experience at the early stage of their naval career.