30.11.2012
Text: Eastern Military District Press Service
Photo: Eastern Military District Press Service
Before beginning of the new training year, Pacific Fleet (PF) Military Council convened to assess the fleet's combat training activities and set tasks for the next year.
PF Commander Admiral Sergei Avakiants pointed out that the whole range of training tasks scheduled for 2012 had been completed in full. The fleet's ships have performed over 1,000 combat exercises including hundreds of firing and mine-laying drills. Coast defense troops accomplished numerous field camp exercises and thousands of parachute jumps.
The passed year can be surely classified as a successful period for Pacific Fleet. In the Navy Commander's Prize competitions, the fleet won nine trophies and became the best fleet in Russian Navy for the second year. Submarine divisions based at Kamchatka and Primorsky Krai won three prizes, other four prizes were taken by missile and landing ship divisions; marine brigade and special ship unit won one prize each.
In the 2012 training year, PF ships continued with international cooperation activities and paid numerous visits to foreign ports. Crews of PF ships called at the ports of Indonesia, Djibouti, Cambodia, Philippines, Vietnam, China, India, and Seychelles.
The most significant event in the fleet's international activity in 2012 was participation of PF task unit led by Guards missile cruiser Varyag in the
Maritime Cooperation 2012 Russian-Chinese exercise held in Apr 22-27 within China's territorial waters. Over 20 combat ships and auxiliary vessels took part in those maneuvers; participants accomplished more than 100 combat drills.
PF naval mariners for the first time ever participated in the world's largest multinational exercise RIMPAC-2012 held near Hawaii since June 29 through Aug 6. Scale of the exercise really impressed. Suffice it to say that 45 ships, 100 airplanes and over 20,000 servicemen from 22 countries were involved in the exercise.
The fleet continues anti-piracy operation near the Horn of Africa. Eighth PF task unit is currently heading for that restless region. At present, the ships are paying unofficial visit to India. When the visit is over on Dec 2, Russia and India will hold the INDRA-2012 joint naval exercise.
Summarizing the fleet's combat training activities, PF Commander RADM Sergei Avakiants highly appreciated his subordinates and pointed out that number of deployments and range of missions had considerably increased in 2012.
