Russian Carrier Group Heads for Barents Sea

10.02.2012 Northern Fleet (NF) warships – aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov and large ASW ship Admiral Chabanenko – are pursuing a northern course to continue cruise through the North Atlantic towards home base. Prior to that, the ships have replenished supplies from auxiliary vessels in the Moray Firth.

Underway through the Atlantic, crews of the Russian Navy's carrier group will continue improving naval skills in severe conditions of cyclonically active northern latitudes. In favorable weather conditions, aircrews plan to proceed with training flights of deck-based fighters Su-33 and helicopters Ka-27.

Through the deployment started on Dec 6, 2011, pilots of the carrier group have performed about 350 sorties and acquired wide flight experience in different climatic zones and latitudes. Helicopter pilots have carried out 84 flights (out of over 200 sorties) in the night time.

As for now, aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov has covered over 12,000 nautical miles. The carrier group is expected to call at NF main base Severomorsk by the end of the next week, said NF Press Secretary Capt 1 rank Vadim Serga.