Destroyer Admiral Chabanenko Took Sea for Northern Eagle 2012 Exercise

16.08.2012 Russian, American, and Norwegian warships will hold the Northern Eagle 2012 joint naval exercise. The maneuvers will take place in the Norwegian and Barents seas late in Aug, reported AiF Northwest. Participants will carry out firing drills with practical use of shipborne guns and small arms.

Norwegian Navy will be represented by offshore patrol frigate Nordkapp; the US Navy will delegate an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, and Russian Navy dispatches Northern Fleet (NF) destroyer Admiral Chabanenko.

At present, Admiral Chabanenko has left Severomorsk and is heading for the exercise area. "Through four days, the ship will perform the 900-mile long cruise through the Barents and Norwegian seas. Upon arrival to Norwegian port Bodo, Russian naval mariners will meet with crews of other participating ships", NF spokesman Capt 1 Rank Vadim Serga told ITAR-TASS.

According to him, "four zones in the Norwegian and Barents seas were determined to practice interaction between the ships". "Since Aug 21 through Aug 25 under way from Bodo to NF main base Severomorsk, the participants will hold joint air defense drills, repel attacks of small-size fast speed craft, assist a "distressed" vessel, rescue a man overboard, hold joint maneuvering drills day and night, and practice inter-ship communications", specified the NF official.

As was agreed in May 2012 at the final planning conference in Murmansk, Russian and Norwegian naval aircraft will also take part in the Northern Eagle 2012 exercise. Taking place in Arctic latitudes, the Northern Eagle joint naval exercise is going to be held for the fourth time. Its traditional objective is to practice cooperation amid navies in counter-terror, antipiracy, and rescue operations. In 2008, the exercise was attended by Russian destroyer Severomorsk, American frigate USS Elrod, and two Norwegian patrol ships Senja and Nordkapp.