Baltic Fleet ships delivered weapons to Syria

12.02.2013 Large amphibious ships of the Baltic fleet Kaliningrad and Alexandr Shabalin delivered weapons, purchased by Syria in the military-technical cooperation with Russia, in the frame of sailing to the Mediterranean Sea as reported by the source in the General Staff of Russian Navy.

Export weapons were embarked to amphibious ships in Novorossiysk in mid-January together with the combat groups of the Black Sea Fleet Marines and Novorossiysk air assault divisions airborne raiders.

To unload the export of military equipment, both ships docked at the Syrian port Tartus, where sustainment center of Russian Navy is located. Then, after taking part in the exercises, warships returned to Novorossiysk to unload troops. 

Kaliningrad and Alexandr Shabalin arrived on February 9 in Novorossiysk naval base. Troops and equipment debarkation is completed, airborne raiders and marines left to cantonment area. In a few days both warships leave Novorossiysk and start sailing to Baltiysk.

Large amphibious ships of Baltic Fleet participated in the large inter-fleet exercises of Russian Navy performed in the Mediterranean and the Black Seas. The inter-fleet group comprises the warships from the North, Baltic, Black Sea and Pacific Fleets: a guided missile cruiser Moskva, a large ASW ship Severomorsk, guard ships Smetlivy and Yaroslav Mudry, large landing ships Saratov, Azov, Kaliningrad, Alexandr Shabalin and service ships, long-range aviation and the fourth Air Force/Air Defense command.

The main goal of the exercises is to practice the formation of a combined group of forces outside of the Russian Federation, plan its use and perform joint operations within a Navy group under the common plan.