American missile cruiser to fight "piracy" near Odessa, Ukraine

03.06.2011 Ukraine dispatches the larger part of its fleet to the Sea Breeze exercise which will be observed by Kenyan and Algerian military.

Preparations for multinational naval exercise Sea Breeze-2011 is being finished in Odessa and Nikolayev regions, Ukraine. Officially, the maneuvers are to start on June 6, but Odessa locals post on city web-forums that the military began to move. Photographs of taking off American military transport planes C-130 Hercules and tractors carrying Hummers from Odessa to Nikolayev appeared in the Internet. "At first, I was scared a bit and thought of occupation, but then recalled about the forthcoming exercise shown on TV", said Odessa resident Nikolai.

Neither plan of maneuvers nor list of participants will be disclosed right up to June 6. Sea Breeze-2011 exercise same as in the previous year will be about large-scale anti-piracy operation, reports Segodnya referring to a spokesman for Ukrainian defense ministry. Formally, there is no any scenario, although presence of Kenyan military observers indicates that the matter is African pirates (Kenya borders on Somalia).

According to the operation's plan, at first the coalition will impose embargo zone on Pervomaisky Island with mandatory inspection of all suspect vessels. Minesweepers will check adjacent waters for mines. The coalition's ships, aircrafts and helicopters will jointly scupper "pirate" submarine, shut down "pirate" airplane; and seals will assault upon civilian vessel Ostrog captured by "pirates" in Odessa port.

Sea- and air-landing operations with further destruction of "pirate dens" and release of hostages will be the culmination of Sea Breeze-2011 maneuvers.

Participants of 13 countries will counter "piracy" during the exercise, including Ukraine, the US, Turkey, France, Denmark and Canada. In total, there will be 30 warships, 10 aircrafts, 90 armored vehicles, and 1,200 men. Ukraine will delegate naval servicemen, aviators, border guards, airborne troopers, and marines. Fifteen Ukrainian warships will take the sea including large landing ship Konstantin Olshansky, corvettes Pridneprovie and Ternopil, and anti-terror ship Golaya Pristan.

Second in strength (and the first in power) task force is the US one. It includes marine battalion (750 men), two Hercules aircrafts, rescue tug USS Grasp, and guided missile cruiser USS Monterrey. As was earlier reported, same-type cruiser USS Anzio was initially about to take part in the exercise; now the ship takes rest in Bulgarian Varna. However, Pentagon changed mind then.

USS Monterrey made a splash in world press showing up in the Mediterranean early in spring. Arrival of the Aegis-carrying cruiser capable to hit ballistic missiles in Europe was called the first stage of US missile defense deployment on the continent.