Russian Navy


The Pacific is no more pacifiable...

Summer training period at Pacific Fleet is in its active phase. Recently, the 15-day large-scale exercise under the flag of Vice Admiral Alexander Vitko, the Northeast grouping Commander, has been finished near Kamchatka. Among participants of the fleet maneuvers were surface ships, submarines, support ships, naval aviation and coast guard units of almost all groupings of Northeast joint command, as reported to Krasnaya Zvezda in Pacific Fleet Information and Public Relations Service.

During the large-scale war game Pacific mariners worked out not only crew integration but cooperation issues of all-arms forces, polished up staff skills, checked control systems for reliability, and executed not simple combat drills. The mariners were improving themselves in missile, torpedo and artillery firing, mine laying, drill mine sweeping, performing bombing and striking attacks, countering an aerial enemy. Distinct part of the exercise was dedicated to working out elements of anti-terror and recon operations.

According to exercise scenario, the forces of imaginary enemy were ready to start a military operation with sea and air attacks on fleet infrastructure near Kamchatka with a view to defeat our sea grouping. Pacific mariners had a mission not only to interdict the enemy from offensive action but to thrust it in a maximum way. It should be stated that all units accomplished the task.

Fleet's maritime aircrafts and helicopters got off the ground for reconnaissance and developing the situation. Naval aviation's attack groups had defeated imaginary enemy long before his approach to sea borders. Subsequent to the air force, the small-size missile ships Moroz, Smerch and Razliv headed on the "enemy" ship grouping. Crews of the ship group led by Cmdr Aleksey Kuzmin had a task to defeat the enemy to the maximum by missile attack, and then to exploit a success in artillery engagement. To the credit of personnel, the job was done perfectly. The ship group firing by the main missile system has become a crown of sailors' combat training in this year. Naval missilemen once again confirmed the high skill level of commanders and training level of crews.

The small antisubmarine ships from waterway area defense grouping also had an extensive sweep of tasks. Among them were mine laying, search and defeat of enemy submarines, protection of the State border underseas, and support of the Fleet's main forces.

During the exercise search and attack group carried out successful missile launches against aerial targets, conducted artillery fire, searched and hypothetically defeated submarines applying practical antisubmarine weapons.

At the same time the duty of mine danger elimination was imposed on "sea plowmen" – minesweepers. Crews of the groping led by Lt Cmdr Vyacheslav Grishaev applied themselves to the task. Literally, they plowed a huge sea area in several days searching and destroying potential mine trepans.

Finally, the turn of submarines came. Having completed a number of single antisubmarine tasks they started group training - directed reconnaissance, provided target indication, landed raiding groups, searched and destroyed underwater and surface targets.

The cruise missile firing on surface target by nuclear submarine cruiser Viluchinsk became an apogee of the exercise. The vessel crew led by Cap Leonid Moldavanov brightly accomplished their task successfully destroying the target. By this missile blow near Kamchatka the Fleet performed the main mission – defeated the imaginary enemy and choked him off the aggressive intentions. And if only isolated forces of the "enemy" would try to approach our bases, coastal missile and artillery units will complete its ruin using missile weapons on maximum range. These and some other drills will be nominated for Navy Commander-In-Chief Award.

Source: Krasnaya Zvezda, authors: Andrei GAVRILENKO, Evgeny USTINOV. Photo: Pacific Fleet Press Service. 16.09.09
Translation: RusNavy.com

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