Russia Conducts Naval Drill in Baltic Sea
Russian naval units are conducting a defense drill in the Barents Sea, which Russia shares with Norway, involving more than 20 vessels from the country’s Baltic Fleet, as part of the Russian Northern Fleet exercises.
The press service of Russia’s Western Military District said in a statement that various ships of the auxiliary fleet, diesel-electric submarines, small missile and anti-submarine boats are participating in the drill.
The ‘strike and search group’, as the Russian Ministry of Defence referred to it, from the navy’s Northern Fleet comprised of Tu-142 ‘Bear’ naval aviation reconnaissance bombers and Il-38 ‘Dolphin’ maritime patrol jets as well as two small anti-submarine ships and support vessels.
“At sea, the Baltic Fleet ships merged into several tactical groups and are ready to perform the intended tasks on anti-submarine and air defense,” the statement read.
The practice attack on one of the Northern Fleet’s nuclear submarine units, designated as a target for the benefit of the exercise, was successful according to the Russian Ministry of Defence.
"In the course of the snap Northern Fleet combat readiness drills, a group of diverse strike forces led by the Admiral Ushakov destroyer held joint military exercises with two antisubmarine ship search and strike groups in the Barents Sea," the statement said.
The exercise was an element of the Northern Fleet's "full alert" status this week, which began Monday and will continue until Mar. 21. The order allows the mobilization of 38,000 personnel, 41 ships, 15 submarines and 110 aircraft, Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu said.
The Barents Sea is located between Russia and both mainland Norway and the Norwegian island territories of Svalbard have access to it. Russia’s interests in the Barents Sea have previously prompted Oslo to insist it supplements NATO submarines in the region with its own.
