Black, Mediterranean Seas: Largest Russian War Games In Decades

by richardrozoff

RT
January 2, 2013

Russian Navy to hold biggest war games in decades

The four major Russian Navy fleets will hold a joint exercise in late
January in the Mediterranean and Black seas. It will be the biggest
such event in decades.

Commands for the Northern, Baltic, Black Sea and Pacific fleets have
been preparing for the exercises since December of last year, the
Russian Defense Ministry has announced. Warships detached for the
event are currently sailing to those regions.

"The primary goal of the exercise is to train issues regarding
formation of a battle group consisting of troops of different branches
outside of the Russian Federation, planning of its deployment and
managing a coordinated action of a joint Navy group in accordance with
a common plan," the ministry's information department explained.

The exercise will include several scenarios, including the loading of
amphibious troops from an unprepared coast in the Northern Caucasus
onto transport vessels.

The announcement comes days after the launch of the nuclear-powered
submarine Vladimir Monomakh, the third Borei-class strategic submarine
cruiser produced in Russia. The vessel, armed with Bulava ICBMs, will
become part of the country's nuclear deterrence force after completing
sea trials.

The Russian Navy's five fleets each have their own headquarters. The
strongest, the Northern fleet is based in Severomorsk in north-west of
the country. The Baltic fleet is based in Kaliningrad, the western
Russian enclave on the coast of the Baltic Sea.

The Black Sea fleet is based in Sevastopol, Ukraine, from which Russia
rents a naval base. The Pacific fleet is based in Vladivostok in
Russia's Far East. The Caspian flotilla is the smallest in the Russian
Navy, but is the strongest naval force in the enclosed Caspian Sea.

Warships from the four main fleets conduct joint naval drills on a
regular basis to streamline command and control for operations. Groups
of ships detached from different fleets also often sail for joint
missions in the high seas. The patrol in the Mediterranean in August
2012 drew worldwide attention amid rumors that the ships would become
involved in the Syrian civil war.

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Russian Information Agency Novosti
January 2, 2013

Russia to Hold Large-Scale Mediterranean, Black Sea Naval Drills

MOSCOW: Russia will hold large-scale naval drills in the Mediterranean
and Black Seas in late January with the involvement of warships from
the Northern, Baltic, Black Sea and Pacific Fleets, the Russian
Defense Ministry's press office reported on Wednesday.

"The Russian Navy's drills of this scope will be held for the first
time over the past few decades and are designed to improve control,
ensure and practice multiservice force interaction of the fleets in
the far-off maritime zones," the press office said.

The drills will be held in line with the Russian Armed Forces' 2013
combat training plan and will aim to "practice the issues of
establishing a multiservice grouping of forces (troops) outside
Russia, planning its use and conducting joint actions as part of a
united naval grouping based on a common plan," the press office said.

The naval task forces from the Russian Fleets are currently heading
towards the designated areas of the naval exercises.

The drills will also simulate operations to load marine troops and
paratroopers from the rough coast of the North Caucasus onto
amphibious ships and will help the Navy's personnel acquire necessary
marine practice skills during the performance of "combat training
missions in the Black and Mediterranean Seas," the press office said.

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