Russia’s Northern Fleet holds exercise in Barents Sea
Over 15 surface vessels, several submarines and support ships, as well as aircraft and helicopters, take part in the Northern Fleet exercise now in the making along the coast of the Kola Peninsula.
Only one day after Russia and Norway completed a joint coast guard exercise in the Barents Sea, the Northern Fleet sends out a powerful flotilla to the Arctic waters.
In the Exercise Barents 2019, the objective was joint search and rescue and oil spill prevention. In the Northern Fleet drills, the action includes shooting with heavy weapons, combat with enemy forces and destruction of their ships and capacities.
It can not be excluded that some of the people and hardware involved in the Barents Rescue now are engaged in the military drills.
A total of 15 surface vessels, several submarines, support ship, as well as aircraft and helicopters are involved, the Northern Fleet informs. The exercise includes several parts, among them fighting with foreign sabotage and reconnaissance troops, hunt-down of enemy submarines and air defense operations.
Among the ships involved are destroyer Marshal Ustinov, small-size missile ship Aisberg and submarine hunters Yunga and Brest. Also tugboat Sekstan, and minesweepers Yelnya and Kolomna take part, the Northern Fleet says.
The exercise is held as representatives of the Russian General Staff Military Academy is on an annual visit to the Northern Fleet. The delegation includes generals, admirals and high-ranking officers.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: New Canadian navy ships to be affiliated with Inuit communities, CBC News
Finland: Fighter jets flying low over Arctic Finland for military drill in northern Sweden, Yle News
Norway: Norway rearming in Arctic to face new security landscape, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: Moscow threatens response against Norwegian radar near Russian border, The Independent Barents Observer
Sweden: Over 100 aircraft take part in multinational exercise in Arctic Europe, Radio Sweden
United States: U.S. fighter jets intercept Russian warplanes off Alaska, Radio Canada International
