Russian Northern Fleet ships wrap up anti-submarine warfare drills in Barents Sea

MURMANSK, May 26. /TASS/. The Northern Fleet ships completed anti-submarine warfare drills in the Barents Sea, the Fleet’s press office reported on Tuesday. The drills that lasted several days involved the missile cruiser Marshal Ustinov, the large anti-submarine warfare ship Severomorsk and small anti-subsurface ships from the water area protection brigade of the Northern Fleet’s Kola Flotilla of All-Arms Forces, the press office specified. "The ships’ maneuvers lasted several days. While searching for a notional enemy’s submarines in the close-in maritime zone, the naval sailors practiced inter-operability with anti-submarine warfare aviation. At various stages of the exercise, the tasks in the Barents Sea were accomplished by the crews of Tu-142, Il-38 and Ka-27PL anti-submarine warfare aircraft and helicopters, which operated from coastal aerodromes," the press office said in a statement. Several submarines of the Kola Flotilla simulated the enemy force operating against the naval search and strike groups, the press office specified. The anti-submarine warfare forces will practice the final stage of the drills on May 26 and return to their permanent bases, the statement says. Read more