MURMANSK, May 13. /TASS/. The crews of the Northern Fleet’s anti-submarine warfare helicopters searched for a notional enemy’s submarines in the Barents Sea and practiced flying techniques over the Kola Peninsula during drills, the Fleet’s press office reported on Wednesday.
"The flights involved five crews of Ka-27 anti-submarine warfare helicopters and two crews of Ka-27M gunships that had recently entered service. They practiced the skills of flying at various altitudes over the land and over the sea. In the close-in maritime zone, the crews practiced searching for a hypothetical enemy’s submarines with the help of onboard sonar stations," the Fleet’s press office said in a statement.
The flights were conducted in the daytime from the airfield of the Northern Fleet’s main naval base of Severomorsk-1. Overall, the helicopter pilots spent 12 hours in the air, the statement says.
The Ka-27 is a shipborne anti-submarine warfare helicopter. It is designed to detect, track and destroy submarines moving at a depth of up to 500 meters and at speeds of up to 75 km/h in search areas at distances of up to 200 km from the ship in the sea states of up to 5 points day and night in any weather conditions.
The helicopter can perform tactical missions on its own and as part of a naval group and in interaction with ships in all geographical latitudes. The helicopter can operate both from a coastal aerodrome and from a shipboard.