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Russia’s Northern Fleet launches large-scale combat readiness drills

The drills will involve several thousand-strong personnel and about 200 pieces of special hardware
S-400 missile system Vitaly Nevar/TASS
S-400 missile system
© Vitaly Nevar/TASS

MURMANSK, April 10. /TASS/. Several thousand troops, aircraft, S-400 and S-300 surface-to-air missile systems will be involved in a combat readiness check of an Air Force and Air Defense large formation that has started in the Russian Northern Fleet, the fleet’s press office said on Monday.

The combat readiness check has started after the end of the Northern Fleet’s winter training period, the press office said.

"As part of the check, units and formations of the Air Force and Air Defense Army will practice switching to high alert, perform some practical measures for accomplishing the tasks of air defense of the Northern Fleet’s naval bases and air support for the fleet’s forces at sea. The drills will also practice interaction with battlefield and shipborne air defense forces and with attached units and formations," the press office said.

Overall, the drills will involve several thousand-strong personnel and about 200 pieces of special hardware, including deck-based Mikoyan MiG-29K, shipborne Sukhoi Su-33 fighter jets, MiG-31 interceptor planes and other types of aircraft and also S-400 Triumf and S-300 Favorit antiaircraft missile systems.

The check is being held under the direction of Northern Fleet Commander Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov.

The servicemen will hold controlling exercises for the antisubmarine warfare training of the crews of aircraft and helicopters of the Northern Fleet’s air base, practice delivering air strikes with practical bombing at a training range in the Murmansk Region.

Fighter aircraft will practice intercepts and air fights.

The combat readiness check will end with drills that will involve the crews of aircraft and helicopters of all units and formations making part of the Northern Fleet’s Air Force and Air Defense Army.