MURMANSK, May 13 (Itar-Tass) - The ships used in the Russian-Norwegian POMOR 2013 naval exercise leave on Monday the Barents Sea and embark on joint operations in the Norwegian Sea, Captain 1st class Vadim Serga, the spokesman for the Northern Fleet’s command, told Itar-Tass.
He said that immediately after the departure from the main base of the Northern Fleet, Severomorsk, the large anti-submarine warfare (ASW) ship Vice Admiral Kulakov and the frigate of Norway’s Navy Helge Ingstad began the drill of anti-terrorism operations. “The first element of the training - detection and interception of transgressor speed-boats - was performed when the ships were sailing out of the Kola Bay. Torpedo retriever boats of the Kola flotilla of various units of the Northern Fleet performed the part,” Serga said.
On the first day of the exercise Russian and Norwegian sailors counteracted an aerial attack by a simulated enemy and carried out a joint operation to rescue a vessel in distress. A salvage tugboat of the Northern Fleet was posed in this part.
The Norwegian coast guard frigate Senja joined in the exercise on the second day. At the boundary of the Barents and Norwegian seas the exercise was halted for a few minutes. In accordance with the tradition, the crews of the ships paid military honors to sailors who got killed in the Arctic in WWII. The crews lined up on the decks. Wreaths were lowered to the water surface. Then the exercise continued. One of the most impressive episodes of the exercise was an artillery engagement with a surface ship of a simulated enemy for which a floating target was used. The crew of the large ASW ship Vice Admiral Kulakov was the first to shoot. “Officers from the Norwegian frigate who watched the exercise from board the ASW ship were much impressed with the firing power of Russian arms and skill of the crew,” Serga said.
Joint salvage and rescue operations were drilled. According to a preliminary arrangement, the Russian and Norwegian ships daily exchanged crew members. Groups of officers of each side were familiarizing themselves with the way service is organized on a foreign ship and with the performance of the crews.
The ships covered the distance of over 300 nautical miles in two days of the exercise. Russian and Norwegian sailors will drill operations for rescue on the high seas and for spotting and destroying a simulated submarine. After the training is completed, the large ASW ship Vice Admiral Kulakov will make a business call to the Norwegian port Bergen on the eve of the celebration of the Norwegian Constitution Day.
The POMOR exercises are held every year since 2010.