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Russian Northern Fleet Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier enters Mediterranean

The navy men will fulfill combat training tasks in the Mediterranean

MOSCOW, January 15. /ITAR-TASS/. The aircraft carrier group of the Russian Northern Fleet, led by the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft-carrying heavy cruiser, is sailing through the Strait of Gibraltar to the Mediterranean, Northern Fleet spokesman, Captain 1st Rank Vadim Serga told Itar-Tass on Wednesday.

“The Northern Fleet navy men are passing through the Strait of Gibraltar to the Mediterranean in two tactical groups. The first, comprising the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft-carrying heavy cruiser and Admiral Levchenko large anti-submarine ship has already entered the Mediterranean,” he said. “The second tactical group, comprising the large landing ship Olenegorsky Gornyak and three support vessels, will pass the strait in the second half of the day.”

“Admiral Kuznetsov, together with other vessels of the group, will soon head for the anchorage place in the western area of the Mediterranean where it will make another replenishment of supplies of the aircraft carrier. After that, the navy men will fulfil combat training tasks in the Mediterranean,” Serga said.

 

“Carrier aviation flights will also be continued,” he added.

The Northern Fleet spokesman said that during a voyage across the Atlantic the crews of the ships were improving their skills in shipboard damage control drills, air defence and antisubmarine defence exercises, as well as drills to manoeuvre in areas of intensive navigation and fishing. The air wing of the aircraft carrier group performed flights of deck-based fighters. In addition, before the passage through the Gibraltar, the aircraft carrier helicopter pilots performed 10 flights on the Kamov Ka-27 helicopters with the airborne time of about five hours.

The aircraft carrier group had left the main base of the Northern Fleet - Severomorsk, on December 17, 2013. It has covered more than 3,500 nautical miles by now.