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Russian helicopter crew practices flights from frigate’s deck in Mediterranean

SEVASTOPOL, October 3. /TASS/. The crew of the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s frigate Admiral Makarov held a series of shipboard exercises, including helicopter flights from the frigate’s deck after departing the Greek island of Corfu, the Fleet’s press office reported on Thursday.

"During the exercise, the crew of a deck-based Ka-27PS helicopter performed flights to carry out air reconnaissance and practice search and rescue missions. During the flights, training exercises were held for shipboard crews providing for helicopter flights and the smooth operation of all the systems of the ship’s aviation compound were checked," the press office said in a statement.

The frigate’s personnel practiced measures to search for, detect, track and destroy a notional enemy’s submarine and fired rocket-thrown depth charges. The sailors also held drills for the frigate’s air defense during a sea transit with electronic launches of surface-to-air missiles against air targets.

The frigate’s crew also practiced a naval battle with the delivery of a notional strike by precision weapons against a sea target.

The frigate is now heading for the Russian Navy’s logistics center at Tartus in Syria. As part of a planned rotation, the frigate will replace the guard ship Pytlivy in the Russian Navy’s permanent Mediterranean task force. The Pytlivy has operated as part of Russia’s Mediterranean Squadron since July this year.

The Admiral Makarov is the third Project 11356 blue-water frigate named after Imperial Russian Navy Commander, Oceanographer and Vice-Admiral Stepan Makarov. The latest frigate was delivered to the Navy and the naval flag was hoisted on the warship on December 27, 2017.

The Project 11356 frigates have a displacement of 4,000 tons, a length of 124.8 meters, a speed of 30 knots and a sea endurance of 30 days. They are armed with Kalibr-NK cruise missiles, Shtil-1 surface-to-air missile complexes, A-190 100mm artillery guns, air defense artillery, rocket launchers and torpedoes and can also carry a deck-based Kamov Ka-27 (or Ka-31) helicopter.

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