SEVASTOPOL, June 30. /TASS/. The team of the Bal coastal defense missile system successfully struck a naval target during tactical drills at the Opuk practice range in Crimea, the press office of the Black Sea Fleet reported on Tuesday.

"The team of the Bal coastal defense missile system of the Black Sea Fleet’s large unit held a tactical exercise with missile firing against a naval target at the Opuk multiservice combat training range in Crimea. The target was destroyed by an accurate hit," the press office said in a statement.

During the drills, the missile gunners performed a march from their permanent base to the designated area, deployed the system and practiced the algorithm of operations for detecting naval targets, the statement says.

After detecting a notional enemy’s surface ship, the combat teams received a signal for employing the missile armament and delivered the fire against the target, the press office specified.

A surface target equipped with special radar corner reflectors simulated the notional enemy’s ship. The firings were held in accordance with the combat training plan of the Black Sea Fleet’s forces to improve the personnel’s practical skills while practicing the assignments of detecting and eliminating naval targets, the press office said.

The Bal coastal defense system with the Kh-35 anti-ship missile is designated to control territorial waters and straits and defend naval bases, other coastal facilities and infrastructure as well as areas vulnerable to amphibious assaults.

The coastal defense missile system is capable of operating in any weather conditions, day and night, with its full autonomous guidance after launches, under an enemy’s intensive fire and jamming.