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Baltic Fleet aircraft hammer enemy with precision strikes in western Russia drills

The exercise involves up to ten aircraft crews

KALININGRAD, September 3. /TASS/. The crews of Su-24 bombers and Su-30SM multirole fighters of the Baltic Fleet’s naval aviation delivered precision bombing strikes from an altitude of 2,000-meters against targets that simulated a notional enemy’s command posts, manpower and combat hardware during drills in the Kaliningrad Region, the Fleet’s press office reported on Friday.

"As part of preparations for the Zapad-2021 strategic exercise, the crews of Su-24 bombers and Su-30SM multirole fighters practiced delivering bombing strikes and shielding land troops from the air," the press office said in a statement.

The exercise involves up to ten aircraft crews, the press office specified to TASS.

"The crews of Su-24 and Su-30SM aircraft conducted precision bombing against full-size targets that simulated the notional enemy’s command posts, manpower and materiel at altitudes ranging from 200 meters to 2 km," the press office said in a statement.

All of the pilots’ operations were registered by the data recording equipment installed aboard the aircraft and on the ground in the area of combat engagement. The analysis of the data obtained from the recorders showed that all the targets were 100% hit, the statement says.

In addition to the bombing strikes, the Baltic Fleet’s naval aviation pilots practiced combat maneuvering at the aircraft’s utmost capacity and the techniques of suppressing the hypothetical enemy’s air defenses, the press office said.

The Zapad-2021 joint strategic drills will run at nine practice ranges in Russia and five training grounds in Belarus on September 10-16.

The Zapad-2021 strategic exercise will bring together around 200,000 troops, over 80 aircraft and helicopters and up to 760 items of combat hardware: more than 290 tanks, over 240 guns, multiple rocket launchers and mortars and also up to 15 warships.

Almost 13,000 troops, more than 30 aircraft and helicopters and up to 350 combat vehicles will be involved in the strategic maneuvers on Belarusian territory.