SEVASTOPOL, November 3. /TASS/. The crews of the Black Sea Fleet’s aircraft operating jointly with the teams of coastal defense missile systems practiced delivering strikes against enemy naval targets in drills, the Fleet’s press office reported on Wednesday.
"The crews of Su-30SM and Su-24 planes from the Black Sea Fleet’s naval aviation and air defense forces practiced delivering notional missile and bombing strikes against naval targets jointly with the teams of Bal and Bastion coastal defense anti-ship missile systems in the course of accomplishing combat tasks," the press office said in a statement.
As the Black Sea Fleet’s press office specified to TASS, the drills ran close to the Crimean Peninsula and involved up to ten combat aircraft.
In the course of tactical flight drills, the crews of Su-24 planes conducted reconnaissance, uncovered and identified a group of notional enemy warships and transmitted data on their location, the statement says.
"The Bal and Bastion coastal defense missile systems and Su-30SM multirole fighters were engaged to wipe out the ‘enemy,’ delivering sequential notional missile and bombing strikes against naval targets. The exercise was held as part of the Fleet’s combat training plan," the press office added.
On October 30, the US guided missile destroyer Porter entered the Black Sea for joint operations with NATO forces. Also, the US 6th Fleet announced earlier that it was sending its flagship, command ship Mount Whitney for joint operations with NATO forces in the Black Sea.