MOSCOW, May 20. /TASS/. A naval group of the Russian Northern Fleet practiced missions to hunt down and destroy a notional enemy’s submarines during drills in the Barents Sea, the Fleet’s press office reported on Tuesday.
"The Northern Fleet’s large anti-submarine warfare ships Severomorsk and Vice Admiral Kulakov practiced planned combat training measures as a naval search and strike force in the Barents Sea. The warships’ crews conducted a series of drills pursuant to their basic designation: hunting down submarines and employing anti-submarine warfare armament. The Northern Fleet’s nuclear-powered submarines counteracted the surface ships," the press office said in a statement, adding that the area of the combat exercise had been sealed off for shipping and flights.
The ships practiced missions in interaction with shipborne Ka-27 anti-submarine warfare helicopters from the Northern Fleet’s combined aviation corps. The warships attacked the notional enemy’s submarine with torpedo fire. The submarine was attacked by a practice munition representing a torpedo without a warhead. The naval sailors also fired shipborne missile systems and rocket launchers, it said.
"In addition, the crews of the large anti-submarine warfare ships accomplished the objectives of repelling an attack by aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles and fighting naval drones," the press office said.