About 30 warships to participate in war games in North Russia

Forces of Russia's Northern Fleet on Friday began to deploy troops in designated areas and training grounds to prepare for large-scale exercises in the Kola Peninsula and in the Barents Sea, a Russian Navy source told Itar-Tass. The exercises will be held from September 21 to 25 and will be the main final event of combat training of the Northern Fleet in 2013, he noted. The exercises will include operations to plan actions of troops, control forces when they are deployed to carry out tasks, prevent "enemy" landing when the coast is defended and participate in rescue operations, the official said. Commanders in the training will obtain practical skills to control naval forces with the use of modern automated systems, he added. According to the plan, ships and naval groups will defend the air space over the training grounds in the Barents Sea, search for and track submarines, use antisubmarine and anti-ship weapons and train to fire at coastal targets when naval troops land. Particular attention will be paid to rescue operations and help for ships in distress. The Northern Fleet's coastal troops and reinforced airborne troops brought to the Kola Peninsula from central Russia will repulse landing forces. It will be large-scale exercises with the participation of 2,500 servicemen, up to 30 warships and support vessels, 50 combat vehicles and 20 planes and helicopters. The Northern Fleet's manoeuvres will be held practically at the same time with the Russian-Belarusian strategic exercises West 2013.