The exercise is to be held simultaneously in the Pacific and Arctic Oceans as well as the Mediterranean, Caspian and Baltic Seas
Russia launched a massive strategic naval exercise on Tuesday. Called Ocean-2024 and scheduled to be held simultaneously in the Pacific and Arctic Oceans as well as the Mediterranean, Caspian and Baltic Seas, the drills are set to be the biggest in three decades, according to President Vladimir Putin.
Aimed at testing the combat readiness and interoperability of the nation’s fleets and its Air Force, the exercise is to be held until September 16. During the drills, troops are expected to perform some complex tasks that simulate real combat situations, the president said, as he attended the start of the maneuvers via video link.
The Defense Ministry published a series of videos showing the military taking part in the exercise. The Russian Pacific Fleet was the first to launch a massive joint strike at the simulated enemy targets on the very first day of the drills, according to the ministry. The fleet’s surface and undersea vessels as well as coastal defense systems fired almost a dozen cruise missiles, sometimes within mere seconds of one another.
One clip in particular showed Russia’s B-274 Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky submarine firing a Kalibr-PL cruise missile while still submerged. This Russian cruise missile variant can be launched as a torpedo from a submarine’s tube mount. It then emerges from under water and flies towards its target like a regular cruise missile.
The videos also showed ‘Oniks’ and ‘Uran’ cruise missiles being launched from mobile coastal ‘Bastion’ and ‘Bal’ missile systems. Oniks supersonic missiles are capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 800 kilometers (500 miles) and can travel at almost three times the speed of sound.
Separately, a frigate of the Russian Northern Fleet successfully hit its targets at a distance of some 200 kilometers (125 miles) with another type of Kalibr missile, according to the ministry.
More than 30 battleships and auxiliary vessels of the Russian Baltic Fleet set out on Tuesday from their bases to take part in the drills. The fleet’s group is expected to perform certain tasks in the Baltic Sea, the ministry said.
Speaking to Defense Minister Andrey Belousov and the Russian fleet commanders on Tuesday, Putin said that the nation’s military should be ready for any potential developments amid rising geopolitical tensions and to “reliably defend” both Russia’s sovereignty and interests.
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