Russian Pacific Fleet’s aviation steps up flights in area of Kuril Islands

MOSCOW, May 13. /TASS/. The naval aviation of Russia’s Pacific Fleet has stepped up flights in the area of the Kuril islands, the Eastern Military District’s spokesman Roman Martov said Wednesday.

"The crews of submarine chasers are carrying out various patrol missions in both day- and night-time. Several operations have been held to search for a hypothetical enemy’s submarines in the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk. Antisubmarine warfare planes’ crews practised skills of flights over a landmark-less area in both day- and night-time. The flight lasted 14 hours," Martov said.

Flights by air reconnaissance planes in search for surface targets proceeded according to the original schedule.

"In summertime naval aircraft will be actively used for fast airlift and airdrop operations and personnel rotation of the Pacific Fleet’s Marines," Martov said.

In the course of training flights pilots were practising cooperation with Pacific Fleet ships and the aviation and troops of the Eastern Military District, as well as law enforcement agencies in the Far East.