Russia, NATO to conduct major joint naval exercises

MOSCOW (BNS): The Russian Navy is planning to participate in several major naval exercises along with NATO countries in coming months, according to a media report.

"Since May till July Russian warships will participate in a number of international naval exercises in order to practice joint tasks with foreign warships", RIA Novosti quoted Russian Navy spokesman as saying.

The task forces of Russian Black fleet and Northern fleet will participate in different exercises in next few months.

In the exercise Bold Monarch-2011, the Black Sea Fleet task force will participate with its diesel submarine Alrosa, mooring lighter KIL-158, rescue ship Epron and salvage tug Shakhter. The large-scale rescue exercise will be conducted off Spain from May 25th till June 14th.

In FRUKUS-2011, the Northern Fleet task force consisting of large ASW ship Admiral Chabanenko, salvage tug SB-406 and a Baltic Fleet supply will participate. Four-lateral naval exercise will be later conducted in the North Atlantic from June 20th to July 6th. 

French, British, and American warships will take part in the FRUKUS exercise as well, it said.

The large ASW ship Minsk of Baltic fleet will later attend the NATO's largest naval exercise in the Baltic – BALTOPS.