Large-scale naval task forces drills to take place in Caspian Sea in Sept 2017 - Russian Defense Ministry
MOSCOW. May 27 (Interfax-AVN) - Strike groups of ships will conduct joint artillery and missile-firing exercises at sea-based, aerial and coastal targets during the large-scale drills in the Caspian Sea scheduled for September 2017, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
"Joint artillery and missile-firing exercises at sea-based, aerial and coastal targets will be conducted during the upcoming large-scale naval task forces drills in the Caspian Sea in September. Both single ships and strike groups [will be involved in the drills]," the press service for the Southern Military District said in a statement obtained by Interfax-AVN on Saturday.
Over 200 combat surface vessels and about 500 servicemen are currently engaged in training as part of preparations for these drills at the stationing sites, the port of Makhachkala in Dagestan and the backwater of Zolotoy in Astrakhan, the press release said.
In particular, "drills in air defense of ships are conducted, and objectives in detection and capture of aerial targets, training for and firing from air defense artillery systems and other air defense means are practiced during them," the press service said.