North Fleet marines put under surprise inspection
SEVEROMORSK. Feb 3 (Interfax-AVN) - North Fleet Commander Admiral Vladimir Korolyov conducted a surprise inspection of combat preparedness of the fleet marines, fleet spokesman Capt 1st Rank Vadim Serga told Interfax-AVN on Monday.
"A company of the North Fleet marine regiment was alerted to go on a 160-kilometer march by service issue vehicles, BTR-80 armored personnel carriers, and board the large landing ship Alexander Otrakovsky in a designated area of the coast of the Kola Bay," Serga said.
An anti-terrorist unit of the North Fleet marine regiment also faced a surprise inspection. The unit conducted a 160-kilometer march by service issue vehicles to a military airfield and boarded an Antonov An-26 military transport aircraft, he said.
Admiral Korolyov said the servicemen had proven their ability to accomplish missions in due time.
"All permanent alert units must be prepared for surprise inspections," the fleet commander said.
About 200 servicemen of the North Fleet marine regime, over 20 wheeled vehicles, the crew of the large landing ship Alexander Otrakovsky and the crew of the An-26 military transport aircraft of the North Fleet aviation were engaged in the surprise drill, Serga said.
Surprise inspections of combat preparedness of the North Fleet forces have become regular, Serga said. There has been a recent surprise inspection of combat preparedness of submarine forces involving crews of the small submarine chasers Brest and Snezhnogorsk of the Kola combined forces flotilla and anti-sub aircraft Ilyushin Il-38 and Tupolev Tu-142, he said.