“Admiral Kuznetsov” ready for winter migration to the south
Russian Northern fleet will show its muscles in trouble areas in North Africa and the Middle East.
The aircraft-carrier will sail from Murmansk on November 13 to open waters in the Barents Sea where she will stay for a week. The air wing will then be drilling on landings and takeoff procedures, reports Itar-Tass with reference to the Main Naval Headquarters of Russia.
Will sail along the coast of Norway
On November 19, “Admiral Kuznetsov” will sail towards the north coast of Norway and set course towards the Atlantic. The aircraft-carrier will be followed by other Northern fleet vessels, including the anti-submarine ship “Admiral Chabanenko.”
Read more: Russian navy flexing muscles in Barents Sea
The group of naval vessels will sail to the Mediterranean, but it is not yet decided which ports will be visited.
The Northern fleet destroyer “Severomorsk” visited the Syrian port of Tartus earlier this week on her way back to the north after termination of a anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden.
Last time “Admiral Kuznetsov” sailed the Meriterranean was in the winter months of 2008 / 2009. The voyage included port calls in both Syria and Turkey. In 2008, Northern fleet vessels also made port call to the Libyan capital Tripoli.
“Looking for trouble”
During a voyage in December 2007 “Admiral Kuznetsov” suddenly started an exercise in the close vicinity of Norwegian oil platforms in the North Sea, including takeoff and landings onto the deck of the carrier. The flights of Russian jet-fighters forced Norwegian air-traffic control authorities to halt all helicopter traffic to and from the Troll oil platform.
Norway handed over an official protest to Russian authorities stating that the exercise was highly regrettable since it had consequences for the Norwegian oil industry’s operations in the North Sea.
On the voyage this winter, the aircraft-carrier will take onboard eight Su-33 jet-fighters, several MiG-29K and two Ka-27 helicopters.
Criminal proceedings after last repair
Simultaneously as the Main Naval Headquarters announces that “Admiral Kuznetsov” will start a three month long voyage to the world’s oceans this winter, the military prosecutions office opens a criminal investigation due to suspicions that a 2009 repair of the vessel was heavily overpaid.
Proceedings are initiated against the head of the technical department of the Northern fleet for approving documents estimating the costs of the repair leading to an overpayment of near 10 million roubles to ship repair yard No. 35 in Murmansk, reports Interfax.
