Warships and aircraft in Russia’s Pacific Fleet were involved in intense action, simulating a large-scale naval battle in the Sea of Okhotsk. The most spectacular scenes of the drill were caught on film.
Led by the Pacific Fleet’s flagship, missile destroyer ‘Varyag,’ a group of warships set sail from their home bases this week to hone their combat skills on the high seas. As the exercise began, they were targeted by a flock of small missile ships that simulated an enemy rocket attack.
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The ‘Varyag’ and her escort – three frigates and one corvette – sounded the alarm, getting their air defenses ready to repel the assault. Footage released by the Russian Navy shows the warships firing a slew of medium- and long-range missiles that intercepted the approaching mock projectiles.
Cameras mounted near the missile bays captured the moment when the ships deployed flares to avoid being hit by the ‘adversary.’
The drills simulated action not only in the sea but also in the air. In the middle of the exercise, a pair of long-range, high-altitude MiG-31 fighters were scrambled to shoot down an anti-ship ‘Malakhit’ rocket, which they did by using their air-to-air missiles.
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