MOSCOW. May 22 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia will have its debut as the commander-nation of the FRUKUS-2012 international naval maneuvers in the Baltic Sea in June.
"The headquarters will be located at the Central Naval Museum in St. Petersburg, and comprised of representatives of the four nations participating in the naval drill," the Russian Baltic Fleet's press service told Interfax-AVN.
The future command post is currently hosting a final conference on details of the drill, attended by the crew commanders from Russia, France, Britain and the United States.
Russia will be represented by the patrol boat, the Yaroslav Mudry, of the Baltic Fleet, a destroyer from Britain, a frigate from France and a cruiser from the United States.
The naval drill falls into a land and sea phases. The land stage will unfold at the Baltic Fleet's home base, Baltiisk, and the sea phase in the fleet's sea training areas and on the ships' way from Baltiisk to Kronshtadt. The crews will rebuff mock attacks of small-size naval targets and aircraft, practice joint maneuvering in tactical groups, hold live firing drills, and practice examination techniques and operations to aid a crew in distress.
The first FRUKUS naval exercise was held in 1993, and its name was RUKUS (Russia, United Kingdom, United States). France was invited in 2003 and the drill was renamed FRUKUS. It has been held in the four-nation format since then.
Over its history, FRUKUS has evolved from a chain of talks into command-post exercises and, since 1996, naval maneuvers. The FRUKUS naval drill is held each year, alternately in each member-state. The previous FRUKUS drill was held in the Atlantic Ocean - off the coast of France in 2009, off British coast in 2010 and off U.S. coast in 2011.