MOSCOW. Aug 4 (Interfax) - More than 30 ships and submarines and 10,000 servicemen are participating in a command-and-staff exercise of Russia's Northern Fleet which began on Wednesday, the press service for the Northern Fleet said.
"The practical part of the training will last for several days. In total, more than 10,000 military personnel, 70 armored vehicles, up to 15 aircraft, and about 30 naval ships, submarines, and support vessels are involved in the training," the press service said.
The exercise will be held under command of the Northern Fleet commander, the press service said. Formations of the army corps, marines, military engineers, coastal, missile and artillery troops, formations of the Air Force and Air Defense Army of the Northern Fleet, ships, submarines and support vessels, which are resolving the tasks of the inter-fleet crossing after participating in Russia's Main Naval Parade, ships of the Kola Flotilla of diverse forces and a division of missile ships of the Northern Fleet will take part in the exercise at various stages.
"During the training, the level of preparedness of the military command and control bodies of the Northern Fleet will be assessed when planning and carrying out actions to resolve crisis situations in the Arctic Ocean region and command inter-branch groupings as part of resolving tasks to protect Russia's Arctic borders from the threats coming from sea areas," the press service added.
Additionally, the exercise "will allow the command of the fleet to assess how the troops (forces) of the Northern Fleet are prepared to participate in largescale strategic exercises scheduled for the fall of 2021."
The Northern Fleet is an inter-branch strategic force of the Russian Armed Forces that protects Russia's national interests in the Arctic and other regions of the world oceans. The submarine forces of the Northern Fleet are considered to be the most powerful grouping of nuclear submarines of the Russian Navy. The Northern Fleet was granted the status of a military district on January 1, 2021.