PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY. Sept 20 (Interfax-AVN) - An exercise of the Kamchatka troops group that took place at the Kamchatka Peninsula in the framework of the Pacific Fleet's training voyage nearly led to an air crash, a source in the group told Interfax- Military News Agency on Friday.
"Three minutes after a missile was launched from an S-300 SAM system, a civilian helicopter flew over the exercise areas," the source said.
According to him, the incident occurred because the group's command restricted access for aircraft to a wrong area. "The mistake in the request amounted to about one degree; instead of the 53rd parallel north of the equator the command named the 52nd parallel as the border of the restricted-access area," the source stressed.
"Three out of five torpedoes drowned during missile launches by submarines," he went on.
"The loss of torpedoes is traditionally considered a manifestation of the lowest professional level. It also brings about material damage, as each torpedo contains some 400g of industrial silver," the source went on.
At the same time, chief of the fleet's press service Colonel Alexander Kosolapov said that "the command of the fleet is satisfied with the training voyage's results in general and actions of the Kamchatka troops group in particular."
According to him, the appearance of the civilian helicopter in the training area could not lead to an accident. "The firing area was announced beforehand without any mistakes, and the helicopter entered it after the firing was over, though the flight was made before the deadline indicated in the request for restricting access to the area for aircraft," Kosolapov said.
He confirmed that submariners of the fleet lost three torpedoes during the training. "There is no tragedy in it; these were practical torpedoes, and 90 percent of their service life expired. Apparently packers of the torpedoes became worn-out, water penetrated into the torpedoes and they drowned," Kosolapov stressed.
"The main result of the training voyage is not the loss of torpedoes but the fact that the fleet, whose combat training was badly affected by lack of funds, finally got a chance to put out to sea and train the personnel where it should be done, i.e. at naval proving ranges," Kosolapov added.