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Norwegian-Russian POMOR-2013 naval exercise starts this week

The largest Norwegian-Russian naval exercises, POMOR-2013, starts from Severomorsk May 10.

Norwegian and Russian naval forces will soon be ready to start the annual POMOR exercise. Norway’s frigate “KNM Helge Ingstad” today arrived at the Northern Fleet’s main base of Severomorsk.

Location

Crew from the frigate will take part in the Victory Day celebrations in Murmansk on May 9, the day before the actual exercises start. The drills will take place in the Barents Sea and Norwegian Sea in the period May 10-16.

The annual Exercise POMOR is the most extensive joint action involving Norwegian and Russian forces. The drills usually focus on anti-terror and anti-piracy operations, interception of fast-speed boats illegally crossing the state borders, search and rescue operations. The exercise will also include joint maneuvering, live artillery firing, anti-aircraft defense and detection of submarines.

Russia participates in this year’s exercises with the destroyer “Vice Admiral Kulakov”, Flanker jet fighters, maritime surveillance planes and Helix helicopters, while Norway sends the frigate “KNM Helge Ingstad”, the coast guard vessel “KV Senja”, Orion maritime surveillance plane and F-16 jet fighters.

Forces from the Northern Fleet’s naval infantry brigade and the Norwegian Coastal Ranger Command will also be taking part in the drills.

After the exercises, “Vice Admiral Kulakov” sails to Bergen in south-west Norway for an official visit, Avisa Nordland writes.

POMOR-2013 is one of three international naval drills the Northern Fleet will take part in this summer. The other two are Exercise Barents and FRUKUS-2013.

Exercise Barents is a joint Russian-Norwegian drill focusing on search and rescue and oil spill response. It is normally conducted in the outer parts of the Varanger fjord and has been held annually since the 1980-ies. The traditional main partners in these exercises are the Joint Rescue Coordination Center Northern Norway in Bodø and the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center in Murmansk.

FRUKUS is an annual exercise which usually involves vessels from France, United Kingdom, United States and Russia.

See photos from POMOR-2012: