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In Russian Arctic, fly high - dive deep

The Russian Armed Forces will in 2014 enhance its focus on the Arctic, military leaders say.

Leaders of the Russian Air Force and Navy stress that 2014 will be a year of strengthened presence in the Arctic.

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Commenting on planned training activities in 2014, the Russian Air Force this week highlighted that the Arctic will be a priority area for Russian military aircrafts. The Force will in the course of the year get a series of new aircrafts, among them of the models SU-30, SU-34, SU-35, Yak-130 and An-148, a press release informs.

Russia has over the last years expressed an ambition to develop new Air Force capacities in the Arctic, including the upgrade of aiports like Vorkuta, Naryan-Mar and Tiksi, as well as in the New Siberian Islands, Franz Josef Land and the island of Schmidt.

Also the Navy has high Arctic ambitions in the upcoming year. According to Northern Fleet Head Commander Admiral Vladimir Korolyev, the Navy vessels will “continue their efforts to develop the Arctic”. 

“In the new training year, we plan both Arctic expeditions with battleships on a set of complex exercises in difficult climate conditions, and research activities in little studied areas in the region”, Korolyev told journalists.

According to the Northern Fleet, a total of 12 Navy surface vessels, research vessels and support vessels operated in Arctic waters in 2013.

As previously reported, the Northern Fleet this summer deployed a grand mission to re-establish a navy base and airfield in the New Siberian Island. The fleet also engaged in various research-related activities in the Franz Josef Land, newspaper Murmansk Vestnik reports.

According to sources in the Armed Forces, a total of 3500 training exercises will be held in the different military branches next year, of which 29 will have international participation, RBC.ru reports.