Putin inspects Russia's naval exercise
PLA Daily 2004-02-18
MOSCOW, Feb. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday went out to the Barents Sea aboard a nuclear submarine to inspect an ongoing naval exercise, which is said to be the largest of its kind since the Soviet era.
The mass military maneuver, aimed at checking the combat readiness of Russia's Northern Fleet and its strategic nuclear forces, reached its peak on Tuesday after it was officially kicked off on Feb. 10.
Participating in the naval drill are ten Russian ships, six nuclear submarines, anti-submarine and fighter aircraft, ship-based helicopters and about 5,000 servicemen, the Itar-Tass news agency reported.
The maneuver program includes several missile launches, flights of strategic bombers and aircraft, and the launch of a military satellite.
Putin set out to sea on board the heavy missile submarine cruiser Arkhangelsk on Monday evening to observe the exercise. Upon the arrival, he examined the submarine, held a meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov and other high-level military officials about the training of military forces.
Putin will remain on board the Arkhangelsk till Tuesday afternoon.
It is the third time that the state leader went on board a Russian submarine during his four-year presidency since 1999.
In April 2000, Putin stayed for a night on board the nuclear-powered submarine missile carrier Karelia that dived to the depth of over 50 meters. The head of state watched the exercises of the Northern Fleet in the Barents Sea. He visited another nuclear submarine, Gepard, in December 2001.
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