A joint exercise of the forces of the Navy (Navy) and the aviation of the Aerospace Forces (VKS) of Russia is taking place in the Mediterranean Sea.
The training of the first day involved long-range Tu-22 M3 bombers, Su-35 fighters, an Il-38 anti-submarine aircraft, five Navy ships, two submarines, as well as MiG-31K fighters, which are carriers of hypersonic Kinzhal missiles.
The purpose of the exercises is to work out the protection of Russian facilities in Khmeimim and Tartus. The first phase lasted several hours. In addition to the training tasks provided for in the program, the pilots also performed a test of equipment in difficult climatic conditions.
The joint work of pilots and sailors became possible after the reconstruction of the Khmeimim air base near Syrian Latakia. A new runway was lengthened and concreted there, which now allows military aircraft of all types to land.
It is noted that all the tasks of the first day of the exercises were successfully completed, and the conditional targets were detected and destroyed.
On the eve of the Russian Defense Ministry reported that Russia for the first time sent two MiG-31K fighters, which are carriers of hypersonic Kinzhal missiles, to the Khmeimim air base in Syria.