Moscow. January 5th. INTERFAX - Special exercises to check the readiness of the crews of the ships of the Caspian Flotilla (CFl) for combat duty were held in Dagestan, the Southern Military District (SE) reported on Wednesday.
"On the ships that have taken up combat duty, the crews have been transferred to the round-the-clock mode of combat service, the personnel have taken their places at combat posts, radar stations monitor the air situation, artillery installations have been deployed in responsible firing sectors," the report says.
It is reported that in total more than 200 servicemen took part in the special exercise, about 15 surface ships and CFl boats were involved.
"With the receipt of the "Combat Alert" signal, the crews of the ships worked out actions to prepare the ship for combat and campaign, at combat posts and command posts of the ships, weapons, technical and energy means were transferred to readiness for immediate use, the ships were prepared to leave the home base," the Southern Military District reported.
The Caspian Flotilla, along with the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation, is the naval component of the Southern Military District. The flotilla ensures the national and state interests of Russia in the Caspian Sea region: it conducts anti-terrorist activities, is engaged in the protection of trade, the protection of state interests in the area of oil fields.
The flotilla consists of several brigades and divisions of ships, parts of coastal troops. The flagship of the Caspian Flotilla is the rocket ship "Tatarstan". The flotilla includes ships equipped with Kalibr long-range cruise missiles (OKB Novator, Almaz-Antey Concern).
In April 2018, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced the decision to transfer the Caspian Flotilla from Astrakhan to Kaspiysk (Dagestan). Then work began on the arrangement of the main base in Kaspiysk and the reconstruction of the base of the brigade of surface ships in Makhachkala.
