(Franco Iacch)
18/10/16

http://www.difesaonline.it/mondo-militare/la-portaerei-russa-admiral-kuznetsov-entro-questa-settimana-transiter%C3%A0-nel-canale

The Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is heading towards the North Sea and later this week will pass the English Channel. This is what communicates the Norwegian Ministry of Defence.

The Kuznetsov has left Murmansk on Saturday escorted by the cruiser missile Pyotr Veliky heavy nuclear-powered, flagship of the Northern Fleet and the destroyer Udaloy class I, Severomorsk.

The Pyotr Veliky is the largest vessel to be nuclear powered war in the world, equipped with anti-ship missiles Granit and defense Fort, naval version of the S-300. The flotilla were later joined the destroyer class Udaloy, Vice-Admiral Kulakov, a tugboat, a surveillance ship, an oil tanker and an attack submarine from the Northern Fleet. Likely a rotation with a class Varshavyanka from the Black Sea Fleet, once the flotilla will be entered in the Mediterranean.

In total about four Russian sailors are sailing in these hours at a time in the Mediterranean: it is the largest Russian contingent embarked real mission since the Cold War. It is also the first operational mission for the Pyotr Veliky and the Admiral Kuznetsov.

The squadron of the Russian aircraft carrier will coordinate with the room's air force base in the Syrian Hmeimim. Activities will continue until next January.

The Norwegian Ministry of Defence, at this time, has deployed a frigate, the Coast Guard patrol ships and P-3 Orion to follow the Russian flotilla. An American nuclear-powered submarine was reported in northern Norway, in the area of ​​Tromsų, while the Royal Navy has already ordered the destroyer HMS Duncan and the frigate HMS Richmond to monitor the Russian fleet when, in a few hours, will pass through the area of interest and the English waters.

Fifteen fixed-wing aircraft aboard, including Su-33 and MiG-29K / KUB, and ten the Ka-52K helicopters, Ka-27 and Ka-31 boarded.

After patrolling in the Mediterranean, Kuznetsov will return in the pipeline for reconstruction works of the entire flight deck, with replacement of the coating and the take-off and landing system. Such interventions, set for early 2017, will last three years.

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IZAKOVIC