Russia and Norway will hold large-scale naval exercise Pomor 2011 on May 11-16, a spokesman for Russia's Northern Fleet said on Friday.
The drills in the Barents and Norwegian seas will involve Russian Udaloy class destroyer Vice Admiral Kulakov from the Northern Fleet, Norwegian Fridtjof Nansen class frigate Helge Ingstad, coastal guard vessels and naval aircraft.
"The drills will include artillery firing at air and surface targets, anti-submarine warfare, an anti-piracy mission, and the freeing of an oil platform or a commercial ship from armed extremists," Capt. 1st Rank Vadim Serga said.
Prior to the exercise, Helge Ingstad will take part in the Victory Day celebrations in the Northern Fleet's main base of Severomorsk on May 9.
Russia and Norway held similar naval drills last June to practice interoperability during missions in the Arctic.
The Norwegian Navy was represented by guided missile frigate Otto Sverdrup, Coast Guard ship Nordkapp, an Orion patrol aircraft, F-16 fighters and Lynx helicopters, while Russia's Northern Fleet contributed the Severomorsk destroyer, Il-38 ASW aircraft, Su-33 fighters and a Ka-27 naval helicopter.
MOSCOW, May 6 (RIA Novosti)
