MiG-31K and Il-38 aircraft arrived at the Khmeimim airbase as part of the exercise
Anna Berestova
05:00 25.06.2021
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Several Russian military aircraft arrived at the Khmeimim airbase in Syria as part of an exercise. More than 15 warships and over 30 aircraft are taking part in the exercises of the Russian Navy in the Mediterranean Sea.
On Friday, in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea, joint exercises of the forces of the permanent task force of the Russian Navy in the Mediterranean Sea and aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces began. As part of the event, a pair of MiG-31K aircraft, which have the ability to use the latest hypersonic missiles from the Kinzhal complex, and an Il-38 anti-submarine aircraft, flew from Russian airfields to the Russian Khmeimim airbase in the Syrian Arab Republic.
According to the plan of the exercises, five ships of the Russian Navy, in particular the missile cruiser Moskva, the frigates Admiral Essen and Admiral Makarov, as well as two submarines Stary Oskol and Rostov-on-Don, together with anti-submarine aircraft Tu- 142MK, Il-38, Tu-22M3 long-range bombers and MiG-31K aircraft will perform combat training tasks to ensure the security of the Khmeimim airbase and the Russian Navy’s logistics center Tartus.
Also, during training flights, aviation technology and equipment will be tested in difficult climatic conditions, including those caused by high temperatures and the possibility of long-term flights over the water surface. Aircraft crews will acquire practical skills for working out training tasks in new geographical areas.
At the moment, an air strike group led by the aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth is in the Mediterranean Sea. In this regard, one of the goals of the exercises will be to monitor the actions of an aircraft carrier group.
In May this past year, the reconstruction of the second runway at the Khmeimim air base was completed with a complete replacement of the coating and the installation of new lighting and radio equipment. Thanks to the increase in the length of the runway at the Khmeimim airfield, the crews of Russian long-range aviation and the latest missile carriers have been able to practice practical skills in performing tasks in the airspace over the Mediterranean Sea.
