Odesa – The Ukrainian-U.S. Sea Breeze 2012 exercise has started in Odesa, an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent reported on Monday.
The exercise will focus on international security operations at sea, in particular on fighting piracy, Acting Commander of the Ukrainian Navy Yuriy Ilyin told journalists at a briefing on Monday.
The U.S. Marines will be led during the exercise by Commander of the Sixth Fleet, Vice Admiral Frank Pandolfe.
Almost all activities will be held in Odesa region, as well as at the training sites in the northwest part of the Black Sea.
Seventeen countries will take part in the exercises. This year the traditional participants of the Sea Breeze exercise will for the first time be joined by forces from the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Bangladesh and Qatar, all of which face a major problem of fighting piracy at sea.
Ukraine will provide six vessels, a 300-strong military tactical team of marines, 36 automotive and armored vehicles, a Be-12 aircraft, a Ka-27 helicopter and a Mi-14 helicopter.
A total of 1,300 people will take part in the exercise.
As reported, Ukrainian-U.S. Sea Breeze exercises have been conducted since 1997 in line with the 1993 memorandum of understanding and cooperation in defense and military relations between the U.S. Department of Defense and the Ukrainian Defense Ministry.
