Sevastopol, March 9 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Black Sea Fleet's flagship, the Moskva guided missile cruiser, will for the first time move to Vladivostok, where, along with the Pacific Ocean Fleet ships, will take part in the Vostok-2010 strategic exercise, a source in the Black Sea Fleet told Interfax-AVN on Mar. 9.
"The cruiser crew has already started preparations for the long journey that will begin in a month and will last for almost half a year," the source said.
During the journey the Moskva cruiser will practice cooperation with Russian strategic bombers in the Indian Ocean, and will perform the main combat maneuver – a missile strike against a maritime target – by using the P-500 "Bazalt" attack system, he said.
"Moskva" and its support vessel will call at the main base of the Pacific Ocean Fleet in mid-May, the source said.
Col. Gen. Alexander Postnikov, commander-in-chief of the Russian Ground Troops, told journalists earlier that the Vostok-2010 strategic exercise will involve all permanent-readiness units from the Volga, Siberian, Far Eastern Districts and the Pacific Ocean Fleet, as well as groups redeployed from other areas.
