You're reading: Sea Breeze helps prepare for international anti-piracy operations, says Ukrainian Navy headquarters

Sevastopol, May 17 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Sea Breeze 2010 exercises are an important stage of the fleet's preparation for international anti-piracy operations, the Ukrainian Navy's deputy commander, Rear Admiral Viktor Nosenko, has said.

"If the leadership of our state took a decision on Ukraine’s joining the fight against piracy, then the navy must be trained for this. This year, as well as last year, the purpose of the Sea Breeze exercises is to train multinational staff and forces for international anti-piracy operations," navy spokesman Volodymyr Bova cited Nosenko as saying.

The navy spokesman also reported that subdivisions of the Ukrainian Land forces and Air Force would also participate in the Sea Breeze 2010 exercises.

The Ukrainian Navy plans to deploy 16 ships, boats and additional ships, a marine battalion, a diving subdivision, two helicopters and two aircraft.

The Ukrainian Army will be represented with four cargos and one Mil Mi-8 helicopter, the Ukrainian Air Force will be represented with an Antonov An-26 Vita medical aircraft, and the Coast Guard will be represented with five cutters.

Sea Breeze 2010 will take place in the second half of July. The coastal phase will be held at the Shyroky Lan training range in Mykolaiv region, and the sea phase will take place in north western areas of the Black Sea. The exercises’ command will be headquartered at the western naval base of the Ukrainian Navy in Odesa.