Russia launches large scale Ocean 2024 strategic drills

Moscow: The Russian navy has launched its planned large-scale Ocean 2024 strategic exercises, which will run through Sept. 16, the country's defense ministry said in a statement Tuesday. "The exercise will become one of the most important events of the Russian armed forces' operational and combat training in 2024," according to the defense ministry. The defense ministry said over 400 warships, submarines and support vessels, as well as over 120 naval aircraft, 7,000 units of weaponry, military and special hardware, and more than 90,000 personnel, will participate in the exercises. The drills will be conducted across the Pacific and Arctic Oceans, as well as the Mediterranean, Caspian, and Baltic Seas. According to the ministry, the Ocean 2024 strategic command and staff exercise will test the readiness of the Russian Navy's senior staff to command all-arms groups of forces and the ability to solve non-standard operational tasks. Russian forces will also practice the use of high-precision and modern weapon s. The drills also aim to "expand cooperation with the navies of partner countries to perform joint maritime missions," added the ministry. Source: The Namibia News Agency