Three Russian submarines simultaneously surfaced from under the ice at a distance of up to 300 meters from each other for the first time in history during Arctic drills, Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov reported to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.
A comprehensive Arctic expedition, Umka-2021, is underway in the area of the Franz Josef Land archipelago, the Alexandra Land Island, and the adjacent waters with the participation of the Russian Geographical Society, the Russian MoD announced on March 26, 2021.
“As part of the Arctic expedition, three nuclear-powered submarines surfaced from under the ice in a limited space with a radius of 300 meters for the first time in the history of the Russian Navy,” he said.
“For the first time, a set of combat training, scientific research, and practical diverse measures is underway under the single design and plan in subpolar regions,” he noted.
Three Russian submarines are participating in the Umka-21 Exercise.
The expedition involves over 600 servicemen and civil personnel and about 200 items of armament, military and special hardware. Currently, the average air temperature in the area is minus 25-30 degrees Celsius while the ice cover is 1.5 meters thick and the wind is 32 m/s.
According to Admiral Nikolai Evmenov, during the expedition, 43 events are envisaged, of which 35 have been completed to date, including 10 jointly with the Russian Geographical Society. All activities of the expedition are carried out as planned.
Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov reported to Vladimir Putin that within the framework of the Arctic expedition, for the first time in the history of the Russian Navy, the following was completed:
- surfacing from under the ice of three nuclear submarines in a limited area with a radius of 300 meters;
- flight to the polar region with air-to-air refuelling (AAR) of a pair of MiG-31 fighters with the passage of the geographic point of the North Pole;
- torpedo firing by a nuclear submarine from under the ice, followed by equipping a hole at the torpedo’s ascent point and lifting it to the surface;
- tactical exercise with a unit of the Arctic motorized rifle brigade in adverse weather conditions.
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