"All the structural faults of both underwater and surface vessels have been taken into account. The training of crews and commanders of nuclear submarines has been improved. The turn to contract service, as already practiced on the Northern and Pacific fleets, will be a major move to improve the professional skills of submariners," he said.
Additional funds have been allocated to update the naval search-and-rescue service. "Different classes of rescue vessels are being modernized. State-of-the-art deep-sea equipment and survival aids have been bought and are now tested," the officer said.
Search-and-rescue services are carrying out systematic work to enhance readiness for operative performance of also international missions.
"The naval command is focused on practical preparation of the tactical element and improvement of the combat control of the headquarters of fleets, forces and formations," the officer said. A hot line for information exchange between the Norwegian Navy and the Russian Northern fleet has been established.
"Submariners' training as before relies on basic preparation, when an entire spectrum of things, from cruise organization to the use of weapons, is acted out before performing missions at sea," he said.
"It is important that the role of state and naval acceptance of vessels is increasing," noted the spokesman for the General Staff of the Navy.
He stressed that there will be no repetition of the Kursk sub tragedy. "At least we as professionals are doing all for that," he reassured.
The Kursk nuclear submarine sank on August 12, 2000 during exercises in the Barents Sea. Its 118 crewmen died.
The Prosecutor General's Office has established that the reason was the explosion of the torpedo in the fourth tube. The second blast destroyed the entire crew.
