Russia's Baltic Fleet Helicopter Pilots Practice Landing on Frigate

Anti-ship and search-and-rescue Ka-27 helicopter pilots worked out takeoffs and landings aboard the Yaroslav Mudry frigate, the Western Military District said Friday.

KALININGRAD (Sputnik) – The district noted that landing on deck presented the highest degree of difficulty for pilots, who first performed airfield flights and en-route flights before being allowed landing tasks.

"During training flights across the Baltic Fleet’s naval ranges, the shipborne helicopter pilots performed over 20 daytime and nighttime landings while adrift and in movement. Working out the interaction between the ship’s crew and flight crews is one of the training elements for sailors and pilots," the district said.

Pilots also worked out the tactics of searching and tracking a simulated enemy’s submarines, interacting with the ship’s crew in performing anti-ship tasks, as well as inspecting the vessel’s electronic weapons, air defense systems, communications and control systems during overflights.

"Nighttime flights occupied a special place in the crew’s training program. Helicopter pilots carried out such elements as instrument-based landing approach, oversea flights and covering naval groups from the air," it added.

The drills carried out as part of preparations for the third phase of the "Morskoy As-2016" ("Naval Ace-2016") competition that tests the naval aviation of the Northern, Pacific, Baltic and Black Sea fleets.