The following two articles are significant due to the fact that both Russian and Iranian naval forces are drilling and excercising in both the Mediterranean and near the strait of Hormuz.
Russian Warships Gather in Mediterranean for Drills
MOSCOW, December 25 (RIA Novosti) - About a dozen Russian warships are converging on the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Aden as part of a large-scale strategic exercise, a high-ranking representative the General Staff of Russia’s Armed Forces said on Tuesday.
“This part of the world’s oceans is very important from the point of view of Russia’s geopolitical interests, including the fact that the Russian Navy has a logistical base here [in Syria],” he said.
The warships will conduct air-defense, anti-ship and anti-submarine drills and call at some foreign ports, including Tartus in Syria, he said.
He declined to specify whether the large landing ships were carrying military equipment for Syria.“The main aim of sending the ships to the Mediterranean is to accomplish the missions set by the navy command, conduct exercises and show the flag,” he said.
On Monday, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov dismissed media reports there were commando units and military equipment for Syria on board some of the warships.
A naval task force from Russia’s Northern Fleet left the Severomorsk base last Wednesday and set course for the Horn of Africa on a new anti-piracy mission, the Defense Ministry said.
It includes the large antisubmarine ship Severomorsk, the salvage tug Altai, and the tanker Dubna, as well as a contingent of naval infantry subunits. The force will travel the length of the Mediterranean, pass through the Suez Canal and relieve the Pacific Fleet task force that has been there on an anti-piracy mission since November.
A Baltic Fleet task force set sail last Tuesday for the eastern Mediterranean where it will relieve a group of Black Sea warships. The force includes the frigate Yaroslav Mudry, the large landing ships Kaliningrad and Alexander Shabalin, the salvage tug SB-921 and the tanker Lena.
The new anti-piracy mission is expected to reach the region by mid-January.
Russia keeps a naval task force in the Gulf of Aden as part of the international effort to fight piracy off the Somali coast.
On Monday, large landing ships Azov and Nikolai Filchenkov from Russia’s Black Sea Fleet left Novorossiysk for the Syrian port of Tartus. The ships are carrying naval infantry units for protection during the voyage. They are expected to join the Black Sea Fleet task force comprising the missile cruiser Moskva and the frigate Smetlivy in the Aegean Sea on December 28 before heading to Tartus.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich confirmed on Monday that Russia has a contingency plan for evacuation of Russian citizens from Syria if necessary.
The conflict between Bashar al-Assad regime and opposition forces in Syria has claimed the lives of over 30,000 people since March 2011, according to UN figures.
Iran Stages Naval Drills in Persian Gulf
04:37 26/12/2012
MOSCOW, December 26 (RIA Novosti) - The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) have launched a series of naval exercises in the Persian Gulf, the semi-official Fars news agency said.
Fars cited Commander of IRGC's Fourth Naval Zone Admiral Alireza Nasseri as saying that the wargames aimed at evaluating the defense capabilities of the troops stationed in the region against potential threats.
"We have the lengthy sea borders in the Northern and Southern parts of the country, and defending these boundaries has requirements, including exercises, active presence in the sea and gaining defensive preparedness against potential threats," Admiral Nasseri said.
Fars also reported on Tuesday that the Iranian Navy will start six-day naval drills in the country's southern waters on Friday.
The announcement of the upcoming exercises, dubbed Velayat 91 (Guardianship 91), was made on Tuesday by Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari.
Fars quoted Sayyari as saying that the wargames will cover around one million square kilometers in the Strait of Hormuz, the Sea of Oman and north of the Indian Ocean.
“In addition to testing its defense and missile systems, combat vessels and submarines, the Iranian Navy will exercise naval combat, patrol and reconnaissance missions as well as confrontation against enemy threats, Sayyari said.
Last year, the Iranian Navy carried out 10-day Velayat 90 naval drill in approximately the same area to test its latest achievements in missile and submarine technology.
Tehran has repeatedly threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz over Western sanctions aimed at its suspect nuclear program but has not followed up on its threats yet.
The four-day drills, dubbed Fajr 91 (Dawn 91), are taking place in the area of the South Pars gas field - the world's largest gas field shared by Iran and Qatar.
“On the first day of the naval drills, different IRGC coast guard, missile, electronic warfare and marine units displayed their combat and defense capabilities in the wargame region,” Fars reported on Tuesday.Fars cited Commander of IRGC's Fourth Naval Zone Admiral Alireza Nasseri as saying that the wargames aimed at evaluating the defense capabilities of the troops stationed in the region against potential threats.
"We have the lengthy sea borders in the Northern and Southern parts of the country, and defending these boundaries has requirements, including exercises, active presence in the sea and gaining defensive preparedness against potential threats," Admiral Nasseri said.
Fars also reported on Tuesday that the Iranian Navy will start six-day naval drills in the country's southern waters on Friday.
The announcement of the upcoming exercises, dubbed Velayat 91 (Guardianship 91), was made on Tuesday by Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari.
Fars quoted Sayyari as saying that the wargames will cover around one million square kilometers in the Strait of Hormuz, the Sea of Oman and north of the Indian Ocean.
“In addition to testing its defense and missile systems, combat vessels and submarines, the Iranian Navy will exercise naval combat, patrol and reconnaissance missions as well as confrontation against enemy threats, Sayyari said.
Last year, the Iranian Navy carried out 10-day Velayat 90 naval drill in approximately the same area to test its latest achievements in missile and submarine technology.
Tehran has repeatedly threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz over Western sanctions aimed at its suspect nuclear program but has not followed up on its threats yet.
Nearly 40% of the world's seaborne oil shipments pass through this strategically important waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
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