Northern Fleet crews operating Bastion coastal defense missile systems practiced stopping an attempted landing by a simulated enemy force on Russia’s Arctic coast. Under the exercise scenario, a naval group was approaching the Novosibirsk Islands to seize military facilities there, the fleet’s press service reported.

Northern Fleet vessels played the attacking force. The group was led by the Ivan Papanin ice-class patrol ship and also included the Kondopoga large landing ship, the Pamir rescue tug and the Sergey Osipov naval tanker.

After the alert was issued, the Bastion units moved to the designated area. During the deployment, the servicemen practiced protecting their equipment while on the move and responding to drone attacks.

Once on the coast, the crews deployed the missile systems and carried out computer-simulated launches against the ships representing the opposing force. They also trained to replenish their ammunition with a specialized loading vehicle.

Bastion crews from the Baltic Fleet had earlier held a similar scheduled exercise in the Kaliningrad Region. The units practiced detecting surface targets in the Baltic Sea, transmitting targeting data and conducting missile strikes under different operational conditions. They also trained to change positions and maneuver after using their weapons.

The mobile Bastion coastal missile system is designed to strike surface targets, including ships of various classes, as well as ground-based radar-contrast targets under intensive fire and electronic countermeasures.