The Russian Caspian Flotilla’s (CF) Coastal Missile Unit is conducting a series of firing drills of its Bal coastal missile defence system at the Adanak test site in Dagestan, Russia.
Details regarding when the drills started have not been disclosed.
The Southern Military District source was quoted by RIA Novosti as saying that the exercise involved detecting and tracking of air- and sea-based targets, organising communications, as well as processing and transferring data.
Aimed to enhance participants’ learning capabilities in using the missile system, the drills also helped combat crews practise deployment schedule, electronic launches against simulation targets and rapid position changes following missile launch.
The missile system has been developed to control straits and territorial waters, guard naval bases and other coastal installations, in addition to protecting coastline in possible landing approach areas.
As part of the drill, the crew had already conducted combat counter missions of enemy airstrikes and surveillance teams, as well as fire-fighting, route reconnaissance related to potential engineering, radiation, chemical and biological factors.
The Bal missile system is integrated with a self-propelled command, control and communications centre, self-propelled launchers, a transport and re-loader machine, and up to 11 special communications vehicles.
Commissioned into the CF in late 2011, the mobile coastal missile system is capable of striking targets with a range of 120km during day and night and under all weather conditions.
Earlier in 2012, CF Coastal Missile Unit conducted the first live-firing drill of the Bal coastal missile defence system and validated its capabilities according to RusNavy.com.
