Joint French-Russian naval drills in Arctic waters
A French navy vessel will visit Severomorsk in the end of March to conduct joint drills with a Russian navy vessel in the Barents Sea.
The French Navy’s Horizon class frigate “Chevalier Paul” will arrive the Russian Northern Fleet’s homebase Severomorsk on March 30 to conduct joint drills with a vessel from the Northern Fleet, the French navy Commander Admiral Pierre-François Forissier told RIA Novosti.
The vessels will be conducting drills on communication and maneuvering, the admiral said. The visit is planned to end on April 3.
As BarentsObserver reported, the Kola Peninsula is expecting another French naval visit this spring, when the crew of a French naval vessel is taking part in the Victory Day parade in Murmansk on May 9.
Russian and France have been negotiating on purchase of the French-made helicopter carrier “Mistral” and a Russian license on the construction of the vessels, as BarentsObserver reported.
