Russia’s MOD has just announced that Kuznetsov aircraft carrier group prepares to strike Daesh targets in the province of Aleppo. Here’s from where.
The only Russian Navy aircraft carrier has eventually arrived in the eastern Mediterranean Sea from where, along with the rest of its battle group, it prepares to launch air strikes on Syria.
Interestingly, the first raids are being announced beforehand.
Indeed, according to the State-run Sputnik News, Russia’s MoD told Gazeta.ru that the Adm. Kuznetsov group is going to attack “terrorists in the province of Aleppo in the next 24 hours. The attack, which will likely engage Kalibr cruise missiles, will target militants outside of Aleppo, and not the residential areas.”
The naval group, includes among the others the Pyotr Veliky missile cruiser, the Severomorsk and Kulakov anti-submarine destroyers, and the Adm. Grigorovich Kalibr-armed frigate (believed the be the one that will be involved in the cruise missile launch). Reportedly, three submarines armed with cruise missiles (two Akula-class submarines and a diesel-powered Kilo-class sub) have joined the strike group in the deployment to the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
Noteworthy, a NOTAM has been issued (and publicly available) covering the Nov. 10 to 22 timeframe, with details about the area of a “Russian Navy Exercise” allegedly featuring “training flights and rocket test firings” (not actual firing activity….)
A1323/16 – RUSSIAN NAVY EXERCISE (TRAINING FLIGHTS
ROCKET TEST FIRINGS) WILL TAKE PLACE IN AREA :
342940N0343345E
343000N0350700E
343327N0351850E
343345N0353548E
354500N0352540E
354500N0345600E
350540N0344715E. SFC – FL300, 10-15 17-22 0500-2100, 10 NOV 05:00 2016 UNTIL
22 NOV 21:00 2016. CREATED: 03 NOV 12:46 2016
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Based on the NOTAM, the airspace where the Russian Navy is probably going to operate can be found in the top image (processed using SkyVector.com).
As a consequence of NOTAM A1323/16 another one (A1324/16) was issued to notify airmen of the closure of the affected airways in the area east of Cyprus, off Syria.
A1324/16 – DUE TO RUSSIAN NAVY EXERCISE AS REFERED IN
NOTAM LCNC A1323/16, THE FOLLOWING AIRWAYS WILL BE
CLOSED:
1.W/UW 17 (BALMA-NIKAS)
2.R/UR 78, M/UM978 (ALSUS-NIKAS)
3. B/UB15 L/UL620 (BALMA-ALSUS)
4. W/UW10, L/UL619 (VESAR-NIKAS)
5. R655 (BALMA-KOBER)
6. UR655 (BALMA- LCA)
SFC – FL300. 10-15 17-22 0500-2100, 10 NOV 05:00 2016 UNTIL 22 NOV 21:00 2016.
CREATED: 03 NOV 13:10 2016
Top image credit: screenshot of map edited on SkyVector.com
