Russia-USA: Coast Guards Through Bering Sea Joint Exercise

The "Neva" of Russia's Kamchatka frontier destroyer escort squadron is coming back to base today in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, seaport in the north of the Russian Far East, after a joint Russian-US coast guard exercise.

The "Neva" went to sea, April 2, to reach Kodiak Island, Alaska, April 10, where it joined US Coast Guard 17th District forces for games, reports Andrei Orlov, chief of PR, Russia's Federal Frontier Service Northeast regional board.

Several coastal guard patrol vessels and aircraft were taking part on the US side.

The scheduled games included mutual orientation training, radio communication at various wave lengths, mock rescue operations, and convention area patrolling.

Timed to the exercise was an official visit to the USA by a Northeast regional board delegation, led by Lieutenant-General Nikolai Lisinsky, district commander. Russian and US coast guard officers specified this year's joint action to protect sea wildlife. They blueprinted and approved a schedule for next year's related team efforts in the convention area.

Russia's Federal Frontier Service Northeast regional board and the US Coast Guard 17th District made an agreement in 1996 to jointly protect sea wildlife in their convention area.