Russian Pacific Fleet ships complete unofficial visit to Hawaii, USA

A detachment of the Russian Pacific Fleet's ships completed an unofficial visit to the US military Pearl Harbor sea base on the Hawaii and is heading for Vladivostok, the Pacific Fleet's headquarters told RIA Novosti on Friday.

On the last day of the weeklong visit the detachment, which consists of a big anti-submarine ship Marshal Shaposhnikov (a missile frigate, according to the NATO classification) and a big auxiliary sea tanker Pechenga, took part, together with the US ships, in joint Russian-American communications and maneuvering exercises to improve the skills of safe joint navigation.

These skills may be required when possible operations to cut short piracy and terrorism in the two fleets' zone of action are conducted, the Pacific Fleet's press service pointed out.

When visiting the Hawaii the Russian sailors laid a wreath of glory on the memorial battleship Arizona, went on an excursion to the State's capital, the city of Honolulu, acquainted themselves with the history and culture of the USA and conducted friendly games with their American colleagues.

The present visit to the Hawaii is the second one. A detachment of the Pacific Fleet's combat ships consisting of a big anti-submarine vessel Admiral Panteleyev, a big amphibious ship and a military tanker Vladimir Kolechitsky visited the port in 1955.