RUSSIAN NAVY SET TO ESTABLISH “A PERMANENT PRESENCE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN”….MORE OF OBAMA’S “RESET”?
http://www.worldtribune.com/2013/03/13/russian-navy-to-establish-a-permanent-presence-in-the-mediterranean/
MOSCOW — Russia, a leading ally of Syria, has decided to establish a
permanent naval task force in the Mediterranean Sea.
Officials said the Defense Ministry has been funding a task force to
protect Russian interests in the Mediterranean. They said the force would be
supplied by the Syrian port of Tartous, the only foreign facility used by
the Russian Navy.
Adm. Viktor Chirkov. /RIA/Novosit
“The defense minister has ordered us to form a task force that will
operate in the Mediterranean Sea on a permanent basis,” Russian Navy
commander Adm. Viktor Chirkov said. “We have already started work on this task.”
In a briefing on March 11, Chirkov said he discussed the requirements of
the task force with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. Earlier, Shoigu said the Kremlin, which maintained a fleet until 1992, has decided to deploy a permanent naval task force in the Mediterranean.
“I believe that we have the capability to form and maintain such a task
force,” Shoigu said on March 11.
On March 12, Russia said it evacuated more than 100 people from Syria.
The Russian Emergency Ministry said the evacuation was linked to the Sunni
revolt in the Arab League state.
“An Ilyushin Il-62 aircraft took off from the Latakia airport at 18:40
Moscow time with 103 people on board, including 39 children, with nine
newborns out of them,” Russian Emergency Ministry spokeswoman Irina Rossius
said.
Officials said the decision on the task force was reached in wake of a
major Russian Navy exercise in the Mediterranean in January. They said
Moscow determined that its interests were being endangered by the lack of a
naval presence in the region.
A key challenge would be the availability of resources for the new task
force, which could reach 10 ships. Officials cited logistics difficulties
amid a budget crunch at the Defense Ministry.
“A significant part of the fleet has to be operated with extended
periods [of time] between repairs, while many ships and vessels have
armaments and military equipment that can be used only with restrictions,”
Shoigu said.
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