Russian Navy to join NATO nations for drills after 10 yrs

Moscow, Dec 11 (IANS) For the first time in 10 years, the Russian Navy will participate in joint military drills alongside NATO members, the country's Black Sea Fleet confirmed in a statement.The Aman-2021 multinational exercises will take place in February 2021 off the coast of Karachi, Pakistan, Xinhua news agency reported.The drills will see the participation of more than 30 countries, including the US, the UK, China, Japan, Turkey, the Philippines, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.Russia will send a frigate, a patrol vessel, a rescue tug, a marine corps unit, a mine clearance squad and a sea-based helicopter to the exercises, the Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement posted on its website on Thursday.The last time the Russian Navy took part in joint exercises with naval forces of NATO allinace was in 2011 during the Bold Monarch exercise held off the coast of Spain.
--IANS ksk/