Blak Sea Fleet conduct missile drills

Units of the Russian Black Sea Fleet conducted several drills in the Crimea with BAL mobile launchers. The drills involved detecting surface targets in the Black Sea, providing target data and preparing the mobile launchers for delivering missile strikes.

BAL mobile missile system

The BAL missile system uses a rocket booster in order to launch a Zveda Kh-35 subsonic cruise missile which is designed to attack warships up to a tonnage of 5,000 tons. The missile itself uses an active radar homing to lock on to its target. The missile goes into a subsonic sea-skimming flight during its terminal approach in order to avoid radar detection for as long as possible.

The Kh-35 is an all weather missile which can be used up to a sea state 5 to 6, both during the day and night. As such, the missile can be used a a wide variety of weather conditions and forms an almost permanent threat to ships entering its engagement zone. This missile itself has a range of 120km but this extended to 260km with the use of the rocket booster.

Russia's missile exercises at the Crimea are seen as another demonstration of Russian military power in the region and serve as a stark reminder to neighboring Black Sea countries, and especially Ukraine, that Russia is capable of successfully engaging their warships. The Kh-35 was designed to attack shipping up to a tonnage of 5,000 tons and as such is a direct threat against frigates and corvettes. The missile exercises also serve to demonstrate that Russia is capable of defending the Crimea peninsula against attacks coming from the sea.

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