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Russian navy combat amphibious warship Kaliningrad to join NATO naval military drills Baltops 2010.
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![An amphibious assault landing ship, the Kaliningrad, will take part in the BALTOPS-2010 naval exercises in the Baltic Sea on June 7-18, Russia's Baltic Fleet spokesman said on Tuesday. The BALTOPS exercise has been held annually since 1994 within the framework of the NATO Partnership for Peace Program. It is aimed to promote a mutual understanding of maritime interoperability between U.S. Navy, NATO, and non-NATO participants. "The [Kaliningrad] amphibious assault landing ship will carry out a range of training tasks, including joint maneuvering in a large ship formation, patrol missions and a simulated assault landing," the official said. The vessel is currently heading to the port of Gdansk in Poland, where several dozen warships from 14 NATO countries will team up for the upcoming exercises. The Russian warship visited the Belgian port of Zeebrugge in the North Sea on its way to Poland. The Kaliningrad entered service with the Baltic Fleet in December 1984, and has carried out training missions in the Baltic, North and Mediterranean seas, as well as more than 10 times in the Atlantic Ocean. Kaliningrad class ships are capable of carrying up to 500 tons of cargo, 13 tanks and more than 200 naval infantry. The warship represented Russia at the BALTOPS drills five times since 2003.](/images/stories/news/2010/june/small/amphibious_assaul_landing_ship_Kaliningrad_Baltop_2010_Russia_Russian_navy_small_001.jpg)
