From: bergman@AFPAN.PA.AF.MIL (CMSgt Mike Bergman)
Newsgroups: soc.veterans
Subject: Russian Navy Ship Joins Gulf Coalition
Date: 13 Oct 92 18:16:51 GMT
Organization: Hq Air Force News Agency/SCC

SW10. RUSSIAN NAVY SHIP JOINS GULF COALITION
By SSgt. Virginia Cadena
Joint Task Force - Southwest Asia Public Affairs
     USS LA SALLE -- A Russian naval ship joined American, British and French
warships in Bahrain Oct. 9 for a historic meeting that could lead to Russian
forces participating in coalition operations to enforce the United Nations'
sanctions against Iraq.
     The Russian guided-missile destroyer Admiral Vinogradov, the San
Diego-based destroyer USS Kinkaid, the French anti-submarine frigate Georges
Leygues, and the British frigate HMS Chatham met the USS La Salle, an American
command  ship already berthed in Bahrain.
     "This is a historic day, where one more important naval power comes to
join the coalition nations in their combined effort to support peace in the
Arabian Gulf," said Rear Adm. Raynor A.K. Taylor, the top U.S. Navy officer in
the Middle East.
     According to Lt. Cmdr. Bruce Cole, public affairs officer for the U.S.
Naval Forces Central Command, the Russians announced they were sending some
ships to the Arabian Gulf to show support for the United Nations' resolution
imposed against Iraq in the aftermath of Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.
     The Admiral Vinogradov, along with the Russian naval support ship Boris
Butoma, dropped anchor in the Gulf of Oman Oct. 6 alongside the USS Kinkaid.
The support ship did not sail to Bahrain with the others.
     "The naval forces are focusing on the real 'sailor-to-sailor' issues,
including things like how to talk to each other," Cole said.
     "We've spent 40-plus years making sure the Russians couldn't listen to
our communications and they spent the same 40-plus years making sure we
couldn't listen to their communication.  Now we have to overcome all those
efforts and make ourselves compatible in order to increase our
interoperability."
    Senior naval officers from the four countries met to further define
issues, such as discussing Gulf operations, navigational rules and safety,
U.N. resolutions as they apply to the Gulf, coalition forces'
interoperability, and future operations.
    Cole said one of the most important accomplishments of the meeting was
establishing mid-level working groups to look at communications, helicopter
operations, refueling for the ships and helicopters, maneuvering procedures,
and scheduling exercises.
    "We must show the Russians how the U.S., the British, the French and the
Gulf Cooperation Council nations operate together in the Gulf," Cole said.
    "The integration process will take some time because their procedures have
been somewhat different to ours, but we expect they will be quick learners,"
he added.
     Russia's participation in enforcing the sanctions is not definite;
however, naval officials have indicated they intend to be full partners in the
coalition.
     "Russia contributing to the significant coalition presence in the Arabian
Gulf provides a lot of deterrence to Saddam Hussein for any actions he might
take to bar U.N. inspectors, or try to start exporting goods or importing
  contraband into his country through the Arabian Gulf," Cole said.
     While senior officers discussed coalition naval forces operating in the
Middle East, their sailors toured the five ships.
     "Everybody went back and forth from ship to ship, trading hats and trying
to talk through language barriers," Cole said.  "Everyone had a great time."


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