030614-N-4374S-003

030614-N-4374S-003
Baltic Sea (Jun. 14, 2003) — A Russian SU-24 Fencer fighter jet flies above the Aegis class, guided missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) during the annual maritime exercise Baltic Operations 2003 (BALTOPS). The United States and 12 other nations are participating in this year’s exercise. BALTOPS 2003 is intended to improve interoperability between allies and Partnership for Peace countries by conducting support operations at sea including exercises in gunnery, replenishment at sea, undersea warfare, radar tracking, mine countermeasures, seamanship, search and rescue, maritime interdiction operations, and scenarios dealing with potentially real world crises. U.S. Navy photo by PhotographerÕs Mate 2nd Class Michael Sandberg. (RELEASED)