Ka-27 Helix

A chock and chain crew, part of the flight deck team aboard the Ticonderoga class guided missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) remains in a ready position while a Russian Helix KA-27 helicopter lands aboard ship during the annual maritime exercise Baltic Operations 2003 (Baltops 2003). 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 a peace support operation 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. (Photo: U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Michael Sandberg)

Ka-27 Helix

A chock and chain crew, part of the flight deck team aboard the Ticonderoga class guided missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) remains in a ready position while a Russian Helix KA-27 helicopter lands aboard ship during the annual maritime exercise Baltic Operations 2003 (Baltops 2003). 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 a peace support operation 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. (Photo: U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Michael Sandberg)

Ka-27 Helix

The Russian Helix KA-27 helicopter launches off the flight deck of 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. (Photo: U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Michael Sandberg)

Ka-27 Helix

A Russian KA-27 Helix helicopter makes a successful safe landing on the guided missile cruiser USS San Jacinto's (CG 56) flight deck during Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 2004. Baltops 2004 will promote mutual understanding, confidence, cooperation and interoperability among forces and personnel of participating nations and to support national, unit and staff training objectives by conducting a series of robust exercises. The bottom line is multinational integration and inter-service coordination. (Photo: U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class George Sisting)

Ka-27 Helix

Russian KA-27 helicopter assigned to the Russian destroyer RFS Natoychiviy (DD 610) takes off from the British Royal Navy frigate HMS Sutherland (F 81) during Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 2005. In its 33rd year, BALTOPS is a maritime and land international exercise, co-hosted by Latvia and the United States, which includes 11 nations, 4,100 people, 40 ships, 28 aircraft and two submarines in the spirit of "Partnership for Peace (PFP)." BALTOPS 2005 improves interoperability with allies and PFP countries by conducting peace support operations at sea to include a combined amphibious landing and a scenario dealing with potential real world crisis. (Photo: Royal Navy photo by Lt. Cmdr. Keith Lincoln)