Baltic Fleet deployments - Wk 23/2020

June 01
A new obstacle course was created at the Pravdinsky training grounds in the Kaliningrad Region. The obstacle course is reported to be 425 meters in length and simulates wartime conditions such as smoke screens as well as the sound of shooting and explosions. The purpose is to train troops of the Baltic Fleet army corps on a psychological level and prepare them better for a war.

Engineer units in Kaliningrad reportedly defused 24 unexploded munitions which were left over from World War II. Eleven 76mm artillery rounds were discovered during construction work in the area of ​​the Talpaki village of the Guryevsky urban district of the Kaliningrad region. Another ten artillery shells  with calibers 85mm, 152mm and 200mm were also defused near the village of Naumovka. Two 82mm mortar rounds were defused near the A. Kosmodemyansky district inside the city of Kaliningrad and a third 82mm mortar rounds was discovered in the forest near the village of Roshchino near Zelenograd.
All ammunition was collected by units of the engineer regiment and subsequently destroyed at military training grounds.

June 02
The hydrographic ship GS-27 placed a the ten-meter sea large ice buoy weighing about 5 tons at the entrance to the Kronstadt ship fairway. The new buoy replaces the older receiving buoy of St. Petersburg in order to ensure the safety of navigation.

June 03
RFS Gremyashchiy, the first vessel of the Gremyashchiy class corvettes, continued her state test in the Baltic Sea. Ka-27 helicopters of the Baltic Fleet naval aviation practiced landing on her flight deck in various weather conditions, both during the day and night and while the corvette is at anchor or moving. It is reported that over 30 landings will take place by the end of the week.
The Gremyashchiy class (Project 20385) is a further evolution of the Steregushchiy class corvettes (Project 20380). These vessels have a better air defense system then their predecessors. RFS Gremyashchiy will join the Russian Pacific Fleet once her state trails are successfully completed.

The frigate RFS Admiral Kasatonov, the latest vessel of the Gorshkov class, has entered the final stage of her state trails. The frigate tested her anti-submarine defense system at the m2ritime training grounds during this stage. The vessel came under attack by the Parchim class corvette RFS Aleksin who launched a training torpedo towards the Kasatanov. The Kasatanov responded by launching a small-sized 324 mm torpedo which intercepted the training torpedo.

June 04
A Russian IL-20 intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft, escorted by two Su-27 Flanker B fighter aircraft, were intercepted by British Typhoon fighter jets in the Baltic Region. The British aircraft took of from their base in Lithuanian and intercepted the Russian formation above the Baltic Sea. It is unknown if the Russian formation was on a routine training flight or an extensive mission to monitor NATO movements in the Baltic Region.

June 05
Amphibious landing ship RFS Peter Morgunov, which is currently undergoing sea trails in the Baltic Sea, will reportedly return towards the Yantar shipyard at June 08. The landing ship allegedly will undergo some repairs and maintenance before starting her state trails. If she completes her state trails successfully, she will join the Russian Navy.

Testing of two new Raptor coastal patrol boats is taking place in the Neva River at Saint Petersburg. The two boats are scheduled to join the Baltic Fleet once the tests are successful. Build by Pella shipyard, these boats are used to patrol to coastal zones and transport a group of special forces up to a distance of 100 nautical miles. The vessels are armed with Uprava-Kord remote combat module of 14.5 mm caliber and two 7.62-mm Pecheneg machine guns. They have a maximum speed of 50 knots.

Engineer units of the Baltic Navy and armed forces stationed in Kaliningrad defused another seven unexploded artillery shells in Kaliningrad. One 100-mm artillery shell was discovered during construction work on Zarechnaya Street in the city of Guryevsk. Six 125-mm artillery shells were found in a forest near Gusevsky.
Once defused, the artillery shells were transferred to an unspecified military training ground for subsequent destruction in a controlled manner.

June 06
Oceanic research vessel RFS Admiral Vladimirsky passed the Baltic Strait and entered into the Baltic Sea. The vessel is expected to arrive at Kronstadt in the morning of June 8. Once she arrives at Kronstadt she will have completed a circumnavigation of the world dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the discovery of Antarctica. The vessel has been at sea since December 2019.

Naval infantry of the Baltic Fleet will conduct over two thousand parachute jumps as part of the summer training program. The jumps will be conducted at various altitudes, ranging from 600 to 1200 meters, from An-26 military transport aircraft and Mi-8 helicopters of the naval aviation regiment. The jumps will be conducted in groups of up to 30 soldiers, suggesting that whole platoons will jump together.
Once the parachute jump is completed, the marines will do a 5 or 10 km march with full equipment. The marines will also use the parachute jumps to train for insertion in the rear areas of an enemy forces in order to conduct sabotage missions.

Frigate RFS Admiral Kasatanov, the latest vessel of the Gorshkov class, has completed her state trails and is now awaiting to be commissioned in the Russian Navy. According to Igor Ponomarev, Director General of the Severnaya Verf Shipyard, the ship has been thorough checked and there is a high degree of confidence that the vessel will be accepted. Prior to the official delivery, the frigate will undergo several maintenance tasks which includes the main power plant, various unspecified systems, as well as painting of the hull and interior.

The Baltic Fleets naval aviation unit has announced that it will perform three training session in preparation for the Victory Day parade at Kaliningrad. Training flights over the Victory square in the city will be held on June 16,18 and 19.

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