Caspian Flotilla - October 2020 combat readiness check
Between October 16th and 19th, 2020, the Caspian Flotilla was involved in a combat readiness check which involved four of its main surface combatants. In total, six surface vessels, seven aircraft and a total of 400 servicemen were involved in this combat readiness check. [1] The four surface warships were identified as the two Gepard class frigates RFS Dagestan and RFS Tartarstan, and the Buyan-M class corvettes RFS Uglich and RFS Veliky Ustyug. [2] [3] An additional two support ships sailed out and escorted the surface task force. These support ships provided emergency rescue services and logistical support if needed. The names of these two warships were not reported by Russian sources.
TASS agency reported that all four warships were capable of launching Kalibr cruise missiles. It should be pointed out that only the RFS Dagestan was modified to carry Kalibr cruise missiles instead of the original eight KH-35 anti-ship cruise missiles. [4] The remaining three vessels in the surface task force nevertheless has a total of 24 vertical launch cells, meaning that it can carry a maximum of 24 Kalibr cruise missiles.
The goal of the exercise is to test the combat readiness of the four warships involved through a wide variety of scenarios. These exercise ranged from both conventional naval warfare as well as defensive actions against asymmetrical threats. The main area of operations was reported as a location central in the Caspian Sea and north of the Absheron Peninsula.
Asymmetrical Phase
A first phase of exercises took place on October 16 and 17 and focused on the asymmetrical threat of outside actors and training of the crew. The asymmetrical threat focused on the action that irregular forces could take to attack Russian warships in the Caspian Sea and how well the Caspian Flotilla was able to defend itself against these attacks.
One of the first exercises involved an air-defense exercises against an unmanned aerial vehicle armed with a chemical weapon. The surface task force reportedly succeeded in detecting and tracking the UAV and shot it down before it could strike one of the warships. [5] This exercise followed up by an exercise in protection against radiation, chemical and biological contamination with members of the crew, dressed in protective gear, decontaminating the affected areas. [6] The command and combat posts on board of the vessels were sealed during these exercises. It is not clear of all four ships are able to seal these areas with the use of overpressure in order to prevent contaminating agents from entering the ship.
The rest of the first day involved transit towards the designated training area during which the officers of the watch were tested in their skills to maneuver the ships as part of the strike group. At the same time, the officers for the anti-air defense and mine countermeasures were reportedly tested in their knowledge and skills.
At the same time, radiomen on board the vessels set up the communication between the ships in the formation, as well as with the coastal control center for the exercise and the main naval base. The ships also set up communication channels with “Sunflower” over-the-horizon radar systems in order to receive data.
Intra-ships exercises took place as well with a focus on damage control, navigation through restricted waters, the use of signaling as a means of communication and the use of navigation radar systems. [7]
On October 17th, RFS Tartarstan, serving as the flagship for the overall exercise, conducted a search for underwater saboteurs, a Russian term which mainly refers to hostile special forces. The RFS Tartarstan, escorted by what is reported to be 30 motor boats crewed by 113 servicemen, used her onboard sonar systems to search and track these special forces operating underwater. [8] According to Russian sources, the RFS Tartarstan successfully discovered these special forces near the anchorage area where the task force had anchored for the night.
The ship subsequently raised the alarm and prepared to strike back against these hostile combat swimmers. Guard units on board of the vessel, mainly drawn from the Naval Infantry, threw several grenades in the water to neutralize the combat swimmers. [9]
Once the counter-attack was over, the ships dispatched its own divers into the water to inspect the hulls in search of explosive devices attached to the vessels assembled in the anchorage area. [10]
A mine-clearing exercise took place as the task force transited through the Caspian Sea. According to the scenario, the strike group encountered a minefield along its track. The warships conducted a reconnaissance in order to establish the size of the minefield, followed by firing the naval guns at floating mines in order to neutralize them. [11] [12] The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that other types of mines were detonated as well but did not specify how this task was accomplished but news articles mentioned that the sea mines were floating mines which were subsequently destroyed by firing upon them with heavy machine guns. [13]
Conventional Phase
The second phase of the exercise took place between October 18th and 19th and focused on conventional maritime operations with striking a hostile surface task force and defending against an incoming cruise missile strike.
A first exercise in this second phase saw the strike group coordinating with the “Sunflower” over-the-horizon radar system in order to set up a concentrated missile strike against a hostile surface task force. According to the reported scenario, the radar system detected a group of hostile ships and their shipborne helicopters and transmitted this information to the strike group. The ships coordinated their actions and distributed the assigned targets amongst them before launching a simultaneous missile strike. Russia media announced that the surface task force used Kalibr cruise missiles during this missile strike. As noted earlier, the Gepard class frigate RFS Tartarstan is not equipped with vertical launch cells and thus unable to launch Kalibr cruise missiles. This vessel however has eight Kh-35 anti-ship cruise missiles. [14]
The air defense exercise against a simulated missile strike against the surface task force was the second major exercise in this phase. Su-34 bombers, Su-25 and Su-27 fighters of the Southern Military District simulated the hostile cruise missiles heading towards the task force. Several air defense units, including an air defense battalion of the 58th Combined Arms Army equipped with Buk-M3 missiles, kept track of the exercise.
Once in range, the surface task force responded by firing its air-defense weapon systems, including the AK-630 30mm close in weapon systems and air defense missiles. SAB-250 illumination bombs were dropped by the aircraft and served as the targets for the air defense systems on board of the four vessels.
According to a video released by TvZvezda, one Su-27 fighter aircraft was marked 05-RED. All four warships were sailing in a column formation when the aircraft approached them. [15]
Later on, all four warships held gunnery exercises with the AK-176 76mm naval guns placed on board of the Gepard class frigates and the A-190 100mm naval guns installed on the Buyan-M class corvettes. The targets for this exercise were located at sea, suggesting that the surface task force had closed the distanced to a hostile surface force and was forced to engage it with the naval artillery systems. [16]
A final exercise centered on fire fighting and damage control and reportedly only took place on the Gepard class frigate RFS Tartarstan. According to the exercise, a short circuit in an electric cable started a fire which the crew had to put out. The training showed on video involved crewmembers in heat protective suits and a closed circuit respirator searching the ship for the source of the fire. The crewmembers carried with them portable fire extinguishers to combat the simulated fire. [17]
The crewmembers also practiced various means of extinguishing the fire, including the sue of a special high-expansion foam package, called a GVPP-100 generator. The foam package is reportedly designed to extinguish fires by creating a foam through the combination of air and chemicals.
Conclusion
Over the course off four days, the four warships of the Caspian Flotilla were tested on a wide variety of maritime tasks and capabilities both against conventional and asymmetric threats as part of a combat readiness check. Combat operations were always held on the level of the task force as no reports were made suggesting that the vessels went separately and conducted their own individual combat exercises, with the exception of the RFS Tartatstan operating as the guard ships against hostile combat swimmers on the morning of October 17th.
Exercises were held on the individual level but these were held to test the proficiency of the crew members on board of each ship. Special attention was given to the officers of the watch, signalmen and radio operators on the first day of the exercise.
