Baltic Fleet Deployments - Wk 31/2021

Weekly Brief

At least three submarines were at sea this week, all of them Improved Kilo class submarines. Submarine operations were limited to training the crew of the RFs Krasnodar and completing factory trails of the RFS Magadan. A Kalibr missile exercise was also held  with two small missile ships conducting electronic launches. 
Naval activity decreased by the end of the week due to bad weather over the Baltic Sea.

Daily Events

August 02
Improved Kilo class submarine RFS Krasnodar held a deep diving exercises with depths going to 190 meters. The crew trained operating the submarine at these depths and practiced several methods for surfacing. In the coming days, the submarine will also train firing torpedoes against surface and subsurface targets, lay minefields and train to avoid maritime patrols conducted by anti-submarine helicopters [1]. The training course is part of the so called L-3 training program [2].
The exercise took place near the Gotland Deep with Kashtan class submarine rescue vessel SS-750 supporting the exercise [3].

Northern Fleet frigate RFS Admiral Kasatonov and nuclear submarine RFS Knyaz Vladimir completed their transit through the Baltic Sea and are heading towards the Atlantic Ocean [4].

August 03

Improved Kilo class submarine RFS Krasnodar conducted a torpedo firing exercise in the Baltic Sea as part of her L-3 course. The RFS Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky played the role of the hostile submarine during this exercise [5] [6].

August 04

A search and rescue operation was held in the area near Baltiysk with an unidentified missile boat playing the role of a ship in distress which had caught fire. The SB-6 rescue tug, four SMK-2172 rescue boats were dispatched to render assistance and aid in firefighting and damage control operations. Ka-27PS helicopters of the naval aviation flew mission searching for crew members that had abandoned the missile boat [7] [8].

Factory sea trails for the Improved Kilo class submarine RFS Magadan have started near Saint Petersburg. The vessel is build by the JSC Admiralty Shipyard and intended to join the Pacific Fleet [9].

August 05
Small missile ships RFS Sovetsk and RFS Mytishchi conducted electronic launches of Kalibr-NK cruise missiles as part of a training exercise. The target was a simulated enemy surface naval task force. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, all simulated targets were successfully hit. 
Both vessels also took part in an air defense exercise, using their main guns and point-defense weaponry. Follow-up exercises included electronic warfare, passive jamming, inter-ship communication and anti-sabotage defense [10].

August 06
A storm warning has been issued for the Baltic Fleet as weather conditions over the Baltic Sea are getting worse. Heavy rains and winds up to 15 meters per second are expected. Watch duties on board are increased and ships are sealed an secured. Improvement in the weather is to occur on August 7 during the afternoon [11].

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