Arctic Drills - September 2023

 Daily Events

September 18
Pacific Fleet
The Pacific Fleet launched the Finval-2023 exercise which will take place in the Chukchi and Bering Seas, as well as on the Chukotka Peninsula. The exercise is led by the Chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral N. Yevmenov and is aimed to protect communications along the Northern Sea Route [1].

The first part of the Finval Exercise was focused on defeating a simulated group of hostile warships in the northeastern part of the Bering Strait. Slava class missile cruiser Varyag, the Oscar II attack submarine Tomsk and Bastion coastal missile batteries took part in this drill. Each unit was observed launching at least one missile against the simulated group. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, all missiles struck their assigned targets [2].
The Varyag launched a P-1000 Vulcan missile [3], the Tomsk launched a Granit anti-ship missile [4] and the Bastion coastal missile battery launched an Onyx cruise missile [5].

The Finval exercise will continue over the next days with over 50 pieces of military equipment being involved, including several coastal missile batteries and naval aircraft [6].

Northern Fleet
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced the start of a naval exercise by the Northern Fleet in the Artic Region under the command of fleet commander, Admiral Alexander Moiseev. The exercise is reported as part of the annual training program and is aimed to defend the Russian islands and their civilian infrastructure located within the Arctic Region. The exercises will take place in the Barents, Kara and East Siberian Seas [7].

September 19
Pacific Fleet
MiG-31 interceptor aircraft took part in the Finval-2023 exercise, engaging simulated air targets in the northeastern part of the Bering Strait with air-to-air missiles. Two aircraft took of from the Anadyr airfield on the Chukotka Peninsula and engaged cruise missiles. Both aircraft allegedly successful completed the exercise [8].
Videos of the exercise showed that the cruise missiles were launched from a submarine, possibly the Oscar II class submarine Tomsk but this was not verified.

Northern Fleet
Bastion coastal missile systems on Kotelny Island engaged in a defensive exercise in the area of the New Siberian Islands. The exercise involved a hostile naval task force preparing to launch missiles against the islands. The Bastion missile battery was alerted and deployed to its firing positions where it conducted simulated electronic launches against the simulated hostile naval task force which was located 300km northeast of Kotelny Island according to video feeds from the radar screens. 
During the march towards the firing positions, the battery had to fight of an ambush laid by a hostile commando group [9] [10].

September 20
Pacific Fleet
Gremyashchy class corvette Gremyashchy lauched at least one Kalibr cruise missile from the Gulf of Anadyr. The missiles reportedly struck a simulated hostile warship, located 300km away [11].

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