Russian Navy - News and Analysis

February 13 Steregushchy class corvettes Sovershenny and Rezky, together with the fleet oiler Pechenga, departed Vladivostok for a long range deployments. Whilst in the Peter the Great Bay, the vessels held a series of combat drills including air defense, repelling a simulated USV attack, and anti-submarine warfare supported by Ka-27 helicopters  link . February 14 Steregushchy class corvettes Sovershenny and Rezky, together with the fleet oiler Pechenga, reportedly passed through the Strait of Tsushima on a southwestern course  link . February 16 Steregushchy class corvettes Sovershenny and Rezky, together with the fleet oiler Pechenga, were observed passing the islands of Yonaguni and Iriomote. All three vessels where on a southern course, entering the Pacific Ocean east of Taiwan  link . February 25 The Russian Ministry of Defense reports that Steregushchy class corvettes Sovershenny and Rezky, together with the fleet oiler Peche...

  Daily Events Monday April 21st A Russian warship is reported in the Southwestern Approaches of the English Channel. The vessel is either the frigate Admiral Golovko returning from the Mediterranean or the corvette Soobrazitelny  link . Tuesday April 22nd Steregushchy class corvettes Rezkyi and Aldar Tsydenzhapov, together with the escorting fleet oiler Pechenga, departed the port of Chittagong, Bangladesh  link . Wednesday  April 23rd Fleet oiler Kola allegedly passed through the Strait of Gibraltar and entered the Mediterranean. The vessel could operate together with Baltic Fleet Steregushchy class corvette Soobrazitelny  link . Frigate Admiral Golovko has completed her passage through the English Channel and entered the North Sea link . Thursday April 24th Steregushchy class corvettes Rezkyi and Aldar Tsydenzhapov, together with the escorting fleet oiler Pechenga, arrived at Sattahip, Thailand link .

    The shipyard  Komsomolsk-on-Amur, located in Russia's far east, has received a license to develop, produce, test, install, maintain and repair weapon systems and military vessels. Among the licenses was also the promise that the shipyard will start building Project 22350 frigates, better known as the Admiral Gorshkov class [ 1 ]. Up until now, production of the Admiral Gorshkov class took place at the Severnaya Verf at Saint Petersburg though production has been slow. By allowing the construction of Admiral Gorshkov class frigates at the  Komsomolsk-on-Amur shipyard, the Russian Navy will not only modernize it fleets faster but also give more autonomy and independence to the support of the Pacific Fleet.  The decision to build Admiral Gorshkov class frigates at  Komsomolsk-on-Amur is not new as the shipyard has already started to invest in modern construction sides, certification of the work force and is in the process of finishing the construction...

  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 e...

  Daily Events December 29 The task force, made up of the Slava class cruiser RFS Varyag, the Udaloy class destroyer RFS Admiral Tributs and the fleet tanker Boris Butoma departed the port of Vladivostok [ 1 ] [ 2 ]. The winter campaign will take place in Indian Ocean with a port visit scheduled at the Seychelles [ 3 ] [ 4 ].  Later during the day,  the Japanese Ministry of Defense reports that the task force was observed passing through the Strait of Tsushima [ 5 ] [ 6 ]. January 11 After having past through the Sea of Japan, East and South China Sea, the task force has passed through the Strait of Malacca and entered the Indian Ocean. The vessels are heading towards the Seychelles for a port visit that will coincide with the 105th anniversary of armored cruiser RFS Varyag arriving at the port of Victoria [ 7 ]. January 13 The task force arrived at the port of Cochin/Kochi in India for a port visit during which water and fuel supplies will be replenished [ 8 ]. All three...

  Daily Events August 31 Steregushchy class corvettes RFS Sovershenny and RFS Gromky held an air defense missile exercise at an unidentified training range of the Pacific Fleet. Both corvettes took turn in launching their missiles from the Redut air defense system against a Malachite target missile. The role of the attacking force was played by the Nanuchka class corvette RFS Iney. A unmanned aerial vehicle of the Naval Aviation regiment was involved as well. [ 1 ] The Russian MoD reports that air defense systems operated as usual on both Steregushchy class corvettes [ 2 ]. September 01 Grisha class anti-submarine corvettes RFS Kholmsk and RFS Ust-Limsk are operating as a group in the Sea of Okhotsk. Both vessels held artillery exercises against simulated sea and air targets. The exercise was done with the use of the AK 630 close-in weapon systems guided by visual observation. A second exercise involved the use of the Osa air-defense missile systems under conditions with enemy...

Weekly Brief Very little military activity was reported during the week. This is largely due to the Sea Cup military game that is being hosted in Vladivostok as part of Russia's International Army games for 2021. Daily Events August 24 Akula class submarine RFS Kuzbass arrived back in port following a long range deployment in the Pacific Ocean [ 1 ].

Weekly Brief Two training exercise were reported, both of them defensive in nature which involved the deployments of corvettes. Naval activity near Vladivostok was temporary put on hold as Typhoon Lupit approached Primorsky Krai. A Russian missile tracking vessel was deployed in the center of the Pacific Ocean in order to monitor the launch of a US Minuteman III ICBM. Daily Events August 09 Bastion coastal missile defense systems were deployed during an exercise at Kamchatka with the systems performing electronic launches against a simulated hostile surface task force. Several small anti-submarine vessels played the part of the enemy task force [ 1 ]. These are presumed to be Grisha class corvettes which have been operating in the Sea of Okhotsk recently. August 10 The Russian naval vessels at Primorsky Krai are placed in a higher degree of preparedness as tropical storm "Lupit" is expected to arrive soon. Watch teams are strengthened, ships are sealed and damage control mean...

Weekly Brief Training focused mainly on base protection and anti-sabotage drills, both at Kamchatka and near Vladivostok. Several vessels returned to port following a deployment at sea, most notably the Oscar II class SSGN RFS Orel who completed a patrol in the Pacific Ocean. Daily Events   August 02 An anti-terrorist exercise took place at Kamchatka with military police preventing a simulated group of enemies infiltrating Avacha Bay. Two groups of saboteurs attempted to penetrate the military base. One group arrived by car and attempted to pass through a checkpoint with forged papers. A second group operated a motor boat and tried to approach over water. This group was stopped by military police operating a BL-680 high-speed boat [ 1 ]. August 04 Oscar II class nuclear submarine RFS Omsk returned at Kamchatka following a patrol in the Pacific Ocean [ 2 ] [ 3 ]. Grisha class corvettes RFS Metel and RFS Koreets held an anti-sabotage exercise together with four Grachonok class v...

Weekly Brief The focus during this week lay in both anti-submarine warfare by specialized corvettes and naval aviation with an anti-submarine exercise taking place in the Sea of Okhotsk, the bastion area of the Pacific Fleet. The crews of the vessels which took part in the large naval exercise near Hawaii underwent training in fire fighting and damage control. These are vital tasks that have to be conducted flawless once vessels are deployed at sea. Daily Events July 27 A pair of Tu-142MZ long range anti-submarine aircraft, also known as maritime patrol aircraft, are returning to their airbase following their participation at the Navy Day parade at Saint Petersburg. The return flight will be over 8.000 kilometers and will be done without refueling [ 1 ]. Recently graduated pilots flying MiG-31BM interceptor aircraft for the Pacific Fleet Naval Aviation have started training in adverse weather conditions. The training involves take offs and landings as well as searching for enemy aircra...

Weekly Brief Minimal naval activity was reported as a result of the Navy Day celebrations at the end of the week. The two reported exercises were an amphibious landing operation and a coastal missile defense exercise. Daily Events July 20 Ropucha class landing ships RFS Nikolay Vilkov, RFS Peresvet and RFS Admiral Nevelskoy were involved in an amphibious landing exercise together with the Primorsky Naval Infantry Brigade. The exercise took place at the training range at Cape Klerk in the Peter the Great Bay [ 1 ]. July 22 Coastal missile defense batteries stationed in Kamchatka conducted electronic launches against simulated hostile surface warships representing an amphibious task force. Ball missile systems made a march across rough terrain towards their launching positions, worked out the drills for camouflage and their targeting drills. Special attention was given during the drill to protect the launchers from attacks by hostile reconnaissance forces. In all, around 10...

Weekly Brief With the larger surface warships at port following their recent return from a two month deployment in the Pacific Ocean, naval activity was restricted to smaller surface vessels out on small training exercises. All reported vessel at sea were Grisha class anti-submarine vessels used for patrolling and guarding the littoral zones. Daily Events July 13 Newly trained pilots stationed in Kamchatka, graduates of the aviation schools in 2020, have flew their first independent flight in MiG-31BM fighter. The flights were held from the Yelizovo airfield and took place in clear weather conditions at medium altitudes. The next phases will be held in adverse weather and at higher altitudes [ 1 ]. Grisha class small anti-submarine vessel RFS Koreets held artillery fire exercises in the Peter the Great Gulf. The vessel held several exercises with its AK-176M 76mm gun and AK-63030mm close-in weapon systems. These exercises included an air-defense exercise against an target dropped w...

On December 24, the Russian news agency  Izvestia reported that the Pacific Naval Infantry will receive BMP-3F Infantry Fighting Vehicles. These vehicles will be used to equip a battalion in both the 40th Brigade, based at Kamchatka, and the 155th Brigade, based in Primorye. Adding BMP-3F IFVs to the Naval Infantry further increases the firepower and mobility of the Naval Infantry and brings them closer in terms of combat capabilities to the the level of the Chinese and US amphibious forces. The BMP-3F, an amphibious version of the BMP-3, presents a major increase in the combat capabilities of the Pacific Fleet Naval Infantry. The vehicle is better armored then the BTR-82A that is currently in use and has better firepower with both a low-velocity 2A70 100 mm rifled gun, capable of firing anti-tank missiles, and a 2A72 30 mm dual feed autocannon mounted in the turret. For comparison, the BTR-82A only has the 2A72 30 mm gun. The secondary armament for both vehicles is a...

November 01 Slava class cruiser RFS Varyag and Udaloy class destroyer RFS Admiral Panteleev left their port at Vladivostok and started a long range deployment in the Pacific Region. The warships are escorted by the light fleet oiler RFS Pechenga. During the first day of their deployment, the warships checked their communication systems, held joint maneuvers, held an air defense exercise, conducted emergency rescue operations and held a replenishment at sea. During the air defense exercise, Russian aircraft played the role of hostile aircraft. [ 1 ] November 02 Slava class cruiser RFS Varyag and Udaloy class destroyer RFS Admiral Panteleev were photographed at anchor near Vladivostok after completing several exercises. The open source report did not mention if these pictures were taking during the morning or evening hours. [ 2 ] November 05 The Russian task force was captured on a Sentinel satellite image as it passed through the Sea of Japan around noon local time. The task force w...

On August 27, the Russian Pacific Fleet kicked off a large scale naval exercise in the Bering Strait, separating Russia from Alaska. The exercise, which involved over 15 warships, saw the deployment of the Pacific Fleet's flagship, the Slava class missile cruiser RFS Varyag, and the Oscar II class SSGN RFS Omsk. Other capital ships involved Udaloy class destroyers and Steregushchy class frigates. The exercise area was reported to be at the southern entrance of the Bering Strait. The most notable event during this exercise was the launch of anti-ship cruise missiles against simulated targets during an anti-surface warfare exercise. The RFS Varyag launched one of her P-1000 Vulcan anti-ship cruise missiles while the submarine RFS Omsk launched a P-700 Granit missile from a submerged position. Both ships reportedly struck their simulated targets, located at a distance of respectively 450 and 320 kilometres away. RFS Varyag launching a P-1000 Vulcan AShCM What makes this exercise relev...

Construction of the Project 636.3 Improved Kilo class diesel-electric submarines continues at a steady pace. Following the construction of a batch of six submarines for the Black Sea Fleet, Russian news outlets reported that a second batch of submarines was starting construction. At least four new submarines were mentioned by the media with the first two submarines, the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Volkhov, destined for the Russian Pacific Fleet. Type 636.3 submarine The construction of these submarines, currently the most modern in diesel-electric submarines in the Russian Navy, offers us a small albeit incomplete insight in the naval modernization plans and priorities of the Russian Navy. The current state of the Russian Navy is slowly changing from an outdated fleet in decline to a modern green water navy capable of projecting military power in the near seas. Russia's naval modernization is currently ongoing and a lot of ships are in need of replacement in order to st...