Northern Fleet
Encyclopedia
Soviet Navy
The Soviet Navy was the naval arm of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy would have played an instrumental role in a Warsaw Pact war with NATO, where it would have attempted to prevent naval convoys from bringing reinforcements across the Atlantic Ocean...
. The fleet's headquarters, including its main base and administrative centre, is in Severomorsk
Severomorsk
Severomorsk is a closed town in Murmansk Oblast, Russia, located about north of Murmansk along the Kola Bay. Population: This is the main administrative base of the Russian Northern Fleet. Severomorsk has the largest drydock on the Kola Peninsula....
; secondary bases are located throughout the Kola Gulf. During the Soviet Era it operated more than 200 submarines ranging from diesel-electric attack (SS) to nuclear-powered ballistic missile (SSBN) classes.
The Arctic Sea and White Sea Flotillas
On June 19, 1916, the Russian EmpireRussian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
formed the Arctic Sea Flotilla
Arctic Sea Flotilla
The Arctic Sea Flotilla , was a Russian military flotilla stationed in Murmansk and Iokanga.In September 1916, the Russians began to form ASF from ships transferred from Vladivostok, or acquired abroad. It included 1 battleship, 2 cruisers, 6 destroyers, 2 submarines and other ships...
(Флотилия Северного Ледовитого океана, or Flotiliya Severnogo Ledovitogo okeana) to safeguard Allied
Allies of World War I
The Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The members of the Triple Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire; Italy entered the war on their side in 1915...
transportation routes through the Barents Sea
Barents Sea
The Barents Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of Norway and Russia. Known in the Middle Ages as the Murman Sea, the sea takes its current name from the Dutch navigator Willem Barents...
from German naval forces
Kaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
. After the October Revolution
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
, the Soviet Navy
Soviet Navy
The Soviet Navy was the naval arm of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy would have played an instrumental role in a Warsaw Pact war with NATO, where it would have attempted to prevent naval convoys from bringing reinforcements across the Atlantic Ocean...
formed the White Sea
White Sea
The White Sea is a southern inlet of the Barents Sea located on the northwest coast of Russia. It is surrounded by Karelia to the west, the Kola Peninsula to the north, and the Kanin Peninsula to the northeast. The whole of the White Sea is under Russian sovereignty and considered to be part of...
Flotilla
Flotilla
A flotilla , or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet. A flotilla is usually composed of a homogeneous group of the same class of warship, such as frigates, destroyers, torpedo boats, submarines, gunboats, or minesweepers...
(Беломорская флотилия, or Belomorskaya flotiliya) in March 1920, based in Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk , formerly known as Archangel in English, is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina River near its exit into the White Sea in the north of European Russia. The city spreads for over along the banks of the river...
. The White Sea Flotilla was renamed as the Naval Forces of the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
and disbanded in January 1923.
The Northern Flotilla
In the early 1933, the Northern Flotilla was formed by transferring ships from the Baltic FleetBaltic Fleet
The Twice Red Banner Baltic Fleet - is the Russian Navy's presence in the Baltic Sea. In previous historical periods, it has been part of the navy of Imperial Russia and later the Soviet Union. The Fleet gained the 'Twice Red Banner' appellation during the Soviet period, indicating two awards of...
. Two destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s, two patrol boat
Patrol boat
A patrol boat is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defense duties.There have been many designs for patrol boats. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, or police force, and may be intended for marine and/or estuarine or river environments...
s (Smerch and Uragan), and two D-class submarines
Dekabrist class submarine
The Dekabrist-class were the first class of submarines built for the Soviet Navy after the October Revolution. They were authorized in the Soviet Naval Shipbuilding Program of 1926....
(Dekabrist (D-1) and Narodovolyets (D-2)) departed from Kronstadt
Kronstadt
Kronstadt , also spelled Kronshtadt, Cronstadt |crown]]" and Stadt for "city"); is a municipal town in Kronshtadtsky District of the federal city of St. Petersburg, Russia, located on Kotlin Island, west of Saint Petersburg proper near the head of the Gulf of Finland. Population: It is also...
on May 18, 1933 and arrived at Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
on August 5. Zakhar Zakupnev was the flotilla's first commander, and was succeeded by Konstantin Dushenov in March 1935.
A second group of ships (1 destroyer, 1 patrol boat, 1 submarine, 2 minesweepers
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
) joined the flotilla at Soroka in September 1933. In 1935, Polyarny
Polyarny
Polyarny is a closed town in Murmansk Oblast, Russia, situated on the outermost western side of the Kola Bay. Population: -History:It was founded in 1896 and named Alexandrovsk in honor of Tsar Alexander III. Town status was granted to it on , 1899...
became the flotilla's main base
Military base
A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. In general, a military base provides accommodations for one or more units, but it may also be used as a...
. A flight of MBR-2 flying boats
Beriev MBR-2
-External links:* at aeroflight.co.uk* * at Russian Aviation Museum* at Russian Aviation Museum* at Russian Aviation Museum...
joined the unit at Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
in September 1935.
The Northern Fleet
The Northern Fleet was created on May 11, 1937 by renaming the Northern Flotilla. Prior to this, the flotilla had coastal and air defense artilleryAir Defense Artillery
The Air Defense Artillery branch descended from the Anti-Aircraft Artillery into a separate branch on 20 June 1968...
, airfields, and new ships.
During the Winter War
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
(1939–1940), the fleet blocked the Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
military base in Petsamo
Pechengsky District
Pechengsky District is an administrative and municipal district , one of the five in Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It is located to the northwest of the Kola Peninsula on the coast of the Barents Sea and borders with Finland in the south and southwest and with Norway in the west, northwest, and north...
. By June 1941, it included 8 destroyers, 15 submarines, 2 torpedo boats, 7 patrol boats, 2 minesweepers and 116 airplanes. In August 1940, the Soviets created the White Sea Military Base to defend the coastline, bases, ports and other installations; in 1941, it was renamed as the White Sea Flotilla. The flotilla's commanders were Rear-Admiral M.Dolinin (since August 1941), Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
G.Stepanov (since October), and subsequently Rear-Admiral Stepan Kucherov and Vice-Admiral Yuri Panteleyev.
World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
of 1941-1945, the Northern Fleet defended the coastlines of the Rybachiy and Sredniy peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
s, secured internal and external transportation routes, provided support to the maritime
Sea
A sea generally refers to a large body of salt water, but the term is used in other contexts as well. Most commonly, it means a large expanse of saline water connected with an ocean, and is commonly used as a synonym for ocean...
flank
Flanking maneuver
In military tactics, a flanking maneuver, also called a flank attack, is an attack on the sides of an opposing force. If a flanking maneuver succeeds, the opposing force would be surrounded from two or more directions, which significantly reduces the maneuverability of the outflanked force and its...
of the 14th Army
14th Army (Soviet Union)
The 14th Army was formed in October 1939 in the Leningrad Military District. It participated in the Soviet-Finnish war, during which its 52nd and 104th Rifle Divisions fought in the Battle of Petsamo.From 24 June 1941 the Army included...
, deployed marines, participated in the Petsamo-Kirkenes Operation
Petsamo-Kirkenes Operation
The Petsamo–Kirkenes Offensive was a major military offensive during World War II, mounted by the Red Army against the Wehrmacht in 1944 in northern Finland and Norway. The offensive defeated the Wehrmachts forces in the Arctic, driving them back into Norway, and was called the "Tenth Shock" by...
in 1944; part of the Northern Fleet’s personnel (up to 10,000 men) took part in land warfare, as well.
Among the air units of the Northern Fleet was the 121st Fighter Aviation Regiment.
The Soviet submarine K-21 under the command of a Captain Nikolai Lunin
Nikolai Lunin
Nikolai Alexandrovich Lunin was a Admiral in the Soviet Navy and a Hero of the Soviet Union.Lunin was born in Mariupol the son of a soldier. He studied at the Rostov-on-Don maritime college and joined the merchant marine serving aboard the tanker Azneft...
attacked the German battleship Tirpitz
German battleship Tirpitz
Tirpitz was the second of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, the architect of the Imperial Navy, the ship was laid down at the Kriegsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven in November 1936 and launched two and a half years later in April...
at 71° 22' 2"N, 24° 34' 3"E. http://sovnavy-ww2.by.ru/articles/k21.htm The result of that attack is disputed, as no German sources confirm damage to the Tirpitz or to any other ship, but in the К-21 logbook two torpedo-burst were mentioned.
During the war, the Northern Fleet was reinforced with naval aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
and ships from the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
and Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
. Also, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
temporarily provided ships to the USSR in exchange for the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
ships captured during the war and destined to be divided between the allies. At least two ships were involved: HMS Royal Sovereign
HMS Royal Sovereign
Seven ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Royal Sovereign, while another was planned but renamed before being launched: was a 102-gun first rate ship of the line launched in 1637. She was rebuilt in 1660 and renamed Royal Sovereign, rebuilt again in 1685 and burnt by accident in 1697. was a...
and USS Milwaukee
USS Milwaukee
Five ships in the United States Navy have been named USS Milwaukee for the city in Wisconsin., was a monitor, launched in 1864 and sunk by enemy action in 1865. was a St...
. During the war, the Northern Fleet secured safe passage for 1,463 ships in external convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
s and 2568 ships in internal convoys. Its submarines, torpedo boats and aviation sank 192 transport ships and 70 military ships of the enemy. In addition, the Northern Fleet damaged 118 transport, military, and auxiliary ships.
Awards
- Two airborneAirborne forcesAirborne forces are military units, usually light infantry, set up to be moved by aircraft and 'dropped' into battle. Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning...
regimentRegimentA regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
s, a squadronSquadron (naval)A squadron, or naval squadron, is a unit of 3-4 major warships, transport ships, submarines, or sometimes small craft that may be part of a larger task force or a fleet...
of submarine hunters, eight submarines, and the destroyer “Гремящий” (Gremyaschiy, or “rattler”) were promoted to the Soviet Guards' status for their skillful military operations. - Many formations, units and ships were awarded with orderOrder (decoration)An order or order of merit is a visible honour, awarded by a government, dynastic house or international organization to an individual, usually in recognition of distinguished service to a nation or to humanity. The distinction between orders and decorations is somewhat vague, except that most...
s. - Eighty-five sailorSailorA sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
s of the Northern Fleet received the title of the Hero of the Soviet UnionHero of the Soviet UnionThe title Hero of the Soviet Union was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society.-Overview:...
(3 of them - twice). - More than 48,000 men were awarded with orders and medalMedalA medal, or medallion, is generally a circular object that has been sculpted, molded, cast, struck, stamped, or some way rendered with an insignia, portrait, or other artistic rendering. A medal may be awarded to a person or organization as a form of recognition for athletic, military, scientific,...
s.
The Cold War
In the initial postwar period, the Northern Fleet were considered secondary to the Baltic and Black sea fleets. However, because of their more direct access to the open sea operational responsibility of the Atlantic Ocean were shifted to them in the 1950s.In September 1955, the Soviet navy was the first to launch a ballistic missile
Ballistic missile
A ballistic missile is a missile that follows a sub-orbital ballistic flightpath with the objective of delivering one or more warheads to a predetermined target. The missile is only guided during the relatively brief initial powered phase of flight and its course is subsequently governed by the...
from a submarine. The first Soviet submarine “Б-67” (B-67) with ballistic missiles on board became a part of the Northern Fleet in June 1956. The submarine was a Zulu class submarine
Zulu class submarine
The Soviet Navy's Project 611, NATO reporting name Zulu class, were one of the first Soviet post-war attack submarines. They were roughly as capable as the American GUPPY fleet-boat conversions. They were a contemporary of the Whiskey class submarines and shared a similar sonar arrangement...
, NATO designation Zulu IV 1/2.
The 2nd Cruiser Division was formed on 31 May 1956 at Severomorsk
Severomorsk
Severomorsk is a closed town in Murmansk Oblast, Russia, located about north of Murmansk along the Kola Bay. Population: This is the main administrative base of the Russian Northern Fleet. Severomorsk has the largest drydock on the Kola Peninsula....
, Murmansk Oblast. It's ships included the Sverdlov class cruiser
Sverdlov class cruiser
The Sverdlov class cruisers, Soviet designation Project 68bis, were the last conventional cruisers built for the Soviet Navy; 13 ships were completed before Nikita Khrushchev called a halt to the programme as these ships were considered obsolescent with the advent of the guided missile...
s (Project 68) Murmansk, Aleksandr Nevskiy, and Molotovsk, and the 121st Destroyer Brigade with 11 Gnevny class
Gnevny class destroyer
The Gnevny class were a group of destroyers built for the Soviet Navy in the late 1930s - early 1940s. They are sometimes known as the Gremyashchiy class destroyer and the Official Soviet Designation was Project 7...
, Ognevoy class
Ognevoy class destroyer
The Ognevoi class were a series of destroyers built for the Soviet Navy during and immediately after World War II. The Soviet Designation was Project 30 and Project 30K....
, and Skoryy class
Skoryy class destroyer
The Skoryy class were the first destroyers built for the Soviet Navy after the end of World War II. Seventy ships were built between 1949 and 1953. The Soviet designation was Project 30bis.-Design:...
destroyers. On 5 June 1969 the division was reorganised with the 170th Destroyer Brigade (8 Project 56 destroyers) and the 10th Anti-Submarine Warfare Brigade (10 Project 42 and 50 ASW vessels). On 1 April 1961 the division was renamed the 2nd Anti-Submarine Warfare Division.
On July 1, 1958, they raised the Soviet Navy pennant
Pennant (commissioning)
The commissioning pennant is a pennant flown from the masthead of a warship. The history of flying a commissioning pennant dates back to the days of chivalry with their trail pendants being flown from the mastheads of ships they commanded...
over the first Russian nuclear submarine
Nuclear submarine
A nuclear submarine is a submarine powered by a nuclear reactor . The performance advantages of nuclear submarines over "conventional" submarines are considerable: nuclear propulsion, being completely independent of air, frees the submarine from the need to surface frequently, as is necessary for...
K-3
Soviet submarine K-3
Soviet submarine K-3 may refer to one of the following submarines of the Soviet Navy:, a K-class submarine sunk by German vessels in March 1943, a November-class submarine which suffered a fire in September 1967 in the Mediterranean that killed 39 crewmen...
.
On July 17, 1962, after having traveled under the Arctic ice, the Soviet nuclear submarine Leninsky Komsomol (Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and communist politician who led the October Revolution of 1917. As leader of the Bolsheviks, he headed the Soviet state during its initial years , as it fought to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a...
’s Komsomol
Komsomol
The Communist Union of Youth , usually known as Komsomol , was the youth division of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The Komsomol in its earliest form was established in urban centers in 1918. During the early years, it was a Russian organization, known as the Russian Communist Union of...
) surfaced in the North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
region for the first time in the world and raised the Soviet flag and the Navy pennant (see USS Nautilus
USS Nautilus (SSN-571)
USS Nautilus is the world's first operational nuclear-powered submarine. She was the first vessel to complete a submerged transit beneath the North Pole on August 3, 1958...
). Russian submarines have visited the North Pole region more than 300 times since then.
In September 1963, two nuclear submarines of the Northern Fleet made a journey under the Arctic ice cap
Sea ice
Sea ice is largely formed from seawater that freezes. Because the oceans consist of saltwater, this occurs below the freezing point of pure water, at about -1.8 °C ....
and reached the Pacific Fleet for the first time in history. More than 25 Soviet submarines did the same in the following years.
On May 7, 1965 the Northern Fleet was awarded with the Order of the Red Banner
Order of the Red Banner
The Soviet government of Russia established the Order of the Red Banner , a military decoration, on September 16, 1918 during the Russian Civil War...
.
In 1966, a submarine unit of the Northern Fleet made a group journey around the world, covering 25,000 nautical mile
Nautical mile
The nautical mile is a unit of length that is about one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian, but is approximately one minute of arc of longitude only at the equator...
s without surfacing.
By 1986, the Northern Fleet had almost 50% of the Soviet Navy's submarines.
In the 1980s Soviet naval strategy
Naval strategy
Naval strategy is the planning and conduct of war at sea, the naval equivalent of military strategy on land.Naval strategy, and the related concept of maritime strategy, concerns the overall strategy for achieving victory at sea, including the planning and conduct of campaigns, the movement and...
shifted to an emphasis on bastion
Bastion (naval)
A bastion in naval strategy is a heavily-defended area of water in which friendly naval forces can operate safely. Typically, that area will be partially enclosed by friendly shoreline, defended by naval mines, monitored by sensors, and heavily patrolled by surface, submarine, and air forces.-...
defense, fortifying the southern reaches of the Barents Sea
Barents Sea
The Barents Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of Norway and Russia. Known in the Middle Ages as the Murman Sea, the sea takes its current name from the Dutch navigator Willem Barents...
for that purpose.
From 1968 to November 30, 2005, the 7th Operational Squadron (Russian: :ru:7-я оперативная эскадра) was the main Atlantic operational force of the fleet.
The Museum of the Air Forces of the Northern Fleet opened on Aug. 20, 1976, in the closed settlement of Safonovo, Murmansk Oblast
Safonovo, Murmansk Oblast
Safonovo is an urban locality in Murmansk Oblast, Russia, located on the Kola Peninsula on the Kola Bay, west of Severomorsk. Population: It was founded as a work settlement around 1936....
.
From the 1970s aircraft carriers began entering service with the Fleet. The nameship of the Kiev class of aircraft carriers (or 'heavy aircraft-carrying cruisers') Kiev
Soviet aircraft carrier Kiev
Kiev was a heavy aircraft carrying cruiser that served the Soviet and Russian navies from 1975 to 1993. It was built from 1970 till 1975 at Chernomorski factory in Nikolayev and was the first ship of its class -Service life:The Kiev was laid down on 21 July 1970 and launched on 26 December 1972...
, became operational in 1977, and Admiral Gorshkov
Soviet aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov
Admiral Gorshkov was a modified Kiev class aircraft carrier of the Russian Navy, originally named Baku. Sometimes Gorshkov is considered a separate class due to its improvements including a phased array radar, extensive electronic warfare installations, and an enlarged command and control suite...
was commissioned in 1987. Large nuclear powered missile-carrying cruisers, the
Kirov-class Kirov
Soviet battlecruiser Kirov
Kirov, the lead ship of her class of nuclear-powered missile cruisers, is one of the major and biggest surface warships of the Russian Navy, though it was originally built for the Soviet Navy. It is similar in size to a World War II battleship...
and Kalinin also entered service from 1980. During the 1980s Soviet naval strategy
Naval strategy
Naval strategy is the planning and conduct of war at sea, the naval equivalent of military strategy on land.Naval strategy, and the related concept of maritime strategy, concerns the overall strategy for achieving victory at sea, including the planning and conduct of campaigns, the movement and...
shifted to an emphasis on bastion
Bastion (naval)
A bastion in naval strategy is a heavily-defended area of water in which friendly naval forces can operate safely. Typically, that area will be partially enclosed by friendly shoreline, defended by naval mines, monitored by sensors, and heavily patrolled by surface, submarine, and air forces.-...
defense, fortifying the southern reaches of the Barents Sea
Barents Sea
The Barents Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of Norway and Russia. Known in the Middle Ages as the Murman Sea, the sea takes its current name from the Dutch navigator Willem Barents...
for that purpose, and Russia has continued to employ that strategy.
After the Cold War
The 57th Mixed Ship Aviation Division transferred from the Baltic FleetBaltic Fleet
The Twice Red Banner Baltic Fleet - is the Russian Navy's presence in the Baltic Sea. In previous historical periods, it has been part of the navy of Imperial Russia and later the Soviet Union. The Fleet gained the 'Twice Red Banner' appellation during the Soviet period, indicating two awards of...
to the Northern Fleet in December 1991, having been previously the 57th Maritime Missile Aviation Division and supervising regiments of Tu-22s and electronic warfare Tu-16s from a headquarters at Bykhov, Mogilev Oblast, in the Belorussian SSR. As the 57th Mixed Ship Aviation Division, the division commanded the 830th and 38th Shipborne Anti-Submarine Helicopter Regiments and the 279th Shipborne Fighter Aviation Regiment from Severomorsk-3
Severomorsk-3
Severomorsk-3 is a naval air base in Murmansk Oblast, Russia located 28 km east of Murmansk...
in Murmansk Oblast
Murmansk Oblast
Murmansk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , located in the northwestern part of Russia. Its administrative center is the city of Murmansk.-Geography:...
until 1 May 1998, when it was disbanded. The 5th Maritime Missile Aviation Division was also active within the Fleet for a long period, commanding the 524th and 574th Maritime Missile Aviation Regiments among other units. The 574th Regiment was based at Lakhta air base
Lakhta air base
Lakhta is a naval air base in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia located 22 km southeast of Arkhangelsk. It was home to 574 MRAP flying Tupolev Tu-16 and Tupolev Tu-22M bombers. It is capable of nuclear weapons storage...
(Katunino) for a long period until disbanding in 2002.
The Oscar class
Oscar class submarine
The Project 949 and Project 949A Soviet Navy/Russian Navy cruise missile submarines ....
submarine Kursk
Russian submarine K-141 Kursk
K-141 Kursk was an Oscar-II class nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine of the Russian Navy, lost with all hands when it sank in the Barents Sea on August 12, 2000...
was destroyed in a torpedo accident during Fleet exercises in 2000. The submarine was previously based at Ara Bay. The Northern Fleet staged another series of major exercises in January 2004 involving thirteen ships and seven submarines in the Barents Sea. The involvement of Admiral Kuznetsov and Pyotr Velikiy was overshadowed however by two ballistic missile launch failures, made more embarrassing because President Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
was afloat aboard the Typhoon class
Typhoon class submarine
The Project 941 or Akula, Russian "Акула" class submarine is a type of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine deployed by the Soviet Navy in the 1980s...
ballistic missile submarine Arkhangelsk to witness the tests. Neither Novomoskovsk
Russian submarine K-407 Novomoskovsk
Novomoskovsk is a Project 667BDRM Delfin-class ballistic missile submarine of the Russian Navy's Northern Fleet.-Background:...
nor Karelia were able to successfully launch what were apparently RSM-54
SS-N-23
The R-29RM Shtil is a liquid propellant, submarine-launched ballistic missile in use by Russia. It has the alternate Russian designations RSM-54 and 3M27...
SLBMs.
The flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of the Northern Fleet, the heavy nuclear-powered
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
guided missile cruiser Pyotr Velikiy, is named after Peter I of Russia
Peter I of Russia
Peter the Great, Peter I or Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov Dates indicated by the letters "O.S." are Old Style. All other dates in this article are New Style. ruled the Tsardom of Russia and later the Russian Empire from until his death, jointly ruling before 1696 with his half-brother, Ivan V...
(or Peter the Great). The Northern Fleet is perhaps best known for its many nuclear-powered vessels. In fact, about two thirds of all the Russian Navy's nuclear force is based there.
Sites
In addition to the main base at Severomorsk, the Northern Fleet has six more naval bases and several shipyards and spent fuel storage sites, according to the Bellona FoundationBellona Foundation
The Bellona Foundation is a multi-disciplinary international environmental NGO based in Oslo, Norway. Founded in 1986 by Frederic Hauge and Rune Haaland as a direct action protest group, it has since blossomed into a recognized technology and solution-oriented environmental champion with offices on...
. Bases include Severomorsk
Severomorsk
Severomorsk is a closed town in Murmansk Oblast, Russia, located about north of Murmansk along the Kola Bay. Population: This is the main administrative base of the Russian Northern Fleet. Severomorsk has the largest drydock on the Kola Peninsula....
, Polyarnyy, Olenya Bay
Olenya Bay
Olenya Bay Russian naval base is a part of the naval installation at Gadzhievo .-External links:*...
, Gadzhiyevo
Gadzhiyevo
Gadzhiyevo is a closed town in Murmansk Oblast, Russia. The town was also known as Yagelnaya Guba until 1967, Skalisty from 1981 to 1994, although it was often referred to as Murmansk-130 . The name Skalisty was made official in 1994, but in 1999 the town was renamed back to Gadzhiyevo—the name...
(Yagelnaya/Sayda), Vidyayevo
Vidyayevo
Vidyaevo is a closed rural inhabited locality in Kolsky District of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. Despite having a rural status, it is municipally incorporated as Vidyayevo Urban Okrug, as such status is the only one allowed by the federal law for the closed inhabited localities. Population: 6,307 .It...
(Ura Bay and ARa Bay), Bolshaya Lopatka (Litsa Guba), and Gremikha - also a spent fuel storage site.
The spent fuel storage sites include Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
, which is also a shipyard and base for Arktika
Arktika class icebreaker
The Arktika class is a Russian class of nuclear powered icebreakers. They are owned by the federal government, but were operated by the Murmansk Shipping Company until 2008, when they were transferred to the fully government-owned operator Atomflot. Of the ten civilian nuclear powered vessels...
nuclear-powered icebreakers, Andreyeva Bay, and Severodvinsk
Severodvinsk
Severodvinsk is a city in the north of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located in the delta of the Northern Dvina River, west of Arkhangelsk. Administratively, it is incorporated as a town of oblast significance . Municipally, it is incorporated as Severodvinsk Urban Okrug. The city was founded as...
, also a shipyard. Shipyards include Roslyakovo
Roslyakovo
Roslyakovo is an urban locality in Murmansk Oblast, Russia, located on the Kola Peninsula on the Kola Bay, west of Severomorsk. Population: It was founded around 1896....
, Polyarnyy, Nerpa, and Malaya Lopatka.
Order of battle
This is a partial list of Northern Fleet submarines, ships, and air units currently in service. Among previous units was the 1st Submarine Flotilla, which among other units directed the 7th Submarine Division with nuclear attack submarines. 6th Submarine Division was disbanded in 1994, and 3rd Submarine Division in 1995.- 11th Task Force, Zaozersk
-
- TYPHOON-class SSBN Dmitriy Donskoy (ТК-208) (NerpichyaZapadnaya LitsaZapadnaya Litsa is the largest and most important Russian naval base built for the Northern Fleet. The base is located far in the north of Russia, on the Litsa Fjord at the westernmost point of the Kola Peninsula...
) - Two other Typhoon class submarineTyphoon class submarineThe Project 941 or Akula, Russian "Акула" class submarine is a type of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine deployed by the Soviet Navy in the 1980s...
s are assigned to this squadron but are not active.
- TYPHOON-class SSBN Dmitriy Donskoy (ТК-208) (Nerpichya
- 7th Task Group, Vidyaevo
- Commmander
- RADM Aleksandr Ildashov
- SIERRA I-class SSN Kostroma
- SIERRA II-class SSN Nizhniy Novgorod
- SIERRA II-class SSN Pskov (K-336)RFS Pskov (K-336)Russian submarine K-336 Pskov ) is a attack submarine of the Russian Navy. She is named after the Russian city Pskov.- History :This ship, originally named Okun , was laid down as the last Sierra-II class submarine in 1990 at the Krasnoye Soromovo factory in Nizhny Novgorod...
- VICTOR-III-class SSN Daniil Moskovskiy (K-414)Soviet submarine K-414 Daniil MoskovskyB-414 Daniil Moskovsky is a Project 671RTM Schuka attack submarine of the Russian Northern Fleet.The submarine was laid down in 1989, launched and commissioned in 1990....
- Commmander
- other submarines
-
- 12th Task Force, Gadzhiyevo
-
- Commander
- RADM Sergey Farkov
- Commander
- 31st Submarine Task Group (Yagelnaya Bay, Sayda Inlet)
- Commander
- Captain 1st Rank Aleksandr Moiseyev
- Delta IV-class SSBN Verkhoturye (K-51)
- Delta IV-class SSBN Ekaterinburg (K-84)
- Delta IV-class SSBN Tula (K-114)
- Delta IV-class SSBN Bryansk (K-117)Russian submarine K-117 BryanskK-117 Bryansk is a Russian Project 667BDRM Delfin class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine. The submarine was laid down in April 1985 in the Russian Northern Machinebuilding Enterprise, Sevmash. In September 1988 the submarine was commissioned in the Soviet navy...
- Delta IV-class SSBN Kareliya (K-18)
- Delta IV-class SSBN Novomoskovsk (K-407)
- Commander
- 24th Submarine Task Group (Yagelnaya Bay, Sayda Inlet)
- Commanders
- Jul 1985-Oct 1987 VADM Vladimir Mikhaylovich Monastyrshin
- Oct 1987-Dec 1989 VADM Nikolay Ivanovich Mazin
- Dec 1989-Jun 1992 RADM Boris Sergeyevich Bogdanov
- Sep 1992-Jun 1996 RADM Sergey Anatolyevich Bliznyuk
- Jun 1996-Sep 1998 RADM Aleksandr Nikolayevich Bukin
- Sep 1998-Aug 2000 RADM Aleksey Vitalyevich Burilichev
- Aug 2000-xxx 200x RADM Vladimir Ivanovich Korolev
- xxx 200x-present RADM Anatoliy Minakov
- AKULA I-class SSN Pantera (K-317)
- AKULA I-class SSN Volk (K-461)
- AKULA I-class SSN Leopard (K-328)
- AKULA I-class SSN Tigr (K-154)
- AKULA II-class SSN Vepr (K-157)Russian submarine K-157 VeprVepr is a Project 971 Schuka-B class nuclear powered attack submarine of the Russian Navy. Her keel was laid down on 16 June 1990 by Sevmash...
- AKULA II-class SSN Gepard (K-335)
- Commanders
-
- 43rd Missile Ship Task Group
-
- Commanders
- RADM Veregin
- RADM Avakyants
- RADM Kasatonov
- Present - RADM Aleksandr Turilin
- Commanders
- KUZNETSOV-class CV Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov (063)
- KIROV-class CGN Pyotr Velikiy (099)
- SLAVA-class CG Marshal Ustinov (055)RFS Marshal UstinovThe RFS Marshal Ustinov , Маршал Устинов, is a of the Russian Navy. The Russian name for the ship type is Gvardeysky Raketnyy Kreyser , meaning "Guards Missile Cruiser"...
- SOVREMENNYY-class DDG Gremyashchiy
- SOVREMENNYY-class DDG Admiral Ushakov
-
- 2nd Anti-Submarine Ship Task Group
- UDALOY-I Class DD Vice Admiral Kulakov - post-overhaul trials
- UDALOY-I Class DD Severomorsk
- UDALOY-I Class DD Admiral Levchenko
- UDALOY-I Class DD Admiral Kharlamov
- UDALOY-II Class DD Admiral Chabanenko
-
- 4th Submarine Flotilla (Polyarnyy)
- Commander
- Captain 1st Rank Aleksandr Gorbunov
- KILO-class SS Novosibirsk (B-401)
- KILO-class SS Vologda" (B-402)
- KILO-class SS Yaroslavl (B-808)
- KILO-class SS Kaluga (B-800)
- KILO-class SS Vladikavkaz (B-459)
- KILO-class SS Magnitogorsk (B-471)
- KILO-class SS Lipetsk (B-177)
- Commander
- 4th Submarine Flotilla (Polyarnyy)
- Northern Fleet Aviation
- 924th Independent Maritime Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment - HQ at Olenegorsk/Olenya - Tu-22M3;
- 279th Shipborne Fighter Aviation Regiment - HQ at Severomorsk-3Severomorsk-3Severomorsk-3 is a naval air base in Murmansk Oblast, Russia located 28 km east of Murmansk...
- Su-25UTG, Su-33; - 73rd Independent Air Squadron - HQ at Kipelovo (Fedotovo) - Tu-142MK, Tu-142MR;
- 403rd Independent Mixed Aviation Regiment - HQ at Severomorsk-1Severomorsk-1Severomorsk-1 is a naval air base in Murmansk Oblast, Russia located 4 km south of Severomorsk. It one of the largest airfields on the Kola Peninsula, second only to Olenya...
- An-12, An-26, Il-38, Tu-134; - 830th Independent Shipborne Anti-Submarine Helicopter Regiment - HQ at Severomorsk-1Severomorsk-1Severomorsk-1 is a naval air base in Murmansk Oblast, Russia located 4 km south of Severomorsk. It one of the largest airfields on the Kola Peninsula, second only to Olenya...
- Ka-27;
Commanders
| Name | Period of command |
|---|---|
| Zakhar Aleksandrovich Zakupnev (Flag Officer First Rank) | 29 May 1933-13 March 1935 Northern Flotilla |
| Konstantin Ivanovich Dushenov (Flag Officer First Rank) | 13 March 1935-11 May 1937 Northern Fleet 11 May 1937-28 May 1938 |
| Valentin Petrovich Drozd (Vice Admiral) | 28 May 1938-26 July 1940 |
| Arseniy Grigoryevich Golovko (Admiral) | 26 July 1940-4 August 1946 |
| Vasiliy Ivanovich Platonov (Admiral) | 4 August 1946-23 April 1952 |
| Andrey Trofimovich Chabanenko (Admiral) | 23 April 1952-28 February 1962 |
| Vladimir Afanasyevich Kasatonov (Admiral) | 28 February 1962-2 June 1964 |
| Semen Mikhaylovich Lobov (Fleet Admiral) | 2 June 1964-3 May 1972 |
| Georgiy Mikhaylovich Egorov (Fleet Admiral) | 3 May 1972-1 July 1977 |
| Vladimir Nikolayevich Chernavin (Fleet Admiral) | 1 July 1977-16 December 1981 |
| Arkadiy Petrovich Mikhaylovskiy (Admiral) | 16 December 1981-25 February 1985 |
| Ivan Matveyevich Kapitanets (Admiral) | 25 February 1985-19 March 1988 |
| Feliks Nikolayevich Gromov (Admiral) | 19 March 1988-14 March 1992 |
| Oleg Aleksandrovich Erofeyev (Admiral) | 14 March 1992-29 January 1999 |
| Vyacheslav Alekseyevich Popov (Admiral) | 29 January 1999-15 December 2001 |
| Gennady Aleksandrovich Suchkov (Admiral) | 16 December 2001-29 May 2004 |
| Mikhail Leopoldovich Abramov (Admiral) | 29 May 2004-26 September 2005 |
| Vladimir Sergeyevich Vysotsky (Admiral) | 26 September 2005-11 September 2007 |
| Nikolay Mikhaylovich Maksimov (Vice Admiral) | 12 September 2007-30 March 2011 |
| Andrey Olgertovich Volozhinskiy (Rear Admiral) - Acting | 30 March 2011-24 June 2011 |
| Vladimir Ivanovich Korolev (Vice Admiral) | 24 June 2011- |
Further reading
- Kristian Åtland, Russia's Armed Forces and the Arctic: All Quiet on the Northern Front?, Contemporary Security Policy, Vol. 32, Issue 2, 2011