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, image = Great emblem of the Pacific Fleet.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Russian Pacific Fleet Great emblem , dates = 1731–present , country = , allegiance =
(1703–1917)

(1922–1991)

(1991–present) , branch = Russian Navy , type = , role = At sea nuclear deterrence;
Naval warfare;
Amphibious military operations;
Combat patrols in the Pacific/Arctic;
Naval presence/diplomacy missions in the Pacific and elsewhere , size = c. 46 Surface Warships (major surface units, light corvettes, mine warfare, amphibious) plus support ships/auxiliaries
c. 23-24 Submarines (of which about 2/3 active as of 2022) , command_structure = Russian Armed Forces , garrison = Fokino (HQ)
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
Vilyuchinsk Vilyuchinsk (russian: Вилючинск) is a closed town in Kamchatka Krai, Russia, located on the Kamchatka Peninsula about across Avacha Bay from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Population: History It was founded as Sovetsky () on October  ...
, garrison_label = , nickname = , patron = , motto = , colors = , colors_label = , march = , mascot = , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles =
Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

October Revolution The October Revolution,. officially known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. in the Soviet Union, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin that was a key mom ...

Russian Civil War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Russian Civil War , partof = the Russian Revolution and the aftermath of World War I , image = , caption = Clockwise from top left: {{flatlist, *Soldiers ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, anniversaries = , decorations =
Order of the Red Banner The Order of the Red Banner (russian: Орден Красного Знамени, Orden Krasnogo Znameni) was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of th ...
, battle_honours = , battle_honours_label = , disbanded = , flying_hours = , website = , commander1 = Adm. Sergei Avakyants , commander1_label = , notable_commanders = Adm. Nikolay Kuznetsov
Adm. Ivan Yumashev
Adm.
Zinovy Rozhestvensky Zinovy Petrovich Rozhestvensky (russian: Зиновий Петрович Рожественский, tr. ; – January 14, 1909) was an admiral of the Imperial Russian Navy. He was in command of the Second Pacific Squadron in the Battle of Tsu ...
, identification_symbol = , identification_symbol_label = , identification_symbol_2 = , identification_symbol_2_label = The Pacific Fleet (russian: Тихоокеанский флот, translit: ''Tikhookeanskiy flot'') is the Russian Navy fleet in the
Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the conti ...
. Established in 1731 as part of the
Imperial Russian Navy The Imperial Russian Navy () operated as the navy of the Russian Tsardom and later the Russian Empire from 1696 to 1917. Formally established in 1696, it lasted until dissolved in the wake of the February Revolution of 1917. It developed from ...
, the fleet was known as the Okhotsk Military Flotilla (1731–1856) and Siberian Military Flotilla (1856–1918), formed to defend Russian interests in the
Russian Far East The Russian Far East (russian: Дальний Восток России, r=Dal'niy Vostok Rossii, p=ˈdalʲnʲɪj vɐˈstok rɐˈsʲiɪ) is a region in Northeast Asia. It is the easternmost part of Russia and the Asian continent; and is admin ...
region along the Pacific coast. In 1918 the fleet was inherited by the
Russian SFSR The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR or RSFSR ( rus, Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика, Rossíyskaya Sovétskaya Federatívnaya Soci ...
, then the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
in 1922 as part of the Soviet Navy, being reformed several times before being disbanded in 1926. In 1932 it was re-established as the Pacific Fleet, and was known as the Red Banner Pacific Fleet () after
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
as it had earned the
Order of the Red Banner The Order of the Red Banner (russian: Орден Красного Знамени, Orden Krasnogo Znameni) was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of th ...
. In the Soviet years, the fleet was also responsible for the Soviet Navy's operations in the
Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by ...
and
Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea ( ar, اَلْبَحرْ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Bahr al-ˁArabī) is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channe ...
. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Red Banner Pacific Fleet was inherited by the
Russian Federation Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
as part of the Russian Navy and its current name was adopted. The Pacific Fleet's headquarters is located in Fokino, formerly Vladivostok with numerous facilities within the
Peter the Great Gulf The Peter the Great Gulf (Russian: Залив Петра Великого) is a gulf on the southern coast of Primorsky Krai, Russia, and the largest gulf of the Sea of Japan. The gulf extends for from the Russian-North Korean border at the mo ...
in Primorsky Krai, and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and
Vilyuchinsk Vilyuchinsk (russian: Вилючинск) is a closed town in Kamchatka Krai, Russia, located on the Kamchatka Peninsula about across Avacha Bay from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Population: History It was founded as Sovetsky () on October  ...
in Avacha Bay on the
Kamchatka Peninsula The Kamchatka Peninsula (russian: полуостров Камчатка, Poluostrov Kamchatka, ) is a peninsula in the Russian Far East, with an area of about . The Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Okhotsk make up the peninsula's eastern and w ...
in Kamchatka Krai. Following the
APEC Russia 2012 The APEC Russia 2012 ( rus, Саммит АТЭС Владивосток-2012, Sammit ATES Vladivostok-2012) was the 24th annual gathering of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, APEC leaders. Leaders from the member economies met on Russky Island, ...
summit, it was announced that the main naval base of the Pacific Fleet in the Russian Far East will be moved to the town of Fokino, Primorsky Krai. The current commander is Admiral Sergei Avakyants, who has held the position since May 2012.


History

In 1731, the Imperial Russian Navy created the Okhotsk Military Flotilla (, ) under its first commander, Grigoriy Skornyakov-Pisarev, to patrol and transport government goods to and from Kamchatka. In 1799, 3
frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed an ...
s and 3 smaller ships were sent to Okhotsk under the command of Rear-Admiral I. Fomin to form a functioning military flotilla. In 1849, Petropavlovsk-na-Kamchatke became the Flotilla's principal base, which a year later would be transferred to Nikolayevsk-on-Amur and later to Vladivostok in 1871. In 1854, the men of the Flotilla distinguished themselves in the defense of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy during the
Crimean War The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia. Geopolitical causes of the war included the ...
, (1853–1856). In 1856, the Okhotsk Military Flotilla changed its name to the "Siberian Military Flotilla" (, ). In 1860, the provisions of the
Convention of Peking The Convention of Peking or First Convention of Peking is an agreement comprising three distinct treaties concluded between the Qing dynasty of China and Great Britain, France, and the Russian Empire in 1860. In China, they are regarded as amo ...
ceded parts of
Outer Manchuria Outer Manchuria (russian: Приаму́рье, translit=Priamurye; zh, s=外满洲, t=外滿洲, p=Wài Mǎnzhōu), or Outer Northeast China ( zh, s=外东北, t=外東北, p=Wài Dōngběi), refers to a territory in Northeast Asia that is no ...
in northeastern
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
, including the modern day Primorsky Krai to the
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War ...
. A large squadron under Rear Admiral A. A. Popov was sent from the Baltic Fleet to the
Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the conti ...
. During the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...
ships of the squadron visited
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...
while the Baltic Fleet visited
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. Parts of the squadron, including the Finnish corvette ''
Kalevala The ''Kalevala'' ( fi, Kalevala, ) is a 19th-century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Karelian and Finnish oral folklore and mythology, telling an epic story about the Creation of the Earth, describing the controversies and ...
'', returned to the Baltic in 1865. At the turn of the 20th century, the Flotilla was still small in numbers. Owing to a gradual deterioration in Russo-
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
ese relations, the Imperial Russian government adopted a special
shipbuilding Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to bef ...
program to meet the needs of the
Russian Far East The Russian Far East (russian: Дальний Восток России, r=Dal'niy Vostok Rossii, p=ˈdalʲnʲɪj vɐˈstok rɐˈsʲiɪ) is a region in Northeast Asia. It is the easternmost part of Russia and the Asian continent; and is admin ...
region, but its execution dragged on and in addition there were several clashes and defeats between Russian and
Imperial Japanese Navy The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender ...
vessels. In response, the Naval headquarters in St. Petersburg ordered the Baltic Fleet to the Pacific to reinforce Russian naval forces, primarily the First Pacific Squadron on the east coast of
Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
and its naval base at Port Arthur. By the beginning of the
Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...
of 1904–1905, Imperial Russian naval forces in the
Far East The ''Far East'' was a European term to refer to the geographical regions that includes East and Southeast Asia as well as the Russian Far East to a lesser extent. South Asia is sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons. The t ...
consisted of the 1st Pacific Squadron (7 battleships, 7 cruisers, 13 torpedo boats, 2 gunboats) and a number of ships from the "Siberian Military Flotilla" (2 minelayers, 12 torpedo boats and 5 gunboats), based in Port Arthur. Other ships of the "Siberian Military Flotilla" (4 cruisers, 10 torpedo boats) were stationed in Vladivostok. During the Russo-Japanese War, most of the Russian Navy in the Pacific was destroyed. The Russian Baltic Fleet under Admiral
Zinovy Rozhestvensky Zinovy Petrovich Rozhestvensky (russian: Зиновий Петрович Рожественский, tr. ; – January 14, 1909) was an admiral of the Imperial Russian Navy. He was in command of the Second Pacific Squadron in the Battle of Tsu ...
, renamed the Second Pacific Squadron, was defeated at the Battle of Tsushima. During the Russian Revolution of 1905, the sailors of the Pacific Fleet were actively engaged in the revolutionary movement, participating in armed revolts in Vladivostok in January 1906 and October 1907. During the
October Revolution The October Revolution,. officially known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. in the Soviet Union, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin that was a key mom ...
of 1917, the sailors of the Siberian and Amur military flotillas fought for the establishment of
Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
authority in the Far East and against the
White army The White Army (russian: Белая армия, Belaya armiya) or White Guard (russian: Бѣлая гвардія/Белая гвардия, Belaya gvardiya, label=none), also referred to as the Whites or White Guardsmen (russian: Бѣлогв� ...
and interventionists. During the
Russian Civil War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Russian Civil War , partof = the Russian Revolution and the aftermath of World War I , image = , caption = Clockwise from top left: {{flatlist, *Soldiers ...
, almost all of the ships of the Pacific Fleet were seized by the White army and the Japanese. After the departure of the interventionists in 1922, the Soviets created the Naval Forces of the Far East, under commander Ivan Kozhanov, as a part of the Vladivostok unit, and the Amur Military Flotilla (Амурская военная флотилия, or Amurskaya voyennaya flotiliya). In 1926, these were disbanded: the Vladivostok unit was transferred to the command of the frontier troops in the Far East, and the Amur flotilla became a flotilla of its own.


Establishment in 1932

Owing to Japanese
aggression Aggression is overt or covert, often harmful, social interaction with the intention of inflicting damage or other harm upon another individual; although it can be channeled into creative and practical outlets for some. It may occur either reacti ...
in
Manchuria Manchuria is an exonym (derived from the endo demonym " Manchu") for a historical and geographic region in Northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day Northeast China (Inner Manchuria) and parts of the Russian Far East (Outer M ...
in 1931, the Central Committee and the Soviet government decided to create the Naval Forces in the Far East on 13 April 1932. In January 1935, they were renamed the Pacific Fleet, under commander M. Viktorov. The creation of the fleet entailed great difficulties. The first units were formed with small ships delivered by
railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...
. In 1932, the torpedo boat squadron and eight
submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
s were put into service. In 1934, the Pacific Fleet received 26 small submarines. The creation of the naval aviation and
coastal artillery Coastal artillery is the branch of the armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications. From the Middle Ages until World War II, coastal artillery and naval artillery in the form o ...
was underway. In 1937, they opened the Pacific Military School. By the beginning of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, the Pacific Fleet had two surface ship subdivisions, four submarine subdivisions, one torpedo boat subdivision, a few squadrons of ships and patrol boats,
airborne Airborne or Airborn may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Airborne'' (1962 film), a 1962 American film directed by James Landis * ''Airborne'' (1993 film), a comedy–drama film * ''Airborne'' (1998 film), an action film sta ...
units, coastal artillery and
marines Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refl ...
.


World War II

During the
Great Patriotic War The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of conflict between the European Axis powers against the Soviet Union (USSR), Poland and other Allies, which encompassed Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Northeast Europe (Baltics), an ...
(the Soviet World War II campaign against Germany from 1941 to 1945) the Pacific Fleet was in a permanent state of alert and ready for action, although the Soviets remained neutral with respect to the Empire of Japan, the only Axis power in the Pacific, even after Japan entered World War II. At the same time, the Soviets transferred a destroyer leader, two
destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed ...
s, and five submarines from the Pacific Fleet to the Northern Fleet. More than 140,000 sailors from the Pacific Fleet were incorporated in the rifle brigades and other units on the Soviet front against Germans in Europe. By August 1945, the Pacific Fleet consisted of two cruisers, one destroyer leader, ten destroyers, two torpedo boats, 19 patrol boats, 78 submarines, ten minelayers, 52 minesweepers, 49 "MO" anti-submarine boats (MO stands for Малый Охотник, or "little hunter"), 204 motor torpedo boats and 1459 war planes. During the Soviet–Japanese War of 1945, the Pacific Fleet participated in the removal of the Empire of Japan from Northern Korea (a part of the Manchurian Operation of 1945), in the Invasion of South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands Landing Operation the same year. Thousands of sailors and officers were awarded
order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of ...
s and
medal A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be int ...
s for outstanding military service; more than fifty men received the title
Hero of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union (russian: Герой Советского Союза, translit=Geroy Sovietskogo Soyuza) was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for ...
. Eighteen ships and fleet units received the title of the Soviet Guards, and sixteen were awarded the
Order of the Red Banner The Order of the Red Banner (russian: Орден Красного Знамени, Orden Krasnogo Znameni) was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of th ...
.


Cold War

On 5 May 1965, the Pacific Fleet itself was awarded with the
Order of the Red Banner The Order of the Red Banner (russian: Орден Красного Знамени, Orden Krasnogo Znameni) was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of th ...
. The Pacific Fleet started deploying forces to the Indian Ocean, and established the 8th Operational (Indian Ocean) Squadron in 1968, after the British government announced its intention to withdraw its military forces east of the Suez Canal by 1971. In addition to the defensive function of balancing the naval strength in the Indian Ocean against that of the United States Navy, the 8th Squadron played a role in promoting Soviet foreign policy. Regular visits and port calls were made in the Indian subcontinent, the
Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The bo ...
, and the East African coast. The 8th Operational Squadron grew quite substantial at times; in 1980, a Soviet flotilla of 'about ten guided missile cruisers, destroyers and frigates and more than a dozen support ships' was juxtaposed to the U.S. Navy's Task Force 70 in the region. There were also 23 other Soviet ships in the
South China Sea The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by the shores of South China (hence the name), in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Ph ...
, at the same time. In addition, Soviet Ilyushin Il-38 reconnaissance planes, based in Aden or
Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
, maintained a close watch on U.S. vessels, as did Ka-25 Hormone helicopters from Soviet warships. In 1981 the fleet suffered the loss of many of its senior officers, including its commander in chief, Admiral Emil Spiridonov, when the Tupolev Tu-104 transporting them back to Vladivostok after meetings in Leningrad crashed shortly after takeoff from
Pushkin Airport Pushkin Airport () is an airport in Leningrad Oblast, Russia located 28 km south of Saint Petersburg. It handles small airliners. It was home to 147 OVZ RZB regiment flying Mil Mi-8 helicopters and contains Ilyushin Il-18, Ilyushin Il-2 ...
. A total of 16 admirals and generals, and 38 lower ranking officers, were killed. In the 1980s, Soviet
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 th ...
shifted to an emphasis on bastion defense, fortifying the Sea of Okhotsk for that purpose. By the mid-1980s, the Pacific Fleet had constituted 32% of all Soviet naval assets, up from 28% in 1975 and 25% in 1965. It included approximately 800 ships, over 120 submarines, and 98 surface combatants. Two of the ships were aircraft carriers and , which served from the 1970s and 1980s to the 1990s. The battlecruiser ''Admiral Lazarev'' of the served with the fleet in the 1980s and 1990s as well. In 1988 the Primorskiy Flotilla (Military Unit Number 20885) comprised the 165th Missile Ship Brigade (Uliss Bay (Vladivostok)); the 202nd Anti-Submarine Warfare Brigade (Abrek Bay (Fokino), Primorskiy Kray); the 4th Brigade of Constructed and Overhauled Submarines (Vladivostok, Primorskiy Kray); the 72nd Brigade of Constructed and Overhauled Submarines (Bolshoy Kamen, Primorskiy Kray); the 45th and 47th Coastal Defence Brigades; the 7th Minesweeper Brigade (Razboynik Bay (Vladivostok), Primorskiy Kray); and the 19th Submarine Brigade (Uliss Bay, Vladivostok.


Recent events

In the 1990s and 2000s, the Pacific Fleet lost many of its larger units. Within a few years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Fleet lost all its aircraft carriers, and by early 2000 only one cruiser remained active with the Fleet. By the end of the 2010s, the Fleet consisted of one large missile cruiser, five destroyers, ten nuclear submarines, eight diesel-electric submarines plus numerous light units, amphibious ships and auxiliaries. Between 5–12 July 2013, warships from the Russian Pacific Fleet and the North Sea Fleet of the People's Liberation Army Navy participated in Joint Sea 2013, bilateral naval maneuvers held in the Peter the Great Bay. Joint Sea 2013 was the largest naval drills yet undertaken by the PRC's navy with a foreign navy. In 2021, a joint Russian-Chinese squadron sailed around Japan, passing between Japanese islands through the Tsugaru Strait and then the Osumi Strait. The Russian ships in the squadron included the destroyers ''Admiral Panteleyev'' and ''Admiral Tributs'', the corvettes ''Aldar Tsydenzhapov'' and ''Gromkiy'' as well as auxiliaries. Plans for deployment of new large units to the Fleet were announced in the early 2010s. Several new
ballistic missile submarine A ballistic missile submarine is a submarine capable of deploying submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) with nuclear warheads. The United States Navy's hull classification symbols for ballistic missile submarines are SSB and SSBN � ...
s, and large cruisers were projected to join the Fleet. However, these plans evolved over the course of the decade with a changed focus by 2020 on light units and submarines to renew the fleet. In this regard, the focus is now on new general purpose frigates ( Gorshkov-class), multi-role and missile corvettes ( Steregushchiy-class, Gremyashchiy-class and Karakurt-class) as well as on a full range of new submarines (the Borei, Yasen and Improved Kilo classes). Vessels of these classes are all projected to enter service through the 2020s. In addition, the Pacific Fleet's amphibious capabilities will be modernized in the mid-latter 2020s through the acquisition of one or more of the Ivan Gren-class landing ships and possibly one of the new Priboy-class helicopter assault ships. While existing ballistic-missile submarine production will fully replace and increase numbers of SSBNs in the Pacific Fleet, it is unclear that the production of the Yasen-class vessels, and potential follow-on models, will be sufficient to replace aging older nuclear attack and cruise missile submarines on a one-for-one basis. Reports suggest that Russian third-generation nuclear submarines have not been modernized to a level to avoid block obsolescence before 2030. The 2016 decision to add six new "Improved Kilo"-class conventionally-powered submarines to the fleet may be partly designed to mitigate such a gap.


2008 Russian submarine accident

An accident aboard , a nuclear-powered attack
submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
doing a test run during sea trials in the
Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, i ...
on 8 November 2008, killed more than 20 people, marking the worst submarine disaster since ''Kursk'' sank in 2000. ''Nerpa'' was an belonging to the Pacific Fleet. Its construction began in 1991, but was delayed due to lack of funding.


Order of Battle

The Pacific Fleet is one component of the Russian Eastern Military District established in 2010. Other components of the Eastern District include the
11th Air and Air Defence Forces Army The 11th Red Banner Air and Air Defence Forces Army () is a formation of the Russian Air Force, located in the Russian Far East, whose zone of responsibility covers the Eastern Military District. The 11th Army Air Force and Air Defense Army was re ...
(providing both aviation and air defence units in the District) as well as four ground force army headquarters (the 5th, 29th, 35th and 36th Combined Arms Armies) and one independent corps HQ ( the 68th) on
Sakhalin Sakhalin ( rus, Сахали́н, r=Sakhalín, p=səxɐˈlʲin; ja, 樺太 ''Karafuto''; zh, c=, p=Kùyèdǎo, s=库页岛, t=庫頁島; Manchu: ᠰᠠᡥᠠᠯᡳᠶᠠᠨ, ''Sahaliyan''; Orok: Бугата на̄, ''Bugata nā''; Nivkh ...
island. The Russian Coast Guard provides additional armed patrol capabilities in the Pacific, including two Krivak-class frigates.


Surface Warships


Submarines


Other Surface Units

* Mine Countermeasures Ships: ** Natya-class: 2 Vessels (MT-264, 265); both active as of 2022 ** Sonya-class: 7 Vessels (BT-100, 114, 215, 232, 245, 256, 325) ** Alexandrit-class: 2 Vessels (''Yakov Balyaev'' entered service 2020 and ''Petr Ilyichev'' in November 2022; third ship of the class - ''Anatoly Shlemov'' - began sea trials in November 2022) * Patrol/Anti-Saboteur Boats: **
Grachonok-class anti-saboteur ship The Grachonok class, Russian designation Project 21980 ''Grachonok'', is a class of anti-saboteur and large guard boats being built for the Russian Navy. The class is designed to combat sabotage and terrorist forces and means in the waters off b ...
: 6 Vessels (P-377; P-417 ''Yunarmeets Kamchatki''; P-420 ''Yunarmeets Primorya''; P-431 ''Yunarmeets Chukotki''; P-445, P-450 Yunarmeets Sakhalina) * Intelligence/Tracking Vessels: ** Vishnya-class intelligence ship ''Kareliya'' (assigned to 515th division of reconnaissance ships; active as of 2021) ** Marshal Nedelin-class intelligence ship ''Marshal Krylov'' (active as of 2022; assigned to the 114th Brigade of the Pacific Fleet) * Fleet Oilers: ** Boris Chilikin-class: 1 vessel (''Boris Butoma'' - deployed in the Mediterranean May to October 2022) ** Dubna-class: 2 vessels (''Irkut'' active as of 2020/2021; ''Pechanga'' active as of 2022) ** Uda-class: 1 vessel (''Vishera'') ** Altay-class: 2 vessels (''Ilim'' and ''Izhora'' - latter vessel reported active as of 2022) * Hydrographic Survey Vessels: 4 ''Yug-class'' (Project 862) vessels ** ''Vice-Admiral Vorontsov'' (formerly ''Briz'') ** ''Gals'' ** ''Marshal Gelovani'' ** ''Pegas'' * Icebreakers: ** ''Project 97'' Icebreakers: 2 vessels: ''Ivan Susanin'' (active as of 2022) and ''Sadko'' * Other Support Ships: ** ''Project 304''-class Repair Ships: 6 vessels (''PM-5'', ''PM-15'', ''PM-52'', ''PM-59'', ''PM-92'', ''PM-97'', ''PM-156'')


Naval Aviation

Naval Aviation of the Pacific Fleet: *568th Independent Composite Aviation Regiment – HQ at Mongokhto
Tu-142 The Tupolev Tu-142 (russian: Туполев Ту-142; NATO reporting name: Bear F/J) is a Soviet/Russian maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft derived from the Tu-95 turboprop strategic bomber. A specialised communi ...
MR/MZ/M3 (Bear-F) maritime-patrol/ASW aircraft (M3 (Bear-F) variant reported delivered as of 2020); *317th Mixed Aviation Regiment – HQ at Yelizovo – One Squadron with
Il-38 The Ilyushin Il-38 "Dolphin" (NATO reporting name: May) is a maritime patrol aircraft and anti-submarine warfare aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. It was a development of the Ilyushin Il-18 turboprop transport. Design and development The ...
/N ASW aircraft (upgrading with N-model variant of the aircraft as of 2017); One Squadron reported deploying upgraded MiG-31BM fighters (2020). **865th Red Banner Order of Labour Fighter Aviation Regiment PVO (Regiment transferred to Pacific Fleet on 1 July 1998; disbanded 2010; reported as likely to reform as of 2019 but status still unclear as of 2021) – HQ at Yelizovo- Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky AirportMiG-31B/M fighters (planned as of 2019) ** Pacific Fleet MiG-31s (including K-variant with Kh-47M2 Kinzhal ASM) also reported deployed at Anadyr airport in the Chukotka region (December 2020) with further potential forward operating locations at Wrangel Island and elsewhere. *71st Independent Military Transport Air Squadron – HQ at Nikolayevka, Primorskaya – An-12, An-24, An-26; *175th Independent Shipborne Anti-submarine Helicopter Squadron – HQ at Yelizovo – Ka-27 ASW helicopters; *289th Independent Anti-submarine Air Regiment – HQ at Nikolayevka –
Il-38 The Ilyushin Il-38 "Dolphin" (NATO reporting name: May) is a maritime patrol aircraft and anti-submarine warfare aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. It was a development of the Ilyushin Il-18 turboprop transport. Design and development The ...
/N ASW aircraft; Ka-27 ASW and
Ka-29 The Kamov Ka-27 (NATO reporting name 'Helix') is a military helicopter developed for the Soviet Navy, and currently in service in various countries including Russia, Ukraine, Vietnam, China, South Korea, and India. Variants include the Ka-29 ...
attack helicopters. Additional aviation and air defence assets in the Eastern Military District are deployed as part of the
11th Air and Air Defence Forces Army The 11th Red Banner Air and Air Defence Forces Army () is a formation of the Russian Air Force, located in the Russian Far East, whose zone of responsibility covers the Eastern Military District. The 11th Army Air Force and Air Defense Army was re ...
, including Su-35s at Yelizovo on the
Kamchatka Peninsula The Kamchatka Peninsula (russian: полуостров Камчатка, Poluostrov Kamchatka, ) is a peninsula in the Russian Far East, with an area of about . The Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Okhotsk make up the peninsula's eastern and w ...
(deployed there on rotation as of 2021).
Tu-95 The Tupolev Tu-95 (russian: Туполев Ту-95; NATO reporting name: "Bear") is a large, four-engine turboprop-powered strategic bomber and missile platform. First flown in 1952, the Tu-95 entered service with the Long-Range Aviation of t ...
MS and Tu-22M3 bombers (including with Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic and Kh-32 long-range supersonic anti-ship missiles) deployed as part of Russian Long-Range Aviation, including in the Eastern Military District.


Ground Forces

According to a report from the Institute for the Study of War, in March 2018 the Fleet contained two naval infantry brigades, a coastal brigade, and coastal regiment. However, an expansion of these capabilities, introducing new units and formations, was underway as of 2020/21. * Fleet Headquarters, Vladivostok commanded by Admiral Vladimir Ivanovich Korolev ** Naval Infantry *** 40th Separate Naval Infantry Brigade, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky *** 155th Separate Naval Infantry Brigade, Vladivostok (re-equipping with BMP-3F amphibious infantry fighting vehicles as of 2021; both 40th and 155th brigades also re-equipped with T-80BVM main battle tanks in 2021) Elements of 155th Brigade reportedly deployed to
Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...
in the context of the
Ukraine crisis The Russo-Ukrainian War; uk, російсько-українська війна, rosiisko-ukrainska viina. has been ongoing between Russia (alongside Russian separatists in Ukraine) and Ukraine since February 2014. Following Ukraine's Rev ...
in January 2022 Both Brigades lost many soldiers near Pavlivka, Donetsk Oblast. *** 42nd Maritime Recon Point (Special Forces battalion), Vladivostok ** Coastal Defence *** Division-sized formation reported being established in Chukotka region as of 2021 ** Coastal Defence Surface-to-Surface Missile Units *** 520th Separate Coastal Missile Artillery Brigade, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky **** 2 Battalions/Squadrons with K-300 Bastion Surface-to-Surface Missiles (as of 2018; additional units reported forming with the aim of 3-5 Bastion and 1-2 SSC-6 Bal battalions/squadrons). *** 72nd Separate Coastal Missile Brigade (units equipped with Bastion SSM ( Iturup Island,
Matua Island Matua (russian: Матуа, ja, 松輪島, Matsuwa-tō) is an uninhabited volcanic island near the center of the Kuril Islands chain in the Sea of Okhotsk in the northwest Pacific Ocean, across Golovnin Strait from Raikoke. Its name is derived ...
and Paramushir Island) and Bal SSM battalion (
Kunashir Island , other_names = kz, Kün Ashyr; ja, 国後島 , location = Sea of Okhotsk , locator_map = File:Kurily Kunashir.svg , coordinates = , archipelago = Kuril Islands , total_islands = , major_islands = , area = , length = , width = fr ...
)), HQ: Vladivostok *** New Coastal Missile Brigade reported being established in 2021 to defend
Sakhalin Sakhalin ( rus, Сахали́н, r=Sakhalín, p=səxɐˈlʲin; ja, 樺太 ''Karafuto''; zh, c=, p=Kùyèdǎo, s=库页岛, t=庫頁島; Manchu: ᠰᠠᡥᠠᠯᡳᠶᠠᠨ, ''Sahaliyan''; Orok: Бугата на̄, ''Bugata nā''; Nivkh ...
.


Commanders of the Pacific Fleet

* Mikhail Vladimirovich Viktorov (from April 1932) * Grigoriy Petrovich Kireyev (from August 1937) *
Nikolay Gerasimovich Kuznetsov Nikolay Gerasimovich Kuznetsov (russian: Никола́й Гера́симович Кузнецо́в; 24 July 1904 – 6 December 1974) was a Soviet naval officer who achieved the rank of Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union and served as ...
(from January 1938) * Ivan Stepanovich Yumashev (from August 1939) In January 1947, the Pacific Fleet was divided into the 5th and 7th fleets: In April 1953, the Fleets were once again combined under one Pacific Fleet command: * Yuriy Aleksandrovich Panteleyev (from January 1953) *Valentin Andreyevich Chekurov (from January 1956) *
Vitaliy Alekseyevich Fokin Vitaly Alekseyevich Fokin (Виталий Алексеевич Фо́кин) (17 March 1906 – 23 January 1964) was a Soviet admiral and the first deputy commander of the Soviet Navy. Naval career A worker's son, Vitaliy Alekseyevich Fokin joine ...
(from February 1958) * Nikolay Nikolayevich Amelko (from June 1962) * Nikolai Ivanovich Smirnov (from March 1969) *Vladimir Petrovich Maslov (from September 1974) * Emil Nikolayevich Spiridonov (from August 1979) *Vladimir Vasilyevich Sidorov (from February 1986) *Gennadiy Aleksandrovich Khvatov (From December 1986) *Georgiy Nikolayevich Gurinov (from March 1993) *Igor Nikolayevich Khmelnov (from August 1994) * Vladimir Ivanovich Kuroyedov (from February 1996) *Mikhail Georgiyevich Zakharenko (from July 1997) *Gennadiy Aleksandrovich Suchkov (from July 2001) * Viktor Dmitriyevich Fedorov (from December 2001) * Konstantin Semyonovich Sidenko (from December 2007) * Sergey Iosifovich Avakyants (Acting from August 2010 – appointed Commander since 3 May 2012)


See also

* Grigory Pasko – former officer of the Russian Navy, editor of ''Boyevaya Vakhta (Battle Watch)'', in-house newspaper of the Pacific Fleet, and prisoner of conscience *
Bechevinka Bechevinka () was a naval base of the Soviet and Russian Navies in a remote portion of Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia. It was established in the 1960s for use by submarines of the Soviet Pacific Fleet. The site was abandoned in 1996 and is curren ...
, former submarine base of the fleet


References


Further reading

* {{Authority control Russian fleets Pacific Coast of Russia Imperial Russian Navy Pacific Fleet Sea of Japan Russian Far East Vladivostok Military units and formations established in 1731 1731 establishments in Asia 1730s establishments in the Russian Empire Military units and formations awarded the Order of the Red Banner