First Pacific Squadron
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The Pacific Fleet () is the
Russian Navy The Russian Navy is the Navy, naval arm of the Russian Armed Forces. It has existed in various forms since 1696. Its present iteration was formed in January 1992 when it succeeded the Navy of the Commonwealth of Independent States (which had i ...
fleet Fleet may refer to: Vehicles * Fishing fleet *Naval fleet * Fleet vehicles, a pool of motor vehicles * Fleet Aircraft, the aircraft manufacturing company Places Canada * Fleet, Alberta, Canada, a hamlet England * The Fleet Lagoon, at Chesil Be ...
in the
Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...
. 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 being dissolved in the wake of the February Revolution and the declaration of ...
, 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 ( rus, Дальний Восток России, p=ˈdalʲnʲɪj vɐˈstok rɐˈsʲiɪ) is a region in North Asia. It is the easternmost part of Russia and the Asia, Asian continent, and is coextensive with the Far Easte ...
region along the Pacific coast. In 1918 the fleet was inherited by the
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR or RSFSR), previously known as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and the Russian Soviet Republic, and unofficially as Soviet Russia,Declaration of Rights of the labo ...
, then the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
in 1922 as part of the
Soviet Navy The Soviet Navy was the naval warfare Military, uniform service branch of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy made up a large part of the Soviet Union's strategic planning in the event of a conflict with t ...
, 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 (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
as it had earned the
Order of the Red Banner The Order of the Red Banner () was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. It was the highest award of S ...
. 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 approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...
and
Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea () is a region of sea in the northern Indian Ocean, bounded on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, Gulf of Aden and Guardafui Channel, on the northwest by Gulf of Oman and Iran, on the north by Pakistan, on the east by India, and ...
. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Red Banner Pacific Fleet was inherited by the
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
n Federation as part of the Russian Navy and its current name was adopted. The Pacific Fleet's headquarters is located in 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 ...
in
Primorsky Krai Primorsky Krai, informally known as Primorye, is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject (a krais of Russia, krai) of Russia, part of the Far Eastern Federal District in the Russian Far East. The types of inhabited localities in Russia, ...
, and
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (, ) is a city and the administrative center of Kamchatka Krai, Russia. It is located in the Far East of the country and lies along the coast of Avacha Bay by the Pacific Ocean, nearby Khalaktyrskoye Lake. As of the 202 ...
and
Vilyuchinsk Vilyuchinsk () 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 16, 1968 through the ama ...
in
Avacha Bay Avacha Bay () is a Pacific Ocean bay on the southeastern coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula. It is long and wide (at the mouth), with a maximum depth of . The Avacha River flows into the bay. The port city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and the c ...
on the
Kamchatka Peninsula The Kamchatka Peninsula (, ) 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 western coastlines, respectively. Immediately offshore along the Pacific ...
in
Kamchatka Krai Kamchatka Krai (, ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (a krai), situated in the Russian Far East. It is administratively part of the Far Eastern Federal District. Its administrative center and largest types of inhabited l ...
. Following the
APEC Russia 2012 The APEC Russia 2012 () was the 24th annual gathering of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, APEC leaders. Leaders from the member economies met on Russky Island, off the coast of Vladivostok, Russia on September 9–10, 2012.Levy, Clifford J "Cr ...
summit, it was announced that the main naval base of the Pacific Fleet in the Russian Far East will be moved to Fokino. The current commander is Admiral Viktor Liina, who has held the position since April 2023.


History

In 1731, the Imperial Russian Navy created the
Okhotsk Okhotsk ( rus, Охотск, p=ɐˈxotsk) is an urban locality (a work settlement) and the administrative center of Okhotsky District of Khabarovsk Krai, Russia, located at the mouth of the Okhota River on the Sea of Okhotsk. Population: ...
Military Flotilla (, ) under its first commander, Grigoriy Skornyakov-Pisarev, to patrol and transport government goods to and from
Kamchatka The Kamchatka Peninsula (, ) 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 western coastlines, respectively. Immediately offshore along the Pacific ...
. 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. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...
s and 3 smaller ships were sent to Okhotsk under the command of
Rear-Admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...
I. Fomin to form a functioning military flotilla. In 1849,
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (, ) is a city and the administrative center of Kamchatka Krai, Russia. It is located in the Far East of the country and lies along the coast of Avacha Bay by the Pacific Ocean, nearby Khalaktyrskoye Lake. As of the 202 ...
became the Flotilla's principal base, which a year later would be transferred to
Nikolayevsk-on-Amur Nikolayevsk-on-Amur () is a town in Khabarovsk Krai, Russia located on the Amur River close to its liman in the Pacific Ocean. Population: 17,815 (2024); History Medieval and early-modern history In the late Middle Ages, the people living al ...
and later to
Vladivostok Vladivostok ( ; , ) is the largest city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai and the capital of the Far Eastern Federal District of Russia. It is located around the Zolotoy Rog, Golden Horn Bay on the Sea of Japan, covering an area o ...
in 1871. In 1854, the men of the Flotilla distinguished themselves in the defense of
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (, ) is a city and the administrative center of Kamchatka Krai, Russia. It is located in the Far East of the country and lies along the coast of Avacha Bay by the Pacific Ocean, nearby Khalaktyrskoye Lake. As of the 202 ...
during the
Crimean War The Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861), Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont fro ...
, (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 unequal treaties concluded between the Qing dynasty of China and Great Britain, France, and the Russian Empire in 1860. Background On 18 October ...
ceded parts of
Outer Manchuria Outer Manchuria, sometimes called Russian Manchuria, refers to a region in Northeast Asia that is now part of the Russian Far East but historically formed part of Manchuria (until the mid-19th century). While Manchuria now more normatively refer ...
in northeastern
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
, including the modern day
krai A krai or kray (; , , ''kraya'') is one of the types of federal subjects of modern Russia, and was a type of geographical administrative division in the Russian Empire and the Russian SFSR. Etymologically, the word is related to the verb "" ...
of
Primorsky Krai Primorsky Krai, informally known as Primorye, is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject (a krais of Russia, krai) of Russia, part of the Far Eastern Federal District in the Russian Far East. The types of inhabited localities in Russia, ...
to the
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
. A large squadron under Rear Admiral A. A. Popov was sent from the
Baltic Fleet The Baltic Fleet () is the Naval fleet, fleet of the Russian Navy in the Baltic Sea. Established 18 May 1703, under Tsar Peter the Great as part of the Imperial Russian Navy, the Baltic Fleet is the oldest Russian fleet. In 1918, the fleet w ...
to the
Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...
. During the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
ships of the squadron visited
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
while the Baltic Fleet visited
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. Parts of the squadron, including the Finnish corvette ''
Kalevala The ''Kalevala'' () is a 19th-century compilation of epic poetry, compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Karelian and Finnish oral folklore and mythology, telling a story about the Creation of the Earth, describing the controversies and retaliatory ...
'', 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 is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
ese relations, the Imperial Russian government adopted a special
shipbuilding Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other Watercraft, floating vessels. In modern times, it normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation th ...
program to meet the needs of the
Russian Far East The Russian Far East ( rus, Дальний Восток России, p=ˈdalʲnʲɪj vɐˈstok rɐˈsʲiɪ) is a region in North Asia. It is the easternmost part of Russia and the Asia, Asian continent, and is coextensive with the Far Easte ...
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, Potsdam Declaration, when it was dissolved followin ...
vessels. In response, the Naval headquarters in
St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...
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 the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
and its naval base at Port Arthur. By the beginning of the
Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War (8 February 1904 – 5 September 1905) was fought between the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japan over rival imperial ambitions in Manchuria and the Korean Empire. The major land battles of the war were fought on the ...
of 1904–1905, Imperial Russian naval forces in the Far East consisted of the 1st Pacific Squadron (7
battleship A battleship is a large, heavily naval armour, armored warship with a main battery consisting of large naval gun, guns, designed to serve as a capital ship. From their advent in the late 1880s, battleships were among the largest and most form ...
s, 7
cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several operational roles from search-and-destroy to ocean escort to sea ...
s, 13
torpedo boat A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval ship designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs were steam-powered craft dedicated to ramming enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes. Later evolutions launched variants of ...
s, 2
gunboat A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies. History Pre-steam ...
s) and a number of ships from the "Siberian Military Flotilla" (2
minelayer A minelayer is any warship, submarine, military aircraft or land vehicle deploying explosive mines. Since World War I the term "minelayer" refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines. "Mine planting" was the term for ins ...
s, 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 (, tr. ; – January 14, 1909) was a Russian admiral of the Imperial Russian Navy. He was in command of the Second Pacific Squadron in the Battle of Tsushima, during the Russo-Japanese War. Under Admiral Rozh ...
, renamed the Second Pacific Squadron, was defeated at the
Battle of Tsushima The Battle of Tsushima (, ''Tsusimskoye srazheniye''), also known in Japan as the , was the final naval battle of the Russo-Japanese War, fought on 27–28 May 1905 in the Tsushima Strait. A devastating defeat for the Imperial Russian Navy, the ...
. During the
Russian Revolution of 1905 The Russian Revolution of 1905, also known as the First Russian Revolution, was a revolution in the Russian Empire which began on 22 January 1905 and led to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy under the Russian Constitution of 1906, t ...
, 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 of 1917, the sailors of the Siberian and Amur military flotillas fought for the establishment of Soviet Union, Soviet authority in the Far East and against the White army and Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War, interventionists. During the Russian Civil War, 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 in Manchuria 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 Mikhail Viktorov, M. Viktorov. The creation of the fleet entailed great difficulties. The first units were formed with small ships delivered by railroad. In 1932, the torpedo boat Squadron (naval), squadron and eight submarines were put into service. In 1934, the Pacific Fleet received 26 small submarines. The creation of the naval aviation and coastal artillery 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 (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the Pacific Fleet had two surface ship subdivisions, four submarine subdivisions, one torpedo boat subdivision, a few squadrons of ships and patrol boats, airborne forces, airborne units, coastal artillery and marine (military), marines.


World War II

During the Great Patriotic War (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 Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact, remained neutral with respect to the Empire of Japan, the only Axis powers, Axis power in the Pacific, even after Pacific War, Japan entered World War II. At the same time, the Soviets transferred a Leningrad-class destroyer, destroyer leader, three Gnevny-class destroyer, destroyers, 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 Eastern Front (World War II), 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 minesweeper (ship), 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 Division of Korea, 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 (decoration), orders and medals for outstanding military service; more than fifty men received the title Hero of the Soviet Union. 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 () was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. It was the highest award of S ...
.


Cold War

On 5 May 1965, the Pacific Fleet itself was awarded with the Order of the Red Banner. 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, 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, at the same time. In addition, Soviet Ilyushin Il-38 reconnaissance planes, based in Aden or Ethiopia, 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 1981 Pushkin Tu-104 crash, crashed shortly after takeoff from Pushkin Airport. A total of 16 admirals and generals, and 38 lower ranking officers, were killed. In the 1980s, Soviet naval strategy shifted to an emphasis on bastion (naval), 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. May 1992 saw the first of five large ammunition explosions at Pacific Fleet storage depots, 1992–2003. The blast rocked the city of
Vladivostok Vladivostok ( ; , ) is the largest city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai and the capital of the Far Eastern Federal District of Russia. It is located around the Zolotoy Rog, Golden Horn Bay on the Sea of Japan, covering an area o ...
. 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 submarines, 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 (Admiral Gorshkov-class frigate, Gorshkov-class), multi-role and missile corvettes (Steregushchiy-class corvette, Steregushchiy-class, Gremyashchiy-class corvette, Gremyashchiy-class and Karakurt-class corvette, Karakurt-class) as well as on a full range of new submarines (the Borei-class submarine, Borei, Yasen-class submarine, Yasen and Kilo-class submarine, 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 ship, Ivan Gren-class landing ships and possibly one of the new Project 23900 amphibious assault ship, 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 submarine accident

An 2008 Russian submarine accident, accident aboard , a nuclear-powered attack submarine doing a test run during sea trials in the Sea of Japan on 8 November 2008, killed more than 20 people, marking the worst submarine disaster since Russian submarine K-141 Kursk, ''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 (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 (68th Army Corps (Russia), the 68th) on Sakhalin 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 minesweeper, Natya-class: 2 Vessels (MT-264, 265); both active as of 2022 ** Sonya-class minesweeper, Sonya-class: 7 Vessels (BT-100, 114, 215, 232, 245, 256, 325) ** Alexandrit-class minesweeper, Alexandrit-class: 3 Vessels (''Yakov Balyaev'' entered service 2020 and ''Petr Ilyichev'' in November 2022; ''Anatoly Shlemov'' - commissioned 29 December 2022; vessels reported to be part of the 114th Brigade of the Pacific Fleet) * Patrol/Anti-Saboteur Boats: ** Grachonok-class anti-saboteur ship: 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 2023) ** 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 fleet oiler, Boris Chilikin-class: 1 vessel (''Boris Butoma'' - deployed in the Mediterranean May to October 2022) ** Dubna-class tanker, Dubna-class: 2 vessels (''Irkut'' active as of 2020/2021; ''Pechanga'' active as of 2023) ** Uda-class oiler, Uda-class: 1 vessel (''Vishera'') ** Altay-class oiler, 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: ** Evpatiy Kolovrat (icebreaker), ''Yevpaty Kolovrat'' (Project 21180M icebreaker; being transferred to the Pacific Fleet as of 2023) * Patrol ships ** Ivan Susanin-class patrol ship, ''Ivan Susanin''-class patrol ships: Russian patrol ship Ivan Susanin, ''Ivan Susanin'' (active as of 2022) * 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-142MR/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/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 Airport – MiG-31B/M fighters (planned as of 2019) ** Pacific Fleet MiG-31s (including K-variant with Kh-47M2 Kinzhal ASM) also reported deployed at Ugolny Airport, 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/N ASW aircraft; Ka-27 ASW and 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, including Su-35s at Yelizovo on the
Kamchatka Peninsula The Kamchatka Peninsula (, ) 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 western coastlines, respectively. Immediately offshore along the Pacific ...
(deployed there on rotation as of 2021). Tu-95MS and Tupolev Tu-22M, Tu-22M3 bombers (including with Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic and Kh-32 long-range supersonic anti-ship missiles) deployed as part of Russian Russian Long Range Aviation, 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. In 2022, both of the Pacific Fleet's naval infantry brigades were transferred to Ukraine for 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, operations as part of the Russian invasion. Up to the end of 2022, both brigades have reportedly experienced heavy losses. In April 2022, the 155th Brigade was reportedly awarded the "Guards" title for its service. * Fleet Headquarters,
Vladivostok Vladivostok ( ; , ) is the largest city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai and the capital of the Far Eastern Federal District of Russia. It is located around the Zolotoy Rog, Golden Horn Bay on the Sea of Japan, covering an area o ...
commanded by Admiral Vladimir Ivanovich Korolev ** Naval Infantry *** 40th Naval Infantry Brigade, 40th Separate Naval Infantry Brigade,
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (, ) is a city and the administrative center of Kamchatka Krai, Russia. It is located in the Far East of the country and lies along the coast of Avacha Bay by the Pacific Ocean, nearby Khalaktyrskoye Lake. As of the 202 ...
*** 155th Separate Marine Brigade, 155th Separate Guards Naval Infantry Brigade,
Vladivostok Vladivostok ( ; , ) is the largest city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai and the capital of the Far Eastern Federal District of Russia. It is located around the Zolotoy Rog, Golden Horn Bay on the Sea of Japan, covering an area o ...
(re-equipping with BMP-3F amphibious infantry fighting vehicles as of 2021; both 40th and 155th brigades also re-equipped with T-80, T-80BVM main battle tanks in 2021) Elements of 155th Brigade reportedly deployed to Belarus in the prelude to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in January 2022, and actively participated in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, invasion. Both Brigades reportedly lost many soldiers near Pavlivka, Volnovakha Raion, Pavlivka. *** 42nd Maritime Recon Point (Special Forces battalion), Vladivostok ** Coastal Defence *** Division-sized formation reported being established in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Chukotka region as of 2021 ** Coastal Defence Surface-to-Surface Missile Units *** 520th Separate Coastal Missile Artillery Brigade,
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (, ) is a city and the administrative center of Kamchatka Krai, Russia. It is located in the Far East of the country and lies along the coast of Avacha Bay by the Pacific Ocean, nearby Khalaktyrskoye Lake. As of the 202 ...
**** 2 Battalions/Squadrons with K-300P Bastion-P, K-300 Bastion Surface-to-Surface Missiles (as of 2018; additional units reported forming with the aim of 3-5 Bastion and 1-2 Kh-35, SSC-6 Bal battalions/squadrons). *** 72nd Separate Coastal Missile Brigade (units equipped with Bastion SSM (Iturup Island, Matua Island and Paramushir Island) and Bal SSM battalion (Kunashir Island)), HQ: Vladivostok *** New Coastal Missile Brigade reported being established in 2021 to defend Sakhalin.


Commanders of the Pacific Fleet

*Mikhail Viktorov, Mikhail Vladimirovich Viktorov (from April 1932) *Grigory Kireyev, Grigoriy Petrovich Kireyev (from August 1937) *Nikolai Gerasimovich Kuznetsov, Nikolay Gerasimovich Kuznetsov (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 (from February 1958) *Nikolai Amelko, Nikolai Nikolayevich Amelko (from June 1962) *Nikolay Ivanovich Smirnov (from March 1969) *Vladimir Petrovich Maslov (from September 1974) *Emil Nikolayevich Spiridonov (from August 1979) *Vladimir Sidorov, 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 Kuroyedov, Vladimir Ivanovich Kuroyedov (from February 1996) *Mikhail Georgiyevich Zakharenko (from July 1997) *Gennady Suchkov, Gennady Aleksandrovich Suchkov (from July 2001) *Viktor Dmitriyevich Fedorov (from December 2001) *Konstantin Sidenko, Konstantin Semyonovich Sidenko (from December 2007) *Sergei Avakyants, Sergey Iosifovich Avakyants (Acting from August 2010 – appointed Commander since 3 May 2012) * Viktor Liina (From April 2023)


See also

* Grigory Pasko – former officer of the
Russian Navy The Russian Navy is the Navy, naval arm of the Russian Armed Forces. It has existed in various forms since 1696. Its present iteration was formed in January 1992 when it succeeded the Navy of the Commonwealth of Independent States (which had i ...
, editor of ''Boyevaya Vakhta (Battle Watch)'', in-house newspaper of the Pacific Fleet, and prisoner of conscience *Bechevinka, former submarine base of the fleet


References


Further reading

*


External links

{{Authority control Russian fleets Pacific Coast of Russia Imperial Russian Navy Naval units and formations of the Soviet Union, 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 Military history of the Pacific Ocean