Russian Pacific Fleet Launches Bastion CDCM

Bastion coastal defense cruise missile launch -- July 22, 2016
[credit: Russian Pacific Fleet press service]

On July 22, the Eastern Military District press service announced that a Pacific Fleet Coastal Troops unit had launched a Bastion (SSC-5 Stooge) coastal defense cruise missile. Although the press service did not mention when the launch occurred, the target wasn't in place until July 22, and metadata from pictures taken of the launch indicate the launch date was July 22.

An area closure, two flight bans, and three flight route restrictions were announced for the missile launch activity:

NAVAREA XIII 51/16
ZALIV PETRA VELIKOGO
CHARTS RUS 62071 60300
1. MISSILE EXERCISES FOR 11 HOURS FROM 2300 UTC 21 22 24 AND 25 JUL IN AREA BOUNDED BY 41-33-18N 132-22-48E 42-10-48N 131-42-48E 42-45-00N 131-15-00E COASTLINE 42-51-12N 131-25-00E 42-32-00N 132-10-12E 42-03-12N 133-02-06E
2. CANCEL THIS MESSAGE 261100 UTC JUL 16.

P6757/16 - 21 2300-22 0300, 22 0500-1000, 22 2300-23 0300, 23 0500-1000, 24 2300-25 0300, 25 0500-1000, 25 2300-26 0300, 26 0500-1000
TEMPO DANGER AREA ACT WI COORD: 422430N 1322400E-420312N 1330206E-413318N 1322248E-421048N 1314248E-421747N 1313715E-422430N 1322400E.
SFC - FL280, 21 JUL 23:00 2016 UNTIL 26 JUL 10:00 2016.

P6758/16 - 21 2300-22 0300, 22 0500-1000, 22 2300-23 0300, 23 0500-1000, 24 2300-25 0300, 25 0500-1000, 25 2300-26 0300, 26 0500-1000
ATS RTE SEGMENTS CLSD: B355 LUPAS - VATIS, B356 GALDI - KESAN, G705 BISUN - RIVAT.
SFC - FL280, 21 JUL 23:00 2016 UNTIL 26 JUL 10:00 2016.

P6759/16 - 21 2300-22 0300, 22 0500-1000, 22 2300-23 0300, 23 0500-1000, 24 2300-25 0300, 25 0500-1000, 25 2300-26 0300, 26 0500-1000
AIRSPACE CLSD WI COORD: 425112N1312500E-423200N1321012E-422430N1322400E-421747N1313715E-424500N1311500E-425112N1312500E.
SFC - FL080, 21 JUL 23:00 2016 UNTIL 26 JUL 10:00 2016.

Area closure, flight bans, and flight route restrictions -- July 21-25, 2016

Although the Bastion has a range of 600+ km (324+ nm), the target was located a mere 53 km (29 nm) from the launch point. According to the press statement, the missile successfully impacted the target based on reports by observer ships and aircraft. The target was subsequently towed back to Bukhta Abrek for re-use in future missile launch exercises.

The Ministry of Defense's Zvezda television station broadcast video of the launch on July 22.

If a Target Sinks Before You Strike It, Does It Make a Noise?

*** updated on May 26 to provide additional details of launch location ***

"PM-140" sinking before being used as a CDCM target -- May 22, 2015

On May 16, an area closure in the Sea of Japan was announced for May 20-23 and was designated for missile firings.

HYDROPAC 1618/15

SEA OF JAPAN.
RUSSIA.
MISSILES.
DNC 23, DNC 24.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS 2200Z TO 1000Z
COMMENCING DAILY 20 THRU 22 MAY
IN AREA BOUND BY
41-38.5N 132-43.6E, 42-32.0N 132-51.0E,
42-41.0N 133-02.2E, 42-39.4N 133-19.0E,
42-01.3N 134-11.5E, 41-40.0N 133-32.0E.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 231100Z MAY 15.//

Authority: NAVAREA XI 350/15 161746Z MAY 15.

Date: 161748Z May 15
Cancel: 23110000 May 15

Missile launch area closure -- May 20-23, 2015

Given that the area closure covers land, it was logical to assume it would be used for the launch of a coastal defense cruise missile (CDCM). The range between the two farthest points measures approximately 120 kilometers (65 nautical miles). The last Russian CDCM launch in the Sea of Japan occurred on April 28, when at least one SSC-6 Sennight (Russian: 3K60 Bal) was launched from a position adjacent to the Shepalovo recreational facility - about 21 kilometers (11.5 nautical miles) southeast of Nakhodka. The area closure for the April launch was longer - nearly 170 kilometers (92 nautical miles) between the farthest points - and narrower than this month's area closure.

Pictures posted to the internet on May 26, but dated May 21, show an SSC-6 being deployed to the vicinity of Cape Povorotnyy.

SSC-6 Sennight deployed near Cape Povorotnyy -- May 21, 2015

SSC-6 Sennight deployed near Cape Povorotnyy -- May 21, 2015

Using the towers as visual clues, we can easily find them within the announced area closure and can project the general launch position.

Northernmost portion of SSC-6 Sennight area closure

Cape Povorotnyy radar/communications towers

Cape Povorotnyy radar/communications towers

Cape Povorotnyy radar/communications towers, reoriented towards the sea to match the SSC-6 launcher images above

Cape Povorotnyy has been a popular site for earlier CDCM launches, as these photos from 1992 and 1994 show..

CDCM launch from Cape Povorotnyy -- 1992

CDCM launch from Cape Povorotnyy -- 1994

Despite the differences in size and configuration, it's evident that another CDCM launch was planned. Had another SSC-6 launch occurred, one would have expected naval officials to tout the second successful launch of the missile. Yet there have been no reports from the Russian Navy about any CDCM launch this past week.

The mystery behind the silence may be the premature sinking of the target ship for the exercise, retired Amur-class floating workshop "PM-140".

According to a video uploaded to YouTube on May 23, the target ship sank while being towed by Sorum-class oceangoing tug "MB-37". Subsequent internet chatter indicated the launch of an SSC-6 was scheduled for May 22, but the loss of "PM-140" forced fleet officials to quickly find a replacement target ship and try again on the next day, which, according to one source, most likely occurred.



Since retiring, "PM-140" had served as a target ship during multiple anti-ship cruise missile and artillery events. Since all strikes occurred well above the waterline, the ship was able to be towed back to port and reused during subsequent exercises.

"PM-140" used as target ship during "Vostok-2010" exercise -- June 26, 2010

"PM-140" waiting for its last missile exercise -- April 7, 2015

What was the replacement target? And why hasn't the Pacific Fleet issued a press release about the latest launch of its newest CDCM - if, in fact, there was a launch on May 23?

Update: Impending Missile Launch from Kotelnyy Island?

Gunnery/missile area closures near Kotelnyy Island - September 15-25, 2014 (Map courtesy of Google Earth)

Russia has reissued and extended an area closure near Kotelnyy Island:

ARCTIC.
LAPTEV SEA.
MISSILES. GUNNERY.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS 2200Z TO 1800Z
COMMENCING DAILY 21 THRU 25 SEP IN AREA BOUND BY
75-53.4N 132-39.0E, 76-28.2N 133-08.0E,
76-50.8N 135-00.0E, 76-58.5N 136-26.1E,
75-57.7N 137-33.5E, 75-35.5N 137-00.0E,
75-37.5N 136-13.5E, 75-50.7N 135-41.0E.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 261900Z SEP 14.

The new area closure (depicted in yellow above) is slightly different in shape when compared to the earlier closure (depicted in red) that remains in effect until tomorrow.

Moreover, the new area closure's effective dates (September 21-25) coincide nicely with the Vostok-2014 strategic command-staff exercise that kicked off on September 19 and runs through September 25. Whether or not this is related to the exercise, a missile launch from this Arctic island certainly will be linked by the media to the new "North" Joint Strategic Command. According to an ITAR-TASS unnamed "Ministry of Defense source," the new command will stand-up on/before December 1, 2014.

Impending Missile Launch from Kotelnyy Island?

Gunnery/missile area closure near Kotelnyy Island - September 15-21, 2014 (Map courtesy of Google Earth)

An interesting area closure has been declared west of Kotelnyy Island, where a Russian Navy Northern Fleet task group arrived this past weekend:

ARCTIC.
LAPTEV SEA.
MISSILES. GUNNERY.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS 0001Z TO 1600Z
DAILY 15 THRU 18 SEP IN AREA BOUND BY:
75-53.4N 132-39.0E, 76-28.2N 133-08.0E,
76-58.5N 136-26.1E, 76-50.8N 138-00.0E,
75-57.7N 137-33.5E, 75-35.5N 137-00.0E,
75-37.5N 136-13.5E, 75-50.7N 135-41.0E.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 181700Z SEP 14.

ARCTIC.
LAPTEV SEA.
MISSILES. GUNNERY.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS 2200Z TO 1800Z
COMMENCING DAILY 18 THRU 21 SEP IN AREA BOUND BY:
75-53.4N 132-39.0E, 76-28.2N 133-08.0E,
76-58.5N 136-26.1E, 76-50.8N 138-00.0E,
75-57.7N 137-33.5E, 75-35.5N 137-00.0E,
75-37.5N 136-13.5E, 75-50.7N 135-41.0E.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 221900Z SEP 14.

The area closure went into effect on September 15 and will expire on September 21. The warning messages indicated missiles would be launched during the closure times. Given that the closure touches the coastline, it is reasonable to believe a land-based coastal defense cruise missile (CDCM) will be fired. The Northern Fleet task group is comprised of six ships, only one of which is armed with any type of missile: Udaloy I-class destroyer "Admiral Levchenko" with its SA-N-9 Gauntlet AAW and SS-N-14 Silex ASW missile systems. It's highly unlikely the area closure was declared solely for these systems.

A late August Russian MOD press release reported that "coastal missile...units" were part of the "Admiral Levchenko" task group, but it didn't state whether the task group's two landing ships were ferrying the mobile CDCMs or if they were being ferried to the island by other means. At least five commercial vessels have made or soon will make trips to Kotelnyy Island this summer: "Aleksandr Suvorov", "Arkadiy Chernyshev", "Kapitan Borodkin", "Valeriy Vasilyev", and "Yuriy Arshenevskiy". The latter unit ferried unspecified military hardware to the island earlier this month.

At its farthest points (from Mys Durnoy (Zarya Strait) in the south to the northernmost coordinate), the area closure is just over 83nm in length. While it is unknown exactly which mobile CDCM systems may have been ferried to Kotelnyy Island, the length of this area closure could support launches by either the SSC-1B Sepal (approx. range 250nm) or SSC-3 Styx (approx. range 45nm). Given the Russians may place a target near the middle of the area or even closer to shore, it seems like a waste to launch the longer-range SSC-1B only 40 or so nautical miles. That distance, however, would be perfect for the near maximum range of the SSC-3.

A missile shot from the island will certainly be covered by both military and commercial media sources, at which we point we should be able to solve this riddle.