Russian Navy Exercise in Eastern Mediterranean Sea

Flight ban (yellow) and flight route restrictions (red) for Russian Navy combat drills -- January 8-11, 2016

In late January, flight bans and route restrictions were announced for a Russian Navy exercise:

A0037/16 - RUSSIAN NAVY EXERCISE (ROCKET TEST FIRINGS) WILL TAKE PLACE IN AREA BOUNDED BY:
344400N0345800E
351300N0345800E
351300N0353300E
344400N0353300E
THE AREA INCLUDES BUFFER ZONE. SFC - FL660, 0500-1500, 08 FEB 05:00 2016 UNTIL 11 FEB 15:00 2016.

A0039/16 - DUE TO RUSSIAN NAVY EXERCISE AS REFERED IN NOTAM A0037/16 THE FOLLOWING AIRWAYS WILL BE CLOSED:
W/UW17 (BALMA-NIKAS)
R/UR78, M/UM978 (ALSUS-NIKAS)
BTN SFC-FL660. 0500-1500, 08 FEB 05:00 2016 UNTIL 11 FEB 15:00 2016.

The flight ban and flight route restrictions are identical to those used before by the Russian Navy.

While there has been no official statement by military public affairs representatives about the exercise, there are two naval combatants operating in the eastern Mediterranean Sea that could utilize the area: Slava-class cruiser "Varyag" (Pacific Fleet) and Udaloy I-class destroyer "Vitse-Admiral Kulakov" (Northern Fleet). Last month, the destroyer conducted anti-air warfare training that included simulated surface-to-air missile and gunnery drills.

Russian Navy Exercise in Eastern Mediterranean Sea

Flight bans (yellow) and flight route restrictions (green) for Russian Navy combat drills -- September 30-October 7, 2015

Amidst the ongoing transfer of military personnel and materiel from Russia to the Syrian port of Tartus and the deployment of Russian aircraft to Syria comes the announcement that Russian Navy ships will hold drills in the eastern Mediterranean Sea in September and October. According to a September 24 Russian defense ministry press release, Slava-class cruiser "Moskva", Kashin-class destroyer "Smetlivyy", Alligator-class landing ship "Saratov" and an unknown number of auxiliary vessels will conduct anti-submarine, anti-air, and anti-ship warfare drills in the eastern Mediterranean Sea in the coming weeks; "Moskva" will serve as the command ship for the exercise.

Flight bans and route restrictions for the exercise were announced in early and mid-September:

A1106/15 - RUSSIAN NAVY EXERCISE (ROCKET TEST FIRINGS) WILL TAKE PLACE IN AREA:
344400N0345800E
351300N0345800E
351300N0353300E
344400N0353300E
THE AREA INCLUDES BUFFER ZONE. SFC - FL660, SEP 30 AND OCT 05-07 0500-1500, 30 SEP 05:00 2015 UNTIL 07 OCT 15:00 2015. CREATED: 03 SEP 07:25 2015

A1108/15 - DUE TO RUSSIAN NAVY EXERCISE AS REFERRED IN NOTAM LCCC A1106/15 THE FOLLOWING AIRWAYS WILL BE CLOSED BETWEEN SFC-FL660: 1.W/UW17 (BALMA-NIKAS)
2.R/UR78, M/UM978 (ALSUS-NIKAS).
SEP 30 AND OCT 05-07 0500-1500, 30 SEP 05:00 2015 UNTIL 07 OCT 15:00 2015. CREATED: 03 SEP 07:30 2015

A1166/15 - RUSSIAN NAVY EXERCISE (ROCKET TEST FIRINGS) WILL TAKE PLACE IN AREA:
345601N0300000E
352206N0300000E
352206N0303145E
345601N0303145E
THE AREA INCLUDES BUFFER ZONE. SFC - FL660, 01-07 0500-1700, 01 OCT 05:00 2015 UNTIL 07 OCT 17:00 2015. CREATED: 17 SEP 09:55 2015

A1167/15 - DUE TO RUSSIAN NAVY EXERCISE AS REFERED IN NOTAM LCCC A1166/15 THE FOLLOWING AIRWAYS WILL BE CLOSED BETWEEN SFC-FL660:
1.G/UG18, L/UL609 (ALKIS-MAROS)
2.R/UR78, M/UM978 (TOSKA-TOBAL).
01-07 0500-1700, 01 OCT 05:00 2015 UNTIL 07 OCT 17:00 2015. CREATED: 17 SEP 10:03 2015

"Moskva" departing Sevastopol on September 24, 2015
(credit: A. Balabin)

Flight bans and route restrictions for Russian Navy activity in the eastern Mediterranean Sea have become a routine occurrence. Similar activity took place as far back as July 2012 (A0614/12) and more recently in July 2015 (A0819/15 + A0820/15 + A0821/15 + A0822/15) and August 2015 (A0959/15 + A0964/2015).

Cruise Missiles Launched in Sea of Okhotsk

Area closures (red), flight ban (yellow), and flight route restrictions (green) for anti-ship cruise missile launches

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, two naval anti-ship cruise missiles were launched from the Sea of Okhotsk on July 1. At least one of them overflew the Kamchatka Peninsula to strike a target east of the peninsula.

Area closures, a flight ban, and flight route restrictions were declared over the affected areas for June 29 through July 2:

PRIP PETROPAVLOVSK 78/15 CHART 61025
SEA OF OKHOTSK
1. MISSILE FIRINGS 29 JUNE THRU 01 JULY 2300 DURATION 6 HOURS
AREA 58-39-12N 155-39-06E 59-12-12N 156-10-00E 58-40-00N 159-25-12E
SHORE 57-52-48S 157-34-48E
2. CANCEL THIS MESSAGE 020600 JULY

PRIP PETROPAVLOVSK 79/15 CHART 60103
BERING SEA
1. MISSILE FIRINGS 29 JUNE THRU 01 JULY 2300 DURATION 6 HOURS
AREA 54-42-12N 165-34-12E 56-06-18N 162-08-00E SHORE
58-13-30N 162-04-12E 57-16-18N 167-38-12E 55-38-00N 167-45-48E
2. CANCEL THIS MESSAGE 020600 JULY

P4325/15 NOTAMN
Q) UHPP/QRTCA/IV/BO/W/000/330/5620N16440E115
A) UHPP B) 1506292300 C) 1507020500
D) DAILY 2300-0100 0300-0500
E) TEMPO DANGER AREA ACT WI COORDINATES:
 575700N 1634036E-571618N 1673812E-553800N 1674548E-
 544212N 1653412E-554412N 1630430E-575700N 1634036E.
F) SFC  G) FL330

P4324/15 NOTAMN
Q) UUXX/QARLC/IV/NBO/E/000/330/5746N16321E320
A) UHPP UHMM B) 1506292300 C) 1507020500
D) DAILY 2300-0100 0300-0500
E) ATS RTE SEGMENTS CLSD:
 B237 DIVIN - AMETO,
 B240 TILICHIKI NDB (TK) - OKLED,
 B241 BERUD - GITRU,
 B242 DIPNA - NIKOLSKOYE NDB (NK),
 B244 APTIK - RITAR,
 B327 BAMOK - IRKAN,
 B484 DIVIN - MUROL,
 B804 BALUB - OSMOR,
 B962 RAMKA - OTLIM,
 G583 NILAR - IRKAN.
F) SFC  G) FL330

According to the first report, an SS-N-19 Shipwreck anti-ship cruise missile was fired by a simulated enemy nuclear-powered submarine [the report did not indicate which Oscar II-class nuclear-powered submarine - "Omsk", "Tomsk", or "Tver" - played this role]. MIG-31 Foxhound fighters were scrambled "at supersonic speeds" to the "lower levels of the stratosphere" to search for, intercept, and shoot down the missile. The fighters were aided by an A-50 Mainstay airborne early warning and control aircraft.

The blue circle indicates a 300nm range for an SS-N-12 launched at the far western edge of the Sea of Okhotsk area closure

The MOD's second report indicated that Slava-class cruiser "Varyag" launched an SS-N-12 Sandbox anti-ship cruise missile "at maximum range" against a sea target. According to a post-launch damage assessment, the sea target was "successfully damaged." Given that the maximum operational range of the SS-N-12 is 300 nautical miles, the only way this would be true is if the missile flew over the Kamchatka Peninsula. Considering the layout and geometry of the area closures and flight ban, the missile would have had to travel southeasterly from the Sea of Okhotsk.

The events, which are most likely part of the ongoing "exercise" that began in early June, occurred on the eve of the Pacific Fleet Submarine Forces' 77th anniversary, which was celebrated today.

"Petr Velikiy" Heads for Norwegian Sea ASW Exercise

Possible antisubmarine warfare exercise area closure in Norwegian Sea - December 7-20, 2014

According to a December 8 Western Military District press release, Northern Fleet Kirov-class nuclear-powered cruiser "Petr Velikiy" departed port in the past few days and is heading to an antisubmarine warfare (ASW) exercise. According to Vice Admiral Nikolay Yevmenov (Chief of Staff, Northern Fleet), "a feature of this event is the area where it will be conducted - farther away and with more difficult hydrological conditions than in those areas where we regularly conduct such training." The ASW exercise area is further defined as being "in neutral waters in a training range of a far maritime zone on the border of the Norwegian and Greenland Seas."

While there is only the general description of the ASW exercise area, the following area closure, which was announced last week, seems to match that description in terms of location:

HYDROARC 350/2014    
NORWEGIAN SEA.
HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS.
DNC 21, DNC 22.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS 072100Z TO 202100Z DEC IN AREA BETWEEN 75-00N 72-00N AND 007-00E 012-00E.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 202200Z DEC 14.

Other participants of the training event, which will last several days, will include "several Northern Fleet submarines of various classes," shipborne KA-27 Helix helicopters, and IL-38 May and TU-142 Bear F long-range, fixed-wing ASW aircraft. At the conclusion of the event, "Petr Velikiy" is scheduled to launch torpedoes and depth bombs.

While Kirov is not the first surface combatant that comes to mind when you think of antisubmarine warfare, it is a capable platform, and it can carry a couple ASW helicopters. But if Russia is going this far out to conduct an antisubmarine warfare exercise, why bring only one ASW-capable surface combatant? Why not include an Udaloy or Sovremennyy destroyer?

Is "Petr Velikiy" Preparing for Another Half-Year Deployment?

Kirov nuclear-powered cruiser "Petr Velikiy" in the Mediterranean Sea - November 2013

Northern Fleet Kirov-class nuclear-powered cruiser "Petr Velikiy" completed a seven-month deployment between October 2013 and May 2014. After a six-month stand-down that included some level of repairs, the cruiser returned to sea in mid-November to complete combat certifications. During an approximate week-long underway period, the cruiser's crew conducted basic crew certifications along with gunnery and surface-to-air missile qualifications. Very routine, nothing unusual.

In late November, however, dispatches from social media suggested "Petr Velikiy" was preparing for a half-year deployment. And in early December, Deputy Minister of Defense General Dmitriy Bulgakov visited "Petr Velikiy" during a trip to Severomorsk.

There is no other information on departure/return dates, potential port calls, areas where the cruiser will operate, or even the names of support vessels. And, of course, no official confirmation of such a deployment has been released.

Putin Bringing Big Guns to G20 Summit

Russian Federation President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin
(Image credit: TASS)

During next week's Group of 20 Summit in Brisbane, Australia, Russian President Vladimir Putin will have something in his back pocket - something few other world leaders (if any) will have: his own naval task group.

In September, it was announced that, despite calls to prevent Putin from attending the G20 Leaders' Summit, the Russian president was expected to participate.

On October 23, a Russian Pacific Fleet surface task group departed Vladivostok for "combat service in southern areas of the Pacific Ocean," according to a naval spokesman. The group consists of Slava-class cruiser "Varyag", Udaloy I-class destroyer "Marshal Shaposhnikov", Baklazhan-class salvage and rescue tug "Fotiy Krylov", and Chilikin-class replenishment oiler "Boris Butoma".

While no press reporting to date has indicated exactly where in the south Pacific these ships will operate, leave it to social media to spill the details. In early November, some family members or loved ones of sailors on a couple of the task group's ships specifically indicated Australia as a future operating area. One source concerned about loosing cellphone contact with her loved one wrote, "There are no shorelines anywhere along the way to Sydney!" Another source reported that the ships would travel to Australia first before commencing a return leg towards Vladivostok.

Russian ships traveling to faraway exotic ports to support presidential visits is not unusual. Udaloy II-class destroyer "Admiral Chabanenko" supported President Dmitriy Medvedev's visit to Venezuela in November 2008, and "Varyag" called in San Francisco in June 2010 to support President Medvedev's visit to California. Even closer to home, Slava-class cruiser "Moskva" was in Sochi this August to support meetings between President Putin and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

What makes this deployment strange is that no one in Canberra has mentioned any port calls by the "Varyag" task group. And if there are no scheduled port calls, why is the task group heading in that direction? How exactly does demonstrating the flag off the coast of Australia support Putin's G20 Summit plans?

Exercise Vostok-2014 - Closures, Bans, Restrictions

Restricted areas for Vostok-2014 exercise - September 20-28, 2014 (Map courtesy of Google Maps)

An area closure, flight bans, and flight route restrictions have gone into effect in the Kamchatka Peninsula area in preparation for Russia's Vostok-2014 strategic command-staff exercise, which kicked off on September 19 and will run through September 25. The Pacific Fleet's Slava-class missile cruiser "Varyag" is on one-hour standby to get underway to launch missiles and fire its guns upon receipt of orders.

Area closure (red)
KAMCHATKA-SOUTHEAST COAST.
GUNNERY. MISSILES.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS 2000Z TO 1100Z COMMENCING
DAILY 20 THRU 27 SEP IN AREA BOUND BY
52-16-24N 158-51-30E, 53-05-48N 160-01-48E,
51-28-54N 163-34-00E, 51-08-18N 163-18-30E,
51-16-12N 162-11-00E, 50-06-18N 161-38-54E,
50-34-48N 160-14-30E, 51-23-54N 159-44-24E.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 281200Z SEP 14.

Flight bans (yellow)
P6495/14 - AIRSPACE CLSD WI SECTOR FROM AZM 117 DEG TO AZM 168 DEG AT DIST FROM 32KM TO 50KM FROM PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY/YELIZOVO ARP. SFC - FL330, DAILY 0100-0300, 22 SEP 01:00 2014 UNTIL 25 SEP 03:00 2014.

P6625/14 - AIRSPACE CLSD WI SECTOR FROM AZM 117 DEG TO AZM 168 DEG AT DIST FROM 32KM TO 50KM FROM PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY/YELIZOVO ARP. SFC - 10000M AGL, DAILY 0100-0300, 26 SEP 01:00 2014 UNTIL 28 SEP 03:00 2014.

P6496/14 - TEMPO DANGER AREA FOR ACFT FLT ACT WI COORD:
5259N 16019E-5148N 16253E-5039N 16011E-5124N 15944E-5206N 15845E-5210N 15848E-5256N 16015E-5259N 16019E. SFC - 25000M AGL, DAILY 2000-0100 0300-0800, 21 SEP 20:00 2014 UNTIL 25 SEP 08:00 2014.

P6626/14 - TEMPO DANGER AREA ACT WI COORD:
5259N 16019E-5148N 16253E-5039N 16011E-5124N 15944E-5206N 15845E-5210N 15848E-5256N 16015E-5259N 16019E. SFC - 25000M AGL, DAILY 2000-0100 0300-0800, 25 SEP 20:00 2014 UNTIL 28 SEP 08:00 2014.

Flight route closures (green)
P6494/14 - FLW ATS RTE SEGMENTS CLSD:
B932 RAPAK - RIMLI,
G73  PETIN - TUSOM,
G801 KUNAD - RIMLI,
G815 KUNAD - DIROS,
G816 LUMES - RIMLI. SFC - 25000M AGL, DAILY 2000-0100 0300-0800, 21 SEP 20:00 2014 UNTIL 25 SEP 08:00 2014.

P6623/14 - FLW ATS RTE SEGMENTS CLSD:
B932 RAPAK - RIMLI,
G73  PETIN - TUSOM,
G801 KUNAD - RIMLI,
G815 KUNAD - DIROS,
G816 LUMES - RIMLI. SFC - 25000M AGL, DAILY 2000-0100 0300-0800, 25 SEP 20:00 2014 UNTIL 28 SEP 08:00 2014.

P6501/14 - ATS RTE SEGMENTS CLSD:
A812 BAKEN - PETIN,
B703 PETIN - LETSA,
G101 SOBOLEVO NDB (SW) - PETIN,
G583 MALKA NDB (MK) - UST-BOLSHERETSK NDB (UB),
G73  UST-BOLSHERETSK NDB (UB) - PETIN. SFC - FL140, 21 1900-2000, 22 0800-0900 1900-2000, 23 0800-0900 1900-2000, 24 0800-0900 1900-2000, 25 0800-0900, 21 SEP 19:00 2014 UNTIL 25 SEP 09:00 2014.

P6621/14 - ATS RTE SEGMENTS CLSD:
A812 BAKEN - PETIN,
B703 PETIN - LETSA,
G101 SOBOLEVO NDB (SW) - PETIN,
G583 MALKA NDB (MK) - UST-BOLSHERETSK NDB (UB),
G73 UST-BOLSHERETSK NDB (UB) - PETIN. SFC - FL140, 25 1900-2000, 26 0800-0900 1900-2000, 27 0800-0900 1900-2000, 28 0800-0900, 25 SEP 19:00 2014 UNTIL 28 SEP 09:00 2014.

P6502/14 - ATS RTE B932 SEGMENT RAPAK - RIMLI CLSD. SFC - FL330, DAILY 0100-0300, 22 SEP
01:00 2014 UNTIL 25 SEP 03:00 2014.

P6622/14 - ATS RTE B932 SEGMENT RAPAK - RIMLI CLSD. SFC - 10000M AGL, DAILY 0100-0300, 25
SEP 01:00 2014 UNTIL 27 SEP 03:00 2014.

Is Mediterranean Sea Dangerous for Russian Navy Destroyers?

The Russian Navy Northern Fleet's Udaloy-class destroyer "Vitse-Admiral Kulakov" is currently undergoing repairs in Sevastopol following a collision with an unknown tanker in the Mediterranean Sea last month, according to internet chatter. This follows two other incidents with Udaloy destroyers having to enter the Black Sea for repairs during their Mediterranean Sea deployments. In May-June 2013, the Northern Fleet's Udaloy-class destroyer "Admiral Levchenko" underwent repairs, to include work on its bow-mounted sonar. And between June and September 2013, the Pacific Fleet's Udaloy-class destroyer "Admiral Panteleyev" underwent some type of repairs in Novorossiysk. It is noteworthy that no other major combatant from the Mediterranean Task Force has had to enter the Black Sea for repairs.

Naval officials' claims that these were "routine" repairs are dishonest. Ships already complete lengthy shipyard periods before departing on lengthy deployments. Therefore, there should be nothing "routine" about theses destroyers having to break from the task group and head for Sevastopol or Novorossiysk.

The impact? The Black Sea Fleet's Slava-class cruiser "Moskva" now has to spend "more than two months" in the Mediterranean Sea, according to an unnamed Navy Main Staff source. According to one internet source, the cruiser will depart on 2 or 3 September for a deployment that will last "2-3 months at a minimum."