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).

Where in the World is "Admiral Panteleyev"?

Udaloy I destroyer "Admiral Panteleyev" - undated

On February 4, a Russian Navy Pacific Fleet surface action group led by Udaloy I-class destroyer "Admiral Panteleyev" departed Vladivostok for what was supposed to be a three-month deployment. That deployment has now stretched into its fifth month, and no one knows for sure when it will return to its home port.

The group, which also includes two auxiliary vessels (Dubna tanker "Pechenga" and Goryn rescue tug "SB-522"), was reported to be conducting training in the South China Sea a week later. The group was supposed to arrive in Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam, but that port call never happened due to changes in operational plans, according to an anonymous source.

Following a short port call in Sattahip, Thailand, in early March, a six-day port call in Langkawa, Malaysia, in mid-March, and a brief port call in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in late march, "Admiral Panteleyev" and its support vessels headed into the Indian Ocean. The official story ends when the ships departed Colombo on April 1.

The reason the Russian MOD has not released any new information on the group's whereabouts may be connected to the mission it is currently performing. On April 12, the MOD announced that Black Sea Fleet Vishnya intelligence collection ship SSV-201 "Priazovye" was involved in evacuating combat zone refuges from Yemen to Djibouti, even though the spy ship's participation began at least two weeks earlier. If the "Admiral Panteleyev" group were some how involved in an ongoing humanitary mission, one might expect the MOD to publicly tout the destroyer's efforts. But there has only been silence.

Social media, on the other hand, has provided a few clues. In early May, the destroyer was reportedly anchored near Africa, but not in a port. In early June, "Pechenga" made a port call in Salalah, Oman, to take on supplies before returning to the destroyer's location. It seems the destroyer hadn't moved from the same anchorage at which it arrived in May. While the exact whereabouts remain a mystery, according to one source, the ship is supposed to conduct a port call - somewhere - in the coming days. As for when it might return to Vladivostok, one source indicated mid-August as a likely time frame.

What is "Admiral Panteleyev" doing that is so secret?

Russia’s Anonymous Sources Try to Sink U.S. Destroyer

"USS Ross" conducting northbound transit of Turkish Straits – May 23, 2015
[credit: Yörük Işık]

Russian news outlets were overly active this weekend recycling and enhancing a story that originated from two anonymous sources who want you to believe that a U.S. destroyer operated in, or extremely close to, Russia’s territorial waters until it was chased away by fighter-bombers – all while the U.S. Secretary of Defense and Russian Deputy Minister of Defense were both in Singapore discussing security in the Asia-Pacific region.

The U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyer “USS Ross” (DDG 71) entered the Black Sea on May 23 to “work closely with [U.S.] allies and partners to enhance maritime security, readiness, and naval capability, and to promote peace and stability in the region.” The U.S. destroyer is the latest in a long series of naval ships from the U.S. and other foreign nations to regularly operate in international waters in the Black Sea much to the dismay of Russia. Moscow considers naval operations by non-Black Sea littoral countries – more specifically by NATO countries – in the Black Sea to be provocative.

After completing drills with Romanian naval forces on May 28, the destroyer continued independent operations in the Black Sea, apparently in the vicinity of the Crimean Peninsula. On May 30, RIA Novosti (aka MIA Russia Today) published a news article in which an unnamed “source in a Crimean power structure” reported that Black Sea Fleet SU-24 Fencer fighter-bombers were scrambled and successfully “forced” the U.S. destroyer, which was operating in a “provocative and aggressive” manner, “to depart for neutral waters in the eastern portion of the Black Sea.”

As the source never said “USS Ross” was operating within Russia’s territorial waters, this story could be characterized as routine activity for the two nations’ navies as viewed by an excitable RIA Novosti anonymous source. But then the source loses all credibility when he says that the “Americans have not forgotten the incident in April 2014 when one SU-24 actually ‘shut down’ all of the instruments on the new American destroyer ‘USS Donald Cook’, which has ballistic missile defense elements.” Even the Russian Ministry of Defense had to chuckle at that version of the April event.

Seeing an opportunity to prove it’s still relevant, Pravda.ru, masquerading as Politonline.ru, published its own amazing details in an article titled ‘SU-24s Almost Sink NATO Destroyer in Black Sea’. According to its article, the U.S. destroyer was “lit up by a ‘Bastion’ system from a Black Sea Fleet missile ship.” That’s a mistake – Bastion is a coastal defense cruise missile, not a sea-based weapon. The article goes on to say, citing an unnamed “highly-placed” MOD source, that “USS Ross” was within 50 meters of the “border” – presumably Russia’s territorial waters.

What’s strange is that both anonymously-sourced reports would have you remember, but then forget, that one or more Russian naval ships, armed with guns and anti-ship cruise missiles, were trailing the U.S. destroyer at the time. This raises several obvious questions:

• Why did the escorts not operate between Crimea and the destroyer to prevent the latter from entering or coming that close to Russian territorial waters?
• Why were SU-24s scrambled to deal with the incursion? Where the escorts incapable of dealing with that mission?
• Why would the destroyer even attempt such a dangerous undertaking knowing that the Crimean-based SSC-5 Stooge and SSC-6 Sennight coastal defense cruise missiles, as well as the escort ships and land-based fighter-bombers, could and likely would respond to an incursion?

If this incident occurred on Friday or Saturday, then it would have coincided with the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore, which was attended by U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and Russian Deputy Minister of Defense Anatoliy Antonov. And Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s introduction of former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili as governor of the Odessa region.

Did SU-24s fly near “USS Ross” as it operated in the Black Sea? Yes, as the U.S. 6th Fleet confirmed on Sunday. No official statement has yet been made by either side as to exactly when and where this activity occurred. The RF Ministry of Defense and Ministry for Foreign Affairs have been silent about the “incident” all weekend – probably because no serious “incident” actually occurred. The official websites for both agencies were open for business and publishing news over the weekend, but not a single mention of any "incident."

RF Ministry for Foreign Affairs silent on Black Sea "incident"

But “non-incidents” don’t sell newspapers, nor do they generate advertising money. So, expect both Russian and non-Russian media outlets alike to rehash the event on Monday as they bring in “experts” (with no reliable access to the details of the event) who will state unequivocally that Russia or the U.S. or NATO (depending on which country you’re in) is destabilizing regional security in the Black Sea. Expect flashy, nonsensical headlines, like “NATO-Russia Cold War Stand-Off in Black Sea” or “Did Putin Order Strike on U.S. Destroyer?”

It would be interesting to attend the next INCSEA [English] [Russian] talks to hear what either side has to say about the most recent event... if anything.

Salyut Beats MOD in “Vitse-Admiral Kulakov” Case

On April 12, 2002, the Russian MOD (Naval Directorate of the Chief of Shipbuilding, Weapons, and Weapons Maintenance) signed a contract (#713/03/28/KN/0321-02) with Salyut Scientific Production Enterprise under which Salyut was to complete experimental design work “Rybets”. On September 25, 2010, the sides signed a Supplementary Agreement (#704/28/3/REV/D018/0115-10) which further defined certain stages and sub-stages of the state contract, to include:

Stage 9 – confirmation of the working design documentation in order to set up serial production of the 5N-30N; cost of this stage: RUB 1,672,654; work commencement: November 6, 2010; work conclusion: November 25, 2010

Stage 16 – confirmation of the working design documentation in order to set up serial production of the UN-30112; cost of this stage: RUB 1,670,858; work commencement: November 6, 2010; work conclusion: November 25, 2010

Stage 17 – confirmation of the working design documentation in order to set up serial production of the 511-3011; cost of this stage: RUB 1,170,858; work commencement: November 6, 2010; work conclusion: November 25, 2010

Prototypes of the 5P-30N (Fregat-N) and 5P-30N2 (Fregat-N2) radars, as well as the 5P-30P radar data processing system, were originally scheduled to be tested on Udaloy I-class destroyer “Vitse-Admiral Kulakov” in March-April 2010; however, due to an unanticipated issue with the ship’s hull that required dock repairs, the testing was delayed until November 25, 2010. Initial testing was completed on October 15, 2010, and the prototypes were handed over to the MOD for state testing on the same date. However, according to RF Navy Commander-in-Chief Decision #721/ОНК/5538  - “Preparing Project 1155 Large ASW Ship “Vitse-Admiral Kulakov” to Join the Permanent Ready Forces and Transfer to Its Homeport” (dated September 22, 2010), the destroyer was accepted before state testing and acceptance of the 5P-30N, 5P-30N2, and 5P-30P could be completed.

Both sides signed a joint decision on January 31, 2011, that reiterated that initial testing of the prototype equipment had been completed, but due to the destroyer’s transfer from the Baltic Fleet to the Northern Fleet, state testing could not be completed earlier than 2011. According to the decision, state testing would be finished during the second quarter of 2011, and all actions related to preparing the prototypes for serial production would be completed in October 2011. Based on Northern Fleet leadership input, a decision was made by the state acceptance committee to conduct state testing of the prototype equipment by September 30, 2011.

The end date was further pushed back until December 1, 2011, due to the requirement for the destroyer to undergo a 41-day shipyard repair period between October 1 and November 10. The at-sea test date was set for November 16. After several more delays, the destroyer finally got underway for testing – but without any industry personnel on board, thus preventing the completion of state testing. Salyut complained to the Northern Fleet commander, who in turn ordered the ship back to sea on December 6 to perform the state testing. Several fleet aircraft (IL-20 Coot A, IL-38 May, and KA-27 Helix) provided support for that day’s testing. Based on the first day's results, everyone agreed the prototype equipment was ready for a live missile launch against a P-120RM target missile the next day. However, on December 7, the ship’s 3R-95/Kinzhal (SA-N-9/Gauntlet) surface-to-air missile suffered a malfunction that the crew could not fix. Since, without the SA-N-9, the ship would be unable to protect itself in the event the P-120RM target missile veered off course, a decision was made to suspend state testing and return to port. The ship returned to port on December 8, and fleet personnel began removing the ship’s weapons on December 9 in advance of placing the destroyer in a dry dock. The Northern Fleet agreed that the next time the ship would be available to perform state testing of the prototype equipment would be February 2012.

On November 27, 2013, the MOD filed a suit against Salyut for failure to full its contractual obligations by the stated deadline. In its suit, the MOD sought RUB 1,561,589 in fines for non-fulfillment of the contract.

On February 20, 2014, the Arbitration Court of Moscow issued a ruling in the case (#A40-169577/2013) in favor of Salyut, stating that Salyut could not be blamed for the MOD’s inability to provide the proper equipment (i.e., operable destroyer with operable SA-N-9) within the stated time frame.

Not satisfied with the verdict, the MOD filed an appeal with the 9th Arbitration Appellate Court on April 29, 2014. The court upheld the lower court’s decision on June 11.

On August 14, the MOD filed a final appeal with the Arbitration Court of the Moscow District, which similarly dismissed the case in line with the two previous decisions.

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?

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.

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."