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.

Update: "Transshelf" Departs Russia with Nuke Boats

Locations of "Transshelf" and "Vaygach" - September 15-19, 2014 (Map courtesy of Google Earth)

Dockwise semi-submersible heavy-lift vessel "Transshelf", with Akula I-class nuclear-powered submarines "Bratsk" and "Samara" loaded on board, continues its transit of the Arctic Northern Sea Route. "Transshelf" transited through the Sannikov Strait on September 16, the Laptev Sea on September 17, and through the Vilkitskiy Strait and into the Kara Sea by September 18. Both vessels were traveling at nearly 14 knots at that point.

By 0800 GMT today, the two vessels had separated. "Vaygach" was dead in the water within Zaliv Volchiy, while "Transshelf" continued a 13.6-knot southwesterly transit of the Kara Sea. If it continues an average 13-knot speed of advance, "Transshelf" could arrive in Severodvinsk on September 22; however, it earlier had an estimated arrival date of September 23.

For earlier reporting:

Why is the Netherlands Helping the Russian Navy Right Now? (August 14, 2014)

Nuke Boats Loaded on Heavy-Lift Vessels (August 28, 2014)

"Transshelf" Departs Russia With Nuke Boats (August 31, 2014)

"HYSY 278" Departs Russia With Oscar II SSGN (September 3, 2014)

Status of Russian Navy Nuke Boat Transfers (September 5, 2014) 

"HYSY 278" Arrives Near Bolshoy Kamen With Oscar II SSGN (September 7, 2014

Update: "Transshelf" Departs Russia With Nuke Boats (September 10, 2014)

Update: Status of Russian Navy Nuke Boat Transfers (September 11, 2014)

Update: "Transshelf" Departs Russia with Nuke Boats (September 16, 2014)

Update: "Transshelf" Departs Russia with Nuke Boats

Locations of "50 Let Pobedy" and "Transshelf" - September 12-15, 2014 (Map courtesy of Google Earth)

Over the past weekend, the nuclear-powered icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy", which had earlier concluded icebreaker support for a Russian Navy Northern Fleet task group heading to the New Siberian Islands, rendezvoused with the Dockwise semi-submersible heavy-lift vessel "Transshelf" (with two Akula I-class nuclear-powered submarines loaded on board). The units began a westerly transit of the East Siberian Sea and were located approximately 115nm east of Bolshoy Lyakhovskiy Island (just south of Kotelnyy Island) at 0800 GMT on September 15.

"Transshelf" is now scheduled to depart the Northern Sea Route (NSR) on September 20, five days after the original end date of its approved transit window. On September 11, understanding the vessel would exceed the September 15 deadline, Zvezdochka Ship Repair Center requested an extension of the NSR transit window. The NSR Administration approved the request the following day and granted "Transshelf" permission to operate along the NSR through September 30.

For earlier reporting:

Why is the Netherlands Helping the Russian Navy Right Now? (August 14, 2014)

Nuke Boats Loaded on Heavy-Lift Vessels (August 28, 2014)

"Transshelf" Departs Russia With Nuke Boats (August 31, 2014)

"HYSY 278" Departs Russia With Oscar II SSGN (September 3, 2014)

Status of Russian Navy Nuke Boat Transfers (September 5, 2014) 

"HYSY 278" Arrives Near Bolshoy Kamen With Oscar II SSGN (September 7, 2014

Update: "Transshelf" Departs Russia With Nuke Boats (September 10, 2014)

Update: Status of Russian Navy Nuke Boat Transfers (September 11, 2014)

New SSBNs Will Not Transfer to Pacific Fleet in 2014

Dolgorukiy SSBN "Aleksandr Nevskiy" and crew - December 2010 (Photo courtesy of SevMash)

Despite multiple claims of the transfer of one or more Dolgorukiy-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines to the Russian Navy Pacific Fleet this year, there are serious issues preventing this from happening.

"Aleksandr Nevskiy"
The submarine was accepted into the Navy on December 23, 2013, and it arrived at its new homeport of Gadzhiyevo a week later. The day after its arrival, SevMash (which builds the Dolgorukiy SSBN) reported plans to repair a "damaged shaft" on the submarine sometime in 2014. The estimated repair cost was stated at just under RUB 1.8 million, considerably less than a new shaft. The scope of damage is not known, but it appears it was damaged sometime during the transfer from Severodvinsk to Gadzhiyevo. If it was known that the shaft was damaged before leaving the White Sea, the submarine would have returned to SevMash.

To date there has been no mention of the shaft being repaired. More importantly, there has been no reporting of "Aleksandr Nevskiy" conducting even one day of underway training since arriving at Gadzhiyevo. All news articles mentioning the submarine this year have focused on speculation of an inter-fleet transfer or possible SS-N-32 Bulava SLBM launches.

"Aleksandr Nevskiy" Crew 1, until recently commanded by Captain 1st Rank Vasiliy Tankovid, underwent submarine training at the 270th Training Center (Sosnovyy Bor) in January-April 2014. Following a brief vacation period, Tankovid apparently was replaced by Captain 2nd Rank Aleksandr Nadezhdin, who was the commanding officer of "Vladimir Monomakh". Reporting this year continues to show Nadezhdin on board "Vladimir Monomakh", which could suggest he will not transfer to "Aleksandr Nevskiy" until its repairs are completed.

The window for conducting an under-ice inter-fleet transfer is quickly closing. A review of prior under-ice transfers shows August-September as the optimal period for such an operation. Before such an operation can be undertaken, however, you need to have a fully functional submarine and a highly trained crew, neither of which appears to exist today.

Finally, an anonymous "source in the Navy Main Staff" told ITAR-TASS in late March that, in fact, "Aleksandr Nevskiy" and "Vladimir Monomakh" would conduct under-ice transfers to the Pacific Fleet in the fall of 2015.

Base infrastructure
Waterfront infrastructure upgrades at Rybachiy Submarine base (Russian Far East - Kamchatka Peninsula) to support Dolgorukiy SSBN basing have been underway for at least two years. In 2013, construction of a new weapons handling pier at Mys Kazak (near Rybachiy Submarine Base) was underway. Contracts related to the pier covered the delivery of Japanese-manufactured sheet piling, 5,000 cubic meters of concrete, and multiple electrical connections to the local power grid, to name a few.

The infrastructure upgrades have been plagued by at least two significant worker accidents. On October 28, 2013, a 28-year-old bulldozer operator from the Monolit construction company was killed when 50 tons of dry cement fell on a shed where he was taking a break. And the source of that cement, which is being used for the Rybachiy Submarine Base infrastructure upgrades, may be imported through shady dealings (business as usual in the Far East) via ITA, according to a Kamchatka local newspaper.

On February 11, 2014, a sling operator was seriously injured after the sling of a wheeled crane broke during the removal of sheet piling. The accident occurred 22 meters from the end of a new deep-water pier under construction at the 3002nd Missile Handling Facility (Mys Kazak).

Complicating the situation was a court case in July of this year in which Mikhail Lunyakov (Chief of Special Construction-Engineering - Federal Special Construction Agency (SpetsStroy)) received an administrative fine of RUB 20,000 by the 289th State Architecture and Construction Oversight Office (headed by Vadim Lapushkin) for failing to receive permission before beginning construction work related to Pier 1 of the missile handling facility. It's never a good thing when government agencies sue each other.

Despite these minor setbacks, SpetsStroy continues to report progress in the infrastructure upgrade project. In June 2014, the agency claimed construction of the "pier zone" was on schedule. In July, SpetsStroy reported renovation of a 400psi high-pressure air compressor station and a personal rescue equipment inspection station also were on schedule.

In late August, General Surovikin, head of the Eastern Military District, stated "Aleksandr Nevskiy" should transfer to the Pacific Fleet by the end of 2014. But reporting during Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Viktor Chirkov's visit to the submarine base in early September is strikingly different. Instead of the submarine arriving this year, defense ministry reporters stated Dolgorukiy SSBNs would join the Pacific Fleet "in the future."

So, regardless of claims you have already heard and others you may hear later this year, no Dolgorukiy SSBN will be transferring to the Pacific Fleet in 2014.

Update: Status of Russian Navy Nuke Boat Transfers

Oscar II SSGN "Chelyabinsk" on "Transshelf" near Bolshoy Kamen, September 9, 2014 (Photo credit: VitTE)

Quick updates of the submarine transfers:

• Today, four days after arriving near Bolshoy Kamen, the Dockwise semi-submersible heavy-lift vessel "Hai Yang Shi You 278" finally offloaded Oscar II-class nuclear-powered submarine "Chelyabinsk", according to a local resident. Here's a short video of "HYSY 278" anchored in Ussuriyskiy Bay near Bolshoy Kamen before the submarine was offloaded.
• The Dockwise semi-submersible heavy-lift vessel remains anchored in the exact same position as it was yesterday. The icebreaker "Krasin" did arrive in Pevek by 0800 GMT yesterday. When the icebreaker will depart port remains a mystery.

For earlier reporting:

Why is the Netherlands Helping the Russian Navy Right Now? (August 14, 2014)

Nuke Boats Loaded on Heavy-Lift Vessels (August 28, 2014)

"Transshelf" Departs Russia With Nuke Boats (August 31, 2014)

"HYSY 278" Departs Russia With Oscar II SSGN (September 3, 2014)

Status of Russian Navy Nuke Boat Transfers (September 5, 2014) 

"HYSY 278" Arrives Near Bolshoy Kamen With Oscar II SSGN (September 7, 2014

Update: "Transshelf" Departs Russia With Nuke Boats (September 10, 2014)

Update: "Transshelf" Departs Russia with Nuke Boats

Locations of "Krasin" and "Transshelf" - September 9, 2014 (Map courtesy of Google Earth)

For at least two days, the Dockwise semi-submersible heavy-lift vessel "Transshelf", with two Akula I-class nuclear-powered submarines loaded on board, has been awaiting the arrival of an unknown icebreaker while anchored about 115nm west of Icy Point, Alaska. The closest Russian icebreaker is "Krasin"; however, it was nearly 410nm east of "Transshelf" heading to Pevek yesterday. Perhaps after a short port call, "Krasin" will rendezvous with "Transshelf" and escort it through the icepack. At an average speed of 8kts, it will take two and a half days for "Krasin" to travel from Pevek to "Transshelf" at its current position. "Transshelf" is now expected to exit the Northern Sea Route (NSR) no earlier than September 18 -- three days after the approved NSR transit window.

For earlier reporting:

Why is the Netherlands Helping the Russian Navy Right Now? (August 14, 2014)

Nuke Boats Loaded on Heavy-Lift Vessels (August 28, 2014)

"Transshelf" Departs Russia With Nuke Boats (August 31, 2014)

"HYSY 278" Departs Russia With Oscar II SSGN (September 3, 2014)

Status of Russian Navy Nuke Boat Transfers (September 5, 2014) 

"HYSY 278" Arrives Near Bolshoy Kamen With Oscar II SSGN (September 7, 2014)

"HYSY 278" Arrives Near Bolshoy Kamen With Oscar II SSGN

Track of "Hai Yang Shi You 278", September 7, 2014
(Map courtesy of Google Maps)

As expected, the Dockwise semi-submersible heavy-lift vessel "Hai Yang Shi You 278" arrived in the vicinity of the Zvezda Far East Shipyard today with Oscar II-class nuclear-powered submarine "Chelyabinsk" on board. The trip from the Kamchatka Peninsula, through the Sea of Okhotsk, La Perouse Strait, and Sea of Japan took seven days. The ship traveled the nearly 1460nm in 166 hours, which equates to an average speed of 8.8 knots (there were a few times it traveled in excess of 13 knots). It arrived at its current position (about 4nm west of the shipyard) during the 0700 GMT hour (1800 local time) -- four hours ahead of its earlier estimated time of arrival -- and has remained there ever since.

For earlier reporting:

Why is the Netherlands Helping the Russian Navy Right Now? (August 14, 2014)

Nuke Boats Loaded on Heavy-Lift Vessels (August 28, 2014)

"Transshelf" Departs Russia With Nuke Boats (August 31, 2014)

"HYSY 278" Departs Russia With Oscar II SSGN (September 3, 2014)

Status of Russian Navy Nuke Boat Transfers (September 5, 2014)

Status of Russian Navy Nuke Boat Transfers

Locations of "Hai Yang Shi You 278" and "Transshelf" on September 4, 2014 [Map courtesy of Google Maps]

The Dockwise semi-submersible vessels "Hai Yang Shi You 278" and "Transshelf" continue to ferry their submarine cargo to their respective destinations:

• "Hai Yang Shi You 278", with Oscar II-class nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine "Chelyabinsk" on board, has entered the Sea of Okhotsk and was located about 150nm north of Iturup Island at 1100 GMT on September 4. The vessel's estimated time of arrival at Zvezda Far East Ship in Bolshoy Kamen is 1100 GMT on September 7.
• "Transshelf", with Akula I-class nuclear-powered submarines "Bratsk" and "Samara" on board, has transited the Bering Strait and was located about 25nm northwest of Diomid Island at 0800 GMT on September 4.

For earlier reporting:

Why is the Netherlands Helping the Russian Navy Right Now? (August 14, 2014)

Nuke Boats Loaded on Heavy-Lift Vessels (August 28, 2014)

"Transshelf" Departs Russia With Nuke Boats (August 31, 2014)

"HYSY 278" Departs Russia With Oscar II SSGN (September 3, 2014)

"HYSY 278" Departs Russia With Oscar II SSGN

Locations of "Hai Yang Shi You 278" on September 2, 2014

The Dockwise semi-submersible heavy-lift vessel "Hai Yang Shi You 278" departed Avachinskaya Guba (Russia) on September 2 after having onloaded Russian Navy Pacific Fleet Oscar II-class nuclear-powered submarine "Chelyabinsk" over a week ago. The ship departed its mooring position during the 0900 GMT hour, exited the bay, turned south, and was located about 36nm southeast of Mys Mayachnyy at 1400 GMT. "HYSY" should arrive at Zvezda Far East Shipyard with one week.

For earlier reporting:

Why is the Netherlands Helping the Russian Navy Right Now? (August 14, 2014)

Nuke Boats Loaded on Heavy-Lift Vessels (August 28, 2014)

"Transshelf" Departs Russia With Nuke Boats (August 31, 2014)

"Transshelf" Departs Russia with Nuke Boats

Locations of "Hai Yang Shi You 278" (pink) and "Transshelf" (green) on August 30

The Dockwise semi-submersible heavy-lift vessel "Transshelf" departed Avachinskaya Guba (Russia) today after having onloaded two Russian Navy Pacific Fleet Akula I-class nuclear-powered submarines last week. At 1200 GMT today, it was located about 8nm southeast of Mys Mayachnyy. "Transshelf" is now expected to transit the Arctic Northern Sea Route and arrive in the White Sea in approximately two weeks.

Meanwhile, the Dockwise semi-submersible heavy-lift vessel "Hai Yang Shi You 278", with an Oscar II-class nuclear-powered missile submarine on board, remains anchored in Avachinskaya Guba.

For previous reporting, see my August 14 and August 28 blog entries.

Russia Keeping Tabs on Alaska

Location of Balzam-class intelligence collection ship "SSV-80" [Map courtesy of Google Maps]

The Russian Navy Pacific Fleet's Balzam-class intelligence collection ship "SSV-80" (aka "Pribaltika") was spotted in late August in the Chukchi Sea, about 57nm northwest of Icy Point and about 147nm west of Point Barrow, Alaska. I wonder if this is part of the upcoming (already ongoing?) exercise Vostok-2014 that I mentioned a few days ago. Or, perhaps, the Northern Fleet task group that is preparing to depart Severomorsk will travel farther east than the New Siberian Islands as has been reported by the RF Ministry of Defense.

Nuke Boats Loaded on Heavy-Lift Vessels

Akula I SSN "Samara" (left) and "Bratsk" (right) loaded on TRANSSHELF [photo: Express-Kamchatka]

                                                     [click here for August 30 update]

As a quick update to my previous post, Both Akula I-class nuclear-powered submarine "Bratsk" and "Samara" were loaded on the semi-submersible heavy-lift vessel "Transshelf", and Oscar II-class nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine "Chelyabinsk" on the semi-submersible heavy-lift vessel "Hai Yang Shi You 278" over the past few days. The loading operations took place in Avachinskaya Guba near 5258N 15832E. Both vessels are expected to begin their respective transits in the next 48 hours.

Russia's Secret Naval Exercise

Depictions of area closures [Courtesy: Google Earth; Data: GEBCO, NGA, NOAA, SIO, U.S. Navy]

Russian Navy public affairs officers must be on extended summer vacations, because they haven't been churning out press releases on a major exercise off the Kamchatka Peninsula (Russian Far East) set to commence as early as this Thursday. I mean, with all these recent reports of ghost submarines appearing off Russian coastlines, someone's got to be in the office -- those intelligence leaks didn't just happen by themselves. [More on the ghost submarines in a later blog entry.]

Two area closures have been announced for August 28 through September 5:

• HYDROPAC 2470/14 (larger area closure)
  
  KAMCHATKA-SOUTHEAST COAST.
  MISSILES.
  1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS 2000Z TO 0800Z COMMENCING
  DAILY 28, 29 AUG, 04 AND 05 SEP
  IN AREA BOUND BY
  50-06-18N 161-38-54E, 50-34-48N 160-14-30E,
  51-23-54N 159-44-24E, 52-16-24N 158-31-30E,
  53-05-48N 160-01-48E, 51-28-54N 163-34-00E,
  51-08-18N 163-18-30E, 50-16-12N 162-11-00E.
  2. CANCEL THIS MSG 060900Z SEP 14.//
  
  Authority: NAVAREA XIII 77/14 230915Z AUG 14.
  Cancel: 06090000 Sep 14

• HYDROPAC 2482/14 (smaller area closure)
  
  WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC.
  KAMCHATKA-SOUTHEAST COAST.
  GUNNERY.
  1. GUNNERY EXERCISES 1900Z TO 0800Z COMMENCING
  DAILY 30 AUG THRU 03 SEP IN AREA BETWEEN
  52-30N 52-41N AND 159-44E 160-07E.
  2. CANCEL THIS MSG 040900Z SEP 14.//
  
  Authority: NAVAREA XIII 79/14 250916Z AUG 14.
  Cancel: 04090000 Sep 14

So, what's happening here? According to internet chatter, the following surface combatants recently transited (or soon might) from the Pacific Fleet's main naval base in Vladivostok to ports on the Kamchatka Peninsula (arriving on August 25):

• Slava-class cruiser "Varyag"
• Sovremennyy-class destroyer "Bystryy" (may have engine problems)
• Udaloy I-class destroyers "Admiral Panteleyev", "Admiral Vinogradov", and "Marshal Shaposhnikov" (the latter will join up in September)
• Grisha III-class light frigate "Kholmsk"
• Grisha V-class light frigate "Sovetskaya Gavan"

The large area closure is well suited for the SS-N-12/Sandbox and SS-N-22/Sunburn anti-ship cruise missiles fired by the Slava and Sovremennyy, respectively.

Is this the start of this year's premier military exercise - Vostok-2014? Previous mentions of Vostok-2014 only indicated that the exercise would occur in September, and most recently, in mid-September. And one netizen wrote, "[Vostok-2014] will last the entire month of September." Military public affairs officers oddly have not provided more definitive dates. If this week's events aren't part of Vostok-2014, then they certainly are meant to prepare ships' crews for it.

Also, according to internet chatter, many of these combatant ships will be away from Vladivostok for up to one month, leaving them plenty of time to conduct additional combat drills. This tidbit of information could confirm the "visible" (to the media) part of Vostok-2014 exercise will occur mid- or late September. We'll need to track President Putin's and Minister of Defense Shoygu's travel schedules over the next few weeks.

As for non-naval participation in Vostok-2014, internet chatter indicates elements of the 38th Separate Motorized-Rifle Brigade have deployed (or soon will) to the Kamchatka Peninsula. About a dozen or so Su-27SM and Su-35 fighters (from Dzemgi and/or Uglovaya) have been deployed there since at least mid-August.

Furthermore, according to internet chatter and somewhat confirmed by this company-press-release-turned-news-article, "Varyag" will continue on an extended deployment to the Indian Ocean following the Vostok-2014 exercise. The deployment has been described by one source as lasting up to six months -- unsure if that six-month counter started when "Varyag" left Vladivostok, or if it will start after Vostok-2014 is over. In either case, a sailor on board the cruiser reported recently that he is going on a deployment that will last until February 2015 during which "Varyag" will make port calls in Indonesia, Singapore, (South?) Korea, and two other unnamed ports.

Why is the Netherlands Helping the Russian Navy Right Now?

"Transshelf" ferries two Victor III SSN, July 2009 [photo: HeavyLift RU]

                                                               [click here for August 28 update]
                                                               [click here for August 30 update]

As the world continues to wait for officials to finish their investigation of the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 tragedy in which 193 Dutch citizens perished, the Dutch company Dockwise Shipping BV is quietly preparing to assist the Russian Navy ferry three nuclear-powered attack submarines to Russian shipyards. With the possibility of Russian complicity in the MH17 tragedy, why would the Netherlands allow these operations to continue?

The semi-submersible heavy-lift ship "Transshelf" departed Singapore on July 24, briefly stopped in China in early August, then continued towards Rybachiy Submarine Base on the Kamchatka Peninsula, where it arrived on August 12 (local time). Locals mistook it for "Blue Marlin", another Dockwise ship. As of August 15, "Transshelf" was anchored in Avachinskaya Bukhta near 5258N 15833E. The ship is scheduled to ferry two Akula I-class SSN ("Bratsk" and "Samara") – via the Arctic Northern Sea Route (NSR) -- to Zvezdochka Ship Repair Center in Severodvinsk (White Sea). The approved window for the NSR transit is August 25-September 15, 2014.

The second ship, "Hai Yang Shi You 278", departed Dalian, China, on August 10 and is scheduled to arrive at Rybachiy Submarine Base on August 18. It will be used to ferry an Oscar II-class SSGN ("Chelyabinsk") to Zvezda Far East Shipyard in Bolshoy Kamen (near Vladivostok).

I hope the grieving families of those who perished on MH17 are okay with this...

Update 1: Here is a news item (+ video) from July 2009 when "Transshelf" conducted the world's first ferry mission of two nuclear-powered attack submarines (Russian Victor III SSN).

Update 2: A review of the NSR Administration website indicates Zvezdochka Ship Repair Center (on behalf of Dockwise Shipping BV) submitted a request on April 14 for "Transshelf" to transit the NSR; the NSR Administration approved the request two days later.

Update 3: Updated arrival date for "Transshelf" in the Rybachiy area (August 12).

Update 4: Updated latest position for "Transshelf" as of August 15.