Are Kalibr Ships Transferring to the Baltic Fleet?

"Zelenyy Dol" -- February 14, 2016

(credit: Yörük Işık)

This morning, shipspotters Alper Böler, Devrim Yaylali, and Yörük Işık photographed Russian Navy patrol combatants "Serpukhov" and "Zelenyy Dol" as they headed south through the Turkish Straits. The two ships earlier returned to Sevastopol on September 17 following a 38-day deployment to the eastern Mediterranean Sea. During that deployment, both ships launched 3M-14 Kalibr land-attack cruise missiles into Syria.

After a three-week break, "Serpukhov" and "Zelenyy Dol" are headed back to the Mediterranean Sea - possibly with a final destination in the Baltic Sea.

(credit: Main Intelligence Directorate - Ukrainian Ministry of Defense)

On September 16, the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Ministry of Defense reported on its website that the two patrol combatants were scheduled to begin a transfer to the Baltic Fleet on September 24 using Russia's inland waterway system. Such a transfer would have required sufficient lead time to remove a portion of the ships' superstructures. With such a tight timeline (September 17-24), this option seemed unlikely. And the ships remained idle until they departed port yesterday.

"Serpukhov" and "Zelenyy Dol" could temporarily increase the Russian Navy's presence in the eastern Mediterranean; however, the Malta Ship & Actions Photos website claims the two ships will call in Valletta, Malta, in mid-October. According to the website, the ships will be supported by salvage tug "SB-36", which has been deployed to the Mediterranean Sea since last month. It should be noted that Malta Ship & Actions Photos reported last month that "Serpukhov" and "Zelenyy Dol" would visit Valletta on September 29-October 2, which did not occur. As the website has a good record of reporting on future Valletta port calls, the discrepancy in the Russian ships' port call dates is likely related to a scheduling change.

Having traveled that far west with a tug, it seems even more likely that "Serpukhov" and "Zelenyy Dol" will continue to the Baltic Sea. But the small patrol combatants will require several port calls (Ceuta? Lisbon?) and/or logistical support by a naval tanker.

The Baltic Fleet would benefit greatly from the introduction of Kalibr-armed warships. While Kalibr-capable ships and submarines are tested in the Baltic Sea before being transferred to the Black Sea Fleet, the Baltic Fleet currently has no Kalibr-capable ships or submarines in its own permanent inventory.

Simultaneous Exercises by Black Sea Fleet, Caspian Flotilla Kalibr Ships

Patrol combatants "Zelenyy Dol" (left) and "Serpukhov" (right)

On August 9, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that three Kalibr-capable Caspian Flotilla combatants will take part in an exercise in the southwestern portion of the Caspian Sea on August 15-20. The frigates "Tatarstan" (not Kalibr-capable) and "Dagestan", along with the patrol combatants "Grad Sviyazhsk" and "Velikiy Ustyug" will conduct gunnery and missile drills during the exercise.

On August 11, defense officials announced that the Black Sea Fleet's two Kalibr-capable patrol combatants, "Serpukhov" and "Zelenyy Dol", had departed Sevastopol en route to the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Those two ships, together with other ships assigned to Russia's Standing Mediterranean Sea Task Group, are scheduled to begin a "graded tactical exercise" on August 15. As with the Caspian Sea exercise, this exercise will include gunnery and missile drills.

Flight bans for Russian Navy exercises -- August 15-20, 2016

Flight bans have been announced for the eastern Mediterranean Sea exercise:

A0837/16 - RUSSIAN NAVY EXERCISE (ROCKET TEST FIRINGS) WILL TAKE PLACE IN AREA BOUNDED BY: 344400N0345800E, 351300N0345800E, 351300N0353300E, 344400N0353300E. SFC - FL660, 0500-1700, 15 AUG 05:00 2016 UNTIL 20 AUG 17:00 2016.

A0838/16 - RUSSIAN NAVY EXERCISE (ROCKET TEST FIRINGS) WILL TAKE PLACE IN AREA BOUNDED BY: 351900N0300000E, 350500N0302500E, 350900N0304400E, 354300N0300000E. SFC - FL660, 0500-1700, 15 AUG 05:00 2016 UNTIL 20 AUG 17:00 2016.

These two exercises are likely linked to next month's scheduled "Kavkaz-2016" operational-strategic exercise.

Kalibr Missile Shooter Heading to Mediterranean Sea

"Zelenyy Dol" and "Kovrovets" returning to Sevastopol -- February 12, 2016

"Zelenyy Dol", a patrol ship capable of firing land-attack and anti-ship cruise missiles, and sea-going minesweeper "Kovrovets" departed Sevastopol today to join the Russian Navy's Mediterranean Sea Standing Task Group. This marks the first deployment of the patrol ship to the Mediterranean Sea since it joined the Russian Navy in December 2015. Is this simply a "rotation of forces", as the Southern Military District's press release indicates, or will "Zelenyy Dol" launch missiles into Syria?

"Zelenyy Dol" and its sister ship "Serpukhov" arrived in the Black Sea in late July 2015 for sea trials, were handed over to the Ministry of Defense in November, and were commissioned in December. At no time during the sea trials did defense officials announce that "Zelenyy Dol" or "Serpukhov" had fired either the SS-N-27 anti-ship cruise missile or the SS-N-30 land-attack cruise missile. Thus, both ships joined the Russian Navy on a provisional basis. The Syrian crisis now affords Moscow the opportunity to test fire the SS-N-30 from "Zelenyy Dol" and possibly "Serpukhov" in the near future.

Admiral Aleksandr Vitko on board "Zelenyy Dol" -- January 2016

Both ships conducted at-sea combat training in January; Black Sea Fleet Commander Admiral Aleksandr Vitko was on "Zelenyy Dol" to observe and grade that crew's performance. And both ships participated in this past week's Southern Military District surprise combat readiness inspection.

Area closure for Russian Navy exercise -- February 8-11, 2016

An area closure and flight bans for a "Russian Navy exercise" in the eastern Mediterranean Sea were in effect on February 8-11. As of today, there are no announced area closures or flight bans that would indicate if or when "Zelenyy Dol" will launch missiles into Syria; however, those could be announced at anytime.