The Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy is conducting exercises in the Caspian Sea.
This was reported by the RF Ministry of Defense.
The maneuvers take place as part of the final inspection of the department for 2020.
“During the exercise, the crews of the missile ships Dagestan and Tatarstan, as well as the small missile ships Uglich and Veliky Ustyug, will perform exercises in control artillery and missile firing at sea against air and sea targets, acting as part of a grouping, together with aviation of the Southern Military District, "the Defense Ministry's website says.
Check for 2020: ships of the Caspian flotilla went to the exercises
The ministry clarified that the strike ship group during the exercises will work out the tasks of deploying support, protection and defense forces for the subjects of maritime economic activity.
In addition, a scenario for the elimination of illegal armed groups in the area of protected facilities will be worked out.
“On the transition to the designated sea area to perform combat training tasks, the crews of the ships of the Caspian Flotilla (CFL) conducted a set of naval exercises, during which the formation headquarters tested the knowledge and practical skills of watch officers in sailing and maneuvering ships in order as part of ship strike groups ( KUG), classes were held with the officers on the organization of air and mine defense at sea, ”the Defense Ministry said.
The exercises are taking place in the central part of the Caspian Sea north of the Absheron Peninsula.
Six ships, seven aircraft and over 400 military personnel take part in the maneuvers.
It is specified that the exercises are being conducted to assess the level of combat and technical readiness of the Caspian Flotilla.
“The measures taken as part of the control check do not pose any threat and do not impose restrictions on the economic activities of the Caspian states,” the Defense Ministry stressed.
After the announcement of the start of the maneuvers, the defense ministry clarified that the crews of the naval strike groups (KUG) had already conducted communications training.
The training tasks included the establishment in various ways of communication channels between ships, as well as with the coastal control center of the flotilla, communication centers of the permanent basing points of ships, as well as with the calculations of the Sunflower radar.
In addition, while moving to sea ranges, the military conducted an exercise to eliminate the consequences of the use of weapons of mass destruction by a conventional enemy.
"According to the plan of the exercise, there was a threat of the use of weapons of mass destruction by a conditional enemy using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) along the course of movement of the KUG ships," the Defense Ministry said.
The drone was destroyed by naval air defense systems, and the crews in the RCB-protection equipment carried out the decontamination of the conventionally contaminated areas.
Note that the Caspian Flotilla regularly participates in various maneuvers, including international ones.
So, in early October, the Marine Corps of the Caspian Flotilla practiced repelling an attack by a conditional illegal armed formation at the checkpoint of a military town.
In September, a large-scale international exercise "Caucasus - 2020" took place, in the naval part of which the groups of the Black Sea Fleet and the Caspian Flotilla, as well as the Iranian navy, took part.
Earlier, in May of this year, the crews of the Caspian Flotilla ships - the Veliky Ustyug ship and the Stupinets missile boat - conducted a routine exercise to repel an air attack using electronic warfare (EW) and air defense (AD) installations.
Natural pantry
Recall that the Caspian Flotilla is part of the structure of the Southern Military District.
It includes about 30 different ships, the basis of the unit's striking power is the ships of the project 11661K "Tatarstan" and "Dagestan", as well as small missile boats of projects 21630 and 21631 "Astrakhan", "Volgodonsk", "Makhachkala" and "Uglich".
From the air, the flotilla is covered by air defense units, as well as an operational group of combat aircraft based at the Uytash airfield (Makhachkala).
It consists of Su-27SM3 fighters, which accompany the ships of the flotilla and take part in naval exercises.
The most formidable weapon of the flotilla are the Kalibr-NK missile systems designed for launching the Kalibr cruise missiles.
BTR-82A armored personnel carriers leave the shelter at the Kavkaz-2020 command post exercise at the Kapustin Yar training ground
For the first time, the combat launch of Kalibr missiles took place in the Caspian Sea in October 2015.
Then the ships of the Caspian Flotilla made 26 missile launches at terrorist targets in Syria.
The missiles covered a distance of almost 1.5 thousand kilometers and hit the command posts and ammunition depots of the militants.
After the collapse of the USSR, the Caspian Flotilla was based in Astrakhan, but in 2018, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced the creation of a naval base in Kaspiysk (Dagestan).
Currently, the city continues to build the facilities necessary for the redeployment of the flotilla.
So, on October 11 it became known about the delivery of a residential complex for military personnel.
The second stage of work will begin in 2021.
As military expert Alexei Leonkov noted in an interview with RT, the decision to transfer the base of the Caspian Flotilla was based on the practical needs of the fleet.
“The capabilities of the Caspian Flotilla base in Astrakhan were rather small, for example, it was inconvenient to receive ships from the far sea zone there.
In Dagestan, the most convenient bay was chosen for the base, which has convenient communications for supply, ”the expert explained.
A similar opinion is held by the doctor of military sciences, captain of the 1st rank, retired Konstantin Sivkov.
“The decision to move the base was due to the fact that the Caspian Sea near Astrakhan had become so shallow that the basing of ships there became impossible,” he said in an interview with RT.
Recall that from 1920 to 1991, the only countries that had access to the Caspian Sea were Iran and the USSR; bilateral agreements were in force between them.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, new Caspian states emerged - Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.
For almost three decades, the discussion on the division of spheres of influence in this area continued.
In August 2018, the Caspian countries signed the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea, which enshrined the rights and obligations of each of the parties.
In particular, it was found that the width of the territorial waters of the Caspian states may be 15 nautical miles.
On guard of tranquility
Experts also pay special attention to the strategic role of the Caspian Sea for Russia.
“For the Russian Federation, the Caspian Sea plays an important military-strategic and economic role.
This is the same waterway as the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea.
Although the Caspian Sea is closed, there are many countries around it with which Russia has trade agreements, ”Leonkov says.
Speaking about the exercises of the Caspian Flotilla, the expert explained that the military sailors are now working out tasks that are important for Russian interests in the Caspian.
“Today, the Caspian Flotilla is working out the planned tasks that ensure the tranquility of Russia in this region,” the expert said.
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© Vadim Savitsky / Press Service of the RF Ministry of Defense
Leonkov specified that one of the tasks of the Caspian Flotilla is to ensure freedom of navigation.
“In addition, it guards the oil facilities that Russia operates jointly with the Caspian countries.
Such objects are especially in need of protection when hostilities are being conducted nearby, ”the expert added.
As Konstantin Sivkov noted, during the exercises, the Caspian Flotilla is working out tasks related to ensuring the national security of the Russian Federation from various kinds of threats, including terrorist organizations.
According to the expert, the Caspian Sea plays a huge role for Russia, since there are also unique fishing resources there.
“In addition, this is an important springboard in terms of ensuring national security for the armed forces of both Russia and other countries.
In addition, this water area within its limits can be an important sea communication for the Caspian countries.
Obviously, within the framework of the exercises, the protection of oil facilities, as well as of the basing areas, will be worked out, ”the expert summed up.