Russian troops on the protection of the Black Sea. How to respond to the West?
The direction of the Black Sea is included in the zone of responsibility of the Southern Military District and its troops. First of all, the defense of the region is carried out by the Red Banner Black Sea Fleet - its surface and submarine forces, as well as coastal troops. Also, various compounds of other species and genera have been deployed near the Black Sea, capable of supporting the EFC and carrying out coastal protection. Thus, Russia can claim the first place in size and power of troops in the region. Consider the Black Sea direction in more detail.
Red Banner Black Sea Fleet
At the moment, there are more than 75 ships, boats and submarines of all main classes and types in the lists of the KChF. A part of these combat units is being repaired and modernized, and so far it cannot participate in real operations. Among them, the only ship of the 1 rank is the Moskva missile cruiser (1164 Ave.). Also on repair are the guard "Ladny" (Ave. 1135) and the only submarine in the KCHF Ave. 877 - "Red Sormovo".
At the service there are five guards of three different types, carrying rocket, artillery and torpedo weapons. Among them are the three newest frigates of the 11356 Ave, which entered service in the 2016-17 years. There are amphibious forces in the 7 BDK of two projects, 1171 and 775, as well as five boats Ave 11770, 1176 and 02510. The KChF is the only operator of small missile hovercraft, 1239 Ave. - it has two such combat units. Also in the ranks there are two IRC projects 1234 and 21631. The area of rocket boats is represented by five representatives of the 1241 Ave. The 6 service of small anti-submarine ships of the 1124 project and the only patrol ship of the 22160 project are carried.
The mine-sweeping forces of the KChF include 9 ships of various types. This number includes ships of relatively old projects 1258 or 1265, as well as a representative of the modern pr. 12700. There are four reconnaissance ships of several projects. The newest of them is “Ivan Khurs” pr. 18280, which became part of fleet in the past year.
The submarine forces of the KChF include the Red Sormovo submarine, which had gone down for repair, as well as the six newest diesel-electric submarines, the 636.3 Ave. All these ships are capable of carrying modern missile and torpedo weapons. Of particular importance is the Kalibr-PL missile system, which provides the possibility of striking targets at operational strategic depth.
Finally, the Red Banner Black Sea Fleet has a developed group of vessels providing all the necessary types, from tankers and rescue boats to diving bots and hospital ships.
All ships and vessels of the KChF were consolidated into one division, seven brigades and three separate divisions. The fleet has four points of base - Sevastopol, Novorossiysk, Feodosiya and Donuzlav. At the expense of these naval bases, complete freedom of action of ships and submarines is ensured in the entire water area of the Black Sea and in the nearest regions.
Air protection
From the air, the southwestern borders of Russia can cover several formations from the composition of the Navy and VKS. First of all, it’s a sea aviation Black Sea Fleet. She owns two airbases in the Crimea - Kacha and Saki. At the Kacha aerodrome, the 318th mixed aviation regiment is based; in Saki stands the 43rd Separate Naval Assault Aviation Regiment. KChF naval aviation has several types of aircraft and helicopters. To solve various combat missions, Su-24M bombers, Su-30SM fighters, as well as Be-12 anti-submarine aircraft and Ka-27 helicopters are used. There is a fleet of transport equipment.
On the Black Sea line, air connections of the 4 th Red Banner Army of the Air Force and Air Defense can be involved. Directly in the Crimea is based 27-I mixed air division, including three air regiments. The 37 th Air Force Combined Aviation Regiment (Guards Base) operates Su-24M bombers and Su-25CM attack aircraft. At the airfield Belbek serves 38 th Fighter Regiment, at the disposal of which there are Su-27 aircraft of several modifications and newer Su-30М2. The 39 helicopter regiment is based in Dzhankoy. In its squadrons there are helicopters of types Ka-52, Mi-28 and Mi-8AMTSH.
At some distance from the Black Sea, but within the combat radius of the vehicle, a number of other air formations from the 4 Army of the Air Force and Air Defense are deployed. If necessary, numerous fighter, bomber, assault and helicopter regiments and squadrons can perform combat operations from nearby regions.
Land component
Almost all of the land part of the Russian Black Sea coast has been deployed. First of all, these are coastal forces of the KChF, the bulk of which are now concentrated in the Crimea. There is a developed land group capable of solving a wide range of tasks of various kinds in any conditions. Several compounds are based in the Krasnodar Territory.
One of the main formations of the KChF coastal forces is the 126th separate Gorlovka coastal defense brigade, including tank, artillery, infantry and other battalions. In Sevastopol, the 810th Separate Guards Brigade of the Marine Corps is based. In Temryuk, on the coast of the Sea of Azov, the 382nd separate marine corps battalion serves. On different coasts of the Black Sea there are two rocket and artillery brigades, which operate including coastal defense complexes. In Crimea, there is also the 8th separate artillery regiment covering the coastline. There is also the 1096th separate anti-aircraft missile regiment. The KChF coastal troops include all the necessary reconnaissance, RBM and support units.
In Novorossiysk and Sochi, two anti-aircraft missile regiments are stationed from the 51-th division of the air defense of the 4-th army of the Air Force and Air Defense. In Crimea, there are three regiments of the 31 th air defense division with the subordination of the 4 th army. The armament of these units consists of anti-aircraft complexes of various types, up to the long-range systems C-300PM and C-400.
In the nearby regions there are a large number of units and formations from other types of armed forces and types of troops subordinate to the command of the Southern Military District. If necessary, they can provide support to coastal forces of the FSC, but their deployment and deployment need some time. The list of units and formations called upon to aid the fleet depends on specific tasks and threats.
Block area
Available information from open sources shows the approximate potential of Russian troops in the Black Sea region. It is immediately clear that, in the event of an open conflict, formations of the Navy, coastal and land forces, air force and air defense can completely block the entire region and prevent all major threats from the likely enemy. For the latter, a so-called. A2 / AD zone, in which any effective military activity is extremely difficult or impossible.
Using the available ground, ship and airborne means, the Russian armed forces are able to create an almost continuous radar field over the Black Sea and part of the surrounding areas. Any activities of third countries will not go unnoticed, and aggressive intentions will be revealed in time. In this case, the army will be able to respond accordingly.
A significant part of the Black Sea is blocked by Russian anti-aircraft systems located in the Crimea and on the east coast. They create a highly effective echelon air defense system. Due to this, the probability of successful actions of combat aviation or high-precision armament of the enemy is sharply reduced. In the organization of air defense bases and ship connections in the sea should participate ships with the appropriate equipment and weapons.
Similarly, the situation is with the protection of the south-western frontiers from enemy surface ships. To combat them, coastal missile and artillery systems can be used, as well as aircraft missiles or weapons of ships and submarines. Removal of mobile weapons carriers at optimal boundaries is capable of ensuring complete overlapping of the entire water area of the Black Sea.
The KChF has a wide range of weapons suitable for attacking coastal targets. The greatest interest in this area are the Caliber missile systems for submarines and surface ships. Cruise missiles of this family, intended for strikes against stationary targets, show a range of at least 1500-2000 km. Due to this, such missiles can hit targets not only on the shores of the Black Sea, but also in more remote areas. In fact, the “Gauges”, having outstanding characteristics, become an effective tool for non-nuclear deterrence of a potential enemy.
The Red Banner Black Sea Fleet is designed to solve combat missions not only in the Black Sea, but also beyond. It is this association that is responsible for working in the Mediterranean. Trips to more remote regions are also possible. The departure of ships and submarines beyond the Black Sea region in a known manner influences the tasks of the fleet and gives commanders new opportunities.
So, the presence of the ships of the Russian Navy, primarily from the composition of the EFC, in the Mediterranean Sea was established. In addition to solving combat missions, the fleet repeatedly participated in real operations. Thus, in recent years, the landing forces of the KChF provide transportation of military goods to Syria. In the future, warships of the KChF repeatedly provided anti-air cover for the ports and coastal areas of Syria. Also, combat units of the KChF attacked the targets of terrorists with the use of high-precision weapons.
Strategic strength
According to open data, a fairly large group of forces of the Russian army is concentrated on the Black Sea and in the nearest regions, and all the main branches of the army are represented in it. This allows you to protect the strategically important south-west direction from the aggressive activities of a potential enemy.
In the event of a real armed conflict, the Black Sea group and other troops of the Southern Military District, using the available means and weapons, can inflict unacceptable damage on the enemy. Obviously, such collisions will lead to losses on our part. However, an attempt to solve combat missions in the protected Black Sea region would be too costly for the enemy, and in all spheres, first of all, in aviation and surface ships.
If necessary, ships and submarines, as well as the KChF naval aviation, can solve tasks outside the Black Sea. In some conditions, such work may be associated with a reduction in the overall potential and the emergence of significant risks - all this should be expected in connection with the distance from the bases and land facilities of the army.
In its present form, Russian troops on the Black Sea and in the vicinity of it represent a serious force capable of withstanding various opponents. However, current successes do not give a reason to stop its development. The Black Sea region is of interest for different countries, some of which are unfriendly to Russia. Given the risk of possible active confrontation in the Black Sea, the development of both the Black Sea Fleet and other troops capable of operating in the region should be continued. This will allow maintaining combat capability at the proper level, meeting the requirements of the times, as well as keeping the potential adversary from rash actions.
Based on:
http://mil.ru/
https://tass.ru/
https://ria.ru/
http://nvo.ng.ru/
http://redstar.ru/
http://bastion-opk.ru/
https://bmpd.livejournal.com/
- Ryabov Kirill
- Russian Ministry of Defense / mil.ru, Wikimedia Commons
Information