Russian Armed Forces in Cam Ranh: Slow Return
Recently, the armed forces of the Russian Federation have been able to use several foreign military bases. New airfields, available to Russian troops, appeared in Syria and Iran, and are used during operations to combat terrorists in Syrian territory. In the foreseeable future, as it became known not so long ago, the Russian army may be able to use other military bases in foreign countries. In this context, first of all, of interest is the possible resumption of the full use of the Cam Ranh base in Vietnam.
Over the past few years, the issue of the possible return of the Russian military to Vietnam has been repeatedly discussed at different levels, but so far such cooperation between the two countries has been very limited. In the future, it is possible to expand cooperation, up to reaching the level characteristic of the past decades. In the past few days, the possibility of a new creation of a full-fledged Russian base in Kamran again became an occasion for active discussions.
Regular discussions of the relevant topics began after an interview with the former commander-in-chief of the Russian Air Force, Peter Deinekin, published by the RIA news agency. News 12 August. Responding to questions from the press, the former commander of the air force commented on the current state of the aerospace forces and the success of this type of armed forces, and also spoke about some of its prospects. Among other topics, the issue of the deployment of foreign bases was raised.
P. Deinekin said that in parallel with the rearmament of the military aviation and the creation of new projects of aviation technology is the restoration of the airfield network. The objects required for aviation appear not only in the Arctic regions of the country, but also beyond its borders. Base restoration is underway in Syria, on the islands of the Pacific Ocean and in Vietnam. At the same time, however, the former Air Force commander in chief did not disclose any details about the restoration of airfields in foreign countries.
The statements of P. Deinekin led to the resumption of consideration and discussion of a possible return to the Vietnamese Cam Ranh base. Previously, the Soviet Union, and then Russia for a long time, used facilities on Vietnamese territory, in which various units and units of the armed forces were deployed. In the future, for some reason, the Russian military had to abandon the existing base and withdraw troops from it. After that, regular discussions began of a possible return.
Recall the agreement on the establishment in the port of Kamran of a logistics point for the naval fleet The USSR was signed in May 1979. Initially, the contract implied a free 25-year lease of facilities, but provided for the possibility of extending the terms of their use. For several years, Soviet specialists were engaged in the construction and deployment of new facilities, which resulted in the emergence of the largest foreign base of the domestic armed forces. The total area of the base reached 100 sq. Km.
In accordance with the contract and capabilities of the reconstructed port, there could be up to 10 surface ships, up to 8 submarines and a floating base for them, as well as up to six other auxiliary vessels in Cam Ranh. Located next to the port, the airfield could be used to deploy 16 bomber-rocket bombers, 9 reconnaissance aircraft and 3 military transport aircraft. By agreement of the parties, the permissible number of equipment of a particular class could be increased.
Over time, it was decided to make the logistics center a full-fledged base. This decision was primarily associated with the launch of the 17 th operational fleet squadron of the Pacific Fleet. The tasks of the port, however, remained unchanged. The base was intended for refueling and supplying the ships with all the necessary supplies, for securing parking in anticipation of departure to the sea, etc. in order to ensure the duty of the forces of the fleet in the Pacific and Indian oceans.
The 169 th Guards Separate Mixed Aviation Regiment of the Pacific Fleet naval aviation was also stationed at Camranh airfield. As part of this regiment there were three squadrons that were armed with missile carriers with anti-ship missiles, reconnaissance aircraft, anti-submarine aircraft, fighters and military transport vehicles. There was also a helicopter squad.
Full operation of the naval base and the airfield with it lasted until the beginning of the nineties. After that, economic difficulties forced to change the views on the use of Vietnamese objects. Until the beginning of the two thousand years in Kamrani, the Russian servicemen remained in charge of the operation of the existing facilities. At the same time, the base was not used for its intended purpose, since the Russian Navy was no longer able to carry out permanent duty in the southern regions of the Pacific Ocean and in the waters of the Indian.
In 2001, the question of the future fate of the naval base in Cam Ranh was resolved. In view of the impossibility of its full operation, the Russian command decided not to renew the lease agreement. By the middle of 2002, the entire personnel of the base was transported to Russia, and the objects were transferred to the Vietnamese side. Later Vietnam reconstructed some objects. For example, the former airfield of a military base is now an international airport.
After the closure of the military base, the Russian leadership repeatedly stated that, in its former capacity, Cam Ranh is of no interest to our armed forces. At the same time, the possibility of using the remaining material and technical support center in the interests of the fleet was considered.
Over the past few years, an occasion has emerged for predictions about the possible resumption of the existence of the Cam Ranh base. Since 2013, Russian and Vietnamese officials have made several statements regarding military-technical cooperation in general and the former base in particular. Moscow and Hanoi are interested in continuing mutually beneficial cooperation, which, among other things, may concern the use of military infrastructure.
The first reason for the emergence of forecasts about the imminent return of Russia to Cam Ranh, which appeared in recent years, was the package of agreements signed by the countries in November 2013. In accordance with the new treaties, Russia was to supply Vietnam with several diesel-electric submarines of the 636 Varshavyanka project. In addition, the joint efforts of the two countries should have deployed a base for servicing such equipment in the port of Cam Ranh. This news, for several reasons, was perceived as a hint of a possible full return of the Russian fleet to the Vietnamese base.
About a year later, real solutions appeared, stipulating the sharing of existing objects. During the visit of the Vietnamese delegation to Russia, norms were established for the use of the Cam Ranh port by Russian warships. As part of the expansion of cooperation, it was decided to simplify the procedure for the entry of Russian ships into the Vietnamese port. Returning from service in the oceans, they can only pre-notify the port authorities of the planned call.
From the end of 2014, Cam Ranh International Airport became the airfield for Russian Il-78 refueling aircraft, whose task was to ensure the combat duty of the Tu-95MS missile carriers. It is curious that the operation to transfer "tankers" with the subsequent refueling of bombers was criticized by the leadership of third countries with their interests in Southeast Asia.
The most interesting statements concerning the possible restoration of the Russian base were made in May of this year. Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Thanh Sean said that the official Hanoi does not object to Russia's return to the Cam Ranh base. The Vietnamese side fully approves of such cooperation, but only if it is not directed against other countries. The ambassador also recalled that the Vietnamese policy is to refuse to cooperate with other countries or join military alliances, if in this case it is about confronting someone. At the same time, the Vietnamese leadership is interested in the development of military-technical cooperation with Russia.
In the case of the emergence of a new agreement on the full use of the Cam Ranh base for the same purposes as before, the Russian armed forces will gain obvious benefits. First of all, it will be possible to carry out servicing of ships, submarines and airplanes that are on duty in the South Pacific and in all areas of the Indian Sea, which will seriously expand the areas of constant presence of the Russian Navy and videoconferencing with clear strategic results. Given the growing tensions in the Pacific Ocean and the current plans of the countries of the region, such opportunities of the fleet and aerospace forces will surely find application.
It is interesting that the very possibility of the return of the Russian military to the Cam Ranh base becomes an object of criticism from foreign countries. For example, last spring, flights by Russian bombers and tanker aircraft that used Cam Ranh airport caused an unfriendly reaction from the United States. The commander of US forces in the Pacific, General Vincent Brooks, called the flights of Tu-95MS planes provocative. In addition, it was noted that the increased activity of Russian aviation in the area of American bases on Fr. Guam has been observed since Crimea joined Russia in the spring of 2014.
The American command perceived the flights of Russian bombers as an unfriendly step that could lead to a complication of the situation in the region. For this reason, Washington sent to Hanoi a request for guarantees that Russia would not use the Vietnamese objects in order to worsen the military-political situation in Southeast Asia. As subsequent events showed, Vietnam preferred to continue cooperation with Russia, ignoring the claims of other countries.
Thanks to a number of documents signed by Russia and Vietnam in recent years, the Russian armed forces have the possibility of limited use of the infrastructure of the former Cam Ranh base. Existing facilities can be used as a point of logistics for the fleet, as well as in the interests of long-range aviation. At the same time, however, the permanent basing of a certain grouping of ships, submarines and aircraft, as it was before, is not provided for by agreements. Nevertheless, the cooperation between the two countries allows us to solve the existing problems.
The current trends in recent years suggest that in the foreseeable future, Russian-Vietnamese military cooperation will develop. One of the ways of such development can be the expansion of the rights of the Russian armed forces to use the facilities of the former Kamran base. It is possible that in the next few years it will be possible to base ships and aircraft, accommodate a certain number of personnel, etc.
The economic problems of the early nineties did not allow the full operation of the Cam Ranh base to continue, and also hit the armed forces as a whole, which ultimately led to the refusal to extend the lease and withdraw the garrison. Over time, the situation has changed, allowing the resumption of operation of existing facilities, albeit in smaller volumes. Observed processes allow you to look into the future with a certain optimism. In the future, the Russian armed forces may resume full-fledged exploitation of a foreign base, which will give them additional opportunities in demonstrating force in remote regions. However, the timing of the appearance of such opportunities is still unknown.
On the materials of the sites:
https://ria.ru/
http://tass.ru/
https://rg.ru/
http://svpressa.ru/
http://utro.ru/
Over the past few years, the issue of the possible return of the Russian military to Vietnam has been repeatedly discussed at different levels, but so far such cooperation between the two countries has been very limited. In the future, it is possible to expand cooperation, up to reaching the level characteristic of the past decades. In the past few days, the possibility of a new creation of a full-fledged Russian base in Kamran again became an occasion for active discussions.
Regular discussions of the relevant topics began after an interview with the former commander-in-chief of the Russian Air Force, Peter Deinekin, published by the RIA news agency. News 12 August. Responding to questions from the press, the former commander of the air force commented on the current state of the aerospace forces and the success of this type of armed forces, and also spoke about some of its prospects. Among other topics, the issue of the deployment of foreign bases was raised.
P. Deinekin said that in parallel with the rearmament of the military aviation and the creation of new projects of aviation technology is the restoration of the airfield network. The objects required for aviation appear not only in the Arctic regions of the country, but also beyond its borders. Base restoration is underway in Syria, on the islands of the Pacific Ocean and in Vietnam. At the same time, however, the former Air Force commander in chief did not disclose any details about the restoration of airfields in foreign countries.
The statements of P. Deinekin led to the resumption of consideration and discussion of a possible return to the Vietnamese Cam Ranh base. Previously, the Soviet Union, and then Russia for a long time, used facilities on Vietnamese territory, in which various units and units of the armed forces were deployed. In the future, for some reason, the Russian military had to abandon the existing base and withdraw troops from it. After that, regular discussions began of a possible return.
Recall the agreement on the establishment in the port of Kamran of a logistics point for the naval fleet The USSR was signed in May 1979. Initially, the contract implied a free 25-year lease of facilities, but provided for the possibility of extending the terms of their use. For several years, Soviet specialists were engaged in the construction and deployment of new facilities, which resulted in the emergence of the largest foreign base of the domestic armed forces. The total area of the base reached 100 sq. Km.
In accordance with the contract and capabilities of the reconstructed port, there could be up to 10 surface ships, up to 8 submarines and a floating base for them, as well as up to six other auxiliary vessels in Cam Ranh. Located next to the port, the airfield could be used to deploy 16 bomber-rocket bombers, 9 reconnaissance aircraft and 3 military transport aircraft. By agreement of the parties, the permissible number of equipment of a particular class could be increased.
Over time, it was decided to make the logistics center a full-fledged base. This decision was primarily associated with the launch of the 17 th operational fleet squadron of the Pacific Fleet. The tasks of the port, however, remained unchanged. The base was intended for refueling and supplying the ships with all the necessary supplies, for securing parking in anticipation of departure to the sea, etc. in order to ensure the duty of the forces of the fleet in the Pacific and Indian oceans.
The 169 th Guards Separate Mixed Aviation Regiment of the Pacific Fleet naval aviation was also stationed at Camranh airfield. As part of this regiment there were three squadrons that were armed with missile carriers with anti-ship missiles, reconnaissance aircraft, anti-submarine aircraft, fighters and military transport vehicles. There was also a helicopter squad.
Full operation of the naval base and the airfield with it lasted until the beginning of the nineties. After that, economic difficulties forced to change the views on the use of Vietnamese objects. Until the beginning of the two thousand years in Kamrani, the Russian servicemen remained in charge of the operation of the existing facilities. At the same time, the base was not used for its intended purpose, since the Russian Navy was no longer able to carry out permanent duty in the southern regions of the Pacific Ocean and in the waters of the Indian.
In 2001, the question of the future fate of the naval base in Cam Ranh was resolved. In view of the impossibility of its full operation, the Russian command decided not to renew the lease agreement. By the middle of 2002, the entire personnel of the base was transported to Russia, and the objects were transferred to the Vietnamese side. Later Vietnam reconstructed some objects. For example, the former airfield of a military base is now an international airport.
After the closure of the military base, the Russian leadership repeatedly stated that, in its former capacity, Cam Ranh is of no interest to our armed forces. At the same time, the possibility of using the remaining material and technical support center in the interests of the fleet was considered.
Over the past few years, an occasion has emerged for predictions about the possible resumption of the existence of the Cam Ranh base. Since 2013, Russian and Vietnamese officials have made several statements regarding military-technical cooperation in general and the former base in particular. Moscow and Hanoi are interested in continuing mutually beneficial cooperation, which, among other things, may concern the use of military infrastructure.
The first reason for the emergence of forecasts about the imminent return of Russia to Cam Ranh, which appeared in recent years, was the package of agreements signed by the countries in November 2013. In accordance with the new treaties, Russia was to supply Vietnam with several diesel-electric submarines of the 636 Varshavyanka project. In addition, the joint efforts of the two countries should have deployed a base for servicing such equipment in the port of Cam Ranh. This news, for several reasons, was perceived as a hint of a possible full return of the Russian fleet to the Vietnamese base.
About a year later, real solutions appeared, stipulating the sharing of existing objects. During the visit of the Vietnamese delegation to Russia, norms were established for the use of the Cam Ranh port by Russian warships. As part of the expansion of cooperation, it was decided to simplify the procedure for the entry of Russian ships into the Vietnamese port. Returning from service in the oceans, they can only pre-notify the port authorities of the planned call.
From the end of 2014, Cam Ranh International Airport became the airfield for Russian Il-78 refueling aircraft, whose task was to ensure the combat duty of the Tu-95MS missile carriers. It is curious that the operation to transfer "tankers" with the subsequent refueling of bombers was criticized by the leadership of third countries with their interests in Southeast Asia.
The most interesting statements concerning the possible restoration of the Russian base were made in May of this year. Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Thanh Sean said that the official Hanoi does not object to Russia's return to the Cam Ranh base. The Vietnamese side fully approves of such cooperation, but only if it is not directed against other countries. The ambassador also recalled that the Vietnamese policy is to refuse to cooperate with other countries or join military alliances, if in this case it is about confronting someone. At the same time, the Vietnamese leadership is interested in the development of military-technical cooperation with Russia.
In the case of the emergence of a new agreement on the full use of the Cam Ranh base for the same purposes as before, the Russian armed forces will gain obvious benefits. First of all, it will be possible to carry out servicing of ships, submarines and airplanes that are on duty in the South Pacific and in all areas of the Indian Sea, which will seriously expand the areas of constant presence of the Russian Navy and videoconferencing with clear strategic results. Given the growing tensions in the Pacific Ocean and the current plans of the countries of the region, such opportunities of the fleet and aerospace forces will surely find application.
It is interesting that the very possibility of the return of the Russian military to the Cam Ranh base becomes an object of criticism from foreign countries. For example, last spring, flights by Russian bombers and tanker aircraft that used Cam Ranh airport caused an unfriendly reaction from the United States. The commander of US forces in the Pacific, General Vincent Brooks, called the flights of Tu-95MS planes provocative. In addition, it was noted that the increased activity of Russian aviation in the area of American bases on Fr. Guam has been observed since Crimea joined Russia in the spring of 2014.
The American command perceived the flights of Russian bombers as an unfriendly step that could lead to a complication of the situation in the region. For this reason, Washington sent to Hanoi a request for guarantees that Russia would not use the Vietnamese objects in order to worsen the military-political situation in Southeast Asia. As subsequent events showed, Vietnam preferred to continue cooperation with Russia, ignoring the claims of other countries.
Thanks to a number of documents signed by Russia and Vietnam in recent years, the Russian armed forces have the possibility of limited use of the infrastructure of the former Cam Ranh base. Existing facilities can be used as a point of logistics for the fleet, as well as in the interests of long-range aviation. At the same time, however, the permanent basing of a certain grouping of ships, submarines and aircraft, as it was before, is not provided for by agreements. Nevertheless, the cooperation between the two countries allows us to solve the existing problems.
The current trends in recent years suggest that in the foreseeable future, Russian-Vietnamese military cooperation will develop. One of the ways of such development can be the expansion of the rights of the Russian armed forces to use the facilities of the former Kamran base. It is possible that in the next few years it will be possible to base ships and aircraft, accommodate a certain number of personnel, etc.
The economic problems of the early nineties did not allow the full operation of the Cam Ranh base to continue, and also hit the armed forces as a whole, which ultimately led to the refusal to extend the lease and withdraw the garrison. Over time, the situation has changed, allowing the resumption of operation of existing facilities, albeit in smaller volumes. Observed processes allow you to look into the future with a certain optimism. In the future, the Russian armed forces may resume full-fledged exploitation of a foreign base, which will give them additional opportunities in demonstrating force in remote regions. However, the timing of the appearance of such opportunities is still unknown.
On the materials of the sites:
https://ria.ru/
http://tass.ru/
https://rg.ru/
http://svpressa.ru/
http://utro.ru/
Information