BLACK SEA FLEET

The 'Black Sea Fleet' (, ) is a large sub-unit of the Russian (and formerly Soviet) Navy, operating in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea since the late 18th century. It is based in various harbors of Black Sea and Sea of Azov coast.

Contents

History

Partition of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet

Joint Fleet and its partition

Georgia in the Fleet partition

Recent developments

List of Black Sea Fleet ships

30th Surface Warship Division

247th Submarine Battalion

68th Coastal Defence Warship Brigade

41st Missile Boat Brigade

84th Novorossiysk Coastal Defence Brigade

Black Sea Fleet Naval Aviation - HQ Sevastopol

See also

External links and References

History

The Black Sea Fleet is considered to be founded by Prince Potemkin on May 13, 1783, together with its principal base, Sevastopol. Formerly commanded by such legendary admirals as Dmitry Senyavin and Pavel Nakhimov, it is a fleet of enormous historical and political importance for Russia. However, its military importance is degrading since the collapse of the Soviet Union, mainly due to significant funding cuts.
Earlier, Turkey's decision to join NATO (putting the Bosporus Strait under Western control) and invention of long-range nuclear weapons have dramatically decreased the strategic value of any naval activity in the Black Sea. The fleet has been free of nuclear weapons since the early 1990s. The aviation, marines and landing vessels of Black Sea fleet took part in the First Chechen War by means of both auxiliary support and direct involvement.
However, recent local conflicts in the Caucasus region (particularly in Georgia) and the development of oil transit in the region are forcing Russia to support the fleet as much as possible.

Partition of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet

In 1992, the most part of personnel, armament and coast facilities of the Fleet felt under formal jurisdiction of the newly-independent Ukraine because situated on the Ukrainian territory. Later Ukrainian government ordered establishment of its own Ukrainian Navy on the basis of the Black Sea Fleet; several ships and ground formations declared themselves Ukrainian.
However, this immediately led to conflicts with the majority of officers who appeared to be loyal to Russia. Simultaneously, pro-Russian separatist groups became active in the local politics of the Ukraine's Crimean autonomy and Sevastopol municipality where the major naval bases were situated, and started coordinating their efforts with pro-Moscow seamen.

Joint Fleet and its partition

To ease the tensions, the two governments signed an interim treaty, establishing a joint Russo-Ukrainian Black Sea Fleet under bilateral command (and Soviet Navy flag) until a full-scale partition agreement could be reached. Formally, the Fleet's Commander was to be appointed by a joint order of the two countries' Presidents. However, Russia still dominated the Fleet unofficially, and only Russian admirals were appointed as Commanders; the majority of the personnel adopted Russian citizenship. Minor tensions between the Fleet and the new Ukrainian Navy (such as electricity cut-offs and sailors' street-fighting) continued.
In 1997, Russia and Ukraine signed the Partition Treaty, establishing two independent national fleets and dividing armaments and bases between them. Ukraine also agreed to lease major parts of its new bases to the Russian Black Sea Fleet until 2017. However, the treaty appeared to be far from perfect: permanent tensions on the lease details (mostly regarding lighthouses) continue to this day. The Fleet's main base is still situated in the Crimean port city of Sevastopol. However, Ukraine has declared that the lease will not be extended and that the fleet will have to leave Sevastopol by 2017.

Georgia in the Fleet partition

The newly-independent Republic of Georgia, which also hosted several bases of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet, also claimed a share of the Fleet, including 32 naval vessels formerly stationed at Georgia's Black Sea port of Poti. Not a CIS member at that time, Georgia was not, however, included in the initial negotiations in January 1992. Additionally, some low-importance bases situated in the Russian-backed breakaway autonomy of Abkhazia soon escaped any Georgian control. In 1996, Georgia resumed its demands, and the Russian refusal to allot Georgia a portion of the ex-Soviet navy became another bone of contention in the progressively deteriorating Georgian-Russian relations. This time, Ukraine endorsed Tbilisi’s claims, turning over several patrol boats to the Georgian Navy and starting to train Georgian crews, but was unable to include in the final fleet deal a transfer of the formerly Poti-based vessels to Georgia.^[1] Later, the rest of the Georgian share was decided to be ceded to Russia in return for diminution of debt.

Recent developments

As a consequence of Ukraine announcing that the lease of Russian naval bases on the Crimea will not be extended beyond 2017, the Russian Black Fleet is building a new base in Novorossiysk. In July 2007, the Navy Commander announced that the new base will be ready in 2012. [1]

List of Black Sea Fleet ships

30th Surface Warship Division

'11th Anti-submarine Ship Brigade'

#	Type	Name	Class	Year
121	Guided Missile Cruiser	''Moskva''	''Slava''	1983
713	ASW Destroyer	''Kerch''	''Kara''	1974
707	ASW Destroyer	''Ochakov''	''Kara''	1973
810	ASW Destroyer	''Smetlivy''	''Kashin''	1966
801	Guided Missile Frigate	''Ladny''	''Krivak I''	1978
808	Guided Missile Frigate	''Pitlivy''	''Krivak II''	1979

'197th Amphibious Ship Brigade'

#	Type	Name	Class	Year
152	Landing Ship	''Nikolay Filchenkov''	''Alligator''	1975
148	Landing Ship	''Orsk''	''Alligator''	1968
150	Landing Ship	''Saratov''	''Alligator''	1966
151	Landing Ship	''Azov''	''Ropucha-II''	?
142	Landing Ship	''Novocherkassk''	''Ropucha-I''	?
158	Landing Ship	''Tsezar Kunikov''	''Ropucha-I''	?
156	Landing Ship	''Yamal''	''Ropucha-I''	?

247th Submarine Battalion

#	Type	Name	Class	Year
554	Attack Submarine	''Alrosa'' (ex-B-871)	''Kilo	1990
572	Attack Submarine	''B-380'' (Under Repair)	''Tango	1980

68th Coastal Defence Warship Brigade

'400th Antisubmarine Ship Battalion'

#	Type	Name	Class	Year
059	ASW Corvette	''Alexandrovetc''	?	?
053	ASW Corvette	''Povorino''	?	?
071	ASW Corvette	''Suzdaletc''	?	?
064	ASW Corvette	''Murometc''	''Grisha III''	1983
060	ASW Corvette	''Vladimirec''	?	?

'418th Minesweeper Battalion'

#	Type	Name	Class	Year
913	Seagoing Minesweeper	''Kovrovetc''	''Natya''	?
911	Seagoing Minesweeper	''Ivan Golubetc''	''Natya''	?
912	Seagoing Minesweeper	''Turbinist''	''Natya''	1972
909	Seagoing Minesweeper	''Vice Admiral Zhukov''	''Natya''	1977

41st Missile Boat Brigade

'166th Novorossiysky Small Missile Boat Battalion'

#	Type	Name	Class	Year
615	Guided Missile Corvette	''Bora''	''Bora''	1988
616	Guided Missile Corvette	''Samum''	''Bora''	1991
620	Guided Missile Corvette	''Shtil'''	''Nanuchka-III''	1976
617	Guided Missile Corvette	''Mirazh''	''Nanuchka-III''	1983

'295th Sulinsky Missile Boat Battalion'

#	Type	Name	Class	Year
966	Missile Boat	''R-44''	''Matka Mod''	1978
955	Missile Boat	''R-60''	''Tarantul-III Mod''	1985
962	Missile Boat	''R-71''	''Tarantul-II Mod''	1985
952	Missile Boat	''R-109''	''Tarantul-III''	1991
953	Missile Boat	''R-239''	''Tarantul-III''	1991
954	Missile Boat	''Ivanovetc''	''Tarantul-III''	1988

84th Novorossiysk Coastal Defence Brigade

#	Type	Name	Class	Year
054	Small Antisubmarine Ship	''Eysk''	Grisha-III	1987
055	Small Antisubmarine Ship	''Kasimov''	Grisha-III	1984
901	Seagoing Minesweeper	''Zheleznyakov''	?	1988
770	Seagoing Minesweeper	''Valentin Pikul'	?	2001
426	Base Minesweeper	''Mineralnie Vodi''	?	1990
438	Base Minesweeper	''Leytenant Ilyin''	?	1982

Black Sea Fleet Naval Aviation - HQ Sevastopol

★ 872nd Independent Anti-submarine Helicopter Regiment - HQ at Kacha - Ka-27;

★ 917th Independent Composite Air Regiment - HQ at Kacha - An-2, An-12, An-26, Be-12, Mi-8;

★ 43rd Independent Naval ''Shturmovik'' (Assault) Air Squadron - HQ at Gvardeyskoye - Su-25;

See also

★ Russian battleship Potemkin — possibly the most famous Black Sea Fleet ship.

★ Crimean anti-NATO protests of 2006

External links and References

1. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's [Newsline. Vol. 1, No. 42, Part I, 30 May 1997


★ Russia - Ukraine Lease agreement)

★ Unofficial site (English version)

★ History of the Black Sea Fleet during WWII (in Russian)

★ ''Narodny Oglyadach'' reports on morale situation in Russian naval base in Sevastopol