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The Barents Observer has for years studied satellite images of the Northern Fleet’s bases along the coast to the Barents Sea. Here are a few examples of what has happened in the course of the last eight years. But first, let’s jump back in the timeline: KREMLIN, MAY 7, 2012: The doors open and version 3.0 of Vladimir Putin enters St. Andrew’s Hall in the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow to be sworn in as president in a ceremony so overwhelming that thoughts went back to czarist Russia. Putin himself, though, had a clear plan for the start of his...

The Russian Navy launched a new and improved Kilo-class diesel-electric submarine today in St. Petersburg. Named the Rostov-on-Don, the sub will join the Black Sea Fleet and further bolster Moscow's naval presence in the region. "We expect that the Rostov-on-Don, following sea trials in the Baltic and Barents seas under its own power, will come to Sevastopol at the end of the year," a Black Sea Fleet representative said at the ceremony. "In the next two years, six submarines of this type will be built for the Black Sea Fleet," he added. Russia has shown a renewed strategic interest in...

Russia's military on Thursday successfully test-fired three intercontinental ballistic missiles in one day during training of its strategic forces. The Defense Ministry said the Bryansk nuclear submarine of the navy's Northern Fleet on Thursday launched a Sineva missile from the Barents Sea at a range on the Kamchatka Peninsula. Another nuclear sub, the Georgy Pobedonosets of the Pacific Fleet, test fired an RSM-50 from the Sea of Okhotsk at a testing range in the northwestern Arkhangelsk region. Both types of missiles have a range of about 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles), according to Russian media reports. The military also fired a...

Recently, Roger McDermott, a regular contributor to this publication, offered an excellent overview of the operational-strategic exercise being conducted in Eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East by the Russian armed forces (EDM, July 6). McDermott correctly pointed to the role of the exercise in testing concepts associated with the “new look” reforms and called attention to the exercise’s testing the speed of deployment of brigades, their combat readiness, and capacity to engage in combined-arms combat in an air/land battle, and their logistical support to sustain combat actions. He also noted that while the scenario dealt with a wide range...

Closing in for the kill, Russia is said to be in final talks to buy a flotilla of four French helicopter-carriers - a deal massive both in terms of the vessels' size and their price tag. "At the moment we are in pre-contract talks on the warships with three states: Spain, the Netherlands and France. We plan to sign a contract for four of these ships," said Russia's Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov. Serdyukov said Russia would like at least three of the vessels to be built with the help of Russian shipbuilders, including one at a Russian shipyard. Talks to...

This eerie wreck image is not computer generated. It's the sonar image of Russian nuclear submarine B-159 (called K-159 before decommissioning), which has been lying 248m down in the Barents Sea, between Norway and Russia, since 2003. The Russian Federation hired Adus, a Scottish company that specialises in high-resolution sonar surveying, to evaluate if it would be possible to recover the wreck. "The operation was complicated as the submarine was very deep, so we had to use the sonar equipment mounted on a remotely operated vehicle, (below)" says Martin Dean, the managing director of Adus and a forensic-wreck archaeologist. "We...

French anti-aircraft frigate, Chevalier Paul, will take part in tactical maneuvers and anti-aircraft defense exercises with the Russian Northern Fleet Navy on April 3. The Chevalier Paul, a Horizon-class frigate, is arriving on Tuesday to the northern Russian port of Severomorsk to participate in the joint naval exercises; Ria Novosti quoted a Russian Navy spokesman as saying. The Horizon frigate provides local area or extended cover against saturation missile attacks and escort and protect carrier groups. The ship also has powerful anti-submarine and anti-air self defence. Russia plans to buy a Mistral-class ship from France, worth 400-500 million euros (around...

A Russian nuclear submarine Thursday morning launched a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile of the Sineva-class from the Barents Sea. The launch was made from the Delta-IV class submarine “Tula”, newspaper Kommersant writes, citing the Russian Ministry of Defense’s press service. The launch was a success, and all the targets were hit. Last time a missile of this type was launched from the submarine Tula was in October 2008. The launch was then witnessed by President Dmitry Medvedev, as BarentsObserver reported. Another Sineva missile was launched in July 2009, this time from the Northern Fleet submarine “Yekaterinburg”. In the end of...

All nuclear submarines in Russia’s Northern Fleet have been united in one unit – the submarine forces. The forces’ headquartes will be located in the closed town of Gadzhiyevo on the Barents Sea coast. The two squadrons the submarines in the Northern Fleet earlier were organized in have now been merged into one structure, GTRK Murman reports. The forces are organized in four divisions, all under the leadership of Rear Admiral Andrey Volozhinsky. Admiral Volozhinsky said after a ceremony in the closed military town Zaozersk that the Northern Fleet’s submarine forces will have the same tasks as before and that...

Excerpt - The Northern Fleet heading to Venezuela Order warships Northern Fleet went to the ocean trip, which will take place ships in ports of entry of Venezuela. The military stressed that this action was not politically motivated Moscow. September 22. INTERFAX.RU - Russia is determined to step up military cooperation with Caracas: Monday detachment of Russian Northern Fleet warships went to the ocean trip, which will take place ships in ports of entry and Venezuela held in conjunction with a fleet of the country's teachings. "The squad is to ship nuclear missile cruiser" Pyotr Veliky ", a large anti-submarine...