Russia is the largest state in the world. This country is rich in natural resources and has great potential. In other words, Russia has wealth that is worth protecting and preserving. For this and not only reasons, the Army of Russia is the second most powerful army in the world. The teachings of the Russian armed forces always look spectacular and excite the imagination of other powers. Especially interesting are the teachings of the Northern Fleet - the most powerful flotilla of the Russian Federation.
Historical allies
Historically, Russia has only two key and permanent allies - this is the army and navy. In the pre-Petrine era, Great Britain and some other states dominated the seas. They had an impressive military advantage that they could use at any time, especially against opponents who did not have a ship fleet.
Peter the Great understood that there are more important things than personal enrichment. He did the impossible - changed the direction of development of an entire nation. Having been in Europe, Peter brought to Russia positive reforms and, of course, a real fleet.
It was this circumstance that allowed the young Empire to speak on equal terms with other powers. The first naval victories demonstrated to the world that it was necessary to reckon with the Russian Empire, to conduct dialogue on an equal footing, and it should not be underestimated.
Since then, many years have passed. The empire was replaced by the Soviet Union, reached its peak and disappeared. Unchanging from era to era, only one fact remains - our allies, army and navy. Today, the Northern Navy has become a real symbol. This powerful flotilla is a formidable force that is worth fearing.
What does it consist of
The Northern Squadron is the most powerful and strategically significant of all existing in Russia. What does this power consist of?
The fleet includes ships of almost all classes. Including the aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov and the flagship - the heavy nuclear missile cruiser Peter the Great. Anti-ship, missile and anti-aircraft vessels, as well as diesel and atomic class submarines with weapons of various types. In the event of a threat to Russia's security, one such squadron is capable of delivering a crushing blow to the navy of almost any country. Being near foreign coasts, the ships of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Federation control the territory of the country of a potential enemy and can launch a missile strike at any target. The range of modern missiles is measured not in hundreds, but in thousands of kilometers.
Underwater missile cruisers can quietly carry out a massive thermonuclear strike at a target and safely leave the unmasked area. In simple words, every teaching of the Northern Fleet, every successful completion of training tasks - all this clearly demonstrates to the world that military equipment is in a combat-ready state and can fulfill any mission.
The meaning of the teachings
Why are the military conducting exercises? This question sounds simple, but actually has several answers and not all of them are obvious. First of all, this is an experience for personnel. Military science cannot be learned from a textbook. Experience in this case comes only with regular practice, and the more realistic the target, the better. As world practice shows, the most valuable exercises are work in real combat conditions. Of course, such conditions are rare in our time, but the situation in the classroom should be as close as possible to the fighting.
The teachings of the Northern Fleet are unlike any other. This is not just the implementation of minor scientific tasks and target shooting. This is a full-fledged trip, as close as possible to real conditions. It is on them, while the staff is gaining experience, other goals are fulfilled. First of all - a demonstration of the flag of the country and the power of the northern squadron. But it also means ensuring a military presence in an important region. On the one hand, the Northern Fleet’s teachings are nothing more than a planned event, and on the other, it’s a powerful flotilla at the deployment site, capable of changing military tasks at any time. In rare cases, clashes with pirates occur that help sailors gain new experience.
Headquarters
In the army, troops are inextricably linked with their command, which is often located at a military base. Ground forces, in fact, are not much dependent on the geographical location of the permanent deployment and headquarters.
In combat conditions, field headquarters are always created, and the soldiers and armored vehicles themselves are constantly moving from one strong point to another. Everything is different in the Navy. A ship is not a marine or a tank; it simply cannot stop anywhere. Of course, ships can call at various ports, but not military ones. A ship the size of the nuclear-powered cruiser Peter the Great will not go to every port under its own power. In truth, not all seaports in general can accept ships of this displacement and size. The permanent base of the Northern Fleet is located in the city of Severomorsk, the military port of which can accept the entire northern flotilla. The command is also located there. Powerful communication equipment and a network of shelters allow you not to think about the constant change of deployment of the command post.
Flagship
There is a main ship in any naval squadron. He not only has the greatest firepower, but is also a large vessel. In the Russian Northern Fleet, such a ship is the Peter the Great heavy nuclear missile cruiser. This is a truly grand machine. He is often modestly called the "god of sea battles." Unlike ships of the Second World War, it does not have a thick layer of armor. His task is to inflict crushing blows from a great distance. With a favorable set of circumstances, its Granit missile system is capable of sinking 20 enemy ships in one salvo, and this is a lot. To shoot down such missiles, if not impossible, is extremely difficult. They fly very fast and low.
Impressive and equipped with anti-aircraft systems. One "Peter the Great" is able to alone protect the ships of the Northern Fleet from air attacks. Given that ships of this class never sail alone, being reinforced by other vessels of the northern flotilla, he can sink several enemy carrier groups and return to base with minimal irretrievable losses. Submarines, anti-submarine ships and other missile vessels effectively cover the flagship, making it virtually invulnerable. There is only one drawback and it is typical of any missile ship - it is a modest ammunition load. Even if there are missiles on the ship that can be loaded, it will take more than one day.
Not really teachings
There is a well-known saying that says that the harder it is to learn, the easier it is in battle. However, no matter how difficult the exercises may be, they are all very different from a real combat mission. The personnel do not feel responsibility for the outcome of the battle, people just do the usual work. In a combat clash, even excellence exercises are lost. To prevent this from happening, you need real training.
The teachings of the Northern Fleet have long remained the main means of training the skills of personnel. Recently, however, the squadron has been participating in the armed conflict in Syria. These are not just exercises, but also the most convenient option for acquiring skills and practical experience. Ships are first used for their intended purpose, the latest equipment is tested, and personnel master the craft much faster.
The heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov became a real “hero” of the conflict. His carrier-based aircraft carried out the first combat sorties to enemy territory. Unfortunately, there were some malfunctions and technical losses.
Who commands
For civilians it is often not clear who is the commander of the Northern Fleet. Some civilians believe that he also combines the position of flagship commander. Of course, this is not true. Moreover, the commander generally does not go to sea most of the time, but is located at the headquarters.
At the moment, the commander of the Northern Fleet is Evmenov Nikolay Anatolyevich in the rank of vice admiral. He is the temporary acting commander since 2015. However, in such positions, staff rotation is a fairly common occurrence. For 10-15 years, rarely someone remains in this position.
Not only on water
Usually, when it comes to the fleet, it seems to everyone that these are only ships. Fortunately, this is not so. There are so-called coastal troops.
Mostly these are coastal defense forces, the last firing line of deep defense, namely highly mobile anti-ship long-range missile systems. The Northern Fleet’s marines are also capable of completing tasks of strengthening and defending the coastline, landing and assaulting enemy positions. Contrary to rumors, she is not so much connected with the sea and is able to operate autonomously from the fleet.