Establishment in 1932

Owing to Japanese aggression in Manchuria in 1931, the Central Committee and the Soviet government decided to create the Naval Forces in the Far East on 13 April 1932. In January 1935, they were renamed the Pacific Fleet, under commander M. Viktorov. The creation of the fleet entailed great difficulties. The first units were formed with small ships delivered by railroad. In 1932, the torpedo boat squadron and eight submarines were put into service. In 1934, the Pacific Fleet received 26 small submarines. The creation of the naval aviation and coastal artillery was underway. In 1937, they opened the Pacific Military School.

By the beginning of World War II, the Pacific Fleet had two surface ship subdivisions, four submarine subdivisions, one torpedo boat subdivision, a few squadrons of ships and patrol boats, airborne units, coastal artillery and marines.

World War II

During the Great Patriotic War (the Soviet World War II campaign against Germany from 1941 to 1945) the Pacific Fleet was in a permanent state of alert and ready for action, although the Soviets remained neutral with respect to the Empire of Japan, the only Axis power in the Pacific, even after Japan entered World War II. At the same time, the Soviets transferred a destroyer leader, three destroyers, and five submarines from the Pacific Fleet to the Northern Fleet. More than 140,000 sailors from the Pacific Fleet were incorporated in the rifle brigades and other units on the Soviet front against Germans in Europe. By August 1945, the Pacific Fleet consisted of two cruisers, one destroyer leader, ten destroyers, two torpedo boats, 19 patrol boats, 78 submarines, ten minelayers, 52 minesweepers, 49 "MO" anti-submarine boats (MO stands for Малый Охотник, or "little hunter"), 204 motor torpedo boats and 1459 war planes.

During the Soviet–Japanese War of 1945, the Pacific Fleet participated in the removal of the Empire of Japan from Northern Korea (a part of the Manchurian Operation of 1945), in the Invasion of South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands Landing Operation the same year.

Thousands of sailors and officers were awarded orders and medals for outstanding military service; more than fifty men received the title Hero of the Soviet Union. Eighteen ships and fleet units received the title of the Soviet Guards, and sixteen were awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

Cold War

On 5 May 1965, the Pacific Fleet itself was awarded with the Order of the Red Banner.

The Pacific Fleet started deploying forces to the Indian Ocean, and established the 8th Operational (Indian Ocean) Squadron in 1968,^[3] after the British government announced its intention to withdraw its military forces east of the Suez Canal by 1971. In addition to the defensive function of balancing the naval strength in the Indian Ocean against that of the United States Navy, the 8th Squadron played a role in promoting Soviet foreign policy. Regular visits and port calls were made in the Indian subcontinent, the Persian Gulf, and the East African coast.

The 8th Operational Squadron grew quite substantial at times; in 1980, a Soviet flotilla of 'about ten guided missile cruisers, destroyers and frigates and more than a dozen support ships' was juxtaposed to the U.S. Navy's Task Force 70 in the region.^[4] There were also 23 other Soviet ships in the South China Sea, at the same time. In addition, Soviet Ilyushin Il-38 reconnaissance planes, based in Aden or Ethiopia, maintained a close watch on U.S. vessels, as did Ka-25 Hormone helicopters from Soviet warships. In 1981 the fleet suffered the loss of many of its senior officers, including its commander in chief, Admiral Emil Spiridonov, when the Tupolev Tu-104 transporting them back to Vladivostok after meetings in Leningrad crashed shortly after takeoff from Pushkin Airport. A total of 16 admirals and generals, and 38 lower ranking officers, were killed.^[5][6][7]

In the 1980s, Soviet naval strategy shifted to an emphasis on bastion defense, fortifying the Sea of Okhotsk for that purpose.^{[citation needed]} By the mid-1980s, the Pacific Fleet had constituted 32% of all Soviet naval assets, up from 28% in 1975 and 25% in 1965. It included approximately 800 ships, over 120 submarines, and 98 surface combatants.^[8] Two of the ships were aircraft carriers Minsk and Novorossiysk, which served from the 1970s and 1980s to the 1990s. The battlecruiser Admiral Lazarev of the Kirov class served with the fleet in the 1980s and 1990s as well.

In 1988 the Primorskiy Flotilla (Military Unit Number 20885) comprised the 165th Missile Ship Brigade (Uliss Bay (Vladivostok)); the 202nd Anti-Submarine Warfare Brigade (Abrek Bay (Fokino), Primorskiy Kray); the 4th Brigade of Constructed and Overhauled Submarines (Vladivostok, Primorskiy Kray); the 72nd Brigade of Constructed and Overhauled Submarines (Bolshoy Kamen, Primorskiy Kray); the 45th and 47th Coastal Defence Brigades; the 7th Minesweeper Brigade (Razboynik Bay (Vladivostok), Primorskiy Kray); and the 19th Submarine Brigade (Uliss Bay, Vladivostok.^[9]

Recent events

In the 1990s and 2000s, the Pacific Fleet lost many of its larger units. Within a few years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Fleet lost all its aircraft carriers, and by early 2000 only one cruiser remained active with the Fleet. By the end of the 2010s, the Fleet consisted of one large missile cruiser, five destroyers, ten nuclear submarines, eight diesel-electric submarines plus numerous light units, amphibious ships and auxiliaries.

May 1992 saw the first of five large ammunition explosions at Pacific Fleet storage depots, 1992–2003.^[10] The blast rocked the city of Vladivostok.

Between 5–12 July 2013, warships from the Russian Pacific Fleet and the North Sea Fleet of the People's Liberation Army Navy participated in Joint Sea 2013, bilateral naval maneuvers held in the Peter the Great Bay. Joint Sea 2013 was the largest naval drills yet undertaken by the PRC's navy with a foreign navy.^[11] In 2021, a joint Russian-Chinese squadron sailed around Japan, passing between Japanese islands through the Tsugaru Strait and then the Osumi Strait. The Russian ships in the squadron included the destroyers Admiral Panteleyev and Admiral Tributs, the corvettes Aldar Tsydenzhapov and Gromkiy as well as auxiliaries.^[12]

Plans for deployment of new large units to the Fleet were announced in the early 2010s. Several new ballistic missile submarines, and large cruisers were projected to join the Fleet.^[13][14] However, these plans evolved over the course of the decade with a changed focus by 2020 on light units and submarines to renew the fleet. In this regard, the focus is now on new general purpose frigates (Gorshkov-class), multi-role and missile corvettes (Steregushchiy-class, Gremyashchiy-class and Karakurt-class) as well as on a full range of new submarines (the Borei, Yasen and Improved Kilo classes). Vessels of these classes are all projected to enter service through the 2020s.^[15][16] In addition, the Pacific Fleet's amphibious capabilities will be modernized in the mid-latter 2020s through the acquisition of one or more of the Ivan Gren-class landing ships and possibly one of the new Priboy-class helicopter assault ships.^[17][18]

While existing ballistic-missile submarine production will fully replace and increase numbers of SSBNs in the Pacific Fleet, it is unclear that the production of the Yasen-class vessels, and potential follow-on models, will be sufficient to replace aging older nuclear attack and cruise missile submarines on a one-for-one basis. Reports suggest that Russian third-generation nuclear submarines have not been modernized to a level to avoid block obsolescence before 2030.^[19] The 2016 decision to add six new "Improved Kilo"-class conventionally-powered submarines to the fleet may be partly designed to mitigate such a gap.^[20]

Surface Warships

Submarines

Other Surface Units

• Mine Countermeasures Ships:
  • Natya-class: 2 Vessels (MT-264, 265);^[93] both active as of 2022^[94]
  • Sonya-class: 7 Vessels (BT-100, 114, 215, 232, 245, 256, 325)^[95][96]
  • Alexandrit-class: 3 Vessels (Yakov Balyaev entered service 2020^[97][94] and Petr Ilyichev in November 2022;^{[98][99][100][101]} Anatoly Shlemov - commissioned 29 December 2022;^[102][103] vessels reported to be part of the 114th Brigade of the Pacific Fleet)^[104]
• Patrol/Anti-Saboteur Boats:
  • Grachonok-class anti-saboteur ship: 6 Vessels (P-377; P-417 Yunarmeets Kamchatki; P-420 Yunarmeets Primorya; P-431 Yunarmeets Chukotki; P-445, P-450 Yunarmeets Sakhalina)^[105][106]
• Intelligence/Tracking Vessels:
  • Vishnya-class intelligence ship Kareliya^[107] (assigned to 515th division of reconnaissance ships; active as of 2023)^{[108][109][110]}
  • Marshal Nedelin-class intelligence ship Marshal Krylov (active as of 2022;^[29][111] assigned to the 114th Brigade of the Pacific Fleet)^[112]
• Fleet Oilers:
  • Boris Chilikin-class: 1 vessel (Boris Butoma - deployed in the Mediterranean May to October 2022)^{[32][33][34][25]}
  • Dubna-class: 2 vessels (Irkut active as of 2020/2021; Pechanga active as of 2023)^{[31][113][114][115][116]}
  • Uda-class: 1 vessel (Vishera)^[117]
  • Altay-class: 2 vessels (Ilim and Izhora - latter vessel reported active as of 2022)^[118][119]
• Hydrographic Survey Vessels: 4 Yug-class (Project 862) vessels^[120]
  • Vice-Admiral Vorontsov (formerly Briz)
  • Gals
  • Marshal Gelovani
  • Pegas
• Icebreakers:
  • Yevpaty Kolovrat (Project 21180M icebreaker; being transferred to the Pacific Fleet as of 2023)^[121]
• Patrol ships
  • Ivan Susanin-class patrol ships: Ivan Susanin (active as of 2022)^[122]
• Other Support Ships:
  • Project 304-class Repair Ships: 6 vessels (PM-5, PM-15, PM-52, PM-59, PM-92, PM-97, PM-156)^[123]

Naval Aviation

Naval Aviation of the Pacific Fleet:^[124][125]

• 568th Independent Composite Aviation Regiment – HQ at Mongokhto – Tu-142MR/MZ/M3 (Bear-F) maritime-patrol/ASW aircraft^[126] (M3 (Bear-F) variant reported delivered as of 2020^[127]);
• 317th Mixed Aviation Regiment – HQ at Yelizovo – One Squadron with Il-38/N ASW aircraft (upgrading with N-model variant of the aircraft as of 2017);^[128] One Squadron reported deploying upgraded MiG-31BM fighters (2020).^[129]
  • 865th Red Banner Order of Labour Fighter Aviation Regiment PVO (Regiment transferred to Pacific Fleet on 1 July 1998;^[130] disbanded 2010; reported as likely to reform as of 2019^[131] but status still unclear as of 2021) – HQ at Yelizovo-Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Airport – MiG-31B/M fighters (planned as of 2019^[132])
  • Pacific Fleet MiG-31s (including K-variant with Kh-47M2 Kinzhal ASM) also reported deployed at Anadyr airport in the Chukotka region (December 2020)^[133] with further potential forward operating locations at Wrangel Island and elsewhere.^[134][135]
• 71st Independent Military Transport Air Squadron – HQ at Nikolayevka, Primorskaya – An-12, An-24, An-26;
• 175th Independent Shipborne Anti-submarine Helicopter Squadron – HQ at Yelizovo – Ka-27 ASW helicopters;
• 289th Independent Anti-submarine Air Regiment – HQ at Nikolayevka – Il-38/N ASW aircraft; Ka-27 ASW and Ka-29 attack helicopters.

Additional aviation and air defence assets in the Eastern Military District are deployed as part of the 11th Air and Air Defence Forces Army, including Su-35s at Yelizovo on the Kamchatka Peninsula (deployed there on rotation as of 2021).^[135][136]

Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 bombers (including with Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic and Kh-32 long-range supersonic anti-ship missiles)^[137] deployed as part of Russian Long-Range Aviation, including in the Eastern Military District.^[138][139]

Ground Forces

According to a report from the Institute for the Study of War, in March 2018 the Fleet contained two naval infantry brigades, a coastal brigade, and coastal regiment.^[140] However, an expansion of these capabilities, introducing new units and formations, was underway as of 2020/21. In 2022, both of the Pacific Fleet's naval infantry brigades were transferred to Ukraine for operations as part of the Russian invasion. Up to the end of 2022, both brigades have reportedly experienced heavy losses.^[141] In April 2022, the 155th Brigade was reportedly awarded the "Guards" title for its service.^[142][143]

• Fleet Headquarters, Vladivostok commanded by Admiral Vladimir Ivanovich Korolev
  • Naval Infantry
    • 40th Separate Naval Infantry Brigade, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
    • 155th Separate Guards Naval Infantry Brigade, Vladivostok (re-equipping with BMP-3F amphibious infantry fighting vehicles as of 2021;^[144] both 40th and 155th brigades also re-equipped with T-80BVM main battle tanks in 2021)^[145] Elements of 155th Brigade reportedly deployed to Belarus in the context of the Ukraine crisis in January 2022,^[146] and actively participated in 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Both Brigades reportedly lost many soldiers near Pavlivka.^[147]
    • 42nd Maritime Recon Point (Special Forces battalion), Vladivostok
  • Coastal Defence
    • Division-sized formation reported being established in Chukotka region as of 2021^[148]
  • Coastal Defence Surface-to-Surface Missile Units
    • 520th Separate Coastal Missile Artillery Brigade, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
      • 2 Battalions/Squadrons with K-300 Bastion Surface-to-Surface Missiles (as of 2018; additional units reported forming with the aim of 3-5 Bastion and 1-2 SSC-6 Bal battalions/squadrons).^[149]
    • 72nd Separate Coastal Missile Brigade (units equipped with Bastion SSM (Iturup Island, Matua Island and Paramushir Island)^[150][151] and Bal SSM battalion (Kunashir Island)^[149][152]), HQ: Vladivostok^[153]
    • New Coastal Missile Brigade reported being established in 2021 to defend Sakhalin.^[154]