Russia Upgrading Northern Fleet For Arctic Warfare Capabilities

Russia Elevates Importance of Northern Fleet Upgrading it to Military District Status

MALTE HUMPERT

In a further sign of the strategic importance of Russia’s Arctic military assets President Putin has upgraded the status of the Northern Fleet. The fleet, primarily based near Murmansk, which was previously upgraded and designated a Joined Strategic Command in 2014, now joins four other military districts in Russia. It consolidates a large part of Russia’s Arctic capabilities under one roof and contains territory of the Republic of Komi, the regions of Arkhangelsk and Murmansk and the Nenets Autonomous Region.

Per a presidential decree signed by President Putin on 21 December 2020 Russia’s Northern Fleet became its own military district on 1 January 2021. It represents the first time that a fleet’s standing is elevated to equal to that of the existing four military districts – West, South, East and Central. 

The Northern Fleet military district will be responsible for the Arctic, the Russia Arctic coastline, and the Northern Sea Route. The fleet’s main naval base Severomorsk is located near Murmansk and it maintains at least six additional bases across the district. 

According to security experts it represents a logical step which comes after more than a decade of investments in the fleet’s assets: revitalizing existing Arctic military bases and constructing new ones, constructing capable radar installations and stationing modern weaponry in the region. 

Russian Ministry of Defense announced that it will equip the Northern Fleet with the hypersonic missile Kh-47M2 Kinzhal, also called Dagger. The nuclear-capable Dagger, which first flew in 2018, can travel up to ten times the speed of sound and travel up to 2,000 kilometers. At such high speeds it represents a challenge for western missile defense systems. 

Dagger is also capable of actively changing its trajectory and performing evasive maneuvers to avoid detection or destruction. According to military experts it can overcome any current or planned U.S. air or missile defense systems. 

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Russian snipers train for frosty fights in minus 35 degrees amid wider plans to increase Arctic warfare capabilities

 RT

Setting their sights on a conflict at the very end of the world, Russia's marksmen have staged a series of training exercises in freezing temperatures, hitting targets at long range and concealing themselves in snow drifts.

The press service of the Russian Ministry of Defense announced on Monday that the grueling drills had been carried out by army snipers based in the Far East region of Transbaikal, almost 5,000km east of Moscow. As part of the wargames, snipers practiced shooting mocked-up enemies at ranges of up to 1,000 meters in temperatures of -35 degrees Celsius (-31 Fahrenheit) throughout the day and night.

The exercises come among a series of measures aimed at strengthening Russia's ability to fight a conflict in the frozen Arctic. In December, a specialist research facility was reopened near Moscow to test the ability of weapons to withstand harsh weather conditions and temperatures as low as -60 degrees Celsius (-76 Fahrenheit).

At the same time, the US has indicated that it could begin 'freedom of navigation' patrols to challenge Moscow's dominance in the Arctic circle. Earlier this month, US Secretary of the Navy Kenneth Braithwaite hinted that "you will see the Navy operating again in a more permanent manner above the Arctic Circle." He added that Washington will "operate more assertively" to counter the growing Russian presence in the region.