According to experts, hypersonic Zircon missiles can be launched as part of the five-day maneuvers.
During the large-scale operational exercises of the Russian Navy "July Storm", which started on July 23, attacks on ships and coastal facilities, including using high-precision long-range weapons, will be practiced. Experts believe that cruise missiles from all types of carriers (surface, underwater, coastal and air) will be used as part of these maneuvers. Launches of hypersonic Zircons are also possible. In total, 150 ships and vessels, 120 aircraft and more than 15,000 military personnel of the three fleets and the Caspian Flotilla are involved in the exercises. At the same time, experts note that in 2025, exercises are actually held instead of Navy Day parades. Izvestia investigated what this might be related to and what tasks Russian sailors can perform in the waters of two oceans and two seas.
How will the July Storm naval exercises take place?
The Navy launched large-scale exercises "July Storm" on Wednesday, the Defense Ministry said. The forces of the Northern, Pacific, Baltic Fleets and the Caspian Flotilla are involved in it. Practical actions will unfold in the waters of the Pacific and Arctic Oceans, the Baltic and Caspian Seas. The exercise is led by Admiral Alexander Moiseev, Commander-in-Chief of the Navy.
Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
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More than 150 warships and support vessels, 120 aircraft, 10 coastal missile systems, 950 units of military and special equipment and more than 15,000 military personnel are involved in the maneuvers.
"During the exercise, it is planned to check the readiness of groups of forces (troops) of fleets and flotillas to solve non—standard operational tasks, the integrated use of high-precision long-range weapons, unmanned systems, advanced and modern weapons and military equipment," the military department said.
The crews of the ships will practice deployment to combat areas, conducting anti-submarine operations, defending their home areas and areas of maritime economic activity, repelling attacks by air attack, unmanned boats and drones, ensuring the safety of navigation, striking targets and naval formations, including using high-precision long-range weapons.
— Judging by the reports of the department, as well as if we analyze the video of the Ministry of Defense about the exercises, we can conclude that a wide variety of shock systems will be used, — Dmitry Kornev, editor of the Militaryrussia portal, told Izvestia. — Not only sea-based and shore-based anti-ship missiles, but also for strikes against ground targets, which are carried by both submarines and aircraft. Given that this is a fairly large exercise, it cannot be ruled out that hypersonic cruise missiles "Zircon" may be involved in the launches.
Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Image source: iz.ru
If such shock systems are tested during the exercises, then training on the use of a unified control system is quite likely, he added.
— It must be understood that the use of strategic and operational-tactical missile forces is now impossible without the use of a unified control system that transmits information about targets, the time of strikes and the forces and means used during the strike operation. All this should be tested during these exercises," the expert concluded.
What tasks will be worked out during the exercises?
"During such exercises, operational tasks are worked out that are solved by specific fleets," Admiral Sergey Avakyants, ex—commander of the Pacific Fleet, told Izvestia. "In addition, the tasks of strategic interaction between the fleets are being solved. The actions of the fleets in their operational areas should be coordinated through the General Staff of the Navy in coordination with the General Staff. All fleets must act according to a single plan. And this is very good, because the fleets are once again moving towards the development of such a form of application, which was before, as a strategic operation in oceanic areas. In addition, issues such as the inter-fleet maneuver and the focus of efforts on one or another operational area are being addressed. Our fleet must move towards conducting an independent strategic operation, and this is the future.
Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Image source: iz.ru
The admiral noted that the exercise is actually being held instead of the Navy Day parade, which this year will be celebrated on July 27.
— And it's great that instead of a parade. After the tasks of the special operation are completed, then it will be possible to hold parades," concluded Sergey Avakyants.
Large-scale exercises primarily allow us to draw conclusions about how ready the fleets are to complete the task, Admiral Vladimir Valuev, ex-commander of the Baltic Fleet, told Izvestia.
"Such exercises are also important for our potential enemy," the admiral believes. — He watches them, draws conclusions, thinks whether he should intimidate our country, whether to make the Baltic Sea, as they put it, a "NATO lake." The largest exercise in my practice was in 1970, it was called Ocean, and it was led by the Commander—in-Chief of the Navy, Sergei Gorshkov. All our four fleets and their combat-ready ships participated. At the end of the exercises, firing with the combat use of missiles, torpedoes and other weapons systems was carried out. His influence has been felt for several years. Our fleet learned from the meringue experience gained during those exercises. And the enemy knew that the Soviet Union had a powerful Navy that could defend its country. These exercises will certainly benefit our fleets and give reason to think about our likely opponent.
Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Image Source: iz.ru
The Navy and all the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation that are not involved in a military special operation are constantly conducting combat training activities, Rear Admiral Mikhail Chekmasov told Izvestia.
"We are currently checking the readiness of the fleets to perform their tasks," he said. — I can no longer remember when there was a simple and calm military-political situation around our country. Therefore, the forces of the fleet must be ready to repel any aggression, if such an aggression arises against our state. This is the main purpose of the Navy's combat operational training, including the current exercises. They are conducted according to a single plan and plan, even though there is a military special operation involving the forces and troops of the Black Sea Fleet and partly the Caspian Flotilla.
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| Russian Navy exercises "July Storm". |
| Source: iz.ru |
The largest naval exercises in recent years were held in September last year. More than 90,000 military personnel, over 400 ships and vessels, 125 aircraft, and more than 7.5 thousand units of weapons and equipment were involved in the Ocean-2024 maneuvers. Including three ships, one ship and 15 aircraft from the People's Liberation Army of China.
Practical actions were practiced in the waters of 13 marine areas in three strategic directions.
The Northern Fleet acted as a conditional enemy, it was opposed by the Pacific and Baltic Fleets and the Caspian Flotilla.
Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Image source: iz.ru
As part of the exercise, the fleet forces completed many tasks. The ships of the Northern Fleet landed troops on the unequipped coast of Chukotka. The sailors of the Pacific Fleet launched Onyx and Uran cruise missiles from the Bastion and Bal coastal complexes, and the Baltic Fleet conducted electronic missile launches at sea and land targets with Bastion complexes. Units of the coastal missile regiment were transferred from Kamchatka by sea on large amphibious ships of the Pacific Fleet to the coast of the Chukchi Peninsula.
The heterogeneous forces of the Northern Fleet were searching for submarines of the imaginary enemy in the waters of the Barents Sea. On the Caspian Flotilla, the crews of the Dagestan missile ship and the Astrakhan and Volgodonsk small artillery ships completed tasks to destroy a floating sea mine, and then practiced launching a missile attack on a contingent of ships of a simulated enemy with Kalibr missiles. The Baltic Fleet also conducted maneuvers to search for and destroy unmanned enemy boats.
Roman Kretsul
Bogdan Stepovoy
