Modern anti-ship systems will take control of the entire Gulf of Finland
Saint Petersburg and Kronstadt will have missile protection. The defense Ministry will strengthen the defense of the Leningrad naval base: modern coastal complexes "Bal"will be sent there. They can effectively destroy small ships and boats, as well as fight against marine troops. According to experts, several such missile systems are able to completely block the Gulf of Finland and make approaches to the Northern capital inaccessible.
Special purpose region
As sources in the military Department told Izvestia, the decision in principle to form a division of the Bal anti-ship complexes as part of the Leningrad naval base (Lenvmb) has already been made. It is expected that its formation will be completed in 2021. However, it is possible that the timing may shift. The task of the systems will be to protect Kronstadt and St. Petersburg. Previously, the base was guarded by a division of coastal missile systems "Redut". However, it was disbanded in the early 2000s.
Coastal missile system (DBK) " Bal"
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Paul Lions
Today, the Lenvmb is based in Kronstadt, and its separate divisions and services are located in St. Petersburg and its environs, in particular, in Oranienbaum. The base includes the 105th brigade of water area protection ships, consisting of small anti-submarine ships and minesweepers. Its second unit is a brigade of ships under construction and under repair. Every ship that arrives for repairs at local enterprises is temporarily assigned to it. At the end of the work, all products are tested while still being part of this team. Then they are sent to the home ports.
- On Lenvmb there are "Severnaya Verf" and " Admiralty shipyards — - key shipyards in the country — - military historian Dmitry Boltenkov told Izvestia. — And there has always been a strong coastal defense until recently. It has received attention since the reign of Peter the great. FORTS were built and artillery batteries were placed. It is no coincidence that even during the Crimean war, the ships of the anti-Russian coalition did not dare to approach St. Petersburg. Then the world's first sea mines were placed in the Gulf of Finland. And today this is a very important region, whose defense needs to be strengthened. Especially against the background of the strengthening of NATO countries in the Baltic.
The Bal coastal missile system was adopted in 2008. It is designed to protect the coast and Straits, as well as cover naval bases. It has the ability to fire single missiles and volleys of up to 32 subsonic missiles. After reloading (takes 30 – 40 minutes), the complex is ready to make a second salvo. DBK is a mobile system based on the MZKT-7930 chassis. It includes up to two self-propelled command posts, up to four launchers with eight x-35/X-35U cruise missiles, as well as transport and reloading vehicles.
Coastal missile system (DBK) " Bal"
Image source: Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Korotaev
The range of the DBK is more than 120 km. The complex is equipped with night vision devices and modern equipment. Thanks to the latest navigation system, Bal can quickly change starting positions. The deployment time is only 10 minutes.
Not knowing the blunders
After joining the service, the DBK will be able to fully control the entire Gulf of Finland, former chief of the Navy's General staff Admiral Valentin Selivanov told Izvestia.
"The operational area of the Lenvmb extends from the border with Finland to the border with Estonia," he explained. - "Bal" is a very effective complex. They will be placed not in Kronstadt, and not in St. Petersburg, but somewhere between these two points. In the event of aggression, they will hit the ships not when they are already approaching Kronstadt, but still on the approach. Enemy ships will be targeted at the entrance to the Gulf of Finland.
Valentin Selivanov recalled that recently NATO has been expanding its capabilities in the Baltic States and near the North-Western regions of Russia.
— If you put two complexes somewhere near Vyborg, and one near Narva, they will block the entire water area, and the enemy will not be able to work with ship forces in the Gulf of Finland, — said the expert. — These systems do not allow mistakes. In my many years of service, I do not remember that at least once the DBK got past. Shooting at ships has always been performed with absolute success: the missile hits exactly the target.
In recent years, Russia has been actively strengthening the coastal forces of the fleet, and in particular the coastal rocket and artillery troops (BRAV). Rearming them with legacy systems "Redoubt" and "Boundary" at the latest "Bastion" and "Ball". In addition, modern divisions are being formed, and coastal missile regiments are being transformed into full-fledged brigades.
Mass deliveries to parts of the new DBK started in 2015. One of the first they received the 72-th separate coastal missile brigade (United opbr) Pacific fleet. In November 2016, the Bastion battery was deployed to Iturup island, while the BAL battery was deployed to Kunashir island.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Vitaly Timkiv
Image source: iz.ru
In the Baltic sea, coastal missile forces have so far been only in the Kaliningrad region, where the 27th obrbr was deployed on the basis of the regiment. The appearance of new equipment there, and especially modern DBMS, has caused serious concern among neighboring NATO member countries.
The decision to strengthen the land component of the fleet was not accidental. The history of Russia knows examples of defense of naval bases from land attacks: such battles occurred during the Crimean, Russian-Japanese and great Patriotic war. According to Dmitry Boltenkov, this task was most successfully solved in 1941-1942.
Then, under a single naval command, defensive areas were created-operational associations of fleets, land forces and aviation to protect coastal regions. In particular, the defense of Odessa and the later evacuation of parts of The separate Primorye army was recognized as one of the most successful operations for the defense of naval bases in modern history.
Roman Kretsul
