Russian and Indonesian sailors will conduct joint exercises.
The Russian Navy is strengthening its position in the Asia-Pacific region. This is how the experts interviewed by Izvestia commented on the visit of the Pacific Fleet ships to the Indonesian island of Bali. A Pacific Fleet detachment consisting of the corvettes Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov, Sharp and the tanker Pechenga arrived on the island. During such visits, the crews of the ships conduct exercises together with foreign sailors and explore the seas in the southern hemisphere, where our fleet has visited quite rarely in recent decades.
The Pacific Fleet has strengthened
During the visit to Bali, the crews of the Pacific Fleet corvettes and tankers will visit the ships of the Indonesian Navy and conduct guided tours on their ships for local military sailors. Within the framework of the Komodo-2025 exercises, the sailors of the two countries will work out joint maneuvering as part of a detachment, search for submarines, repel air raids by a simulated enemy, as well as exercises to combat the survivability of ships. In addition, sports and cultural events will be held during the visit.
The Russian Navy is strengthening its position in the Asia-Pacific region, military expert Dmitry Boltenkov told Izvestia.
"Our fleet rarely visited the South Seas after the collapse of the Soviet Union,— he noted. — Meanwhile, in the last two or three decades, the role of the Asia-Pacific region in world politics and economics has increased significantly. Our presence there is necessary, and we have the capabilities to ensure it. The Pacific Fleet has noticeably strengthened in recent years. It currently consists of 10 large ships of the first and second ranks, of which the frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov has been upgraded, and five corvettes were recently built from scratch.
Pacific Fleet corvette "Sharp" during the strategic command and staff exercises "Ocean-2024"
Image source: Photo: TASS/Vadim Savitsky
10-12 years ago, the Pacific Fleet had half as many large warships, the expert recalled.
— Now the Pacific Fleet has increased its strength and capabilities, — said Dmitry Boltenkov. — Most of the long-range voyages of the Russian Navy last year were carried out by his ships.
Russia has a special relationship with Indonesia — we helped it in the liberation war, supplied weapons, including cruisers and submarines, said military expert Vasily Dandykin.
Control post of the Pacific Fleet corvette "Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov"
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Vitaly Ankov
"This is one of the largest countries in that region with a large population and a fast—growing economy," he explained. — And trips for our sailors have already become regular. It's good that TOPH is strengthening now. We need to stop any threat and display our flag in all the countries of the Asia-Pacific region — Laos, Cambodia, Kampuchea and Vietnam. The Asia-Pacific region is very important to us now from the point of view of cooperation with China. We have also signed an agreement with North Korea. As we can see, our presence there will only increase.
The ongoing strategic partnership will allow Russia and Indonesia to conduct all types of military training and exercises, Teuku Rezashia, associate professor of the Department of International Relations at Pajajaran University and the Presidential University in Indonesia, told Izvestia.
—Indonesia and Russia clearly understand what kind of joint exercises need to be organized,— he stressed.
Pacific Fleet corvette "Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov" during mooring
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Vitaly Ankov
Teuku Rezashia believes that Indonesia's membership in BRICS, which was accepted in January this year, allows it to work more closely with Russia in many areas, which helps deepen mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.
Vector change
Last year, ships and vessels of the Russian Navy made over 50 long-range voyages. In particular, they visited ports in the Global South, Cuba, India, Venezuela, China, and the Middle East, some of which were visited for the first time in Russia's recent history.
So, in 2024, the cruiser Varyag and the frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov made a seven-month cruise, passing from Vladivostok to the Mediterranean Sea and back. At the same time, they took part in a number of exercises and made port calls in different countries.
Pacific Fleet cruiser Varyag at the dock in Vladivostok
Image source: Photo: TASS/Yuri Smityuk
In particular, Marshal Shaposhnikov visited the port of Massawa in Eritrea. This was the first visit by a Russian warship since the separation of Eritrea from Ethiopia.
Another interesting event was the cruise of three corvettes — "Loud", "Tsydenzhapov" and "Sharp" — from Vladivostok to the Indian Ocean. During this campaign, a landmark event took place — for the first time in history, Navy ships took part in the Orruda-2024 naval exercises, which Indonesia has been organizing for years.
The frigate Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov, together with the nuclear submarine Kazan, visited Havana in the summer. The visit of our nuclear submarine to a foreign port was the first since 2004, when the nuclear submarine Vepr visited France.
The largest exercises since the Soviet era
Last year, the Russian Navy conducted the largest naval exercises since the Soviet era - Ocean-2024. The forces of the Baltic, Northern and Pacific Fleets, the Caspian Flotilla and the permanent naval unit in the Mediterranean Sea took part in them.
The Admiral Levchenko anti-submarine ship of the Northern Fleet during the Ocean-2024 strategic command and staff exercises
Image source: Photo: IZVESTIA/Pavel Volkov
The maneuvers took place from September 10 to September 16, 2024. 400 ships and vessels and about 90,000 military personnel took part in them, they were held in various waters, including the ocean zone. The fleet carried out firing with all types of weapons, worked out strikes on ground targets, and anti-submarine measures.
By and large, almost all ships and vessels capable of going to the open sea took part in them, with the exception of the forces of the Black Sea Fleet, which solve combat missions as part of a special military operation. For the first time, the Naval Forces of the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA Navy) also took part in such large-scale exercises.
Bogdan Stepovoy
