Naval Infantry [Morskoy Pekhoty]
Land and Coastal Troops of the Navy
At the present time the naval infantry of Russia is elite of the Armed Forces. Naval infantry includes the division of the Pacific Fleet, the detached brigades of the Northern and Baltic Fleets and of the Caspian Military Flotilla, and the detached regiment of the Black Sea Fleet. SPUTNIK is the name of the Arctic Ocean Northern Fleet Marine Main Naval Base.
Although similar in mission to the United States Marine Corps, which numbers approximately 180,000, the Russian Naval Infantry is much smaller, numbering 12,000-men. There is at least one naval infantry regiment attached to each of the major Russian fleets. The Russian Naval Infantry has very little organic firepower or support, and if committed to combat it would require reinforcement within less than a week. Russian military doctrine calls for the naval infantry to be used as shock troops spearheading an assault that would be followed up by ground forces.
Its primary wartime missions would be to seize and hold strategic straits or islands and to make seaborne tactical landings behind enemy lines. During the 1980s Soviet Naval Infantry exercises in the Kuril Islands north of Japan indicated that the intended target of Naval Infantry was the shores bordering various chokepoints. In a conflict, these troops would most likely be sent ashore to capture the Dardanelles or the Kattegat straits and then wait for rapid reinforcement.
The history of Russia's marines began in November 1705 when, pursuant to a decree of Peter I, the formation of a regiment of naval infantry for boarding, landing and marching service on the ships of the Baltic Fleet started. Since that time the marines have covered a long and glorious way of combat. The Russian marines won victories over the enemy in the Gangut sea battle of 1714, during the rout of the Turkish Navy in Cesme Harbor in 1770, and in taking the Ismail fortress on the Danube in 1790 and the French fortress Corfu in the Ionian Sea in 1799. Within three weeks in that same year a Russian marine landing force took Naples by storm, liberating ally Italy from the French and entered Rome.
In 1812-1813 the Russian naval infantrymen distinguished themselves in the battles against the French near Borodino and Kulma and in the siege of the Danzig fortress. In 1854-1855 the marines defended Sevastopol from the Anglo-French and Turkish troops, and in 1904 defended Port Arthur from the Japanese troops. In the years of World War II about 500,000 sailors fought on the land fronts in the marines battalions, regiments and brigades. The Soviet experience in amphibious warfare in World War II contributed to the development of Soviet operational art in combined arms operations.
In the early 1960s, Naval Infantry became a combat arm of the Soviet Naval Forces. In 1989 Naval Infantry consisted of 18,000 marine troops organized into one division and three brigades. Naval Infantry had its own amphibious versions of standard armored vehicles and tanks used by the Ground Forces.
By the end of the Cold War the Soviet Naval forces had over eighty landing ships as well as two Ivan Rogov-class amphibious assault docks. The latter were assault ships that could transport one infantry battalion with forty armored vehicles and their amphibious landing craft. At seventyfive units, the Soviet Union had the world's largest inventory of air-cushion assault craft. In addition, many of the Soviet merchant fleet's (Morflot) 2,500 ocean-going ships could off-load weapons and supplies in an amphibious landing.
On 18 November 1990, on the eve of the Paris Summit where the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty and the Vienna Document on Confidence and Security-Building Measures (CSBMs) were signed, Soviet data were presented under the so-called initial data exchange. This showed a rather sudden emergence of three so-called coastal defence divisions subordinate to the Soviet Navy, which had previously been unknown as such to the West. A lot of equipment, which was commonly understood to be treaty limited (TLE) was notified as part of the naval infantry. The Soviet argument was that the CFE excluded all naval forces, including its permanently land-based components. The Soviet Government eventually became convinced that its position could not be maintained. A statement by the Soviet Union (later adopted by its successor states) enacted on 14 June 1991 provided that all treaty-limited equipment (tanks, artillery, and armored combat vehicles) assigned to naval infantry or coastal defense forces count against the total treaty entitlement.
Exercise Cooperation from the Sea is conducted in support of the American III Marine Expeditionary Force engagement plan, and to foster a closer relationship between the Russian Naval Infantry and the United States Marine Corps. The III Marine Expeditionary Force Marines from Okinawa and Russian naval forces participated in "Cooperation From the Sea 1994," which took place in and around Vladivostok, Russia. United States Marines and Russian Naval Infantry conducted their first combined training exercise on US soil, in Hawaii, from Aug. 27-31, 1995. The Russian Federation Navy (RFN) anti-submarine destroyer Admiral Panteleyev (DDG 548), RFN Vladimir Kolechitsky (AOR) and a Ropucha Class tanker landing ship (LST 11) steamed into Pearl Harbor on 27 August 1995. With units of the Russian Federation Naval Infantry (RFNI) aboard, they came to train with U.S. Navy and Marine Corps forces. The exercise, "Cooperation From the Sea 1995," was a maritime disaster relief exercise. It included cross training and personnel exchanges, and culminated in a combined amphibious landing of US Marines and Russian Naval Infantry. The purpose of the exercise was to improve interoperability with Russian military forces in conducting disaster relief missions and to promote cooperation and understanding between US and Russian service members. The general operating area of the exercise was off Oahu's northeastern coast, near MCB Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay. The amphibious landing took place at Bellows Air Force Station on Waimanalo bay. This exercise marked the second time that u.s. and Russian forces have participated in this type of operation. The Russian military units remained in Hawaii after the exercise to participate in the 50th anniversary commemoration of VJ Day, Sept. 1-3, 1995.
A Naval Infantry Regiment, equiped with the PT-76 and BRDM-2, consists of 1 Tank Battalion and 3 Naval fantry Battalions. A Naval Infantry Brigade, equiped with the PT-76 or T-80 and BRDM-2, consists of 2 Tank Battalions, and 4 to 5 Naval Infantry Battalions. A Tank Battalion had 9 PT-76 or 6 PT-76 plus 3 MBT. A Naval Infantry Battalion has 9 BTR-60/706, 9 Infantry, 1 120mm Mortar w/truck, 1 AT-4 stand w/BTR. At least one infantry battalion is parachute trained, while all of the remaining infantry battalions are trained to be able to carry out air assault missions. Russian naval infantry no longer uses PT-76 amphibious tanks, but has not yet received a large number of T-80s. A full-strength Naval Infantry Brigade may have up to 70-80 MBTs. APCs are BTR-80s (in Assault Landing Battalions) or MT-LBs (in Naval Infantry Battalions). While the Naval Infantry is supposed to receive BMP-3 IFVs, few have been delivered, and it is far from certain such re-arming will take place. BMP-3s may equip one company per battalion.
The Alligator tank landing ship is a typical amphibious assault ships. Propelled by diesel, this ship is relatively small, displacing about 4500 tons. In 1978, the Soviets launched a new amphibious ship, the Ivan Rogov. The advent of the Ivan Rogov was taken in the West as an indication that the Soviet Navy was planning to strengthen the power projection mission of Naval Infantry. Twice the size of earlier ships, it can launch amphibious vehicles from its open bow doors. It also carries helicopters. Among the various small assault landing vehicles to launch from the bow are hovercraft, such as the Aist, which can carry the naval infantry ashore at speeds of fifty knots.
