Key Points and Summary: While the Russian Navy’s Pacific Fleet boasts modern ballistic missile submarines and conducts joint naval drills with China, it remains an afterthought for Vladimir Putin.
-With Russia focused on Ukraine and the Middle East, its Pacific force plays a secondary role, mainly flying the flag and gathering intelligence.
Yasen-Class Image: Russian Navy.
-Compared to China’s massive navy, Russia’s fleet lacks numbers and strategic impact. However, Moscow still tries to project power with nuclear-armed submarines and provocative exercises.
-In a real naval conflict, though, Russia’s Pacific Fleet would struggle to be a decisive force. Putin’s maritime ambitions in the Pacific remain symbolic rather than strategic.
The Russian Navy’s Pacific Fleet Is No Match for China or the U.S.
Russia’s warships in the Pacific have become the “forgotten” fleet.
Vladimir Putin’s maritime force is struggling in the Middle East; it has effectively lost the Battle of the Black Sea against Ukraine, and the navy has little “Blue Water” power projection capabilities that strike rival countries with fear. Russia also has no functioning aircraft carrier.
Let’s examine Russia’s Pacific fleet to see if any capabilities of Putin’s propaganda mill can churn out to an unsuspecting public.
The Russian Pivot to Asia
Like the United States, Russia began to “pivot” to Asia during the early 2010s.
The Russian Navy wanted to conduct more naval exercises with China. Putin was making inroads with North Korea’s new Supreme Leader, Kim Jong Un, after his 2011 christening.
Russia also kept an eye on Japan to ensure Moscow could engage in armed diplomacy with Tokyo.
Pacific Fleet Is Still a Means for Nuclear Deterrence
The Pacific fleet has submarines with nuclear missiles, which makes for a navy that can still project some elements of power and deterrence.
South Korea, Japan, the United States, and its other East Asian allies must remember that as their navies operate in Northeast Asia.
Energy Security Is a Factor
Russia also wants to protect its energy industry in eastern Russia. This region is a significant source of the oil and gas they extract, and the flow of hydrocarbons must continue as Russia is a global leader in energy production.
The Russian Navy’s Pacific fleet also keeps the sea lines of communication open and “flies the flag” in the region to show the navy has a global reach.
Sailing with Chinese Has Been a Breakthrough in Naval Diplomacy
Russia’s Pacific fleet loves engaging in naval drills, which gives American intelligence analysts and battle planners something else to worry about besides China.
Sometimes, these are combined exercises with the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) that can comprise over 400 surface warships and submarines like the joint drills of “Ocean 2024.”
The Russian Navy is experiencing a resurgence, with new ships and submarines entering service despite ongoing challenges.
Russia has modern ballistic missile submarines or “boomers” and older diesel-electric boats, and these are still a factor in the order of battle and can supplement the Chinese undersea force to cement Russo-Chinese military and diplomatic ties better.
“The balance of power still heavily favors the United States, especially when considering its alliance relationships, but the Pacific is a region of importance to Moscow and the Pacific Fleet has received commensurate attention in recent years,” Blake Herzinger, a research fellow at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, Australia, told Task and Purpose.
Undersea Warfare Is a Strength of the Pacific Fleet for Russia
Some modernized surface ships adorn the Pacific Fleet, but these are not as robust in number as the Russian Northern Fleet that sails in the Arctic and Atlantic Ocean.
The Pacific Fleet has four Borei-class nuclear-powered boomer submarines and one nuclear-powered cruise missile Yasen-class boat.
The Provocative Russian Fleet
The Pacific Fleet can be “provocative” as Brent Sadler of the Heritage Foundation noted. This flotilla can project power far beyond Russian shores, but the ships are not top of mind in Moscow unless it comes to working with the Chinese. Putin focuses on Ukraine and the Middle East, and the Pacific Fleet is usually on the back burner.
However, since Russia is focused on a land war, it can show that it is trying to have a Blue Water navy that can conduct more than homeland defense. This poses a dual threat to Russian adversaries who believe that the Russian navy is not robust and is limited in its strategic reach.
The Pacific Fleet is tiny compared to the PLAN, with only about 10 percent of the 340 or more ships the Chinese deploy. So, the Russian navy is a minor actor in the region. The Slava-class cruiser Varyag, the flagship for Russia’s Pacific Fleet, has returned to the area after a deployment in the Middle East.
Russian Battlecruiser. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
The Russian Navy’s Pacific Fleet: Forgotten?
It is not clear what the Russians wish to accomplish with the Pacific fleet. They have newer nuclear ballistic and attack submarines and some modern surface vessels. They hope to remind the Americans that they can fight a land war and maneuver ships with the Chinese in the Pacific.
But the numbers are too small to make much of a difference in a shooting war. The Pacific fleet continues to be an afterthought for Putin and his admirals.
They are more just a means to “fly the flag” and collect intelligence data on adversaries, plus to conduct combined naval drills with the Chinese to send a message to the Americans that they still have a presence in northeast Asia.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
