Pacific Fleet (Russia)
The Pacific Fleet (Russian: Тихоокеанский флот, translit: Tikhookeanskiy flot) is the Russian Navy fleet in the Pacific Ocean.
| Pacific Fleet | |
|---|---|
| Russian: Тихоокеанский флот | |
Russian Pacific Fleet emblem | |
| Active | 1731–present |
| Allegiance | Russian Empire (1703–1917) Soviet Union (1922–1991) Russian Federation (1991–present) |
| Branch | Russian Navy |
| Role | At sea nuclear deterrence; Naval warfare; Amphibious military operations; Combat patrols in the Pacific/Arctic; Naval presence/diplomacy missions in the Pacific and elsewhere |
| Size | c. 46 Surface Warships (major surface units, light corvettes, mine warfare, amphibious) plus support ships/auxiliaries c. 24-26 Submarines (of which about 2/3 active as of 2022) |
| Part of | Russian Armed Forces |
| Garrison/HQ | Fokino (HQ) Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Vilyuchinsk |
| Engagements | Russo-Japanese War World War I October Revolution Russian Civil War World War II |
| Decorations | Order of the Red Banner |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Adm. Viktor Liina |
| Notable commanders | Adm. Nikolay Kuznetsov Adm. Ivan Yumashev Adm. Zinovy Rozhestvensky |
Established in 1731 as part of the Imperial Russian Navy, the fleet was known as the Okhotsk Military Flotilla (1731–1856) and Siberian Military Flotilla (1856–1918), formed to defend Russian interests in the Russian Far East region along the Pacific coast. In 1918 the fleet was inherited by the Russian SFSR, then the Soviet Union in 1922 as part of the Soviet Navy, being reformed several times before being disbanded in 1926. In 1932 it was re-established as the Pacific Fleet, and was known as the Red Banner Pacific Fleet (Краснознамённый Тихоокеанский флот) after World War II as it had earned the Order of the Red Banner. In the Soviet years, the fleet was also responsible for the Soviet Navy's operations in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Red Banner Pacific Fleet was inherited by the Russian Federation as part of the Russian Navy and its current name was adopted.
The Pacific Fleet's headquarters is located in Fokino, formerly Vladivostok with numerous facilities within the Peter the Great Gulf in Primorsky Krai, and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Vilyuchinsk in Avacha Bay on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Kamchatka Krai. Following the APEC Russia 2012 summit, it was announced that the main naval base of the Pacific Fleet in the Russian Far East will be moved to the town of Fokino, Primorsky Krai. The current commander is Admiral Viktor Liina, who has held the position since April 2023.