Arctic Joint Strategic Command (Russia)

Arctic Joint Strategic Command
Active 2014 - present
Country Russia
Type Joint command
Part of Russian Armed Forces
Garrison/HQ Severomorsk

The Arctic Joint Strategic Command (also: North Unified Strategic Command) is a Russian military command established on December, 1st, 2014. The Arctic Strategic Command area of responsibility includes Russian territories in the Arctic.[1][2]

The new Joint Strategic Command will establish a fifth Russian Military District, the Northern Military District, before 2020. Core of both the Arctic Joint Strategic Command and of the future Northern Military District will be the Russian Northern Fleet which will also be the main striking force.[3][4] Stepwise, the military command will take control of various territories, units, vessels and formations currently being part of the Eastern and Central military districts. It will also take over vessels from the Southern military district.

In addition, the Strategic Command will take over ground Arctic warfare brigades, air force and air defence units as well as additional administrative structures, which don't exist up to now. They will be established within the next few years by the Northern Fleet and by the Central and Eastern military districts.[5] Alongside the conventional forces, also a special force grouping is to be established.[6]

Bases

The Russian Ministry of Defence is in the process of building 13 air-defense radar stations in the Russian Arctic.[7]

Airfields and ports on several islands, which were last used by the Soviet Union, will be re-opened: the 'Temp Air Base' on the New Siberian Islands (Kotelny Island), the Rogachevo Air Base on Novaya Zemlya and the Nagurskoye Air Base in the Franz Josef Land archipelago. A newly built naval base on the Wrangel Island will add to that.

In addition, at least seven airfields on the continental part of the Arctic Circle will be opened or re-opened, with Tiksi in Yakutia expected to house the bulk of the Arctic air force.[8] Other continental airfields include Naryan-Mar Airport, Alykel Airport close to the city of Norilsk and Mys Shmidta and Ugolny Airport, both located in Chukotka.[9][10]

Forces

As of January, 7th, 2015, the commander of the Northern Fleet reportedly envisaged a series of coordination-improving tasks, including submarine underwater operations, assigned to cruise vessels.[11] Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov also said that it will be set up a specialised training centre for servicemen doing military service in the Arctic Region in 2015.[12]

Ground forces

The ground element of the command will incorporate two Arctic motorized infantry brigades, including the 200th Independent Motor Rifle Brigade[13] and the 80th Independent Motor Rifle Brigade (Alakurtti)(formed January 2015).[14]

The brigades are expected to accomplish coast patrolling missions, protect sites and territories on the coast of the northern seas and the Arctic Ocean, support and escort ships sailing along the Northern Sea Route, and demonstrate the military presence in the Arctic.

According to the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces, Colonel General Oleg Salyukov, an Arctic motorized rifle brigade is, as of October 2014, under formation in the Murmansk Oblast, near the Norwegian border, while the second brigade is scheduled for 2016 to be stationed in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.[15]

Order of battle

Air and air defence forces

Air Defence forces are said to consist of Pantsir-S1 missile and artillery systems, which have been put on duty on the Kotelny Island of the Novosibirsk archipelago in 2014. The deployment of intermediate and long-range air defence systems in this area has also been planned.[16]

The command involved is the 1st Air Force and Air Defence Command, and specifically the 1st Air and Space Defence Brigade, including the 531st, 583rd, and 1258th Air Defence Regiments, the 331st and 332d Radio-Technical Regiments, plus other units stationed in the Murmansk, Chukotka and Arkhangelsk Oblasts.[17] Air Force Commander-in-Chief Colonel-General Viktor Bondarev told in an interview that by 2017 the Tiksi airport complex will be operational, and it will be garrisoned with upgraded MiG-31 interceptors.[18][19]

In January 2016, Defence Minister Sergey Shoygu announced that the 45th Air and Air Defence Army (45-я армия ВВС и ПВО Северного флота) had been formed under control of the Northern Fleet in December 2015.[20]

References

  1. ↑ "Russia’s Defense Ministry establishes Arctic Strategic Command". TASS. 1 December 2014. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  2. ↑ "Russian military forming drone squadron for Arctic reconnaissance". TASS. 13 November 2014. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  3. ↑ Jones, Bruce (1 December 2014). "Russia activates new Arctic Joint Strategic Command". IHS Jane's 360. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  4. ↑ "Joint Strategic Command". GlobalSecurity. 2016-07-11. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  5. ↑ Keck, Zachary (21 February 2014). "Russia to Establish Arctic Military Command". The Diplomat. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  6. ↑ "Joint Strategic Command". GlobalSecurity. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  7. ↑ "Russian Military Map: The Joint Strategic Command ‘North’". South Front. 7 August 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  8. ↑ Lashkov, Yuri (29 December 2014). "Russia to Form Air Army in Arctic in 2015: Army Chief". Sputnik News. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  9. ↑ "New drone squadron protects Russian interests in the Arctic". The Siberian Times. 2015-11-23. Retrieved 2017-02-08.
  10. ↑ "Russia Builds New Arctic Military Base". The Moscow Times. 8 December 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  11. ↑ "Russian Arctic Strategic Command year will perform a number of tasks". Getinews. 8 January 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  12. ↑ Sharifulin, Valeriy (29 December 2014). "Air force and air defence army for Russia's Arctic to be in place 2015 — General Staff". TASS. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  13. ↑ Wade, Jonathan (26 November 2015). "Russia’s Joint Strategic Command North (JSCN)". The Sentinel. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  14. ↑ "Russia's 'Polar Bear Spetznas' Step Up Defense of Country's Arсtic Borders". sputniknews.com. Retrieved 2016-08-13.
  15. ↑ "Russia to Form Arctic Military Command by 2017". The Moscow Times. 1 October 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  16. ↑ Ragno, Fabio (6 January 2015). "RUSSIA: UN COMANDO PER LE FORZE AEREE DELL’ARTICO". Analisi Difesa (in Italian). Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  17. ↑ "Arctic Move: Russia Gets Its Own NORTHCOM". The XX Committee. Retrieved 8 January 2015.. See Michael Holm, 21st Air Defence Corps; 1258th appears to be a typographical error for the 1528th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment.
  18. ↑ Lystseva, Marina (15 October 2014). "Russia to base interceptors, front-line warplanes at Yakutia airfield from 2017". TASS. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  19. ↑ Sorokin, Donat (30 December 2014). "Upgraded MiG-31 interceptors to cover Russia's Arctic, other strategic directions — source". TASS. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  20. ↑ "В России появилась 45-я армия ВВС и ПВО Северного флота" [In Russia, there is 45th Air Force and Air Defence Army of the Northern Fleet]. Interfax (in Russian). 29 January 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
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