165th Surface Ship Brigade
Unit Identification and Chain of Command
The 165th Surface Ship Brigade is a formation of the Russian Navy’s Pacific Fleet within the Primorsky Flotilla of Heterogeneous Forces, based in the Vladivostok area of Primorsky Krai. Subordinate elements reported under this brigade include the 2nd Guards Missile Boat Squadron and the 11th Water Area Protection Squadron. The Guards honorific denotes a historical distinction. The brigade’s mission set aligns with coastal defense, sea denial in the approaches to major fleet bases, and protection of naval base areas and sea lines of communication in the Peter the Great Gulf region.
Basing and Location Analysis
Open sources place the 165th Surface Ship Brigade and its small combatants predominantly in the Vladivostok area, including Uliss Bay and adjacent naval facilities that support Pacific Fleet light surface forces. These locations provide direct access to the Peter the Great Gulf and the Sea of Japan, short transit times to fleet exercise areas, and proximity to major repair and logistics hubs such as Dalzavod Ship Repair Center in Vladivostok. The basing pattern is optimized for rapid reaction in littoral waters, integration with coastal defense systems, and layered protection of fleet anchorages and approaches.
Reported Order of Battle
2nd Guards Missile Boat Squadron: Project 1241T missile boat R-79 (pennant 995); Project 12411(M) missile boats R-11 (940), R-14 (924), R-18 (937), R-19 (978), R-20 (921), R-24 (946), R-29 (916), R-261 (991), R-297 (954), R-298 (971). 11th Water Area Protection Squadron: Project 1124M anti-submarine corvettes MPK-17 Ust-Ilimsk (362), MPK-64 Metel, MPK-221 Primorskiy Komsomolets (354), MPK-222 Koreyets (390); Project 1265 inshore minesweepers BT-114, BT-232 (525), BT-100 (565). Actual operational status of individual hulls can vary due to maintenance and decommissioning cycles.
Platform Capabilities — Project 1241T Tarantul I Missile Boat
Project 1241T Tarantul I is a high-speed coastal missile boat designed for anti-ship strike in littoral waters. Typical characteristics include full-load displacement around 450–500 tons, length approximately 56–58 m, and maximum speed about 38–42 knots depending on propulsion fit. A representative armament fit comprises four P-15 Termit anti-ship missiles (SS-N-2), one AK-176 76.2 mm gun forward, and two AK-630 30 mm close-in weapon systems, with short-range MANPADS for point air defense on some units. Sensors commonly include surface-search and fire-control radars suitable for over-the-horizon targeting when cued by external sources. Endurance and seakeeping are tailored for coastal operations rather than sustained blue-water deployment.
Platform Capabilities — Project 12411(M) Molniya (Tarantul III) Missile Boat
Project 12411, known domestically as Molniya and by NATO as Tarantul III, is an improved missile boat optimized for fast anti-ship engagements. Typical characteristics are roughly 500–560 tons full-load, length about 56–58 m, and top speed near 38–42 knots. Standard armament includes four P-270 Moskit anti-ship missiles (SS-N-22), with published maximum ranges up to approximately 120–240 km depending on missile version; one AK-176 76.2 mm gun; and two AK-630 30 mm CIWS for close-in defense. Short-range portable SAMs are often fitted for point air defense. Representative sensors include surface-search, navigation, and fire-control radars along with electronic support measures; long-range targeting commonly relies on fleet or shore-based cueing. The class is designed for rapid coastal strike, swarm tactics, and quick sortie-recovery cycles.
Platform Capabilities — Project 1124M Anti-Submarine Corvettes (Grisha V)
Project 1124M corvettes are dedicated anti-submarine warfare platforms for base and coastal defense. Typical data: length about 71 m, full-load displacement approximately 1,000–1,200 tons, maximum speed around 30–32 knots, range near 4,000 nautical miles at economical speed. A representative weapons suite includes one AK-176 76.2 mm gun, two AK-630 CIWS, two RBU-6000 ASW rocket launchers, and 533 mm ASW torpedo tubes (commonly twin launchers). For air defense, the class is fitted with Osa-MA short-range SAM. Sensors generally comprise a hull-mounted sonar and, on some units, a variable-depth sonar, together with surface-search and fire-control radars. These corvettes conduct barrier ASW, patrols in base approaches, and escort duties in constrained waters.
Platform Capabilities — Project 1265 Inshore Minesweepers (Yevgeniya)
Project 1265 inshore minesweepers are small, glass-reinforced plastic hull craft intended for mine countermeasures in ports and approaches. Typical figures are roughly 90–100 tons displacement, length about 32–33 m, speed around 12 knots, and a crew of approximately 25–30. They are equipped with mechanical and influence sweeps, hull-mounted mine-hunting sonar suitable for shallow-water detection, and a light gun armament (often a 25 mm mount) for self-defense. Their low acoustic and magnetic signatures support operations against moored and influence mines in confined, shallow waters where larger MCM vessels are constrained.
Mission Profiles and Roles
The 2nd Guards Missile Boat Squadron provides rapid-reaction coastal anti-ship strike capability, sea denial within the Peter the Great Gulf and adjacent coastal zones, and complements land-based coastal missile units by complicating adversary targeting. The 11th Water Area Protection Squadron is tasked with base defense, including anti-submarine patrols, escort of high-value units in approaches, and clearance of mines in harbors and near-shore lanes. Together, these units form a layered defense for Vladivostok-area naval infrastructure, combining strike, ASW barrier, and mine countermeasure functions.
Infrastructure and Support Facilities
Vladivostok and its nearby naval anchorages host piers, ammunition handling areas, fuel storage, and workshops matched to small combatants and corvettes. Dalzavod in Vladivostok serves as a principal repair and overhaul center for Pacific Fleet surface units, including hull, propulsion, and weapons maintenance for small missile boats and ASW corvettes. Berthing in Uliss Bay and adjacent waters enables high sortie rates, while proximity to training ranges in the Sea of Japan reduces transit time for live-fire, ASW, and MCM exercises. Logistical support includes mobile fueling, ordnance replenishment under controlled procedures, and shore-based command-and-control integration with fleet and coastal surveillance networks.
Operational Environment and Geography
The operating area encompasses the Peter the Great Gulf and the broader Sea of Japan littoral, characterized by dense commercial traffic, variable weather including frequent fog and seasonal storms, and complex near-shore bathymetry. These conditions favor small, maneuverable craft for base-area defense and short-notice sorties but can impose sea-state limitations on small hulls. Coastal geography provides concealment and dispersal options across multiple coves and bays, while short ranges to training areas facilitate regular readiness events. Navigation and deconfliction with civilian shipping are persistent operational considerations.
Readiness, Training, and Activities (Open-Source)
Russian Ministry of Defence releases regularly depict Pacific Fleet Tarantul-class missile boats and Grisha-class corvettes conducting sea-denial drills, live gunnery, and anti-ship missile exercises in the Peter the Great Gulf and adjacent waters, alongside mine countermeasure activities by inshore minesweepers in port approaches. Exercise serials typically include joint tactical maneuvering, target detection and engagement with external cueing for missile boats, ASW search-and-attack cycles for corvettes using sonar and RBU-6000 rocket salvos, and minesweeping evolutions employing both mechanical and influence sweeps. Such activities are consistent with the units’ assigned missions of coastal defense, base protection, and readiness sustainment.
Modernization and Lifecycle Considerations
The 1241-series missile boats and 1124M corvettes are legacy Soviet-era platforms that have undergone incremental maintenance and selective upgrades across the Russian Navy. Tarantul-series modernization elsewhere has included updates to sensors and, on some variants not universally applied, integration of newer anti-ship missiles such as Kh-35 on Project 12418; however, specific upgrade statuses of individual hulls listed here vary and are not comprehensively documented in public sources. Grisha-class corvettes have seen periodic overhauls to extend service life and sustain ASW capability. Project 1265 minesweepers continue to serve as inshore MCM assets despite newer MCM platforms entering service, reflecting ongoing reliance on composite-hull small sweepers for port-area clearance.
Capability Assessment and Force Integration
The combined force package provides complementary effects: missile boats furnish rapid coastal strike and deterrence against surface combatants; ASW corvettes establish barriers and conduct escort and patrol missions; and inshore minesweepers enable freedom of navigation in base approaches. Strengths include high sprint speeds for Tarantul-class craft, proven ASW systems on 1124M corvettes for shallow-water operations, and low-signature MCM hulls suited to confined waters. Limitations include short endurance and limited area air defense on missile boats, aging hulls across all three project types, and the inherently restricted sea-state tolerance of inshore minesweepers. Effective employment depends on integration with shore-based surveillance and targeting networks to maximize situational awareness and missile cueing.
Information Availability and Caveats
Unit alignments, hull identities, and equipment fits summarized here derive from publicly available reporting on Russian Pacific Fleet surface forces. Composition and readiness of individual ships are subject to change due to refits, transfers, or decommissioning. Where weapon, sensor, and performance figures are provided, they represent typical published specifications for the respective project classes and may vary by build batch and modernization state. Detailed current operational status, maintenance schedules, or classified basing information are not publicly available and are therefore not included.