Northern Fleet
Northern Fleet Overview and Command
Headquarters: Severomorsk (Murmansk Oblast, Russia). As publicly reported in 2024, the fleet commander is Vice Admiral Konstantin Kabantsov. The Northern Fleet functions as the core of the Joint Strategic Command 'North' (established 2014 with military district-level status), responsible for operations across the Barents, Kara, and Norwegian Seas and the Arctic maritime approaches.
Principal Bases and Infrastructure in Kola Bay
The main naval base cluster is along Kola Bay, with primary piers at Severomorsk and Polyarny, aviation at Severomorsk-3, and major repair capacity at the 35th Ship Repair Plant (a Zvezdochka branch) in Murmansk. The floating dock PD-50 sank in October 2018; a large dry dock at the 35th plant has been reconfigured since to handle capital ships, materially affecting heavy-maintenance timelines through 2024.
43rd Missile Ship Division (military unit 20475)
This formation concentrates the fleet’s principal surface combatants for long-range strike and layered air defense, based at Severomorsk. Reported constituent ships include the aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov" (Project 11435/1143.5, board 063), nuclear-powered battlecruiser "Pyotr Velikiy" (Project 11442, board 099), guided-missile cruiser "Marshal Ustinov" (Project 1164, board 055), guided-missile destroyer "Admiral Ushakov" (Project 956), and the frigate "Admiral Gorshkov" (Project 22350).
Aircraft Carrier Admiral Kuznetsov (Project 11435/1143.5, 063) - Status and Air Group
The ship has been in extended overhaul at the 35th Ship Repair Plant since late 2017-2018, with work complicated by the PD-50 dock loss (Oct 2018) and onboard fires (Dec 2019 and Dec 2022). As of October 2024, public reporting indicated sea trials had not yet resumed. The typical air group when operational comprises Su-33 of the 279th Independent Shipborne Fighter Aviation Regiment and MiG-29KR/KUBR of the 100th Independent Shipborne Fighter Aviation Regiment, plus Ka-27/Ka-29/Ka-31 helicopters; exact future air wing composition will depend on post-overhaul trials and is not yet publicly confirmed.
Nuclear-Powered Battlecruiser Pyotr Velikiy (Project 11442, 099)
A Kirov-class heavy missile cruiser with 20 P-700 "Granit" anti-ship missiles and long-range area air defense (S-300F/Fort-M), "Pyotr Velikiy" has served as the Northern Fleet’s flagship. Open sources in 2023-2024 reported plans to withdraw the ship after "Admiral Nakhimov" (Project 11442M) returns to service; as of October 2024 no official decommissioning had been publicly confirmed. The ship’s nuclear propulsion and large sensor suite make it central to high-end surface action when available.
Guided-Missile Cruiser Marshal Ustinov (Project 1164 Atlant, 055)
"Marshal Ustinov" carries 16 P-1000 "Vulkan" anti-ship missiles, the S-300F "Fort" area air defense system, and the AK-130 130 mm gun, providing long-range anti-surface strike and fleet-area air defense. Following mid-2010s refit and subsequent deployments, the ship has been among the Northern Fleet’s most consistently active major surface combatants in the late 2010s-2024 period.
Guided-Missile Destroyer Admiral Ushakov (Project 956 Sarych) - Identification Note
The Project 956 destroyer class employs 8 P-270 "Moskit" anti-ship missiles and has known propulsion reliability limitations. Publicly available imagery has for years shown "Admiral Ushakov" with pennant number 434 in the Northern Fleet; the 474 identifier included in the provided list cannot be corroborated from open sources. Operational availability of this class in the Russian Navy has been limited.
Frigate Admiral Gorshkov (Project 22350)
"Admiral Gorshkov" is equipped with 16 UKSK vertical launch cells for 3M14 "Kalibr", P-800 "Oniks", and 3M22 "Tsirkon" missiles, plus the Poliment-Redut air defense system, delivering multi-role blue-water capability. The ship has executed long-range deployments and has been the test and early operational platform for Tsirkon hypersonic strike missiles, as publicly reported in 2020-2023.
43rd Separate Water Area Protection Squadron - Composition and Mission
This squadron conducts near-base anti-submarine warfare (ASW), mine countermeasures, and local security in the Kola Bay approaches. Reported elements include Project 1124M small ASW ships "Onega" (board 164) and "Naryan-Mar" (board 138), and Project 1258 roadstead minesweepers RT-236 and RT-259. The list also cites a Project 773 landing ship designated "BTR-140"; this identifier does not match standard Russian Navy prefixes for medium landing ships (usually "SDK"/"BDK") and cannot be independently verified.
PDSS Counter-Saboteur Detachments (140th, 152nd, 160th, 269th)
The 140th (military unit 69068), 152nd (13106), 160th (09619), and 269th (30853) PDSS detachments provide underwater and harbor-area force protection, including anti-frogman surveillance, explosive ordnance disposal, barrier emplacement, and security boat patrols. Typical assets in such units include Project 21980 "Grachonok" anti-saboteur boats, diver-delivery and sonar equipment, and DP-64/DP-65 grenade launchers; precise equipment tables and garrison locations for each detachment are not fully public.
518th Reconnaissance Ship Squadron (military unit 20524)
This squadron operates signals- and electronic-intelligence collection ships to monitor NATO exercises, missile tests, and maritime traffic. Open-source reporting associates Northern Fleet SIGINT with Project 864 ("Vishnya" class, e.g., SSV-175 "Viktor Leonov" and "Vasily Tatishchev") and the newer Project 18280 ("Yuriy Ivanov" class); exact squadron composition and tasking orders are generally not disclosed.
566th Support Vessel Group (military unit 77360)
The group provides ocean tugs, rescue/salvage craft, replenishment tankers, and other auxiliaries that enable Arctic operations and long-range deployments. Such support is critical for ice-prone waters, towing and emergency response for major combatants, and underway logistics; detailed order of battle for this group is not fully published.
16th Repair and Construction Brigade (military unit 20458)
An engineering and works formation supporting Northern Fleet facilities, the brigade is responsible for construction, maintenance, and repair of piers, storage, utilities, and shore infrastructure across fleet bases. Specific project lists and sites are not comprehensively public, but such brigades underpin basing resilience in the Kola theater.
Maintenance and Repair Capacity - 35th Ship Repair Plant
The 35th SRZ in Murmansk is the principal heavy-repair site for Northern Fleet surface combatants. After the PD-50 dock loss in 2018, a large dry dock at 35th SRZ was expanded by joining two graving docks to accommodate "Admiral Kuznetsov" and other large hulls; these works, coupled with shipyard fires and resource constraints, have extended maintenance timelines into 2024.
Operational Role in Bastion Defense
The listed surface forces and OVR/PDSS units support the Barents Sea bastion concept that protects ballistic-missile submarines and critical bases in Kola Bay. Tasks include layered ASW near the approaches, mine countermeasures, port security, and long-range surface and air-defense coverage extending into the Norwegian and Greenland Seas.
Data Fidelity and Noted Discrepancies
The military unit identifiers provided (20475, 20458, 20524, 77360, 69068, 13106, 09619, 30853) align with formats used in Russian unit registries. Two items in the list diverge from open-source records: the destroyer "Admiral Ushakov" is publicly shown with pennant 434 (not 474), and the "BTR-140" designation for a Project 773 landing ship is nonstandard and cannot be confirmed. Where precise locations, equipment tables, or current readiness states are not published, they are withheld or classified.