Surface Forces
Location Analysis
Zavoyko Naval Base is situated on Avacha Bay in Kamchatka Krai, adjacent to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and opposite the submarine base at Vilyuchinsk (Rybachiy). The bay is deep, well-sheltered, and generally ice-free year-round, enabling continuous operations in the North Pacific and access to the Sea of Okhotsk. The location supports coastal defense of the Kamchatka Peninsula and the protection of strategic submarine movements through nearby approaches.
Command and Unit Structure
The surface forces at Zavoyko are organized under the Kamchatka Flotilla of Diverse Forces of the Russian Pacific Fleet. The Water Area Protection (OVR) component is centered on the 114th Water Area Protection Ship Brigade, which includes the 117th Water Area Protection Ship Squadron and the 66th Small Missile Ship Squadron. These formations collectively provide sea denial, anti-submarine warfare (ASW) in the approaches, and mine countermeasures (MCM) to safeguard local sea lanes and base exits.
Order of Battle (as reported)
The order of battle provided lists: 1) 114th Water Area Protection Ship Brigade with the Project 20385 corvette Gremyashchiy (pennant 337) and Project 12700 Alexandrit-class minesweepers Yakov Balyaev (616), Pyotr Ilyichev (543), and Anatoly Shlemov (651). 2) 117th Water Area Protection Ship Squadron with Project 1124M small ASW ships (MPK-82 [375], MPK-107 [332], MPK-125 Sovetskaya Gavan [350], MPK-191 Kholmsk [369]) and minesweepers Project 266ME (MT-264 [738], MT-265 [718]) plus Project 12650 base minesweepers (BT-215 [593], BT-325 [586]). 3) 66th Small Missile Ship Squadron with small missile ships Smerch (423), Iney (418), Moroz (409), and Razliv (450). Pennant numbers can change over time; ship names and classes correspond to established Pacific Fleet inventories.
Surface Combatant Capabilities (Project 20385)
Project 20385 (Gremyashchiy-class, an improved variant of Project 20380) is a multi-role corvette designed for anti-surface, anti-submarine, and limited area air defense tasks. Gremyashchiy is fitted with the 3S14 UKSK vertical launch system for Kalibr-family cruise missiles and carries the Redut surface-to-air missile system, a 100 mm A-190 naval gun, close-in defenses, and the Paket-NK 324 mm anti-torpedo/ASW system. It has a flight deck and hangar for a Ka-27 helicopter, supporting ASW prosecution and over-the-horizon targeting. The ship has publicly demonstrated Kalibr launches in the Pacific Fleet service.
Small Missile Ships (MRK) Capabilities
The small missile ships Smerch, Iney, Moroz, and Razliv are Project 12341 (Nanuchka III) class MRKs in Pacific Fleet service, designed primarily for sea-denial with anti-ship missiles. Originally armed with P-120 Malakhit, at least Smerch has undergone modernization to the Kh-35 Uran anti-ship missile system (publicly reported and demonstrated), improving reliability and sustainment. These vessels carry a medium-caliber gun and short-range air defenses and operate effectively in littoral and near-sea zones, providing rapid-reaction strike capability along Kamchatka’s approaches.
ASW Assets (Project 1124M MPK)
Project 1124M small anti-submarine ships (NATO: Grisha V) are tasked with local ASW defense of base approaches. They are equipped with hull sonar, ASW rocket launchers (RBU series), torpedoes, a medium-caliber gun, and short-range surface-to-air missiles for self-defense. These ships conduct patrols, barrier operations, and cooperative ASW with shore-based aviation and corvettes to protect SSBN and SSGN traffic routes in and out of Avacha Bay.
Mine Countermeasures Posture
The mine warfare force combines modern Project 12700 Alexandrit-class mine countermeasures ships with legacy Project 266ME and Project 12650 units. The 12700 class, built with a composite hull to reduce signatures, integrates modern minehunting sonar and unmanned systems for detection and neutralization. The 266ME and 12650 classes provide additional sweeping and route-survey capacity. Together, they perform channel clearance, defensive mining countermeasures, and periodic verification of safe routes supporting submarine and surface ship movements.
Infrastructure and Support
Zavoyko provides pier facilities, fuel and ordnance handling, and routine maintenance support for surface combatants and MCM vessels. Heavy and medium repair support in the area is provided by established ship-repair enterprises in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Vilyuchinsk (commonly referenced in open sources as the Kamchatka Ship Repair Plant and the North-Eastern Repair Center). Major overhauls and complex modernizations are typically carried out at larger Far Eastern yards (e.g., in Primorsky Krai), requiring planned deployments to those facilities.
Operational Roles and Tasking
The listed units execute Water Area Protection (OVR) missions: sea-denial with anti-ship missiles, local ASW screening, and mine countermeasures to ensure secure exit and entry routes. The Project 20385 corvette provides multi-domain escort and strike options; Project 1124M MPKs enforce ASW barriers; Project 12700/266ME/12650 MCM units manage mine threats. These activities directly support protection of strategic assets based at Vilyuchinsk and maintain freedom of navigation for fleet units in the North Pacific and the Sea of Okhotsk.
Training and Activity Patterns
Public reporting since 2019 shows recurring missile and gunnery exercises by Pacific Fleet surface forces in the Sea of Okhotsk and adjacent waters, mine-countermeasure drills involving Project 12700 units following their arrival to the Pacific Fleet (Yakov Balyaev in 2020, Pyotr Ilyichev in 2021, Anatoly Shlemov in 2022), and periodic ASW training with MPKs in Avacha Bay. Gremyashchiy has conducted Kalibr missile firing events as part of fleet training. These activities align with routine readiness checks and fleet-level inspections announced by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Modernization Status
Modernization at Kamchatka centers on introducing Project 12700 MCM ships and selectively upgrading legacy MRKs (e.g., Smerch to the Kh-35 Uran system). Project 1124M units remain important for close-in ASW, though they are older designs. The Project 20385 corvette adds longer-range precision strike and enhanced ASW/air-defense capacity. Additional Alexandrit-class units continue to be delivered to the Pacific Fleet from Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard, while older minesweepers remain in service to maintain overall MCM capacity during the transition.
Environmental and Geographic Factors
Operations from Avacha Bay face frequent fog, strong winds, and heavy seas common to the North Pacific. While Avacha Bay is generally ice-free, nearby waters toward the northern Sea of Okhotsk can experience seasonal ice. The remote location increases logistical lead times for spares and overhauls, making forward maintenance capabilities at Kamchatka facilities significant for sustaining readiness.
Integration with Adjacent Forces
Surface units at Zavoyko operate in proximity to the Vilyuchinsk submarine base, supporting SSBN/SSGN egress and return. Coastal missile troops in Kamchatka Krai equipped with Bastion-P (P-800 Oniks) systems have been publicly reported since 2016, providing overlapping coastal defense. Naval aviation elements based at Yelizovo (including MiG-31 interceptors and, when allocated, ASW helicopter detachments) contribute air cover and ASW support to fleet activities in the region.
Nomenclature and Classifications
Russian small missile ships listed for the 66th Squadron—Smerch, Iney, Moroz, Razliv—are identified in open sources as Project 12341 (Nanuchka III) MRKs. The term OVR denotes Water Area Protection forces, MPK denotes small anti-submarine ships, MT denotes ocean minesweepers, and BT denotes base minesweepers. Pennant numbers are administrative and can change; ship names and project designations are the most stable identifiers in public registries.
Information Gaps and Classification Constraints
Detailed pier assignments, munitions holdings, communications architecture, specific readiness states, and deployment schedules are not publicly available or are classified. Open-source data on minor hull repairs and unit manning is uneven and may lag actual changes. Where multiple public sources differ (e.g., current pennant numbers), ship names and classes provide the most reliable anchors for identification.