Russia’s maritime policy: Becoming world’s second strongest navy

In terms of combat capabilities, according to the Fundamentals of Russia’s State Naval Policy Through 2030 approved by President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, Russia aims to build its navy into the world’s second force.

Viewed as an indisputable right, Russia will not allow foreign navies to gain overwhelming superiority over its navy, said the document, as the US concept of “global strike” poses a direct threat to global and Russian security, it warned.

Long-range high-precision cruise missiles will become the core weaponry for Russia’s submarines, surface fleets and coastal troops by 2025, according to the document.

The Russian navy will therefore strengthen its Black Sea Fleet by building up the contingent on the Crimean peninsula, and try to ensure the permanent presence of its naval forces in the Mediterranean and other strategically important waters.

“Current risks and threats to national security of the Russian Federation in the World’s Oceans exist and new ones emerge. Most of them are aspirations of certain states, primarily the United States of America and its allies to dominate in the World’s Oceans, in particular in the Arctic, and also to achieve overwhelming superiority for their navies,” reads a part of a new strategic document.

The document further noted Russia’s right to respond to a variety of threats, particularly territorial claims of foreign states, especially the territories in Primorye region of Russia’s Far East.

It also noted a higher number of states with efficient and powerful navies, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and of missile technology, aspirations of certain states to restrict access of the Russian Federation to resources of the World’s Oceans and to vital maritime transport routes.

Economic, political, international and military pressure aimed at the Russian Federation in order to diminish its maritime activities at sea and to weaken its control of the North Sea Route were highlighted. The North Sea is an historical national shipping route of the Russian Federation.

Russia expressed concern about the growing influence of international terrorism, piracy, poaching, smuggling of arms, drugs and hallucinogens by sea, in addition to the smuggling of chemicals and radioactive materials, as well as the risk of armed conflicts in the regions that are of great strategic importance to Russia and its allies.

“For the period until 2025 the submarine and surface forces and the coastal troops of the Russian Navy will be based on precise long-range winged missiles,” according to TASS. “By 2030, the Russian Federation should have balanced fleets in all strategic directions, that will consist of ships that will operate in the close maritime zone, distant maritime zone and ocean areas, as well as of marine aviation and coastal troops equipped with effective strike precision weapons, and will have a developed basing and support system,” the document stated.

“After 2025, the submarine and surface forces and the coastal troops of the Russian Navy will receive supersonic missiles and multi-purpose robocraft, including unmanned autonomous underwater vehicles,” the Navy State Policy Framework concluded.