The Russian Federation Navy: An Assessment of its Strategic ...

The principal national interests which he defined as those to be defended by the Navy were:Ensuring that the Russian Federation has an assured access to resourcesand expanses of the World Ocean, and excluding discriminatory actions inregard to itself or its allies on the part of separate states or military-politicalblocs;Interdicting domination of any states or military-political blocs in theexpanses of the World Ocean that are of importance for the realization of theRussian Federation's national interests, particularly in the contiguous seas. 92The principal military threat emanating from the ‘sea and oceanic sectors’ was defined as:‘an increase in the combat capabilities of ... the leading foreign states, including thecapability to engage targets in the entire territory of the Russian Federation [and] ...deployment on naval carriers of ... precision air weapons’. 93 That is, the primary definedthreat to Russia in the maritime environment is Western, specifically US and NATO. This isreflective of wider Russian military thinking, including within the new Military Doctrine, whichdefines the principal external military danger to Russia as:The desire to endow the force potential of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO) with global functions carried out in violation of the norms of internationallaw and to move the military infrastructure of NATO member countries closer tothe borders of the Russian Federation, including by expanding the bloc... 94The identification of the US and NATO as the principal military threats to Russia prioritiseshigh-intensity war-fighting as the main focus for the Russian Armed Forces. In the navalcontext, the basis for formulating military development and acquisition policy through to 2020is focused on enhancing the striking power of the fleet and its ability to contribute tocontinental operations:The naval forces, in conjunction with other services of the armed forces, will beable to conduct operations not only in the ocean and sea zones, but also on thecontinental theaters [sic] of operations owing to considerably enhancedcapabilities of aircraft-carrier forces, equipping surface combatants andsubmarines with cruise missiles. 95The Russian Navy is also intended to form a component of an integrated aerospace defencesystem for the Russian Federation. The Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, AdmiralVladimir Vysotsky has stated, with regard to the development of plans concerning a newaircraft carrier capability, that ‘Russia’s aircraft carrier fleet should be an element in a singlemissile, air and space defence umbrella and should organically fit into its structure’. 96 Thisderives from the Navy’s focus on the destruction of opposing naval task groups as a coreoperational-strategic task. Admiral Masorin defined this as the primary role of the Navy afterthat of contributing to strategic deterrence:It will engage with fires the adversary's naval task forces in the far and nearmaritime zone, it will aid other Armed Forces services operating in sectors withan outlet to the sea ... The forms of the Navy's employment will be as follows:91 Masorin, ‘Naval Doctrine as a Component Part of the Russian Federation Military Doctrine’.92 Ibid.93 Ibid.94 The Military Doctrine of the Russian Federation (2010), p. 3.95 Major-General Nikolai Vaganov [Deputy Chief of the Russian Armed Forces’ Main Armament Research andDevelopment Department], ‘Armaments and Military Equipment Development Through 2020’, Military Parade,Issue 4, July/August 2009, pp. 4-6.96 ‘Russia to design own aircraft carrier by end of 2010 – navy chief’, RIA Novosti (via LexisNexis), 26 February2010.14