Soviet Navy

Soviet Navy
Военно-морской флот СССР
Naval ensign of the Soviet Union
Founded1918 (1918)
Disbanded14 February 1992 (1992-02-14)
Country
Allegiance
TypeNavy
Size
Part ofSoviet Armed Forces
Nickname(s)Red Fleet
Engagements
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Insignia
Naval jack
Guards Red Banner naval ensign

The Soviet Navy[a] was the naval warfare uniform service branch of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet,[b] the Soviet Navy made up a large part of the Soviet Union's strategic planning in the event of a conflict with the opposing superpower, the United States, during the Cold War (1945–1991).[2] The Soviet Navy played a large role during the Cold War, either confronting the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in western Europe or power projection to maintain its sphere of influence in eastern Europe.[3]

The Soviet Navy was divided into four major fleets: the Northern, Pacific, Black Sea, and Baltic Fleets, in addition to the Leningrad Naval Base, which was commanded separately. It also had a smaller force, the Caspian Flotilla, which operated in the Caspian Sea and was followed by a larger fleet, the 5th Squadron, in the Mediterranean Sea. The Soviet Navy included Naval Aviation, Naval Infantry, and the Coastal Artillery.

Soviet Armed Forces
Components
Ranks of the Soviet Military
History of the Soviet Military

The Soviet Navy was formed from the remnants of the Imperial Russian Navy during the Russian Civil War. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Russian Federation inherited the largest part of the Soviet Navy and reformed it into the Russian Navy, with smaller parts becoming the basis for navies of the newly independent post-Soviet states.

  1. ^ "Soviet Military Power 1984 – Chapter III – Theater Forces". Federation of American Scientists. Archived from the original on 4 September 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  2. ^ Polmar, Norman; Brooks, Thomas A. (2019). Admiral Gorshkov: The Man Who Challenged the U.S. Navy (google books). Washington DC: Naval Institute Press. pp. i–iii. ISBN 978-1-68247-332-0. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  3. ^ Gottfried, Kurt; Bracken, Paul (2019). Reforging European Security: From Confrontation To Cooperation (google books). Routledge. ISBN 978-1-000-30934-8.


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