Northern Fleet celebrates birthday

01.06.2010 On June 1 Russian Navy's operational-strategic force Northern Fleet (NF) turned 77. It was established as Northern Flotilla on June 1, 1933 by order of Red Army Chief of Staff; the flotilla was transformed into Northern Fleet in four years, on May 11, 1937 by order of People's Commissar for Defense.

Severe crucibles fell to the lot of Northern mariners during the Great Patriotic War. The fleet had to perform missions at the sea theater of fabulous size under extreme geographical and climatic conditions. Throughout the war, NF warships had been covering land troops, defending sea lanes, escorting allied convoys, conducting landing operations, and disturbing enemy's shipping activities. Thousands of NF marines fought the enemy as well. During that time Northern Fleet was headed by Admiral Arseniy G. Golovko.

For heroism and bravery displayed in battles, 85 servicemen of the fleet were awarded with the title of Hero of the Soviet Union; three of them – pilot B.F. Safonov, boatman A.O. Shabalin, and reconnaissance man V.N. Leonov - obtained this title twice. Twenty years after the war, on May 7, 1965 Northern Fleet was awarded with Order of the Red Banner in commemoration of 20th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945.

In the postwar period Northern Fleet became ocean-going, nuclear-powered, and armed with ballistic missiles. Most of other things which currently seem ordinary were firstly applied in Northern Fleet; for instance, world's first submarine launch and submerged launch of ballistic missile. The first Soviet nuclear submarine and aircraft carrier Kiev were commissioned into Northern Fleet.

Nowadays, Northern Fleet is the most powerful force in Russian Navy. It comprises nuclear-powered and diesel submarines armed with missiles and torpedoes, various classes of surface warships, auxiliary vessels, naval aviation, and coastal defense units. The only Russia's aircraft carrying cruiser Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov and shipborne aviation regiment are based at Northern Fleet. The NF flagship is heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser Petr Veliky; NF Commander is Vice Admiral Nikolai M. Maksimov.