The Caspian Sea Flotilla
The Red Banner Caspian Sea Flotilla is primarily a small patrol force operating in the world’s largest inland sea, which is shared with Iran. Under Peter the Great, the Russians fortified the ports of Baku and Derbend by treaty. Later treaties gave Russian warships the exclusive right to the sea, although Iran continues to operate patrol boats in the area.
Soviet operations on the Caspian continued with the construction of a canal from the Black Sea, permitting the rapid transfer of ships of up to destroyer size between the two bodies of water. Although naval activity on the Caspian is limited, there is considerable shipping with most of the cargo being oil and grain. Offshore oil rigs in the Caspian contribute significantly to the Soviet union’s petroleum production.
The Caspian Flotilla currently operates 4 Riga-class frigates, 1 light frigate, 5 patrol ships, 20 lesser patrol craft, 25 minesweepers, 13 Polnocny-class LSMs, 15 smaller landing craft and several auxiliary ships. No aircraft are assigned to the flotilla. Total personnel strength is about 4,000.
Headquarters of the Caspian Sea Flotilla is located at Baku.
Sources are the “4th Edition Guide to the Soviet Navy” and “Combat Fleets of the World, 1993”
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The reason that the American Army does so well in wartime, is that war is chaos, and the American Army practices chaos on a daily basis.
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