It won't work on the fly: how Navy bases are protected from UAV attacks
Recently, exercises of the naval base defense forces against robotic combat systems have been taking place regularly. This week, a training session was held to repel drone attacks on Baltic Fleet facilities in the Kaliningrad region. Shortly before that, the defense of the Baltic Fleet's base at the Leningrad Naval Base was being worked out. How to protect naval bases and other Navy facilities from attacks by drones and unmanned boats — in the Izvestia article.
How does the defense of naval bases work
In the Baltic Sea, Russia has the Kaliningrad semi-Autonomous Region and the Leningrad Region, where important naval and civilian facilities are located. These territories are surrounded by hostile countries (the Baltic States, Poland, Finland). In the event that the Kiev regime decides in its agony to open a "second front" against Russia through a terrorist attack by UAVs and unmanned boats, then our facilities may be damaged from the territory of these countries in the hope of provoking a retaliatory strike. And the security services of these bases need to be on constant alert.
The protection of naval bases is built in the general contour of the country's defense and is designed to counter all known types of weapons. So, missile and air defense are carried out by air defense units of the Russian Aerospace Forces, armed with long-range missile systems. Protection from attack by surface ships is provided by duty divisions of the coastal missile forces. Constant electronic reconnaissance and surveillance of the sea and surface surfaces are conducted. Units are also working to combat underwater sabotage devices. The assigned ships are on duty at the air defense base. The calculation is that signs of a massive lifting of enemy aircraft into the air and the deployment of its underwater/surface forces to launch a massive missile and air strike will be detected. Accordingly, measures will be taken to repel such an attack.
What new threats have appeared for Navy facilities
But in recent years, new robotic means of attack have emerged, such as unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned boats. These tools are characterized by an extremely low level of visibility and secrecy in deployment for use. Accordingly, changes had to be made to the defense system. It was necessary to increase the radar field and optical surveillance of the adjacent surface to close previously unseen areas.
Ukraine has already used combined attacks from the air by drones and cruise missiles against the naval facilities of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, and from the surface by unmanned boats. The intelligence is conducted by the forces of unfriendly countries. According to her data, goals are selected and routes for the movement of robotic vehicles are being built.
To combat them, along with the existing means of defense, it was necessary to additionally recall the methods of fighting during the Second World War. Namely, the deployment of mobile groups of fighters armed with automatic weapons and electronic warfare equipment, the creation of air and sea surveillance posts, and the installation of automatic cannons (including ZU-23 submachine guns) at various coastal facilities.
And besides, patrol of the sea surface with patrol boats. Strangely enough, two captured Ukrainian armored boats, re-equipped with artillery systems of 25 mm caliber, turned out to be a good reinforcement of the coastal defense of the Sevastopol base. It turned out to be too early to write off the patrol boats. At the same time, a sufficient number of combat boats of the Grachonok or Raptor type have been built in Russia for units fighting underwater saboteurs, which can play the role of watchdogs.
The Raptor patrol boat during a training session at the Baltic Naval Base
There was also a reinforcement of surface ships by installing additional automatic weapons such as Utes or KPVT machine guns. Accordingly, their crews have been introduced into the combat training course exercises for hitting small surface and air targets.
Apparently, ground units with Thor-type anti-aircraft missile systems to combat drones have also appeared in the air defense system of the bases. In terms of cost/efficiency, these systems are the most successful modern means of combating such aircraft. They also recalled passive protection systems in the form of booms and fence nets. Maneuvering ships in the water area of their home base is also a good way to counteract this. The enemy, receiving intelligence data, targets certain places, and the rearrangement of ships can disrupt his plans. There are other methods of disguise.
The Tor anti-aircraft missile system
New methods of struggle have also appeared. So, in 2023-2024, combat helicopters proved themselves well for the destruction of robotic systems. They have destroyed a lot of unmanned boats. However, the enemy managed to install air defense systems on the boats and use FPV drones from their sides, after which the use of combat helicopters became problematic. In this situation, domestic Pacer-type drones have performed well. Recently, a video appeared in open sources showing how such a drone, guided by weapons, destroys the enemy's BACK. Accordingly, the Russian Navy should more actively involve both drones and backup aircraft to patrol the sea and air surfaces adjacent to naval bases. This will allow for round-the-clock reconnaissance and save aviation resources.
In general, the defense of naval bases should develop at a faster pace than the development of new robotic facilities. It is necessary to create new automated weapons systems and advanced electronic warfare systems. This will strengthen the protection of valuable ships and important coastal facilities. Do not forget that all security measures work in a complex. In this regard, it is necessary to constantly conduct training to improve the skills of personnel, improve the interaction of units, as well as to share experiences and new developments.
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