In a context of growing military activity in the northwestern Pacific, the Pacific Fleet of the Russian Navy launched a new deployment of corvettes toward the Sea of Japan, reinforcing its presence and training in one of the most sensitive maritime spaces of Northeast Asia. This information was released by official Russian media, which reported the departure of the surface units from their bases in the Far East to carry out patrol and training tasks in areas considered strategic.
Although the statement did not provide exhaustive details of the itinerary, the ships involved would correspond to modern Steregushchiy-class corvettes of Project 20380 and/or its improved variant Project 20385, including units such as Gromkiy (335) and Sovershennyy (333), both assigned to the Pacific Fleet. The vessels, with a displacement of approximately 2,200 to 2,500 tons, are designed to operate in littoral and near-sea environments.
The new deployment comes just days after these same corvettes participated in anti-submarine exercises in areas near the Kuril Islands arc, where they practiced the detection and simulated neutralization of an “enemy” submarine using the Paket-NK system. Those drills also included defense practices involving unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned surface craft.
For observers, the transition from exercises in confined areas to deployments in broader zones of the Sea of Japan suggests a planned sequence of progressive training, combining anti-submarine warfare scenarios, surface defense, and control of sensitive maritime spaces. In this regard, it is worth noting that the Sea of Japan constitutes a key zone both for the power projection of the Russian Navy and for regional surveillance, especially due to its direct access to the Pacific through the La Pérouse Strait, Tsugaru Strait, and Korea Strait.
The aforementioned Steregushchiy-class corvettes are equipped with anti-ship missile systems, short- and medium-range air defense, hull-mounted sonar, and integrated anti-submarine systems. Their design prioritizes reduced radar signature and the integration of sensors into a centralized combat system, enabling them to act as nodes within larger naval groupings.
In parallel with all this, Japan has increased its monitoring of Russian naval movements in the region, deploying destroyers and maritime patrol aircraft when it detects the transit of Russian units through strategic straits. This dynamic of mutual observation reinforces the importance of these waters as one of the most sensitive maritime spaces in Northeast Asia.
*Images used for illustrative purposes.
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