Russia holds missile firings with coastal systems at Kavkaz 2020 exercise

Mobile coastal missile systems Bal and Bastion of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet have hit targets simulating naval ships of a hypothetical enemy during the Kavkaz 2020 strategic exercise, the Russian Defense Ministry announced on 22nd September.

Under the scenario amphibious ships of a hypothetical enemy approached the shore of the Krasnodar Territory for landing an assault force.

“Bal and Bastion crews were instructed to destroy the group of enemy ships by delivering a missile strike. The missile units moved to the designated areas, readied the weapons for combat, identified the targets and hit them spending only one missile per target.

Fire accuracy was monitored by drones. The Defense Ministry has made public a video showing an anti-ship missile hit a target.

Also, military personnel practiced evasive maneuvers to escape counterattacks, and changed, organized and camouflaged firing positions.

The Kavkaz 2020 exercise is being held on September 21-September 26 in the Southern Military District and the Black and Caspian seas under the command of the chief of Russia’s General Staff Valery Gerasimov. All in all, about 80,000 military servicemen, Emergencies Ministry and national guard Rosgvardiya personnel and up to 1,000 troops from Armenia, Belarus, Iran, China, Myanmar and Pakistan are taking part. The drills falling under the restrictions of the 2011 Vienna document on confidence-building measures will involve no more than 12,900 troops.

Bastion and Bal systems:

The coastal missile system Bastion armed with a unified supersonic homing anti-ship cruise missile Yakhont (Oniks) is meant for hitting surface ships of different types operating within amphibious landing groups, convoys and aircraft carrier task forces, as well as individual ships and surface targets amid intensive fire and radio-electronic jamming.

The coastal missile system Bal armed with the anti-ship missile X-35 is meant for control of territorial waters and straits, defense of naval bases and other coastal facilities and infrastructures and protection of the coast from likely amphibious assault. The system is operational in good and bad weather round the clock. Homing is automatic after launch amid enemy fire and radio-electronic jamming.

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