Saturday, December 22, 2007

SSBN Home Ports In Imagery

INTRODUCTION

Some of the most guarded military facilities in the world are the homes to nuclear missile submarines. These bastions of nuclear warfighting power represent the homes of the most powerful weapon systems ever conceived. It should be noted that only operational bases will be discussed herein; support facilities, construction yards, and other facilities are outside the scope of this article.

THE SSBN

An SSBN is a nuclear-powered submarine designed to carry and launch a number of nuclear-armed ballistic missiles. SSBNs act as the seagoing component of their operators nuclear deterrent force. The advantage of an SSBN lies in its inherent survivability through stealth. SSBNs are notoriously hard to locate when in their patrol areas and are the perfect counterforce weapon in a nuclear conflict. The mere presence of an SSBN at sea may be enough of a deterrent to ward off a nuclear exchange, as a retaliatory strike is all but guaranteed. A modern SSBN using depressed-trajectory weapons can also provide a legitimate first-strike capability, bestowing little or no warning on a targeted nation and increasing the odds that a crippling, decisive first strike can be a successful nuclear warfighting option. It should come as no suprise that the five nations employing SSBN fleets are also the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

UNITED STATES

The United States operates two SSBN facilities, one serving each coast. The Pacific coast facility is located at Bangor, Washington, with the Atlantic coast facility being located at Kings Bay, Georgia.

Bangor

The Bangor, Washington SSBN facility consists of five main dockside areas. The southernmost facility, the KB docks, are only used to service and house support craft which service the SSBNs. SSBNs themselves tie up pierside at either the Delta Refit Pier, or the Marginal Wharf. Weapons loading is carried out at a dedicated covered dock, and a degaussing facility is also present.

The following annotated image depicts the locations of the relevant facilities at the Bangor SSBN base:


The following image depicts the Delta Refit Pier, where three Ohio-class SSBNs can be seen:


The following image depicts an Ohio-class SSBN returning to the Bangor facility via the Juan De Fuca Strait:


Kings Bay

The Kings Bay SSBN facility consists of four main dockside areas. There is a primary pier for supporting submarines in port, a drydock facility, and a degaussing facility. There are also two weapons loading facilities, in contrast to the Bangor SSBN base, which only has one.

The following annotated image depicts the Kings Bay SSBN facility:


UNITED KINGDOM

The United Kingdom's SSBN force, consisting of four Vanguard class SSBNs, is based at HMS Neptune in the northwestern part of the nation. The facility is referred to as HMS Neptune due to the Royal Navy's practice of commisioning shore facilities as vessels in Her Majesty's Navy. Outside of military circles, however, the facility is more commonly known as Faslane.

The following image depicts the Royal Navy's SSBN facility at HMS Neptune, with two of the Vanguard class SSBNs visible pierside:


FRANCE

France's Force Oceanique Strategique controls French SSBNs, which are based at I'lle Longue, near the port of Brest. The M4 L'Inflexible class SSBNs have given way to the new SNLE-NG Le Triomphant class SSBNs, with three of the latter having been commissioned as of the end of 2007, with a fourth due in 2008.

The following image depicts the French SSBN facility, with one of the old L'Inflexible class SSBNs visible in port:


RUSSIA

Russia's SSBN force has shrank considerably since the end of the Cold War. The recent withdrawl from service of Delta I and Typhoon class SSBNs leaves only the Delta III and Delta IV still serving until the new Borey class vessels are ready for duty. One Typhoon is still active in support of the Bulava SLBM test program out of Severodvinsk, but is no longer on active duty with the Northern Fleet. The withdrawl of the Typhoons means that Litsa Guba is no longer an active SSBN facility, leaving the Russian SSBN force with two operating locations: Gadzhiyevo in the Northern Fleet, and Rybachiy in the Pacific Fleet.

Gadzhiyevo

Gadzhiyevo, located on the Kola Peninsula, is the home to the Russian Northern Fleet's SSBN force. Both Delta III and Delta IV class SSBNs are operated.

The following image depicts the Gadzhiyevo submarine base, with two SSBNs annotated:


A second Delta IV can be seen at nearby Olenya Bay, a facility which has been associated with the Gadzhiyevo SSBN fleet in some circles:


Rybachiy

Rybachiy, located near Petropavlovsk on the Kamchatka Peninsula, is the home to the remainder of Russia's operational Delta III SSBN fleet. Rybachiy is divided into two main areas, a port facility where operational SSBNs and SSNs are docked, and a maintenance facility with a floating drydock for upkeep of the Pacific Fleet submarine force stationed there.

The following image depicts the Rybachiy submarine base; closer examination of the imagery will reveal two Delta III SSBNs in residence:


CHINA

There are three primary SSBN facilities serving the PLAN, Qingdao, Xiaopingdao, and Yulin. The Qingdao facility is located near the port city of the same name, while the Xiaopingdao facility is located near the port city of Dalian. Yulin is located much farther south, on Hainan island.

Qingdao

Qingdao was the first SSBN facility to be constructed in China. It currently serves as the homeport for China's sole Type 092 Xia-class SSBN, as well as a number of SSNs. The only currently identified structure known to service the Type 092 SSBN is a large drydock facility.

The following image depicts the Qingdao SSBN base:


The following image depicts the Type 092 in drydock at Qingdao:


Xiaopingdao

Xiaopingdao is a relatively new SSBN facility associated with the new Type 094 Jin-class SSBN currently being fielded. Jin-class SSBNs have been identified at this facility in the past, and Xiaopingdao is also home to the PLAN's sole Golf-class SSB. The Golf-class SSB is employed as an SLBM test vehicle, and is currently likely supporting JL-2 SLBM trials for the Type 094 fleet. The transitory nature of Jin-class SSBN presence at Xiaopingdao, as well as the Golf-class SSB's presence, suggests that Xiaopingdao may not be home to any operational SSBNs, but may instead be a trials base where new SSBNs and SLBMs are trialled before entering operational service.

The following image depicts the Xiaopingdao SSBN facility, where the Golf-class SSB can be seen along with a Type 093 Shang-class SSN:


The following image depicts a Jin-class SSBN pierside at Xiaopingdao, from October of this year:


Yulin

Yulin is the latest naval facility to be associated with the PLAN's SSBN force. In December of 2007 images appeard on the internet of a Jin-class SSBN pierside at the Yulin submarine facility. Until this point Yulin had never been visited by nor been the home port to a Chinese SSBN. While it is possible that this represents a port of call by a new Type 094 SSBN making a long-distance sortie in Chinese waters, it is also possible that the vessel sighted there will now call Yulin home, giving China two separate operational SSBN port facilities, with both the North Sea Fleet and the South Sea Fleet having an SSBN contingent.

The following image depicts the Yulin submarine base:


SOURCES

-All satellite imagery provided courtesy of Google Earth

Russian Strategic Aviation - An Imagery Overview

INTRODUCTION

One of the primary missions of the Russian Air Force is that of strategic warfighting. To that end, there are various facilities and aircraft around the nation performing a variety of roles in support of the strategic warfighting mission. While there have been drawdowns and force reductions in recent years, the Russian military still maintains a very robust, capable, and varied strategic warfighting air arm.

AIRCRAFT

Russian strategic air assets fall into two categories: offensive and defensive. The offensive component consists of Tupolev bombers, primarily the Tu-22M3 BACKFIRE-C theater bomber and the Tu-95MS BEAR-H and Tu-160 BLACKJACK strategic missile carriers. The defensive component consists of MiG-31 FOXHOUND interceptors and Beriev A-50 MAINSTAY AEW&C platforms. A handful of Ilyushin Il-78 MIDAS aerial refueling platforms are also in service, primarily tasked with supporting the strategic aviation fleet.

Command and control assets such as the Il-86 CAMBER are also used to support strategic warfighting, but are not within the scope of this article. These assets are based at Moscow-Sheremetyevo.

Tu-22M3 BACKFIRE-C (Visible force: 171 aircraft)
The Tu-22M3 BACKFIRE-C is the primary theater strike aircraft for the Russian military. The Tu-22M3 is employed by both Long Range Aviation and the AV-MF. AV-MF aircraft are primarily tasked in an anti-shipping role. Both air arms employ the Kh-22 (AS-4 KITCHEN) standoff nuclear missile as the BACKFIRE-C's primary armament. Kh-15 (AS-16 KICKBACK) hypersonic strike missiles can also be employed, as well as unguided gravity bombs of various sizes.

Tu-95MS BEAR-H (Visible force: 39 aircraft)
The elderly Tu-95 remains one of Russia's most important combat assets. The Tu-95MS variant is employed as a cruise missile carrier, equipped with an internal rotary launcher for six Kh-55 (AS-15 KENT) ALCMs. Initially, the Tu-95MS was available in two versions, the Tu-95MS-6 and the Tu-95MS-16. The Tu-95MS-6 was armed with the internal rotary launcher, while the Tu-95MS-16 added two hardpoints under each wing allowing for the external carriage of a further ten Kh-55s. In accordance with the START agreement, the external carriage capability was removed, essentially resulting in a force of only Tu-95MS-6 variants. At least one Tu-95MS airframe has been active at Zhukovskiy as the Tu-95MA, being responsible for advanced weapons trials. This aircraft was responsible for launching the Kh-80 Meteorit supersonic ALCMs before that program was cancelled due to development problems.

Tu-160 BLACKJACK (Visible force: 16 aircraft)
The Tu-160 BLACKJACK remains the largest combat aircraft in the world. Approximately 25% larger than it's Western counterpart, the B-1B, the Tu-160 is a supersonic, intercontinental-range cruise missile carrier. Two internal rotary launchers allow for the carriage of twelve Kh-55 ALCMs. The USSR had planned on acquiring 100 Tu-160s, but the end of the Cold War and the breakup of the Soviet Union resulted in only a fraction of that number being completed, with 19 aircraft at Priluki AB being taken over by the Ukraine after the breakup. Eight Ukrainian aircraft eventually joined the six operational Russian examples at Engels AB via a debt repayment agreement, with a further aircraft being completed at the Kazan factory. Two or three other aircraft will still be completed at Kazan, and will join the operational fleet, along with two refurbished examples taken from the Tupolev test fleet at Zhukovskiy, one of which was delivered to Engels last year. One operational Tu-160 has been lost, leaving Russia with an eventual fleet of 18 or 19 aircraft, and a current strength of 15 aircraft.

MiG-31 FOXHOUND (Visible force: 213 aircraft)
The MiG-31 FOXHOUND is a strategic interceptor tasked with defending Russia's vast airspace from inbound strategic bombers, cruise missiles, or reconnaissance aircraft. The MiG-31's primary weapon is the R-33S (AA-9 AMOS B) long-range AAM. The R-33S, a SARH weapon, is an improved version of the initial R-33 (AMOS A). The R-33S was developed alongisde an avionics upgrade for the MiG-31 as a response to American espionage which compromised the initial systems, and has a maximum range of 160 kilometers. Three versions of the MiG-31 are presently fielded: the baseline MiG-31,the improved MiG-31B which added IFR capability, and the MiG-31BS, which is a MiG-31 upgraded to MiG-31B standard. Upgrades and overhauls are performed at the factory at Nizhny Novgorod.

A-50 MAINSTAY (Visible force: 19 aircraft)
Beriev's A-50 MAINSTAY is an AEW&C conversion of the Ilyushin Il-76 CANDID transport. Incorporating a Shmel' radar system in a rotodome above the rear fuselage, the A-50 is the airborne early warning component of the strategic defense network.

Il-78 MIDAS (Visible force: 19 aircraft)
The Il-78 MIDAS is an in-flight refueling tanker based on the Il-76 CANDID transport. Russia's Il-78 force is primarily tasked to support strategic aviation due to the small size of the fleet; when the USSR broke up, a good deal of the in-service Il-78s were in the Ukraine. Two versions exist, the Il-78 and Il-78M. The Il-78 is a single-point refueling platform incorporating a drogue system in the rear fuselage. The Il-78M is a three-point refueling platform, adding two additional drogues under the outer wings.

PRIMARY FACILITIES

Strategic aviation facilities are described in the following manner:
-Name (strategic aircraft assigned)
-Any relevant details in brief
-Location, in the form of geographic coordinates
-Visible ORBAT as of 20 December 2007; if the site is in low resolution, that is annotated and no visible ORBAT is listed
-Defenses are listed in the form of nearby SAM sites whose range rings overlap the airfield in question

Alekseyevka (Tu-22M3)
-Location: 49°14'09.85"N 140°11'31.40"E
-Visible ORBAT: 16 Tu-22M3
-Defenses: None

The following image depicts Alekseyevka AB:
The following image depicts the Tu-22M3 parking area:
Bolshoye Savino (MiG-31)
-Location: 57°55'00.16"N 56°01'36.45"E
-Visible ORBAT: None (low resolution)
-Defenses: None

Engels (Tu-95MS, Tu-160)
-Location: 51°28'47.26"N 46°12'49.45"E
-Visible ORBAT: 13 Tu-95MS, 12 Tu-160
-Defenses: S-300P garrison 7 kilometers SSW

The following image depicts Engels AB:
The following image depicts the main parking ramp:
The following image depicts the north end of the parking ramp:
The following image depicts the eastern parking area:
Irkutsk Belaya (Tu-22M3)
-Location: 52°54'53.26"N 103°34'31.77"E
-Visible ORBAT: 26 Tu-22M3
-Defenses: S-300PM site 61 kilometers SSE

The following image depicts Irkutsk Belaya AB:
The following image depicts the Tu-22M3 parking area:
The following image depicts 2 Tu-22M3s in a possible maintenance area:
Ivanovo (A-50)
-Location: 57°03'28.62"N 40°58'51.91"E
-Visible ORBAT: 17 A-50
-Defenses: None

The following image depicts Ivanovo AB:
The following image depicts the northern parking ramp:
The following image depicts the southern parking ramp:
Kansk (MiG-31)
-Location: 56°07'30.08"N 95°39'56.31"E
-Visible ORBAT: 27 MiG-31
-Defenses: S-300P garrison 49 kilometers W

The following image depicts Kansk AB:
The following image depicts the northeast parking area:
The following image depicts the southwest parking area:
The following image depicts five MiG-31s in a possible maintenance area:
Khotilovo (MiG-31)
-Location: 57°39'19.05"N 34°05'56.13"E
-Visible ORBAT: 15 MiG-31
-Defenses: None

The following image depicts Khotilovo AB, apparently undergoing runway repairs:
The following image depicts the north parking area:
The following image depicts the central parking area:
Kotlas (MiG-31)
-Location: 60°59'42.35"N 46°52'04.65"E
-Visible ORBAT: 30 MiG-31
-Defenses: None

The following image depicts Kotlas AB:
The following image depicts the north parking area:
The following image depicts the central parking area:
The following image depicts the south parking area:
The following image depicts two MiG-31s on a possible alert parking ramp:
The following image depicts a MiG-31 in a possible maintenance area:
Morshansk (MiG-31)
-Location: 53°26'18.15"N 41°44'13.72"E
-Visible ORBAT: None (low resolution)
-Defenses: None

Olenegorsk (Tu-22M3)
-Location: 68°09'06.94"N 33°27'55.42"E
-Visible ORBAT: 38 Tu-22M3
-Defenses: S-300PM-1 site 7 kilometers NW, S-300PM-1 site 99 kilometers N, S-300PM-1 site 119 kilometers N

The following image depicts Olenegorsk AB:
The following image depicts the northern parking area:
The following image depicts the southern parking area:
Omsk (MiG-31)
-Location: 54°58'25.86"N 73°33'20.49"E
-Visible ORBAT: None (low resolution)
-Defenses: None

Ostrov (Tu-22M3)
-Ostrov is home to the Tu-22M3 training unit.
-Location: 57°17'52.27"N 28°26'01.01"E
-Visible ORBAT: None (low resolution)
-Defenses: None

Petropavlovsk-Yelizovo (MiG-31)
-Location: 53°10'10.91"N 158°27'13.98"E
-Visible ORBAT: 29 MiG-31
-Defenses: S-300PM site 5.4 kilometers SW, S-300PM site 24 kilometers ESE, S-300PM site 25.5 kilometers S

The following image depicts Petropavlovsk-Yelizovo AB:
The following image depicts the northern parking area:
The following image depicts the southern parking area:
The following image depicts five MiG-31s in a possible maintenance area:
Ryazan (Il-78, Tu-22M3, Tu-95MS)
-Ryazan is home to the Tu-95MS training unit.
-Location: 54°38'44.53"N 39°34'18.49"E
-Visible ORBAT: 19 Il-78, 11 Tu-22M3, 9 Tu-95MS
-Defenses: S-300PM-1 site 130 kilometers NW

The following image depicts Ryazan AB:
The following image depicts the southwestern parking area:
The following image depicts the central parking area:
The following image depicts the northeastern parking area:
Sandagou (MiG-31)
-Location: 44°05'04.91"N 133°52'05.85"E
-Visible ORBAT: 20 MiG-31
-Defenses: None

The following image depicts Sandagou AB:
The following image depicts the northwest parking area:
The following image depicts the northeast parking area:
The following image depicts two MiG-31s in a possible maintenance area:
Savasleyka (MiG-31)
-Savasleyka is home to the training unit for the MiG-31 fleet.
-Location: 55°26'30.13"N 42°18'42.75"E
-Visible ORBAT: None (low resolution)
-Defenses: None

Shaykovka (Tu-22M3)
-Location: 54°13'32.20"N 34°22'10.00"E
-Visible ORBAT: 25 Tu-22M3
-Defenses: None

The following image depicts Shaykovka AB:
The following image depicts the southwestern parking area:
The following image depicts the southeastern parking area and a probable maintenance area:
-Soltsy (Tu-22M3)
-Location: 58°08'21.85"N 30°19'46.96"E
-Visible ORBAT: 20 Tu-22M3
-Defenses: None

The following image depicts Soltsy AB:
The following image depicts the parking area:
Ukrainka (Tu-95MS)
-Location: 51°09'56.97"N 128°26'52.51"E
-Visible ORBAT: 16 Tu-95MS (airfield is partly low resolution)
-Defenses: None

The following image depicts Ukrainka AB:
The following image depicts the visible parking area:
Ussuriysk (Tu-22M3)
-Location: 43°54'25.82"N 131°55'29.31"E
-Visible ORBAT: 27 Tu-22M3
-Defenses: S-300PM site 60 kilometers S

The following image depicts Ussuriysk AB:
The following image depicts the northern parking area:
The following image depicts the southern parking area:

STAGING FACILITIES

These locations are arctic air bases used to forward-deploy strategic aviation assets.

Anadyr
-Location: 64°44'08.67"N 177°44'34.02"E
-Visible ORBAT: None
-Defenses: None

The following image depicts Anadyr AB:
Lakhta
-Lakhta AB is primarily used to support Tu-22M3 deployments.
-Location: 64°22'52.77"N 40°43'19.86"E
-Visible ORBAT: 2 Tu-22M3
-Defenses: None

The following image depicts Lakhta AB:
The following image depicts the active parking ramp:
Tiksi
-Location: 71°41'51.07"N 128°54'12.69"E
-Visible ORBAT: None
-Defenses: None

The following image depicts Tiksi AB:
Vorkuta East
-Location: 67°27'51.86"N 64°18'27.20"E
-Visible ORBAT: None (low resolution)
-Defenses: None

SUPPORT FACILITIES

These facilities provide a support role to the strategic aviation element.

Kazan
-Kazan is the location of the assembly halls which built the Tu-160, Tu-95, and Tu-22M3. Tu-160 airframes are still being completed here, and refurbishment work on Tu-95, Tu-160, and Tu-22M3 airframes is also conducted here.
-Location: 55°52'00.46"N 49°07'50.89"E
-Visible ORBAT: 1 Tu-160, 6 Tu-22M3

The following image depicts Kazan Airfield:
The following image depicts the parking area:
Nizhny Novgorod
-Nizhny Novgorod is the former location of the MiG-31 assembly line. MiG-31s are stored here as they await upgrade and/or refurbishment and a return to active service.
-Location: 56°19'09.49"N 43°47'55.64"E
-Visible ORBAT: 15 MiG-31

The following image depicts Nizhny Novgorod Airfield:
The following image depicts the western parking area:
The following image depicts the central parking area:
The following image depicts the eastern parking area:
Rzhev (MiG-31)
-Rzhev is a depot-level maintenance facility for the MiG-31 fleet. Many MiG-31s are stored here after being removed from service.
-Location: 56°15'34.72"N 34°24'31.07"E
-Visible ORBAT: 77 MiG-31
-Defenses: None

The following image depicts Rzhev AB:
The following image depicts the western parking area:
The following image depicts the eastern parking area:
The following image depicts a MiG-31 taxiing out to the main runway:
Staraya Russa (A-50)
-Staraya Russa is a depot-level maintenance facility which serves various aircraft types, including the A-50.
-Location: 57°57'40.06"N 31°23'02.97"E
-Visible ORBAT: 2 A-50
-Defenses: None

The following image depicts Staraya Russa AB:
The following image depicts the parking area:
Zhukovskiy
-Zhukovskiy is the home of the primary flight test center for the Russian air forces. Each OKB maintains a flight test facility at Zhukovskiy for initial flight trials of prototype aircraft.
-Location: 55°33'11.07"N 38°08'57.53"E
-Visible ORBAT: 1 Tu-95, 3 Tu-160; 1 Tu-95 and 1 Tu-160 are present on the airfield but are in reality operational aircraft from Engels AB flown in for the 2007 Moscow Airshow.

The following image depicts Zhukovskiy AB:
The following image depicts the Tupolev OKB area at Zhukovskiy:

COMBAT PERFORMANCE

In order to fully appreciate the capability and reach of Russia's strategic air arm, the following images are provided depicting the combat radii of different aircraft types.

Tu-22M3 BACKFIRE-C
-The Tu-22M3 has a combat radius of 2,200 kilometers.

The following image depicts the coverage area of the Tu-22M3 in western Russia:
The following image depicts the coverage area of the Tu-22M3 in eastern Russia:
Tu-95MS BEAR-H
-The Tu-95MS has a maximum unrefueled range of 10,500 kilometers with six Kh-55SM ALCMs. Combat radius is notionally calculated at 5,000 kilometers. Bear in mind that range and/or endurance can be increased with in-flight refueling.

The following image depicts North America. Given that the Tu-95MS is a strategic weapons platform, two range depictions are given. Orange lines depict the radius of the Tu-95MS from the three primary BEAR-H airfields, showing the closest points of approach to North America. Red lines depict the inland reach of the 3,000 kilometer range Kh-55SM ALCM. Bear in mind that the inland reach of the Kh-55SM can be increased by forward deploying the Tu-95MS to one of the three Arctic staging bases:
Tu-160 BLACKJACK
-The Tu-160 has a maximum unrefueled range of 12,300 kilometers with twelve Kh-55SM ALCMs. Combat radius is notionally calculated at 6,000 kilometers. Bear in mind that range and/or endurance can be increased with in-flight refueling.

The following image depicts North America. Given that the Tu-160 is a strategic weapons platform, two range depictions are given. The Orange line depicts the radius of the Tu-160 from Engels AB, showing the closest points of approach to North America. The red line depicts the inland reach of the 3,000 kilometer range Kh-55SM ALCM. Bear in mind that the inland reach of the Kh-55SM can be increased by forward deploying the Tu-160 to one of the three Arctic staging bases:
MiG-31 FOXHOUND
-The MiG-31 has a combat radius with no external fuel of 1250 kilometers at Mach 0.8, or 720 kilometers at Mach 2.35. Bear in mind that range and/or endurance can be increased with in-flight refueling.

The following image depicts the coverage area of MiG-31 interceptors in western and central Russia, based on the subsonic 1250 kilometer combat radius:
The following image depicts the coverage area of MiG-31 interceptors in eastern Russia, based on the subsonic 1250 kilometer combat radius:

SOURCES

Satellite imagery is provided courtesy of Google Earth.

The following books were consulted:
-Mikoyan MiG-31 (Famous Russian Aircraft series), by Yefim Gordon
-Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces, by Pavel Podvig
-Tupolev Tu-160 BLACKJACK (Red Star Series #9), by Yefim Gordon

-This article was updated on 22 December 2007 to account for newly available and updated overhead imagery; Dolinsk-Sokol and Morshansk were removed from the list of active MiG-31 bases as they have been found to have no aircraft present, airfield imagery has been updated in numerous places, and orders of battle have been updated accordingly.