Sea Breeze Exercise – Ukrainian Navy at Saki

This summer saw the Ukrainian Navy host the multinational Exercise ‘Sea Breeze 2012′that was conducted in the Black Sea from 9-21 July. The manoeuvres afforded an excellent opportunity to examine the Ukrainian Naval Aviation fleet at close hand.

THE FOCAL POINT of this year’s ‘Sea Breeze’ exercise was international security operations at sea, and in particular counter-piracy. As a result, the exercise attracted new participants in the form of countries that experience a particular piracy problem, namely the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Bangladesh and Qatar. In all, 16 guest nations attended, either as observers or working alongside Ukrainian naval forces and the US 6th Fleet.

Under the Acting Commander of the Ukrainian Navy, Vice Admiral Yuriy Ilyin, Ukrainian Naval Aviation notably participated with its wonderful Be-12 amphibians, as well as Kamov Ka-27 and Mi-14 helicopters. These operated alongside six Ukrainian naval vessels, a 300-strong team of marines, and 36 combat vehicles. In total, 1,300 Ukrainian soldiers took part in the exercise. US Navy air assets comprised a P-3C detachment from Patrol Squadron 9 (VP-9) ‘Golden Eagles’ from MCAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

Most of the activities associated with ‘Sea Breeze 2012′ were staged in Ukraine’s Odessa region, as well as on training ranges in the north-west part of the Black Sea. The annual Ukrainian-US ‘Sea Breeze’ exercise first took place in 1997 in accordance with a 1993 defence co-operation agreement between the respective defence ministries. VADM Frank C. Pandolfe, commander of the US 6th Fleet,

explained that the exercise ‘is focused on achieving a goal shared by all of us to achieve a region free of threats through co-operative security’. His counterpart, Vice Admiral Ilyin noted: ‘The challenges that face the world are the same in all countries. For regional maritime safety, we can’t underestimate the importance of these exercises.’

‘Seagull’ survivors

Alongside Russia, where a handful of the amphibians serve at Kacha air base in the Crimea, Ukraine is the last bastion of the impressive Be-12. In common with the Russian Navy, the Ukrainian Navy continues to operate anti-submarine warfare and search and rescue (Be-12PS) versions of the aircraft.

The Be-12 began to enter service with Soviet Naval Aviation in the early 1960s in the maritime patrol role, but was not officially accepted into the inventory until November 1968. One of a dwindling number of amphibians remaining in military service, the Be-12 was initially employed for coastal antisubmarine warfare, before being converted for the search and rescue mission.

Ukraine expects to retain the Be-12 in service for perhaps another six years, after which a possible successor has already been lined up in the form of two An-26 transports. These aircraft are already in Ukrainian Navy use, having been outfitted with the Be-12′s capability of air-dropping an inflatable rescue boat.

Throughout the duration of ‘Sea Breeze’ the Be-12s operated in the area around Odessa, from their home base of Saki in the Crimea. Operations from water have not been performed regularly for some years now, and a similar situation also affects the amphibious Mi-14. Exposure to salt water accelerates corrosion of the airframe to such an extent that water-borne operations have had to be limited.

In the meantime, the Be-12 continues to undergo maintenance in the Crimea, at the Yevpatoria works. The Mi-14 and Ka-27 fleets both receive maintenance at Sevastopol. In order to prolong the service life of the Mi-14, two of these helicopters have also been locally updated with new radios, improving communications with NATO forces during multi-national operations.

Home of Naval Aviation

Since 2004, Saki has served as the sole flying base for Ukrainian Naval Aviation. While the Be-12 fleet moved to Saki from Mykolaiv (Kulbakino), the rotary-wing force at the base was bolstered by the arrival of the 555th Anti-submarine Helicopter Regiment, which transferred from Ochakiv in 2004, together with support elements. On 14 October 2008 the now rationalised units were brought together as the Saki Naval Aviation Brigade.

Saki is also home to the Land-Based Aviation Test and Training Complex, better known as NITKA, host to Russian Naval Aviation detachments of Su-33s and Su-25UTGs. Equipped with a dummy take-off ramp and arrestor wires, this highly prized Soviet-era training asset passed into Ukrainian hands when the Black Sea Fleet was divided. Today, a new agreement ensures Russian access to the NITKA. This year Saki is not scheduled to see a visit by the Su-33s from Murmansk, but there are ongoing discussions regarding a detachment of Indian Navy MiG-29Ks. The People’s Liberation Army — Naval Aviation has apparently also shown an interest in using NITKA to help train China’s fledgling carrier aviators.

Work on the carrier aviation training facility at Saki began in 1974, and 1982 saw the first take-off of a MiG-29K from the ‘ski-jump’.

The first landing by a Su-27K at NITKA was recorded in 1984. The break-up of the Black Sea Fleet also left other naval air assets on Ukrainian soil, with three units with Tu-22M2 and Tu-16K bombers, and one unit of Tu-22R reconnaissance aircraft, as well as assorted units with MiG-29, Su-25 and Be-12s.

At the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union, Saki was home to Yak-38, MiG-29K and Su-25UTG aircraft, while at Nikolaev was Naval Aviation’s Combat Training Centre, the equivalent to the Air Force’s Lipetsk facility, equipped with the Tu-22M2 and Be-12. Yet another important unit was responsible for training helicopter crews on the Mi-14, Ka-27 and Ka-29. The majority of these units were disbanded and their equipment scrapped, in particular the ageing Tu-22M2, Tu-22R and Tu-16K.

The last examples of the Ka-25 were meanwhile withdrawn from service in 1994, and a considerable number of Mi-14s and Be-12s were also retired as part of force reduction measures. In the mid-1990s Navy MiG-29s and Su-25s were transferred to the Ukrainian Air Force.

As of 2000 the Navy was responsible for three ah bases. Ochakov was home to Mi-14, Mi-8, Ka-27 and Ka-29 helicopters. An independent squadron operated the Be-12 from Mykolaiv, while An-26 transports served at Saki-Novofederovka. In contrast to the Ka-27, the Ka-29 assault transport is armed with a forward-firing four-barrel 7.62mm machine gun. It can carry rocket or gun pods under the wing pylons. The port fuselage side has provision to install a fixed 30mm 2A42 cannon with 250 rounds of ammunition and a laser rangefinder, paired with an ASP-17VK gunsight. Only a small number of Ka-29s was completed before the fall of the USSR, when the type was beginning service introduction.

An unusual asset flown by the Ukrainian Navy at Saki is a single An-2 utility transport. This aircraft was introduced some years ago in order to provide a lower-cost means of providing training for parachutists. As such it is the only An-2 in military service in Ukraine.

By early 2012 official figures from the Ukrainian Navy reported a strength of seven Be-12s in both ASW and SAR versions, eight Mi-14PL and Ka-27PL ASW helicopters, a handful of Ka-27PS and Mi-14PS SAR helicopters, plus two An-26s, and the single Antonov An-2.

Continue reading here: MiG Ye-152M

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