Northern Fleet

The Northern Fleet (Russian: Северный флот, Severnyy Flot; named Red Banner Northern Fleet in Soviet time) is a unit of the Russian Navy responsible for the defense of northwestern Russia. The fleet has access to the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans from bases on the Barents and Norwegian Seas. The fleet headquarters and administrative center are located at the main base at Severomorsk with secondary bases elsewhere in the Kola Bay. The fleet was established as part of the Soviet Navy in 1937. The fleet operated more than 200 submarines ranging from diesel-electric attack (SS) to nuclear-powered ballistic missile (SSBN) classes during the Soviet Era. A civilian Northern Fleet also existed prior to the Second World War.

The Arctic Sea and White Sea Flotillas

On June 19, 1916, the Russian Empire formed the Arctic Sea Flotilla (Флотилия Северного Ледовитого океана, or Flotiliya Severnogo Ledovitogo okeana) to safeguard Allied transportation routes through the Barents Sea from German naval forces. After the October Revolution, the Soviet Navy formed the White Sea Flotilla (Беломорская флотилия, or Belomorskaya flotiliya) in March 1920, based in Arkhangelsk. The White Sea Flotilla was renamed as the "Naval Forces of the North Sea" and disbanded in January 1923.