Bal and Bastion: How Russia Protects Border With Finland After Helsinki’s NATO Entry
14:37 GMT 14.02.2024 (Updated: 09:48 GMT 16.02.2024)
© Sputnik / Mikhail Golenkov
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Russia has conducted regular missile drills near the Gulf of Finland as Moscow continues to strengthen its border after Helsinki entered NATO in April, 2023. During the recent drills, the Russian Army used the mobile coastal missile systems Bal and Bastion. What is so specific about these advanced weapons? Check Sputnik to find out.
The crews of the Bal (lit. Ball) systems practiced launching missile attacks on mock enemy ships from the Gulf of Finland’s coastal line earlier this week.
According to the press service of the Russian Baltic Fleet, the Bal crews specifically "simulated missile strikes in various environmental conditions" during the military exercises. The drills were the latest in a series of such military maneuvers over the past year.
Why has Russia chosen these advanced weapons to protect its borders with Finland? Sputnik explains.
Bal Missile System Specifications
The GRAU 3K60 Bal, which entered service into the Russian Army in 2008, is designed to protect naval infrastructure, as well as provide coastal protection in amphibious areas and control of territorial waters and strait zones.
Russia's Bal coastal missile system. File photo
© Photo : The Russian Ministry of Defense
The missile system:
is equipped with four launchers carrying the anti-ship missiles Kh-35 “Uran” with the range of up to 250 km (150 miles);
can launch 32 missiles in a salvo and has another 32 missiles in its ammunition load;
can fire to kill from closed firing positions. All missiles are placed in transport and launch containers, which allows the launcher to be quickly reloaded in order to fire against multiple targets.
is capable of disrupting a combat task of the enemy’s large surface action group or its amphibious assault force or convoy.
When it comes to the Kh-35, the Russian Defense Ministry pointed out that "for most of the flight, it flies over the sea surface, which saves ammunition and makes it difficult for enemy to intercept and destroy the missile with air defense systems."
Russian experts have meanwhile insisted that the GRAU 3K60 Bal – which is typically used in tandem with the Bastion system - will help make the Russian territorial waters of the Gulf of Finland invulnerable to the enemy.
K-300P Bastion-P Missile System Specifications
The system is designed to engage enemy surface ships, including carrier battle groups, convoys, and landing craft. The Bastion-P is touted as one of the key elements of Russia’s multi-layered coastal defense system.
A Bastion coastal defense missile system during a drill in Primorsky Territory in the Russian Far East.
© Sputnik / Vitaliy Ankov
/ This missile system:
is fitted with the P-800 Oniks or Yakhont supersonic anti-ship missiles, which have a range of up to 300 km (186 miles);
can also fire the state-of-the-art Zircon hypersonic missiles, which remain invulnerable for any enemy air defenses, including the US-made Patriot systems;
uses flexible program-controlled flight path, which allows its missiles to overcome enemy air defenses and to approach targets from the unexpected directions;
provides protection for a 600-km (372 mile)-long coastline, and can be brought into firing position within five minutes.
The Russian Defense Ministry earlier reported the effective use of the Bastion-P systems in the special military operation, while experts remained upbeat about the future of the weapon.
The Bastion has enormous modernization-related potential, and its capabilities will most likely further increase in the near future, military experts said, referring to the system’s jamming invulnerability and level of combat coordination with other systems, such as the Bal.
