Defence of the Kuril Islands
Encyclopedia
Defence of the Kuril Islands is for the most part the responsibility of the Russian 18th Artillery Division, which is stationed on the islands
. Substantial improvements of the Kuril defences were announced by President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev
in February 2011 as a deterrent against Japan
ese action. The move followed the heating up of the Kuril Islands dispute
in early 2011.
are a disputed archipelago in the Pacific Ocean
. They are under the governance of the Russian Federation, but Japan
has claimed the southernmost islands are Japanese territory. The islands are important both economically and militarily due to their abundance of natural resources and their strategic location. The archipelago is crucial for Russia's defenses because their straits give the Russian Pacific Fleet access to the Pacific Ocean, while other straits are under control of foreign countries or underdeveloped. If Russia were to lose control of the islands, it would also lose the ability to control the access of foreign vessels to the Sea of Okhotsk
.
. The headquarters of the Division are located in Goryachiye Klyuchi
on the Iturup Island. It also has garrisons on Kunashir Island
and Shikotan Island. The 18th Artillery Division is the only division-strength military unit remaining in the Armed Forces of Russia, along with the 201st Military Base in Tajikistan. All other divisions have been transformed to brigades, following the Russian military reform. The division's aging infrastructure is in need of overhaul. There are also Border Guard Service troops stationed on the islands.
According to RIA Novosti military analyst Ilya Kramnik, the 18th Artillery Division is unlikely to be able to defend the Islands from an attack on its own. In case of attack by Japan, the Russian forces on the Kuril Islands are expected to hold out for only one to four days unless they receive support.
ordered advanced weapons to be deployed on the Kuril Islands, "in order to ensure the security of the islands as an integral part of Russia". According to a military source interviewed by Russia Today
, as part of the reinforcements, the 18th Division may be upgraded to a modern motorized infantry brigade. The division is to receive an air defense brigade, possibly armed with S-400
SAM systems, according to the Russian General Staff. The Russian military has also announced intention to deploy the new Mistral class amphibious assault ships in its Pacific Fleet
to protect the islands. Russia signed a deal with France
in January 2011 to buy four such vessels.
Kuril Islands
The Kuril Islands , in Russia's Sakhalin Oblast region, form a volcanic archipelago that stretches approximately northeast from Hokkaidō, Japan, to Kamchatka, Russia, separating the Sea of Okhotsk from the North Pacific Ocean. There are 56 islands and many more minor rocks. It consists of Greater...
. Substantial improvements of the Kuril defences were announced by President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev is the third President of the Russian Federation.Born to a family of academics, Medvedev graduated from the Law Department of Leningrad State University in 1987. He defended his dissertation in 1990 and worked as a docent at his alma mater, now renamed to Saint...
in February 2011 as a deterrent against Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese action. The move followed the heating up of the Kuril Islands dispute
Kuril Islands dispute
The Kuril Islands dispute , also known as the , is a dispute between Japan and Russia over sovereignty over the South Kuril Islands. The disputed islands, which were occupied by Soviet forces during the Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation at the end of World War II, are under Russian...
in early 2011.
Background
The Kuril IslandsKuril Islands
The Kuril Islands , in Russia's Sakhalin Oblast region, form a volcanic archipelago that stretches approximately northeast from Hokkaidō, Japan, to Kamchatka, Russia, separating the Sea of Okhotsk from the North Pacific Ocean. There are 56 islands and many more minor rocks. It consists of Greater...
are a disputed archipelago in the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. They are under the governance of the Russian Federation, but Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
has claimed the southernmost islands are Japanese territory. The islands are important both economically and militarily due to their abundance of natural resources and their strategic location. The archipelago is crucial for Russia's defenses because their straits give the Russian Pacific Fleet access to the Pacific Ocean, while other straits are under control of foreign countries or underdeveloped. If Russia were to lose control of the islands, it would also lose the ability to control the access of foreign vessels to the Sea of Okhotsk
Sea of Okhotsk
The Sea of Okhotsk is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, lying between the Kamchatka Peninsula on the east, the Kuril Islands on the southeast, the island of Hokkaidō to the far south, the island of Sakhalin along the west, and a long stretch of eastern Siberian coast along the west and...
.
Current defences
The main responsibility for the defence of the Kuril Islands falls to the 18th Artillery Division (also called 18th Machine Gun-Artillery Division) of the Eastern Military DistrictEastern Military District
The Eastern Military District is one of the four operational strategic commands of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The district was formed in Presidential Decree № 1144 signed on September 20, 2010...
. The headquarters of the Division are located in Goryachiye Klyuchi
Goryachiye Klyuchi
Goryachiye Klyuchi is a rural locality in Kurilsky District of Sakhalin Oblast, Russia, located on the Iturup Island.Postal code: 694534....
on the Iturup Island. It also has garrisons on Kunashir Island
Kunashir Island
Kunashir Island , possibly meaning Black Island or Grass Island in Ainu, is the southernmost island of the Kuril Islands, which are controlled by Russia and claimed by Japan ....
and Shikotan Island. The 18th Artillery Division is the only division-strength military unit remaining in the Armed Forces of Russia, along with the 201st Military Base in Tajikistan. All other divisions have been transformed to brigades, following the Russian military reform. The division's aging infrastructure is in need of overhaul. There are also Border Guard Service troops stationed on the islands.
According to RIA Novosti military analyst Ilya Kramnik, the 18th Artillery Division is unlikely to be able to defend the Islands from an attack on its own. In case of attack by Japan, the Russian forces on the Kuril Islands are expected to hold out for only one to four days unless they receive support.
Planned reinforcements
In February 2011, President Dmitry MedvedevDmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev is the third President of the Russian Federation.Born to a family of academics, Medvedev graduated from the Law Department of Leningrad State University in 1987. He defended his dissertation in 1990 and worked as a docent at his alma mater, now renamed to Saint...
ordered advanced weapons to be deployed on the Kuril Islands, "in order to ensure the security of the islands as an integral part of Russia". According to a military source interviewed by Russia Today
Russia Today
Russia Today may refer to:* Russia Today, an English language 24-hour television news channel from Russia. It was launched in 2005 and is not related to an online news service of the similar name operated by EIN News...
, as part of the reinforcements, the 18th Division may be upgraded to a modern motorized infantry brigade. The division is to receive an air defense brigade, possibly armed with S-400
S-400
The S-400 Triumf is a new generation anti-aircraft weapon system developed by Russia's Almaz Central Design Bureau as an upgrade of the S-300 family. It is currently in limited service with the Russian Armed Forces....
SAM systems, according to the Russian General Staff. The Russian military has also announced intention to deploy the new Mistral class amphibious assault ships in its Pacific Fleet
Pacific Fleet (Russia)
The Pacific Fleet is the part of the Russian Navy that is stationed in the Pacific Ocean, which formerly secured the Far Eastern borders of the Soviet Union. The fleet headquarters is located at Vladivostok and a number of fleet bases are located in the Vladivostok area...
to protect the islands. Russia signed a deal with France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in January 2011 to buy four such vessels.