Russia’s Northern Fleet Receives New Bastion Coastal Defense Systems

The servicemen of the independent rocket-artillery brigade of Russia’s Northern Fleet have received Bastion (NATO reporting name SSC-5) mobile coastal defense missile systems, the fleet’s spokesman said Sunday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Bastion systems will replace the Rubezh (NATO reporting name SSC-3) and the Redut (NATO reporting name SSC-1) coastal defense systems.

"The independent rocket-artillery brigade has begun rearming with the new Bastion coastal defense missile systems. The military units have already received two sets of the coastal defense missile systems," Vadim Serga said.

According to the official, the servicemen will take part in the first exercises using the Bastion systems this year in the Barents Sea.

Russia has been using Bastion systems since 2010. The systems are designed to protect vessels from enemy squadrons and convoys.

Earlier in 2015, President Vladimir Putin said that Russia had positioned Bastion mobile coastal defense missile systems in Crimea to demonstrate that the peninsula was well-protected.

Russia is currently carrying out a $325-billion rearmament program to modernize 70 percent of its military equipment by 2020.