During the Vietnam War, the Cam Ranh base was located in the south of the country and served as a major rear for the US Navy. American engineers erected a convenient airfield and the newest port for the deployment of warships. The airfield was home to the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing and the 483rd Tactical Transport Wing of the USAF. Contrary to the opinion of some military experts, B-52 bombers have never been stationed here.
In 1972, the United States transferred the Cam Ranh base to the use of the Vietnamese army. On April 3, 1975, the city was occupied by North Vietnamese troops. This happened during the Spring Offensive.
The history of the creation of the Russian military base in Cam Ranh
From the mid-60s of the last century, the Soviet fleet began to explore the oceans and carry out military service there. Ships and submarines, aircraft of the USSR Air Force stayed in the open spaces of the ocean in order to maintain security in the region.
The increase in the number of ships sailing in the ocean and the widespread use of military aviation needed logistics and technical support. Having no bases abroad, the Main Staff of the Navy launched work, during whichnew points were designated for basing Soviet ships and aircraft on the territory of countries friendly to the Soviet Union.
What sparked interest in Cam Ranh?
The Cam Ranh base, which was previously used by American troops, became attractive to the armed forces of the Soviet Union with its advantageous strategic position and convenience for the location of ships and aircraft.
The successful geographical location of the area made it possible to control the Malay and Singapore Straits, conduct work in the field of radio intelligence, direction finding of the Persian Gulf and the northern part of the Indian Ocean, the South China Sea, the Philippine Sea and the East China Sea.
The countries of the ASEAN bloc, which were characterized by an accelerated pace of technological development, were also located here. They had large offshore oil reserves and large volumes of purchases of innovative equipment and raw materials for weapons.
How does the photo show the Cam Ranh military facility? The base with Binba Bay, in which it, in fact, is located, is located inside the peninsula. The depth and size of the bay make it possible to base different classes of ships and vessels.
Besides this, the Cam Ranh Peninsula has a huge natural advantage, which played an important role in the placement of the base. There is a huge amount of fresh water that is usable.
In addition, the remaining piers, roads and buildings erected by the Americans are extremely convenient to use.
Signing the lease
At the end of 1978, a delegation of representatives from the USSR visited Vietnam. It was the highest command staff of the Navy and Pacific Fleet. On December 30, the main points of the agreement were agreed upon, and then a protocol was signed, which became the basis for negotiations on the creation of the PMTO and its joint use with Vietnam.
On May 2, 1979, a bilateral agreement was concluded, signed by the leaders of the USSR and the SRV. The agreement provided for a free lease of the base for a period of 25 years.
How many naval vessels could be at the base?
In accordance with the signed agreement, the Vietnamese military base "Cam Ranh" had the right to be: ten Soviet surface ships, eight submarines with a floating base and six naval vessels for other purposes.
Sixteen missile-carrying aircraft, nine reconnaissance aircraft and three air transport vessels were allowed to be stationed at the airfield.
Depending on the military-political situation and on the basis of an agreement between the USSR Ministry of Defense and the MNO SRV, an increase in the number of ships and aircraft was allowed.
Start of territory development
The Cam Ranh Naval Base, the photo of which is shown below, began to be developed in May 1979. Soviet warships were the first to enter there. In the same year, the nuclear submarine K-45 moored to the Vietnamese port in the summer. Soon, Pacific Fleet aircraft settled at the airfield of the Cam Ranh base.
In the winter of 1979, on such an important object asCam Ranh base, arrived the commander-in-chief of the fleet of the Soviet Union, Admiral S. Gorshkov. The whole day was devoted to acquaintance with the military facility.
The first military personnel of the Pacific Fleet arrived at the base in April 1980. It consisted of 54 people. Then he was replenished with a group of signalmen of 24 people. The personnel were housed in old Vietnamese houses and tents.
From 1983 to 1991, the 17th operational squadron was stationed in Cam Ranh, and from August 1991 to December 1991, the 8th OPESK.
What tasks did the naval forces of the Soviet Union pursue?
The command of the Navy and the government of the USSR assigned a number of tasks to such a strategic facility as the Russian base in Cam Ranh.
The following targets were set:
- provide electricity to all ships parked in the port of Cam Ranh, as well as supply aircraft with food and water;
- maintain the same level of stocks of MTS, issue and deliver technical and skipper support to passing ships;
- carry out transit communication of ships and vessels of the Pacific zone and the Indian Ocean;
- use the Cam Ranh airfield for the distribution of anti-submarine aircraft and reconnaissance aircraft;
- maintain your own infrastructure;
- develop and maintain Russian-Vietnamese friendship and cooperation.
What goals were made easier by using the base?
The use of such a strategic facility as the Cam Ranh base for the Soviet Navygreatly facilitated the solution of issues related to the provision of the necessary stocks of ships and aircraft, whose tasks included solving problems of varying degrees of complexity.
Cam Ranh was the only Soviet Russian military base located 2,500 miles from the nearest Soviet port.
Cam Ranh as a pledge of peace
The Cam Ranh base was the largest military base of the USSR abroad. At the same time, she acted as a counterweight to America's Subic Bay Navy in the Philippines. This made it possible to maintain peace and stability in Southeast Asia.
Soviet aviation bases
According to the data for 1986, at the airfield of the Cam Ranh base there was a separate OSAP mixed aviation regiment, which included more than four Tu-95 aircraft, four Tu-142 aircraft, about twenty Tu-16 aircraft, about fifteen MiG-25 units, two An-24 transport aircraft and three Mi-8 helicopters. In addition, a base with anti-submarine and missile weapons was assigned to the flight regiment.
Construction of the garrison and residential facilities in Vietnam
What agreement was signed about such a strategically important facility as the Cam Ranh base (Vietnam)? 1984 marked a new arrangement. The agreement between the USSR and Vietnam, signed on April 20, provided for the construction of a garrison and other infrastructure facilities at the expense of material assistance to Vietnam from the USSR.
In the period from 1985 to 1987, the construction and installation organization of the Soviet Union "Zagrantekhstroy", whichsupervised by E. S. Bobrenev, erected 28 objects for various purposes. She also built residential buildings.
The number of the garrison at that time was approximately 6,000 people, counting people employed in construction. The agreement of April 20, 1984 provided for the transfer of facilities to the Vietnamese side for free use.
The first batch of facilities was erected in December 1987, after which they were commissioned by Soviet specialists on a free lease basis.
Reducing the presence of Soviet troops at the Cam Ranh base
The number of Soviet troops at the base began to decline towards the end of 1980. As they wrote in an article in the Pravda newspaper dated January 19, 1990, the reduction in the presence of Soviet troops in Cam Ranh took place as part of measures to reduce the number of Soviet armed forces in East Asia and occupy a purely defensive position in the Pacific region.
At the end of 1989 MiG-23 and Tu-16 planes were relocated from there. By the beginning of 1990, only one detachment of variable composition, consisting of ten aircraft, was based there.
From the beginning of 1992 to 1993, the 119th brigade was located in Cam Ranh, which included heterogeneous ships and aircraft. Since the autumn of 1993, this brigade has also been abolished. The remaining units were subordinated to 922 PMTO.
In the early 90s, many port facilities were transferred to the Vietnamese side for permanent possession.
The Cam Ranh Naval Base existed until 2002.
What did the infrastructure include?
What infrastructure did the Soviet and Russian military specialists own?
From the 90s until the abolition of the PMTO in Cam Ranh (April 2002), Soviet and then Russian specialists used a number of facilities. The Cam Ranh Naval Base (Vietnam) had:
- military garrison, which included headquarters and barracks for personnel;
- dining room for 250 people;
- bakery;
- bath and laundry plant;
- club building;
- middle school;
- eighteen residential buildings;
- materials warehouse;
- car fleet along with special technical equipment.
Pier area included:
- Reservoir park for storing lubricants and fuels.
- Two 279 ton refrigerators for food storage.
- Twelve metal vaults for material assets.
- Two water intake devices, consisting of six wells to supply water to the garrison. One of them functioned exclusively for the water supply of ships and aircraft.
- Central diesel power plant with a capacity of 24,000 kW. It was designed to supply electricity to all the buildings of the garrison, as well as the FPV facilities in Cam Ranh.
Since 1995, the Cam Ranh military base in Vietnam, the photo of which is presented in this article, included the following units:
- PMTO management;
- financialservice;
- communication node;
- air commandant's office;
- clothing service;
- fuel storage;
- food service;
- laundry room;
- military commandant's office;
- office of marine engineering service;
- separate security company;
- sanitary department;
- fire department;
- field facility;
- naval hospital;
- high school.
How many people lived in the garrison?
From 1995 to 2002, approximately 600-700 people lived in the garrison. This was the minimum number of specialists whose purpose was to ensure the normal functioning of the garrison. They carried out the main strategic tasks of the PMTO.
Tragic incident at Cam Ranh Base
Cam Ranh (Navy base) was the scene of a tragedy in 1995. On December 12, three Su-27 fighter jets, part of the Russian Knights squadron, crashed while landing at the base airport. They were returning home from an air show in Malaysia.
Relations between Russia and Vietnam during the years of the base
All the activities of such an important facility as the military base in Cam Ranh took place in an atmosphere of close cooperation with Vietnamese specialists. Our military worked hand in hand with the sailors of the SPR who served nearby on the peninsula.
In addition to the joint solution of military-strategic tasks, cooperation in the field ofculture and sports. The national holidays of Vietnam were celebrated with triumph. All this contributed to the creation of a friendly atmosphere.
What about today?
In February 2014, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that Russia intends to expand its military presence in the world. In this regard, active negotiations were held on the deployment of military facilities in Vietnam.
Shoigu noted that Russian military aircraft designed for long-range flights should be refueled at this military base.
Since the spring of 2014, the airfield of the Cam Ranh base has been used to service Russian Il-78 aircraft, which provided air-to-air refueling for Tu-95MS military missile carriers.
Did Vietnam fully provide Cam Ranh to Russia? The military base was supposed to be open to the entry of Russian warships. This issue was discussed during the visit of the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party to our country. It was decided that a formal agreement would be signed with Vietnam in the near future.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, our ships and vessels for service in the Pacific Ocean should only notify the Vietnamese authorities about entering the military port of Cam Ranh. This was a major development as Vietnam became the second state after Syria to allow Russian Navy warships to be launched into their territory. Many military experts pointed out that the fact that Vietnam has long been considered Russia's partner in the military-technical field also played an important role.
ForIn recent years, many contracts have been signed, the total value of which is $4.5 billion. In 2014, Russia delivered six Varshavyanka class 06361 diesel submarines equipped with the Club-S missile system to Vietnam. The mobile coastal complex "Bastion" was supplied, as well as the geoinformation system "Horizon" for the PBRK. Vietnam has ordered Molniya-class military boats, 11661 Gepard-39 patrol frigates, and Su-30 MK2 fighter aircraft.
And will there be tomorrow?
Will the Cam Ranh base be officially granted to Russia? Vietnam has an ambiguous position on this matter. Just a few months ago, the state was for the return of the Russian military to the base, provided that cooperation does not pose a military threat to third countries.
Relations between the two countries should be exclusively peaceful. This position was expressed on May 17 by Vietnamese Ambassador to our country Nguyen Thanh Son. He noted that Vietnamese policy is based on not entering into military alliances with any state as opposed to another.
As the diplomat noted, in this context, the provision of Cam Ranh ports is a priority. The purpose of the interaction between the two countries will be to provide maritime services, carry out repair work on ships and develop military equipment to maintain peace and stability in the Pacific region.
Nguyen Thanh Son announced that Hanoi intends to continue cooperation with Moscow in the field of defense. Also imit was said that Vietnam has always perceived Russia as a friendly partner.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that Russian military bases could be deployed in Cuba and Vietnam. Specific terms of placement were not specified. It was noted that negotiations are underway in this direction.
Dmitry Peskov explained the possible deployment in these countries by the national interests of our country. Peskov also noted that the situation in the international arena over the past two years has become extremely tense, and significant amendments have been made to Russia's security policy.
And here is an unexpected turn of events. A few days ago, information appeared about the impossibility of finding Russia at such an object as the Cam Ranh base. Vietnam has made an official announcement. This was announced at a briefing in Hanoi by Vietnamese Foreign Minister Le Hai Binh. According to him, Vietnam refuses to let the military bases of other countries, including Russia, into its territory.
