Soviet Northern Fleet

Northern Fleet
Northern Fleet sleeve ensign
Active	August 5th, 1933 – present (as Northern Flotilla until May 11, 1937)
Allegiance	Russian Empire (1703–1917)  Soviet Union (1917–1991)  Russian Federation (1991–present)
Branch	Russian navy
Role	Naval warfare Amphibious warfare
Size	38 Warships 42 Submarines
Part of	Russian Armed Forces
Garrison/HQ	Severomorsk(HQ) Polyarnyy Olenya Bay Gadzhiyevo (Yagelnaya/Sayda) Vidyayevo (Ura Bay and Ara Bay) Bolshaya Lopatka (Litsa Guba) Gremikha
Anniversaries	May 11th
Engagements	World War II Crimean Crisis (2014)
Decorations	Order of the Red Banner
Commanders
Current commander	Adm. Nikolai Anatolyevich Evmenov
Notable commanders	Adm. Vladimir Vysotskiy Adm. Feliks Gromov Adm. Ivan Kapitanets Adm. Vladimir Chernavin Adm. Semyon Lobov Adm. Vladimir Kasatonov Adm. Arseniy Golovko

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.

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.

The Northern Flotilla was formed in early 1933 by transferring patrol boats Smerch and Uragan, D-class submarines Dekabrist (D-1) and Narodovolyets (D-2) and two destroyers from the Baltic Fleet. These ships departed from Kronstadt on 18 May 1933 and arrived at Murmansk on 5 August. Another destroyer, another patrol boat, another submarine, and two minesweepers joined the flotilla at Soroka in September 1933. Polyarny became the flotilla's main base; and a flight of MBR-2 flying boats joined the unit at Murmansk in September 1935.