Pacific Fleet UAVs Direct Missile Strikes in Russian Far East Exercises

MOSCOW, August 12. /TASS/. During exercises with Pacific Fleet forces, Forpost unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) detected simulated enemy landing ships and transmitted their coordinates for strikes with Oniks and Uran missiles, the Pacific Fleet press service reported.

As part of the exercise, naval groups in the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk, and the northwestern Pacific are actively coordinating with the fleet’s unmanned aerial systems, mastering and expanding their scope of application, the Pacific Fleet specified. One of the main systems in use is the naval aviation Forpost system, which is designed for reconnaissance, target designation, and monitoring of the current situation.

The Forpost systems transmitted real-time information about ships and vessels in the combat training area, which helped identify them and use the data during the practical phases of the exercise.

During a joint strike against the simulated enemy’s assault landing ship using the Bastion coastal defense missile systems and the Smerch small missile ship, the Forpost UAV crews detected the targets in a timely manner and transmitted their coordinates. The targets were successfully struck by Oniks and Uran missiles, the statement said.

Since August 4, the Pacific Fleet has been carrying out an exercise with troops to defend the maritime borders, island zones, and coastal territories of Russia’s Far East. The exercise is being conducted in a bilateral format under the direction of Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Viktor Liin, and is the Pacific Fleet’s main operational and combat training event for 2026.

The maneuvers include approximately 60 surface ships, submarines, and support vessels, about 30 aircraft, helicopters, and unmanned aerial systems of the Pacific Fleet’s naval aviation, as well as over 13,000 service members.