russian: Военно-морские силы Республики Казахстан , image =File:Emblem-vmsrk.svg , caption = Kazakh naval emblem , start_date = , country = , allegiance = , branch = Flag of Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Flag of Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan , type = National naval force, green water navy , role = Naval warfare and defense , size = 3,000 sailors and 14 patrol boats , command_structure = Ministry of Defense of Kazakhstan , garrison = Aktau, Mangystau Region , garrison_label = Headquarters , nickname = , patron = , motto = , colors = Yellow, blue, black, and white , colors_label = , march = , mascot = , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = , anniversaries = April 2
May 7 , decorations = , battle_honours = , battle_honours_label = , disbanded = , flying_hours = , website = , commander1 =

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev Kassym-Jomart Kemeluly Tokayev ( kk, Қасым-Жомарт Кемелұлы Тоқаев, Qasym-Jomart Kemelūly Toqaev ; born 17 May 1953) is a Kazakh politician and diplomat who is currently serving as the President of Kazakhstan since 12 J ...

, commander1_label = Supreme Commander-in-chief , commander2 = Captain 1st rank Saken Bekzhanov , commander2_label = Commander of the Navy , commander3 = Captain 1st rank Marat Janaev , commander3_label = Chief of Staff , commander4 = Captain 1st rank Yermek Baygabulov , commander4_label = Deputy Commander , commander5 = Colonel Yerbol Begildayev , commander5_label = Deputy Commander , notable_commanders = Rear Adm. Ratmir Komratov , identification_symbol = Naval_Ensign_of_Kazakhstan

, identification_symbol_label = Naval ensign , identification_symbol_2 = Naval Ensign of Kazakhstan Border Service

, identification_symbol_2_label = Naval ensign of the Border Service , identification_symbol_3 =

, identification_symbol_3_label = Naval jack of Kazakhstan The Kazakh Naval Forces ( kk, Қазақстан Әскери-теңіз күштері, ; russian: Военно-морские силы Казахстана) is the

naval A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...

warfare branch of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The navy mainly operates on the

Caspian Sea The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, often described as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia; east of the Caucasus, west of the broad steppe of Central Asi ...

and is currently based in the coastal city of Aktau. The branch currently has a strength of 3,000 personnel and is mainly equipped with patrol crafts, minesweepers and a research vessel.

History

Previously, the Soviet Navy's

Caspian Flotilla Kaspiyskaya flotiliya , image = Great emblem of the Caspian Flotilla.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Great emblem of the Caspian Flotilla , dates = No ...

served in the shores of the

Kazakh SSR ; kk, Қазақ Советтік Социалистік Республикасы) *1991: Republic of Kazakhstan (russian: Республика Казахстан; kk, Қазақстан Республикасы) , linking_name = the ...

. Following the

Dissolution of the Soviet Union The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...

, the fleet shrank, leaving the Kazakh contingent to serve as a basis for the newly formed navy. Kazakhstan's Naval Forces were established in April 1993 as a naval base of the Kazakh Army. The base, which was stationed in Aktau, initially became active in service on August 17, 1996, in spite of Kazakhstan being one of the largest landlocked countries on earth. In July 1999, the naval base became part of the Maritime units of the Border Guard Service of the National Security Committee of Kazakhstan. It became a separate military branch by presidential decree on 7 May 2003. In February 2010, Kazakh President

Nursultan Nazarbayev Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev ( kk, Нұрсұлтан Әбішұлы Назарбаев, Nūrsūltan Äbişūlı Nazarbaev, ; born 6 July 1940) is a Kazakh politician and military officer who served as the first President of Kazakhstan, in off ...

, in his position as supreme commander in chief of the entire military, presented the Battle Flag to the Kazakh Navy. The 612th Airbase in Aktau was opened a year later, in 2011.

Structure

The following units form the structure of the Kazakh Navy: * Naval Headquarters * Special Forces Unit * Coastal Artillery * Caspian Flotilla * Border Service of the KNB ** 1st Naval Division (

Bautino Bautino ( kz, Баутин, ''Bautin'', ''باۋتىين'') is a town in Mangystau Region, southwest Kazakhstan. It lies at an altitude of below sea level, on the coast of the Caspian Sea The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body o ...

) ** 2nd Naval Division (

) ** 3rd Naval Division (

Atyrau Atyrau ( kk, Атырау, ', ; russian: Атырау, ), known until 1991 as Guryev (russian: Гурьев, ), is a city in Kazakhstan and the capital of Atyrau Region. Atyrau is a transcontinental city, at the mouth of the Ural River on the Cas ...

)

Aktau Naval Academy

The Aktau Naval Academy of the Ministry of Defense of Kazakhstan was the main educational institution of the naval forces. It established in March 2001 by order of the national government on the basis of the Vocational Technical School No. 2. which preceded it. It was reorganized into a naval institute on July 10, 2003, effectively upgrading its status as a nationally recognized military school. Graduates of the institute have served in ships and coastal units of the Navy and maritime units of the

Border Service of the National Security Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan The Border Service of the National Security Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan ( kk, Қазақстан ұлттық қауіпсіздік комитеті шекара қызметі, Qazaqstan ūlttyq qauıpsızdık komitetı şekara qyzme ...

. In 2011, the institute was deactivated and liquidated.

Commanders

* Rear Admiral (6 November 2008 – 17 July 2009) * Vice Admiral (30 September 2009 – 18 April 2018) * Rear Admiral (18 April 2018 – present)

Naval Equipment

Ranks and insignia

Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia of

commissioned officer An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent contex ...

Other ranks

The rank insignia of

non-commissioned officer A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...

s and

enlisted personnel An enlisted rank (also known as an enlisted grade or enlisted rate) is, in some armed services, any rank below that of a commissioned officer. The term can be inclusive of non-commissioned officers or warrant officers, except in United States m ...

References

{{Asia topic, Navy of, title=Navies of Asia Kazakh Naval Forces Military units and formations established in 1993 Military units and formations established in 2003 Navies by country Naval forces in the Caspian Sea