Imperial Byzantine Navy (Byzatium)

The Imperial Byzantine Navy (Greek: Βασιλικό Βυζαντινό Ναυτικό; Basilikó Byzantinó Naftikó; Β.Β.Ν.), officially the Roman Navy in the East (Greek: Ρωμαϊκό Ναυτικό στην Ανατολή, Ρ.Ν.Α.; Romaïkó Naftikó stin Anatolí, R.N.A.), is the naval warfare service branch of the Imperial Byzantine Armed Forces.

In 2022, the Byzantine Navy had a reported active personnel strength of 80,962; this figure includes two Amphibious Marines Brigades as well as several Special Forces detachments As of early 2021, the navy operates a wide variety of ships and 60 maritime aircraft.

The Imperial Byzantine Navy is a Green-water navy with Blue-water capabilities.

History

A miracolous rebirth (1453-1475)

In 1453 the Ottoman fleet participated in the failed siege of Constantinople. The death of Mehmet II in battle provided to the battered Empire a respite. Emperor John VIII made large expenditures to equip a fleet capable to face the Ottoman navy and to support the desperate counter-offensive against Bythinia and Western Anatolia.

In 1455, the Second Defence of Constantinople gave way to the landing of the Roman army in Western Anatolia. The weakened Ottoman state struggled to respond cohesively, facing both internal dissent and external pressure from neighboring powers eager to exploit the power vacuum. The Roman navy supported coastal operations and succedeed into establishing a defence chain around Constantinople, surrounding areas, and Anatolia Coast.

During the diplomacy work by John VIII, the navy was entrusted to Megas doux Loukas Notaras with the task of conquering the mastery of at least the Northern Agean Sea.

Reconquest of Greece (1475-1515)

Ameralio Georgos Tsmikites was the main architect of the naval operations in the Agean Sea after the death of Loukas Notaras.

On 21 April 1475 the long campaign to reconquer Greece officially begun with the Battle of Athens. In the waters between Athens and Salamis, a well-equipped Roman fleet decisively defeated the Ottoman enemy, thus allowing the army to operate in Attica. The naval operations of the war lasted until 1514, when the Roman navy ambushed and destroyed a large Ottoman fleet off Epahtos.

The reconquest of Greece was completed in 1515. However, Ottomans remained entrenched in the Balkans and in Central and Eastern Anatolia. Crete was quickly transformed in an Ottoman bastion. The Roman navy thus remained on the frontline in a relatively low intensity if never truly ending naval confrontation.

Only in 1573, after the defeat suffered by Ottomans at hands of the Christian powers, Crete would be conquered and the relative security of the Agean Sea ensured.

Conquest of Eastern Anatolia and Eastern Mediterranean (1603–1645)

In the early 17th century, under the leadership of John IX and of his successor Theodore III, the Byzantine Empire embarked on a series of ambitious campaigns to conquer Eastern Anatolia and the Eastern Mediterranean coast. Prominent naval commander Ioannis Rhaptes contributed significantly to securing Byzantine dominance in the region.

In 1634, Byzantine forces captured Amasia in Eastern Anatolia, securing a strategic foothold. In 1635, Trebizond was conquered by the Byzantine Empire, marking a significant achievement and consolidating Byzantine control over the northeastern Black Sea coast.

Control over Eastern Mediterranean was finally secured with the War of Cyprus of 1645. Byzantine naval forces, supported by a formidable army, secured control over Cyprus, establishing a significant presence in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Concept of operations

The Imperial Byzantine Navy ensures security and Byzantine dominance over the Agean Sea, the Bosphorus and Dardanelles Straits, and the Sea of Marmara. The Agean Sea is bounded by the Bosphorus and by Crete. The Imperial Byzantine Navy ensures territorial waters defence in the South-Eastern Mediterranean Sea (including Cyprus), Black Sea, Ionian Sea and Adriatic Sea. The Imperial Byzantine Navy ensures freedom of navigation in the Mediterranean Sea, in the Red Sea, and in the Black Sea in cooperation with Allied and Friendly Powers. The Imperial Byzantine Navy is also capable of power projection over near seas.

General organisation

In 1961, the Imperial Byzantine Navy was reorganized into four main subordinate commands placed under the Navy General Staff:

• Main Fleet Command: manages all combat arms;
• Logistics Command;
• Danube River Flotilla;
• Naval Training Command.

In addition, four main Naval Bases are directly subordinated to the Navy General Staff:

• Diolkides Naval Base;
• Crete Naval Base;
• Salamis Naval Base;
• Cyprus Naval Base.

Navy General Staff

The Navy General Staff (Greek: Γενικό Επιτελείο Ναυτικού, abbr. ΓΕΝ; Genikó Epiteleío Naftikoú, abbr. GEN) is the general staff of the Navy, the naval component of the Imperial Byzantine Armed Forces. It is headed by the Chief of the Navy General Staff, currently Admiral Pavel Stојаnоv.

Until 1956, the Navy General Staff was formally named Sacred Consistorium for Sea Affairs.

Structure

To fulfill its institutional objectives, the Navy General Staff makes use of:

• 7 Departments: Personnel; Planning; Infrastructure; Submarines; Aircraft; Project studies and military vehicles; Logistics.
• 6 Offices: Legal affairs and litigation; Financial planning and programming; General affairs and external relations; General personnel office; General office of the administrative responsibility centre; Supervisory coordination office; Communication office,
• 3 Inspectorates: Inspectorate for logistical support and lighthouses; Health inspectorate; Schools inspectorate,
• Various offices and inspectorates: Gendarmerie MP Command for the Navy, club body.

Main Fleet Command

The Main Fleet Command (Greek: Διοίκηση Κύριου Στόλου, abbr. ΔΚΣ; Dioíkisi Kýriou Stólou, DKS) is the major command devoted to preparation and continuous use of the air, naval and amphibious forces under it for the purpose of monitoring maritime spaces of national interest. The Main Fleet Command is based in Diolkides.

The Navy Communications Centre is located at the Main Fleet Command.

Tasks

The Main Fleet Command has the following military tasks:

• Operational control of air and naval vehicles in training/operational activities;
• Maritime defense of the national territory and protection of national interests beyond territorial waters;
• Maritime defense of NATO territory;
• Participation in national and multinational operations for crisis management and international security;
• Counteracting illicit trafficking;
• Reclamation of the seabed from dangerous devices for activities on the seabed;

Naval Division Commands

The naval units are for the major part under the Main Fleet Command, where almost all the operational command and control of the ships are concentrated. The operational components of the Main Fleet Command are organised according a territorial basis, the expression of which are the five Naval Division Commands, the Naval Aviation Command and the Submarines Command:

• Aegean Sea Naval Division Command;
• Ionian Sea Naval Division Command;
• Adriatic Sea Naval Division Command;
• Black Sea Naval Division Command;
• Southern Naval Division Command;
• Naval Aviation Command;
• Submarines Command.

Each Naval Division Command is in charge of a deep sea naval force and of a coastal patrol force.

Combat Arms Commands

The Main Fleet Command is in charge of managing all Combat Arms Commands, through which it ensures the fleet preparadness and readiness. As of 2022, there are eight Combat Arms Commands:

• Frigate Command;
• Surveillance Ships Command;
• Fast Attack Craft Command;
• Amphibious Assault Forces Command;
• Underwater Demolition Command;
• Minesweeper Command;
• Naval Aviation Command;
• Submarines Command.

The Naval Aviation and Submarines Commands also act as Naval Sea Commands due to their peculiar operational implications.

Military Ranks

The supreme naval rank of Megas Doux was merged into the Crown starting from 1663, in order to further consolidate imperial control over the Navy. Starting from 1664, the highest naval rank became the Ameralios ton Stólou. In 1887, with the naval reform, the rank was hellenised and became Návarchos ton Stólou. This rank was never formally abolished.

List of ships

The Byzantine Navy deploys 416 ships in active commission:

• 22 x Attack Submarines
• 1 x Amphibious Assault Ship/Helicopter Carrier
• 37 x Frigates
• 7 x Corvettes
• 41 x Fast Attack Crafts
• 10 x Gunboats
• 3 x Offshore patrol vessels
• 4 x Fast Patrol Boats
• 37 x Patrol Vessels
• 26 x Mine countermeasures vessels
• 5 x Amphibious warfare ships/Landing ships
• 57 x Landing Craft
• 55 x Tank Landing Ships
• 1 x Intelligence ship
• 9 x General Support Ships
• 3 x Training ships
• 1 x Sailing training ship
• 8 x Training boats
• 1 x Troopship
• 1 x Submarine rescue ship
• 3 x Rescue and salvage ships
• 2 x Emergency response and diving training boats
• 3 x Anti-submarine net tender
• 38 x Tugboats
• 6 x Oceanographic & Hydrographic Survey Vessels
• 9 x Transport Ships
• 2 x Replenishment oilers
• 14 x Tankers
• 7 x Special Operations Crafts
• 2 x Lighthouse Tenders

Attack submarines

Class (Type)	Photo	Name	#	Name in Greek	Builder	Active	Notes
Attack submarines (22)
Okeanos class (209/1500 AIP)	Type 209/1500	RNP Okeanos RNP Mesógeios Thálassa RNP Mávri Thálassa RNP Atlantikós Okeanós RNP Eirinikós Okeanós	Υ-092 Υ-093 Υ-094 Υ-095	Ωκεανός Μεσόγειος θάλασσα Μαύρη Θάλασσα Ατλαντικός Ωκεανός Ειρηνικός Ωκεανός	Salamis Shipyards	5	Commissioned in 1979 and heavily upgraded in 2009.
Saint Nikolaos class (Type 214)	RNP Saint Nikolaos	RNP Nikolaos RNP John Chrysostom RNP Arsenios RNP Joseph the Hesychast RNP Nephon RNP Theophanes RNP John Xiphilinos RNP John Kamateros RNP Nectarios RNP Savvas RNP Porphyrios RNP Chrístos o Arvanídis RNP Nicholas Kabasilas RNP Jefrem RNP Paisius of Hilendar RNP Neophytos RNP Gregorios Palamas	Y-120 Y-121 Y-122 Y-123 Y-124 Y-125 Y-126 Y-127 Y-128 Y-129 Y-130 Y-131 Y-132 Y-133 Y-134 Y-135 Y-136	Νικόλαος Ἰωάννης ὁ Χρυσόστομος Ἀρσένιος Ιωσήφ ο Ησυχαστής Νήφων Θεοφάνης Ἰωάννης Ξιφιλῖνος Ἰωάννης Καματηρός Νεκτάριος Σάββας Πορφύριος Χρήστος ο Αρβανίδης Νικόλαος Καβάσιλας Τζέφρεμ Παΐσιος Χιλένδαρος Νεόφυτος Γρηγόριος Παλαμᾶς	HDW Salamis Shipyards	17	The first was built in Germany, the rest in Byzantium from 2010 to 2016.

List of aircraft

The Byzantine Navy deploys a substantial air fleet in order to enhance its operations.

Lacking any carrier vessel, the Byzantine Navy does not operate any fighter or bomber aircraft.

Fixed wing aircraft

• 7 x ATR 72 MPA Maritime Patrol Aircraft
• 6 x CASA CN-235 Maritime Patrol Aircraft
• 4 x SOCATA TB family Trainer Aircraft
• 3 x ATR 72 MPA Transport Aircraft
• 2 x ATR 72 MPA ASW Aircraft
• 2 x ATR 72 MPA ASuW Aircraft

Helicopters

• 29x Sikorsky S-70B-28 Seahawk Maritime (ASW/ASuW) Helicopter
• 19 x Agusta-Bell AB-212 ASW Helicopter
• 7 x Bell AB 212 ASuW Helicopter
• 5 Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk SAR Helicopter
• 3 x Mil Mi-14 ASuW Helicopter
• 3 x Eurocopter AS565Panther Utility Helicopter
• 2 x Aérospatiale Alouette III ASuW Helicopter
• 2 x Bell AB 212 Electronic warfare Helicopter

See also

• Imperial Byzantine Army (Byzatium)