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

Rebirth

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.

General organisation

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

• Main Fleet Command: manages all combat arms;
  • Aegean Sea Naval Command;
  • Ionian Sea Naval Command;
  • Adriatic Sea Naval Command;
  • Black Sea Naval Command;
  • Southern Naval Command;
• Logistics Command;
• Navy Aviation 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.

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.

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

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)