Russia's Pacific Fleet is celebrating its 288th anniversary, and according to tradition, it was founded on May 21, 1731. The fleet was known as the Okhotsk Military Flotilla (1731-1856) and the Siberian Military Flotilla (1856-1918) and formed to defend Russian interests in the Russian Far East region along the Pacific coast. Today, the fleet consists of 57 warships and 21 submarines.