▁Day ▁of ▁the ▁Georg ian ▁Navy . ▁▁▁ ▁The ▁n avy - building ▁began ▁with ▁equ ipping ▁fish ing ▁vessels ▁by ▁small ▁cal iber ▁anti - air craft ▁guns ▁and ▁machine ▁guns . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁Georgia ▁res umed ▁its ▁dem ands ▁on ▁its ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁ex - S ov iet ▁Black ▁Sea ▁Fle et , ▁and ▁the ▁Russian ▁ref us al ▁to ▁all ot ▁Georgia ▁a ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁ex - S ov iet ▁Navy ▁became ▁another ▁b one ▁of ▁cont ention ▁in ▁the ▁progress ively ▁d eter ior ating ▁Georg ian - Russ ian ▁relations . ▁This ▁time , ▁Ukraine ▁end ors ed ▁T bil isi ’ s ▁claims , ▁turning ▁over ▁several ▁pat rol ▁boats ▁to ▁the ▁Georg ian ▁Navy ▁and ▁starting ▁to ▁train ▁Georg ian ▁cre ws , ▁but ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁include ▁in ▁the ▁final ▁fleet ▁deal ▁a ▁transfer ▁of ▁the ▁formerly ▁Pot i - based ▁vessels ▁to ▁Georgia . ▁Later , ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁Georg ian ▁share ▁was ▁decided ▁to ▁be ▁c eded ▁to ▁Russia ▁in ▁return ▁for ▁dimin ution ▁of ▁deb t . ▁ ▁Georgia ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁found ing ▁members ▁and ▁a ▁particip ant ▁of ▁the ▁Black ▁Sea ▁Force ▁( BL ACK SE AF OR ). ▁ ▁Later ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁Georgia , ▁with ▁the ▁help ▁of ▁NAT O ▁member ▁states , ▁chief ly ▁Turkey ▁and ▁Greece , ▁managed ▁to ▁build ▁up ▁a ▁small ▁naval ▁force . ▁Yet ▁throughout ▁its ▁existence ▁the