Russian Navy: Status & News #1

     After the fall of the Soviet Union, the Russian fleet started a drastic decline into decay and despair.  In recent years, the cruisers of the Russian Navy have seen an increased deployment and activity not seen since the fall of the USSR.  The same ships that lead the Soviet Fleets are still in service today and face many legacy problems inherited from the past.  With the current rift growing between the West and the Russian Federation, the status of Russia’s cruisers becomes a topic of interest to not only NATO, but all navies as they are currently the greatest surface threat on the high seas.  This article objectively analyzes Russian sources over the recent condition, activities, and capabilities of the cruisers.  Furthermore, it seeks to find the real truth through the smoke and mirrors presented by Russian propaganda.        




     As the only operational heavy aviation cruiser in the Russian Navy, the Admiral Kuznetsov takes a leading role in the fleet.  It was launched in 1989 with the first deck launch taking place in 1995. Since then, it has spent most of its life under repair.  When it was intended to be used in sea trials in 2003, the ship began to sink.  In 2004 and twice in 2005, landing accidents put it out of action for periods of time. The ship has been plagued through all this with fire and propulsion problems.2  In October of 2004, the ship began its first sea deployment in seven years putting pilots to the test in North Atlantic exercises.  The only practice until that point, had been conducting landings at the fixed landing strip at the Nikita base in the Crimea.  The crew make up of the ship included fresh conscripts to man it and old pilots to fly the missions.  One of the casualties of the operation was a Su-25UTG that crashed because the pilot’s approach was too fast.  The right landing gear broke and the plane skid for ninety metres before the arresting wire caught it.  This caused the expensive carbide-silicon deck coating to become heavily damaged and in need of a repair that was just completed before leaving port.3  It was reported the ship had a thick oil slick trailing behind it off the coast of Norway during the same maneuvers.4  On 5 September 2005, a Su-33 Flanker was lost when Lieutenant Colonel Korneyev ejected after snapping a brake cable.  The pilot was saved but the $30 million fighter was sunk and depth charged to prevent its secrets from falling into NATO hands.  In October of 2006, it was reported that orders for new landing cables were taken.5 The status of the boiler plants are in poor condition.  As of February 2007, the power plant does not allow the ship to maintain long distance cruising speeds greater than 16-18 knots. 6 The coastal infrastructure to service these boilers at its base in Shipyard SRZ-35 do not have enough qualified personnel to run maintenance on them.

     There are only ten trained pilots for a ship that must run six or seven different types of aircraft.7  In 2008 it was speculated to have twenty experienced pilots.8  The pilot status of the carrier’s air group is in dismal condition.  By 2002, the average annual flight time for naval pilots was 21.7 hours.9  While the numbers for the carrier aviation wing may vary, this is far from sufficient to conduct operations.  This is why veteran pilots are given most of the sorties.  One of the main reasons they have so few trained pilots is the lack of even a simulator on the territory of the Russian Federation.  After the fall of the Soviet Union, the only simulator for carrier aviation was located in Ukraine.  This outdated facility is located nowhere near the Northern Fleet and is outmoded to provide support to trainee pilots.  Admiral of the Fleet Masorin announced on 2 August 2007 that the city of Eyska, on the Azov Sea, will house the future built simulator for naval aviation pilots.  He also said of the existing facilities that “Today, this simulator is largely obsolete.”10  Vice-Admiral Alexander Kletskova made mentions considering redeployment of the carrier; “We believe that the Black Sea Fleet has a special place in the establishment and operation of the vessel. We can say that this is even the key – that nowhere in Russia there are such favorable conditions for training deck aircraft pilots as there are on the Black Sea.”11  These statements are in conjunction with Masorin’s desire to protect the Sochi Olympic Games scheduled for 2014.  This may lead to a temporary redeployment of the Kuznetsov to the Black Sea during the games and the construction of facilities located in the region may indicate it as a possible base with the new facilities located there.

     The soundness of the circuitry aboard the vessel was in question when a fire broke out on 28 August 2006.  The ship was docked in Murmansk when a fire broke out in a janitor’s closet hospitalizing two sailors and was due to a “short circuit.” 12  In December of 2007, the Kuznetsov set sail for a three month tour that included a cruise to the Mediterranean after a refit and modernization.  There were no reported problems and much press about successful tests.  The fact that the ship was able to conduct a 15,000 nautical mile mission is a testament unto itself considering past performance.  In November of 2008, the ship made its way for a three month tour that included participation in Stability 2008 and a cruise to the Mediterranean.  On 7 January 2009, another electrical fire broke out off the coast of Turkey killing a sailor due to carbon-monoxide poisoning.  Again, the cause was characterized as a “short circuit.”13  It is preparing to conduct operations with the Black Sea Fleet, but the fire may change plans.  The ship is scheduled to remain in service until 2025.  To any thoughts that Russia may dispose of the ship, former Chief of the Navy Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov said the only Russian aviation cruiser will remain in operation; “Selling or scrapping it no one will do. We do not even think about it.”14

     There has been much debate to the value of keeping a plagued ship like the Kuznetsov in service among Russian circles.  With the fall of the USSR, the Russians have lost the ability to build and sufficiently maintain the class of warship.  All of their aviation cruisers from the Soviet Era have been scrapped or sold.  The majority of them reside in China as research platforms for the PRC’s future carrier aspirations.  The Admiral Gorshkov is under refit to be sold to India which is proving to be a daunting task to make ready for sale.  As the soul carrier left in Russian service, it has an important role to serve despite the problems associated with the ship.  The ability of the air wing to carry out operations is quite limited.  The lack of steam catapults and the installation of a ski-ramp limit the payload and launching conditions of operational aircraft.  Planes cannot carry a full load of weapons or fuel which hurts effectiveness of sorties and lacks anti-shipping missiles.  There are no AWACs on the ship so detection range is limited.  These are pitfalls of the Soviet strategy of keeping aviation cruisers close to shore so they could be supported by land based assets.  Little seems to have changed in the strategy over its use as it has not traveled out of the range of strategic bombers.  The boiler problem that plagues the ship keeps the Kuzntesov close to shore and in constant attention of auxiliary vessels.  The continuous electrical fires are now proving deadly to the crew.   Despite these limitations, the ship does retain value.

     With the overhaul it received an impressive anti-missile defence suite.  It carries 192 VLS launched Klinok missiles with four channels of fire; this is the naval variant of the venerable land-based TOR-M1 system.  The CIWS aboard the aviation cruiser is the most comprehensive of any ship afloat.  With eight modules of Kashtan and six AK-630 modules, the ship carries twenty 30mm gatling guns in total.15  The Kashtan system also carries 256 missiles which are automatically reloadable in seconds and 48,000 rounds of ammunition for the guns.  With this anti-shipping missile defence, the carrier can hold its own against all but the most determined Western missile strike.  The ship carries twelve long range Granit anti-shipping missiles which give it an offensive punch.16  It also carries 24 Ka-27 helicopters which provide a strong contingent of ASW capability.  The air group of Su-33 fighters and Su-25 bombers gives a limited intercept and bombing ability.

     The importance of maintaining a carrier for showing the flag and international prestige is always present.  For a nation that wants to be viewed as a rising power a carrier is a must.  Plans have been called for the building from five to six nuclear powered carriers starting in 2012.  The retention of the Kuznetsov and the aviation arm will leave the Russian Navy with an infrastructure and legacy of carrier aviation that would be hard to rebuild from scratch.  In recent years, the number of experienced pilots has already doubled from ten to twenty as the ship takes to naval exercises preparing more pilots.  The issue with the boilers needs to be resolved as the ship is incapable of fast transit to an emergency.  The current base construction ongoing at Novorossiysk would make it possible for the carrier to operate in the Black Sea and the repeated exercises with that fleet indicate it as a possibility.  The training facilities move to Eyska on the Sea of Azov would make that move even more sensible.



     The second Project 1144.2 Kirov class battle cruiser in Russian service is the Admiral Nakhimov.  Joining the fleet in 1988, this ship has had an inactive service record since before 1997.  After the fall of the Soviet Union, the vessel had been planned to be scraped but was not carried out.  The ship was towed to Severodvinsk and handed over to Sevmash for refueling in 1999, but lack of funding only allowed minimal work.  In February of 2003, repair to the reactor had begun.  On 20 July 2006, the decision was made to forgo finishing construction of the Oscar II class Belgorod SSGN and put the $100 million into financing the overhaul of the Nakhimov.28  In 2007, reactor repairs were completed and Granit missile mounts were installed.  Despite speculation that the ship would be sent to the Pacific Fleet, it has been confirmed by Navy officials that it will be returned to service with the Northern Fleet based on reports from 22 May 2008.29  Sevmash confirms that the ship is in a good state despite being docked for nine years.  The commissioning manager Boris Gulin said that a new schedule for the vessel is being formulated and that “all electric equipment is to be replaced and new computer technology installed. In addition, the vessel’s Granit missile system will be replaced with new missile models.”30    It is reported that the spent nuclear fuel from the reactor is being removed by Sevmash specialists with help from the company OKBM Afrikantov based in Nizhny Novgorod along with the crew of the ship and a support vessel based in Belomorskoy.31  Gazeta.ru interviewed Captain of the 1st Rank Igor Golovchenko, commander of surface ships at Belomorskoy on 30 October; “Only this year has the financial issue been stabilized and we have been able to set about tackling the number one priority - the unloading of the nuclear reactors," he added that, “the discharge of spent nuclear fuel for one of the ship's two reactors has already been completed.”32  The interview also mentioned that the Admiral Nakhimov will be returned to service in 2012.

     The refit of the Admiral Nakhimov is at least three or more years from completion.  The combat capability of the ship once it comes out of refit is to a large degree still unknown.  We know that the Granit missiles will be upgraded to modern standards but nothing has been said about the S-300F/M, Kashtan, or Klinoch upgrades.  Without upgrading to these missiles the air-defence capabilities of this ship will be obsolete.  The commissioning manager Boris Gulin said that a new schedule for refit is being formulated and Captain Golovchenko said the ship will be in service in 2012.  This could leave the requisite time required to refit the ship and install the missile modules but the question of money is always a concern.  The recent drop in energy prices is going to leave the naval budget hurting for funds and the strategic nuclear deterrent is taking top priority.  The delays with refitting the Admiral Gorshkov for India may indicate further problems trying to get this ship fit for service.  Sevmash is so backed up trying to get the ship ready, they will have few resources available to refit the Nakhimov.  If they rush the refit without bringing the ship up to the same armaments as Pyotr Veliky; this ship will be little more than a floating target.  Given the recent track record of Sevmash, we should not expect this ship in the fleet according to the scheduled timeframe.


     The Moskva (Moscow) is a Project 1164 Slava class cruiser and is the lead ship in her class having formerly carried the name Slava.  It is the current flagship of the Black Sea Fleet and is stationed in Sevastapol Ukraine.  In September of 2004, the ship took to leading a task force to conduct joint exercises with Italy and then moved to Spain to conduct further exercises.  The three week stint into the Mediterranean had been called by officials a “Return to the Seas.”33  The exercise was conducted to check transport vessels that could be carrying terrorists, weapons of mass destruction, or portable surface-to-air missile systems to Europe.  IONIEX-2004 was held in September of that year where the Moskva conducted exercises with the Italian Navy carrying out operations aimed at preventing “ illegal actions at sea, and include the inspection and seizure of a craft, as well as actions to protect shipping."34  In July of 2005, the ship participated in training for Operation Active Endeavor with Italian ships and brought home the ashes of Admiral Grigorovich whose remains were held in France. During February and March of 2006, the cruiser took part in Active Endeavor combating arms smuggling, drugs, and escorting vessels through the Straits of Gibraltar.   In July of 2006, the cruiser took part in joint exercises with Turkey called Black Sea Harmony with similar objectives to Active Endeavor.35  The ship was overhauled in the last months of 2007.  On 01 January 2008, the Moskva conducted live fire exercises in the North Atlantic successfully engaging designated airborne and seaborne targets.  The launch of the P-500 Bazalt was the first launch of the missile since 2003 and the first time in 15 years since the Moskva had launched missiles.36

     On 10 August 2008, the flagship was sent off the coast of Georgia to lead the blockade.  Russian officials deny that it was a blockade but to provide aid to refugees.  According to them, a blockade would mean they were in a state of war when none existed.  This was occurring while Russian warplanes were bombing well into Georgian territory.  Regnum reported that on the same day the Moskva came under attack from Georgian missile boats.  A sailor aboard one of the Black Sea Fleet’s returning vessels reported on the attack:

        "We took up position guarding the landing on the Abkhaz shore when all of a sudden four  small targets were detected. We sent out the IFF signal and the targets did not turn.  Receiving a command from the flagship (Moskva), we entered formation and at that specific  moment the unidentified targets opened fire on the formation and flagship. The cruiser (Moskva)  was damaged and a small fire broke out onboard. Then, fearing for sea-keeping, the flagship  withdrew from the engagement… Immediately then, the small missile boats clearly fired…Taking  up position, our MRK launched a “Malakhit” anti-ship missile which cut the lead ship "Tbilisi"  literally to ribbons. After this, firing was shifted to the rest of the Georgian ships. Another ship  was damaged which we could not finish off which allowed them to leave the scene on their own  power.”37

The problem with the story is that the Tbilisi was sunk in the port of Poti by Russian Marines.  Its sunken hulk can be clearly seen in several of the videos released.  No mention of this battle occurred in official sources and no damage was reported to the cruiser.  Photos taken of the ship shortly after the return to Sevastopol show no noticeable damage.  The Georgian ships had retreated to Batumi when the marines were attacking Poti so it is unlikely they attacked the Black Sea Fleet.

       The Russian Daily Kommersant reported that “Moscow wants to form a squadron of ships led by the missile cruiser Moskva that will be a permanent presence in the Mediterranean Sea and take part in naval antiterrorist exercises with NATO members” and that “the facilities in (Tartus) Syria would allow Russia to expand its influence in the Middle East and to guarantee Syria's security,” a Defence Ministry source said.38  Current dredging and restoration of the facilities has been reported in many sources.  Redeployment to the Mediterranean would effectively place the Black Sea Fleet out of their historical sphere of influence and pose a threat to both NATO and Israel.  To think they actually want to make the move to join NATO exercises is a bit suspicious.  A better explanation would be bypassing the Montreux Convention to the Dardanelles so they do not have to worry about fleet deployment in the event of conflict.  With the Moskva loitering in the Mediterranean, both NATO and Israel would have a serious issue with Russian forces so close.

     The Moskva has been regarded by some in the West to look like a museum relic.  The men who serve aboard it have high opinions of the ship and their fleet.  Officers of the Moskva say “its electronics, sensors and weapons have been constantly upgraded” despite the old age of the ship.39 Former Black Sea Fleet Commander Admiral Eduard Baltin said in response to ten NATO vessels patrolling the Black Sea that, “If necessary, a single missile salvo from the Moskva… would be enough to annihilate the entire group.”40  While this may be true, it is not out of reason to say that this ship is obsolete even to Russian cruiser standards.  At the very least, they could replace the outdated CIWS with Kashtan which also would be more effective than the included Osa-M missiles.  There is not enough room to install the Klinok defence system, but installing Kashtan would go a long way to keep the cruiser safe from a missile attack.  The age of the ship precludes this from being an economical option as the service life is measured in years, not decades.  The reports coming out of actions off the Georgian coast appear to be nothing but fantasy as well as Russian propaganda about the purpose of the ship being in the area.  The ship may have a future in Syria which would cause a new issue for NATO forces.  The recent live fire exercise is a first for the ship since shortly after the fall of the USSR.  The engagement of targets tells us that this dog still has a bite.




The Pyotr Veliky (Peter the Great) is the current flagship of the Russian Northern Fleet. It is a Project 1144.2 Kirov class battle cruiser displacing 26,000 tonnes using nuclear propulsion. The vessel is regarded as the most powerful surface combatant ever set to sea and is the most updated ship in the class. It was launched in 1989 and completed sea trials in 1995. It has been the lead ship in numerous exercises in 2000 during the Kursk disaster, 2003, and 2004. On 17 February 2004, RIA Novosti reported that the ship had successfully repelled a ballistic missile attack. It was the first time missiles were shot at ballistic targets from aboard a Russian warship and the "event was a success" said Chief of Staff Anatoly Kvashnin.17 On 23 March 2004, a serious problem arose from the Chief of the Navy about the ship which was reported in Gazeta.ru. Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov was quoted as saying, "The ship is in such a condition that it may blow up any minute… In areas where admirals walk around it looks all right, but in places they do not visit, the situation is such that it may explode… I mean among other things maintaining the nuclear reactor." 18In 2003, the ship was declared the fleet’s model ship by top officials.19 Kuroyedov made his remarks after Kommersant published an article saying the reason for bringing the ship into dock was the result of a power struggle among top Russian admirals.20 The admiral later retracted his statements.

State news source RIA Novosti reported that the ship was tied up for a month to bring it back up to code but the “reactor compartment is the only space to be maintained up to standard” and “in the course of the preventive maintenance the ship's commanders will have time to establish elementary order in the questions of the duty-watch service and of compliance with the Navy rules.”21 It was shortly after this incident that Kuroyedov was sacked by Putin for this and many other failures. The following year on 18 August 2005, Vladimir Putin had enough confidence to sit in Pyotr Veliky’s conning tower during exercises in the Barents Sea. During his trip he witnessed the ship’s missiles rip-off into the distance in a war game. He was impressed and recalled his first encounter during the construction, “These ships are usually built for four or five years, but this one was built in ten years. At that time, they could not only fail to build the cruiser, but the shipyard could have broken up altogether.”22 In 2006, the ship underwent an overhaul to prepare for cruising and for a US delegation lead by Admiral Henry G. Ulrich, commander of US Naval Forces Europe. He was given an inspection of the ship on 29 July 2007 and was the first high level US delegation to visit to the Northern Fleet in eleven years.23 On 23 April 2008, the ship again headed to the Barents Sea for live fire exercises and successfully engaged target drones launched by the Rassvet missile-ship. On 25 November 2008, the Pyotr Veliky arrived in Venezuela for VENRUS-2008 after an uneventful Atlantic crossing. Prior to the trip, the ship had made port calls around the Mediterranean showing the flag. U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack quipped that it was "very interesting that they found some ships that could actually make it that far down to Venezuela."24 American analysts made light of the trip to Venezuela asking if Russia had made sure to bring their tugboats.25 There was no evidence to suggest such action was needed and Pyotr Veliky is currently making its way to South Africa to join up with the fleet for exercises in the Indian Ocean.

The Pyotr Veliky has received much criticism from Western military analysts but begs the question whether such criticism is valid. The flagship of the Northern Fleet has been the most active of all Russian cruisers and has not had a single reported accident in recent times. Vladimir Kuroyedov brought attention to problems that shocked the very foundation of a ship that was supposed to be the model for the Russian Navy. Officials inside the service were saying nothing was wrong while Kuroydov made statements to the contrary; these were made during a power struggle in the Russian Admiralty that he later retracted. According to state information sources, the only thing that was wrong was disciplinary related. There is some merit to Kuroydov’s comments as the sailors pay for the ship was reduced while it was docked and state information services noted personnel deficiencies. The punishment of reduced pay would not affect a conscript to a large degree as their pay is minimal, but it would punish officers. As we will find, discipline is a major concern in the Russian fleet.

The missile armament of Pyotr Veliky is impressive even compared to American Ticonderoga class cruisers. The 20 P-700 Granit missiles might not match up in offensive punch compared to a load-out of Tomahawk cruise missiles, but the defence suite is unmatched in the world. The battle cruiser carries over 500 SAMs of varying ranges and has more CIWS capability than any ship afloat besides the Kuznetsov. With almost one-hundred S-300F/M SAMs gives the ability to take out long distant aircraft and even ballistic missiles. The Klinok defence suite carriers 128 missiles with four channels of fire giving the ship capabilities of the TOR-M1.26 The flagship of the Northern Fleet has six Kasthan modules making a missile strike on the ship all but futile without a hard jamming effort.27 The long range of the S-300F/M makes jamming the ship a difficult task. It has yet to be seen if Western aircraft have the ability to successfully counter the missile system. NATO nations of the Slovak Republic and Greece both have older land versions of the system to exercise with, but it is likely that this ship with TOMB STONE radar has better ECM capabilities than those old systems. The capability to intercept short-ranged ballistic missiles leaves a future position for the S-300F/M system as a possible sea-based ABM defence shield. At the very least, it could operate as a last-ditch defence for strategic coastal targets as it has been proven capable of at least one intercept.

The current cruise undertaken by the Pyotr Veliky is a landmark event for the Russian Federation. Not since the fall of the Soviet Union has a ship gone on a cruise that covers much of the globe. In the last two months it has traveled from the Kola Peninsula to Turkey, from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean and to the Cape of Good Hope. It still has a long journey ahead for exercises in the Indian Ocean and the cruise home. There were some issues with a crew that spent most of its time on land and only went out if a flag officer or official was going to witness exercises in the past. This was brought to light by Admiral Vladimir Kuroydov and measures were taken to resolve the issues. The ship has since been able to make way with no incident and is completing the longest voyage to date. Results from the live fire exercises appear to have the ship’s weapon systems working as designed. Unlike the Admiral Kuznetsov, this ship has no list of major incidents and has the confidence of the Russian Admiralty to undertake the longest cruise of any ship to date and host US delegations. With recent joint exercises in VENRUS-2008 and the upcoming INDRA-2009, the ship will be one of the most active in the fleet. The commanders are gaining experience as how to operate and maintain this ship under long durations. As to the Western critics who want to deride this ship, their formulations are lacking in merit.

The Varyag is the second Slava class cruiser and is flagship of the Pacific Fleet. The ship has lead an active life compared to its peers. Toward the end of 1997, the Varyag participated in the first Pacific Fleet mission to hit ground targets and all six rockets hit their goals. Captain 1st rank Anatoly Lipinsky successfully fired ASW rocket torpedoes at a submarine target as well.41 In mid 1999, battery commander Lieutenant Vitaly Gotnar was awarded a three bedroom flat for successful strikes of long range P-500 Bazalt missiles.42 In the following years, the ship was overhauled and made several short cruises to Japan, South Korea, and China to show the flag; mainly to commemorate its namesake which fought a gallant battle in the lost Russo-Japanese War. In 2004, much pomp and circumstance was made going to Inchon to commemorate the event and communications and rescues were conducted with South Korea. The Varyag participated in INDRA-2005 and was scheduled to fire all missile systems.43 The ship made several port calls on the way home from the Indian Ocean. Little action was taken in 2006 and 2007 as the ship spent most of the time in Dal'zavod undergoing repairs. In January of 2008, the cruiser finally came out of its berth after more than a year and a half docked. The main work done during refit was to the engines which were rigorously tested and the sailors were at a “high professional standard” said Varyag’s commanding officer Eduard Moskalenko.44 This was the first major overhaul since the launching of the ship and completed two-stage testing to re-entire the active forces of the fleet according to Capt 1st Rank Roman March.45 On 17 September 2008, the Varyag successfully conducted rocket artillery fire on distant surface targets and effective SAM system tests and was the first such test carried out in over a decade.46 It was reported in Regnum that it also launched P-500 Bazalts at sea targets while in the Sea of Japan.47 An interview with one of the construction workers involved with renovations talked about the lavish accoutrements installed:

“The flag admiral and captain's cabins are especially carefully trimmed, - has told a source. – in a fancy corridor they have pasted silk wall-paper. The furniture in sailor's bunk rooms are replaced. The most magnificent conditions exist in apartments of the officers. In the sailor's dining room we have placed a plasma screen. The recreation room has been equipped with computers and air conditioners. The carpets have been replaced. Only the doors have been saved which was the only expense spared.”48

The Varyag took part in Stability 2008’s Bergen exercise to defend Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands from terrorist attacks and conducted a three day ASW operation in October 2008. The ship is currently scheduled to take part in INDRA-2009.

Of all the Slava class missile cruisers, the Varyag appears to be the most up-to-date. Its recent overhaul was the most comprehensive and has brought the living conditions up to modern standards. The replacement of the engines at Dal'zavod has made it fit for the long cruises it is to take in coming years. The series of successful missile tests shows the weapon systems are in order. There have been no major reported incidents since she took the flag of the Pacific Fleet over a decade ago. Rather than cruising around local waters, this ship has been active all the way to the Indian Ocean and done so before the past year which is when the Russian Navy really picked up activity across the globe. Unlike the Moskva, the Varyag conducted serious operations in the Indian Naval exercises rather than just chasing smugglers and conducting escorts. None of the flagships have conducted ground bombardments as extensively as the Varyag. As the only cruiser located in the Pacific Ocean, the level of importance is greatly increased. While the Russian’s greatest concern has always been NATO, the Pacific holds the most danger. The US Navy has moved most of its forces into that part of the world and the only potential adversary in China are both within a short distance of Vladivostok.



The third Slava class cruiser currently in active service is the Marshal Ustinov. It was brought back into the Northern Fleet in 1998 after an extensive $54 million overhaul that began in 1994. In Soviet times, it was the only such ship to make a port call in the United States. In 2002, it went into overhaul in the SRZ-35 yard. In June 2003, the cruiser took part in Baltic naval exercises where Putin hosted the president of Poland exhibiting the “full firepower” of the Russian fleet.49 In August of 2003, the ship brought Sergie Ivanov to the location of the sunken K-159 to observe recovery operations. In 2004, the Ustinov took part in North Atlantic exercises where the ship came limping home “taking on water.”50 On 22 July 2008, the Ustinov took over patrols around Spitsbergen after Norway stopped Russian fishing trawlers. Despite the presence of the cruiser, the Norwegian Coast Guard was not deterred from ceasing the actions.51

Information on the actual status of the vessel is sketchy. A 1995 documentary of the Marshal Ustinov showed a ship that contained largely seventies technology full of CRT screens, dials and analogue gauges. If there were major renovations, as have been carried out aboard its sister ships, the Russian media certainly has not advertised it. The show of force in the Baltic naval exercises hosting president Putin in 2003 were only given a by-line when more detail is usually present. Disaster struck in 2004 in the North Atlantic when the ship was reported to have been taking on water when it had just come out of an overhaul in SRZ-35 less than two years before. SRZ-35 is the same yard used to service the Admiral Kuznetsov and the problems have already been demonstrated that they lack proper staff to service that ship. Apparently, they did not do a very good job keeping the Ustinov in trim condition either. While all of the active Russian cruisers are making distant voyages showing the flag and trying to make their impression on the world, the best the Ustinov can do is harass the Norwegian Coast Guard and even they are not frightened by the show of force. There has been no report of successful weapon tests on this vessel as there are for the other major surface ships of the Russian Navy. The Ustinov has not ventured far from its base on the Kola Peninsula since the Atlantic tour in the nineties. It appears age, poor maintenance, and underfunding has taken its toll on this vessel. The only task the cruiser has been given was to put a check on the Norwegian Coast Guard. The fact it did not participate in Stability 2008 might be an indicator of how limited the Russian Admiralty trust this vessel to partake in distant exercises.



Historically, the fleets have had varying reputations; the Black Sea Fleet was viewed as a model of discipline and order i.e. drill, The Pacific Fleet was known as the place of bullying, and the Northern Fleet was the shining example. As we have already observed, conditions aboard the Pyotr Veliky in 2004 required a crack down on the officers to address regulation violations. In September of 2005, Admiral Kudoryev was replaced as the naval chief by Admiral Vladimir Masorin who vowed to boost discipline and provide better leadership that his predecessor failed to instill under his tenure.52 In 2007, the Northern Fleet handed out awards to the best crews; none of the cruisers were named including the “model of the fleet” Pyotr Veliky.53 In July of 2008, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Vladimir Vysotskiy visited the Admiral Kuznetsov’s officers to “strengthen discipline and the level of the crew's social protection.”54

The Pacific Fleet headed by the cruiser Varyag also faced critical issues in 2004. Admiral Victor Fedorov reported that the issue of discipline was still the largest problem facing the fleet. The statistics in discipline were no better than the previous year and there still remained high levels of injuries and deaths with many convictions of wrongdoing. He stated the reasons for the problems were “a very low education and insufficient levels of qualified replacements arriving to the fleet.”55 In late 2006, the Pacific Fleet faced a rash of hazing charges and the sailors filed the following complaints:

“According to sailors, in the interest of education purposes one of the captains locked the guilty sailors in an iron box for dusty conditions or suspends them in handcuffs in a self-made guardroom. Another captain beats sailors with a handle from a shovel. Several years ago in the same area, three charged sailors were hammered to death by their senior warrant. As it was found out on consequence, the officer long time scoffed at subordinates and they have avenged it. Sailors were sentenced to terms from eight to twelve years of imprisonment.”56

The beginning of 2008 showed that the measures taken over a four month span caused a 40% decline in the number of AWOL sailors.57 It appears the prosecutions and the easy hand on minor offenses is having a positive effect. On 28 November 2008, a meeting was held in Vladivostok among The Working Group of the Russian Federation Ministry of Defence, items discussed at the meeting included a staff reduction to the Navy amounting to 15-17% of active combat units. The professionalism of officers was said to be extremely low. It is so bad they even “forgot the rules of the firing line” said General Vladimir Shamanov, Hero of the Russian Federation.58 Even the staff of the fleet is in question as they had not received their directives; the number of expected staff replacements is to be “estimated on the fingers.”59 The staff reductions facing the Pacific Fleet are of great concern as the MoD attempts to streamline the forces of the Far East.

In 2002, Vesti reported that the crew of the Moskva was said to “adhere to strict regulations.”60 In January of 2004, a meeting was held by the Black Sea Fleet Military Council to report on the state of discipline headed by Admiral Masorin, “as a result of institutional and educational measures the fleet reached certain quality indicators to strengthen law and order and military discipline,” he reported.61 In 2005, Captain 1st Rank Valery Zubkov worked as commander responsible for education of fleet personnel, he said when he got there he “analyzed the causes of gross violations of military discipline which occurred before his appointment. They were numerous, ranging from problems in safety-watch service to serious problems in educational work.”62 In 2007, the meeting of the Military Council was held again on the status of the fleet and the issues presented required “serious attention” and there were “urgent measures” undertaken to preserve military discipline and to strengthen order.63

We can conclude from reports that the Russian Navy in general is suffering from severe discipline problems from the conscripts on up the chain of command. The reports complain about officers and men not having enough educational training. Particularly in the Pacific Fleet, men are living under horrid conditions of abuse and neglect. There is a tradition in the Russian military known as Dedovshchina (rule of the grandfathers) that includes hazing by superiors of conscripts. It is a brutal form of hazing that often times ends up in injury or even death. It is a major legacy problem for the Russian Federation from Soviet times. Reports from the Pacific Fleet indicate they are prosecuting the offenses and measures have been added to give all servicemen a hotline to call in the case of abuse. The Black Sea Fleet used to have a good reputation for discipline, but over the last few years it appears conditions have begun to deteriorate from the more recent reports. The capital ships of the Northern Fleet do not appear to be winning any accolades, including the so called “model ship” Pyotr Veliky. The visit by the Navy Chief to the Kuznetsov to address issues of discipline and social protection appears problems on that ship exist.

The one thing all the cruisers have in common is a powerful battery of super-sonic anti-shipping missiles. Best use of the missiles is attributed to a long range strike capability. Russia’s current ability to target distant objects is limited to near-earth observation platforms. All cruisers are outfitted with the Punch Bowl satellite data link used for over-the-horizon target acquisition.64 The Russian’s space constellation is inoperative as funds have been allocated for the launching of GLOSNASS satellites. The only satellite dedicated to naval intelligence is the EORSAT. The last launch of the craft in 2006 was a failure as some of the solar panels failed to open. 65 The failure of the craft was not just a temporary blow; “The satellite was made 15 years ago and kept in the stockpile till the launch” which means that the ability to use US-PU satellites is zero today.66 No launches have replaced it and "The state of Russia's military space sector is still critical. It is impossible to continue producing old satellite models."67 Even if they had been able to make it work, the lifespan of the craft is only 18 months making it inoperable. Launching a couple more of these satellites would make little difference considering the vast expanse of Russian littorals much less coverage of the deep sea. The only way for Russian cruisers to target over-the-horizon today is by using their helicopters to scout ahead.68


After examining the evidence, we can see that the ships suffer from poorly trained/undisciplined crews, poor maintenance, largely obsolete systems, and low funding. In 2005, Russia declared their “Return to the Sea” but it was just for show. It was not until 2008 that we saw exercises conducted that could really be called a serious effort. Our look into the Russian media portrays a fleet that is suffering but still capable while reports from the inside paint a dismal picture. It is difficult to separate the truth from a media that is notorious for covering-up deficiencies in the armed forces, but even taking them at face value does not paint a picture of a glorious surface-fleet. The over-all state of the cruisers of the Russian Navy places them more for flying the flag than actual combat use against NATO. Pitted against other foes these ships could likely defeat a less capable enemy as they do retain some combat value. P-500/700 anti-shipping missiles are still considered to be among the best in the world and recent tests verify they still work. The inability to target with space-based assets limits the value of such missiles, but helicopters are available for distant strikes. The lack of the Admiral Kuznetsov’s ability to conduct real land strike operations and the lack of land attack cruise missiles by these cruisers gives little help to land forces that is so important to joint doctrine. The breakdown of order and lack of training of Russian crews is one of the most critical problems with the fleet today and will not be resolved until conscription is done away with and social issues are addressed in the Russian Federation.

Russian Navy ships in overseas
OPK is not able to provide the military fleet

2009-07-03 / Alexander Hramchihin - Institute of Political and Military Analysis

During the opening ceremony of the Fourth International Naval Salon IMDS-2009 in St. Petersburg on 24 June this year head Russian Navy Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky made some very noteworthy statements. «Our position is - no matter how developed the country's economic developments, we intend to increase significantly the composition of our fleet - he said. - I think pointless to invest billions in repairing old ships, which prosluzhat of the force 10 years ». «New ships should be built with the expectation of at least 40-50 years», - has added head.

At the same time, Admiral Vysotsky said that does not preclude the procurement of warships abroad. Apparently, this phrase should be the key.

Let's look at the current state of the Russian fleet. By excluding from consideration the PKK CH, which are better seen when discussing the problems of the Strategic Nuclear Forces.

To date, Russian Navy includes (subject to the deviations of 1-2 units of the continuing write-off ships), 29 Plan, 19 diesel submarines, 1 aircraft carrier, 6 cruisers, 8 destroyers, 11 large and 29 small antisubmarine ships, 7 patrol boats, 15 small missile ships, 28 missile boats, 36 trawler, 21 amphibious ship.

Given that this is - of all four fleets and the fleet scattered in 5 isolated theater is very small. However, the situation is even worse because of the atomic number 15 and 3 diesel submarines, 2 cruisers, 3 destroyers, 3 BOD, 14 IPC, 2 MRK, 6 missile boats, 9 and 9 trawler landing ships are under repair or conservation. Because the repair of our Navy ships returned to the system is extremely rare. More often it goes to Cutting. What has been quoted above, and confirmed the head Visotsky. So really, we have 14 multi-Plan, 16 diesel submarines, 1 aircraft carrier, 4 cruisers, 5 destroyers, 8 BOD, 15 IPC, 7 patrol boats, 13 MDR, 22 missile boats, minesweeper 27, 12 landing ships.

If we consider the situation of individual fleets, it is absolutely terrible. This is especially true Tofail, which potentially resists tofu United States and powerful fleets of Japan and China, and in case of war because of the geographical environment has almost no ability to grow at the expense of other fleets. Today, on the Pacific Ocean in our structure, Plan 7, 7 P, 1 cruiser, 1 destroyer, 4 BOD, 5 IPC, 3 MRK, 7 missile boats, 8 minesweeper, 4 landing ship (these forces are divided on the seaside and the Kamchatka flotilla, between the main bases are 2,5 thousand km). At least part of the surface Tofail and Americans, and Japanese, and Chinese are simply neglected. However, and once the giant Northern Fleet today is in line 9 Plan, 6 P, 1 aircraft carrier, 2 cruisers, 2 destroyers, 3 BOD, IPC and MRC, 2 and 7 trawler landing ship. In general, it is not even pulling on the flotilla.

And those remaining ships off quickly, because only about three dozen ships and boats became operational in 90 years (almost all of them were completed and put back in the Soviet period), but in an era of «reviving bygone relics of the Armed Forces», that is, since the early 2000's, the Navy received only 4 new units. Everything else was built back in the USSR and now has developed its own resource.

The current shipbuilding program is that it can without exaggeration be non-existent. We will not now discuss the situation with «Bor» without «maces». Perhaps this story will one day be called the «scam century», but I have already said too much. In addition, it is better to discuss in relation to the Strategic Nuclear Forces.

Today, our fleet can expect to receive in the foreseeable future Plan 1 pr 885 «Severodvinsk», 3 submarines Ave 677 «St. Petersburg», 1 patrol boat (frigate) ave 20350 «Admiral Gorshkov», 3 corvette (corvette) Ave 20380 (parent ship «Stereguschy» entered into the BB last year). These are the ships, which are either under construction or being tested (the latter, however, applies only to the parent submarine Ave 677).

«Severodvinsk» is located on the shipyard since 1993 (!) Years. Perhaps this year, he eventually comes to water. Promised even tab the second Plan of this type. «St. Petersburg» was founded in 1997, was built 10 years 2 years could not get out of the stage of testing because, apparently, serious technical problems. «Stereguschy» built (from a bookmark to enter in order) 7 years. The following ships of this series, even on official statements of naval leadership will join the Navy earlier than 2011. And if «Severodvinsk» - the ship is indeed difficult (although 16 years on the stocks - it is prohibitive in any case), the smaller ships classes «St. Petersburg» and «Stereguschego», do something, you need «cuff» few pieces in a year otherwise they build just does not make sense. If a large-scale terrorist operations by the army just does not give the expected results, as well as in the case of only law enforcement agencies, each based on 6-7 years, then ...

In general, if you compare all the figures - the state of the fleet, the ratio of the rate of cancellation of the existing ships and building new ones, it becomes quite clear: Russian Navy is in a state of irreversible collapse. In 10 years there will be less than 50 units (on a boat to the cruiser), which is unacceptably low, even for a «small fleet» Type BF and ChB. The current disaster is comparable only to what happened to the fleet during the Civil War and its subsequent collapse. Even during the oil and gas boom in 2000's Navy actually did not receive anything, now, during the period of severe crisis, no doubt - the fleet will die in the coming years. This is not an assumption, it is a fact. We are not at the edge of the abyss, we fall into it, and the bottom is already near.

The command of the fleet, apparently aware that the situation is hopeless. And trying to find a solution. Of course, now laid to erect a statement that in the coming years the situation will be even better (although like so much better to nowhere). But the reality of this does not change. Hence the idea of the purchase of ships abroad.

If the ships purchased abroad, which means that the money they have (especially considering the fact that foreign ships obviously more expensive home). Consequently, our military is not able to provide its own fleet of ships or on the quantity nor the quality, the case is not about money. The point is that the MIC irretrievably lost technology and personnel.

In addition, it is understandable that you can only acquire the ships in the West. Alternatives simply do not (even China and India are still buying boats from us). Thus, we find it in the full political and technological dependency. An interesting result of the multi-year anti-Western hysteria and tales about how «Russia faces with tribes».

In this regard, we should mention about the history with the acquisition of Israeli bespilotnikov. Tel Aviv vparil we frank old. But this is Israel, a country that occupies a special position on a number of issues of world politics. This is the only Western country, is always fully supports the actions of Russia in Chechnya. Less is known that during the NATO aggression against Yugoslavia in 1999, Israel was clearly on the side of Belgrade. After last year's events in South Ossetia, Tel-Aviv closed military-technical cooperation with Georgia. Nevertheless, modern weapons, he has shared with us. What is expected from countries - members of NATO? Moreover, if Moscow continues to call at antinatovskoy hysteria. And if so requested by «enemy» sell its latest weapons. But, perhaps, and they have some old sell. Not forgetting, of course, put his e «favorite», precluding the use of ships against them.

http://nvo.ng.ru/realty/2009-07-03/1_vmf.html

Pessimistic but true. The future fleet will be little more than a handful of nuke subs and a couple dozen corvettes. Our blue water navy days are about over and so is the once great CCCP fleet. It is a good thing I suppose since we need to focus on border issues more than global domination.

Project 1134.2 Berkut-B

Kara class

Guided Missile Destroyer
The Kara-class was a further development of the the Kresta-II design, with gas-turbines replacing the steam plants of the previous classes, resulting in major modifications to the layout of the midships section. Although larger than the Kresta-II cruiser and with significant anti-air and anti-submarine capabilities, these ships are classified as destroyers rather than cruisers by the Russian Navy.There is considerable disagreement among various sources as to the construction chronology of the units of this class. The fourth unit was modified during construction as a test ship for the SA-N-6 SAM system, which replaced the aft SA-N-3 SAM system. Sources disagree as to the current status of this unit.

As of 2004, only one ship [the Kerch, which was the Russian Black Fleet flagship until 1997] remained in service. At that time the ship had just completed a four year refit, during which time there were questions as to whether it was deployable.

Kerch or Kertch, a seaport of S. Russia, in the government of Taurida, on the Strait of Kerch or Yenikale, 60 m. E.N.E. of Theodosia, in 45° 21' N. and 36° 30' E. Pop. (1897), 31,702. It stands on the site of the ancient Panticapaeum, and, like most towns built by the ancient Greek colonists in this part of the world, occupies a beautiful situation, clustering round the foot and climbing up the sides of the hill (called after Mithradates) on which stood the ancient citadel or acropolis. Archaeologically Kerch is of particular interest, the kurgans or sepulchral mounds of the town and vicinity having yielded a rich variety of the most beautiful works of art. Since 1825 a large number of tombs have been opened. In the Altun or Zolotai-oba (Golden Mound) was found a great stone vault similar in style to an Egyptian pyramid; and within, among many objects of minor note, were golden dishes adorned with griffins and beautiful arabesques.

Under the Turks, whose rule dates from the end of the 15th century, Kerch was a military port; and as such it plays a part in the Russo-Turkish wars. Captured by the Russians under Dolgorukov in 1771, it was ceded to them along with Yenikale by the peace of Kuchuk-Kainarji, and it became a centre of Russian naval activity. Its importance was greatly impaired by the rise of Odessa and Taganrog; and in 1820 the fortress was dismantled. Kerch suffered severely during the Crimean War.

As of early 2001 work slowly continued at Sevastopol on the Ochakov, which had not operated since the early 1990s. In mid-2008 the official newspaper of the Russian Black Sea Fleet (BSF) reported that the large anti-submarine ship (BPK) “Ochakov”, which has just finished repairs, could become the flagship of the BSF instead of the cruiser “Moskva”. “This project 1134B BPK (Kara class), designed more than 40 years ago, had entered the 21st Century with a millennial overhaul with the aim of extending its service life 15-20 years. This is an unprecedented event for the fleet…” Intermediate repairs began at the end of the 1980s, however, with the breakup of the Soviet Union, they were never finished. Additionally a serious fire in 1993 significantly complicated the technical condition of the “Ochakov”.

Ochakov, a fortified town and port of Russia, in the government of Kherson, 41 m. E. of Odessa, on a cape of the Black Sea, at the entrance to the estuary of the Dnieper, and opposite to Kinburn. Pop. (1897), 10,784. Strong fortifications have been built at Ochakov and on the Kinburn promontory, to protect the entrance to the Dnieper. Ochakov stands close to the site of the old Miletan (Greek) colony of Olvia and the Greek colony of Alektor. The fortress of Kara-kerman or Ozu-kaleh was built on this spot by the khan of the Crimea, Mengli Girai, in 1492. At a later date it became the centre of a Turkish province which included Khaji-dereh (Ovidiopol), Khaji-bey (Odessa), and Dubossary, as well as some 150 villages. Russia, regarding it as the main obstacle to the possession of the Black Sea littoral, besieged it in 1737, when it was captured by Marshal Miinnich, but in the following year it was abandoned, and in 1739 restored to Turkey. The second siege by Russia was begun in 1788, and lasted six months, until the fortress was stormed and taken, after a terrible loss of life. By the peace of 1791 it became Russian. In 1855 it was bombarded by the Anglo-French fleet, and after that the Russians demolished the fortifications.

Both surviving Kara-class destroyers, having recently undergone extensive refits, might be expected to remain in service through the 2020 timeframe, but the are rather elderly designs, consigned to the low-threat Black Sea environment.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/1134_2.htm


Project 1134.2 Berkut-B
Kara class
Guided Missile Destroyer
Class Listing
Unit Shipyard Fleet Chronology Notes
# number Name Laid Down Launched Comm. Stricken
1 538 Nikolayev SY 445 PAC 06/25/1968 12/19/1969 12/31/1971 10/29/1992 transferred to Ukraine
1994 scrapped in India
2 539 Ochakov SY 445 BLACK **/**/1970 **/**/1972 **/**/1975 1999 in reserve
1988-2004 repairs
2008 may be BSF flagship
3 Kerch SY 445 BLACK 04/30/1971 07/02/1972 12/26/1974 1998-99 in refit
2000 in service
2004 repairs completed
4 Azov SY 445 BLACK 07/21/1972 09/14/1973 11/03/1975 2000 modified for SA-N-6 SAM tests
5 Petropavlovsk SY 445 PAC 09/09/1973 11/22/1974 12/28/1976 1999 in reserve
may be scrapped
6 Tashkent SY 445 PAC 11/22/1974 11/05/1975 12/21/1977 07/03/1992 1994 scrapped
7 Vladivostok SY 445 BLACK 11/05/1975 11/05/1976 12/31/1979 (ex-Tallinn)
08/02/1990 renamed in reserve

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/1134_2-list.htm

New ship "Yaroslav the Wise" join the ranks of ships Baltic Fleet
27.07.2009

KALININGRAD, July 24. (ITAR-TASS). Naval flag of Russia vzovetsya today on a new patrol boat "Yaroslav the Wise." Ceremony of the first recovery Andrew banner - the main banner of the Russian Navy ship - to "storozhevike will be held at the Baltic Shipyard (PSZ) Yantar in Kaliningrad, which is" Yaroslav the Wise. "

"The festivities at the new patrol boat, which oshvartovan one of the piers shipbuilding factory, will be attended by Governor of the Kaliningrad region Georgy Boos, Baltic Fleet commander Vice-Admiral Victor Mardusin, direction" Amber "and shipbuilders, whose hands built the modern" storozhevik "and also relatives and friends of crew members of the first ship, - the assistant commander of the Baltic Fleet Captain 1 st Rank Yuri Kuroyedov.

The ship "Yaroslav the Wise" successfully completed a program of state tests on the Baltic Sea, at the end of June was presented at the Fourth International Naval Show in St. Petersburg. Now it will replenish the combat forces and means of the Baltic Fleet.

"Yaroslav the Wise" is a multipurpose spacecraft designed for a wide variety of purposes, including - to search for and destroy submarines, the anti-and anti-defense warships and vessels at sea, directing attacks against ships and vessels at sea and bases, support combat Action of the Army, providing beach-master. "Storozhevik" able to defend the rapid connection of the ship fleet and submarines. At the "Yaroslav the Wise," the modern designs of tactical weapons, particularly anti-missile system, anti-aircraft missile complex medium and short-range, reactive bombometnaya Installation RBU-6000. On the boat deck-based helicopter Ka-27, carrying anti-torpedoes, missiles and depth bombs.

Displacement Spacecraft - 4 thousand 500 tons, speed - about 30 knots, a range of progress - more than 5 thousand miles. Endurance swimming in marine and ocean-latitudes is 30 days. The length of the ship - about 130 m, width - more than 15 meters.

http://www.itar-tass.com/

Vladimir79 wrote:New ship "Yaroslav the Wise" join the ranks of ships Baltic Fleet
27.07.2009

KALININGRAD, July 24. (ITAR-TASS). Naval flag of Russia vzovetsya today on a new patrol boat "Yaroslav the Wise." Ceremony of the first recovery Andrew banner - the main banner of the Russian Navy ship - to "storozhevike will be held at the Baltic Shipyard (PSZ) Yantar in Kaliningrad, which is" Yaroslav the Wise. "

"The festivities at the new patrol boat, which oshvartovan one of the piers shipbuilding factory, will be attended by Governor of the Kaliningrad region Georgy Boos, Baltic Fleet commander Vice-Admiral Victor Mardusin, direction" Amber "and shipbuilders, whose hands built the modern" storozhevik "and also relatives and friends of crew members of the first ship, - the assistant commander of the Baltic Fleet Captain 1 st Rank Yuri Kuroyedov.

The ship "Yaroslav the Wise" successfully completed a program of state tests on the Baltic Sea, at the end of June was presented at the Fourth International Naval Show in St. Petersburg. Now it will replenish the combat forces and means of the Baltic Fleet.

"Yaroslav the Wise" is a multipurpose spacecraft designed for a wide variety of purposes, including - to search for and destroy submarines, the anti-and anti-defense warships and vessels at sea, directing attacks against ships and vessels at sea and bases, support combat Action of the Army, providing beach-master. "Storozhevik" able to defend the rapid connection of the ship fleet and submarines. At the "Yaroslav the Wise," the modern designs of tactical weapons, particularly anti-missile system, anti-aircraft missile complex medium and short-range, reactive bombometnaya Installation RBU-6000. On the boat deck-based helicopter Ka-27, carrying anti-torpedoes, missiles and depth bombs.

Displacement Spacecraft - 4 thousand 500 tons, speed - about 30 knots, a range of progress - more than 5 thousand miles. Endurance swimming in marine and ocean-latitudes is 30 days. The length of the ship - about 130 m, width - more than 15 meters.

http://www.itar-tass.com/

Finally one of my dreams come true, Yaroslav the Wise is a great addition to our fleet

All i know is that, this year the Russian government gives big emphasis to its navy. I heard from vesti news, that Russia will add every year, one corvette and one strategic submarine to the Black Sea Fleet. Other than that they will of course expand the Baltic and the Pacific Fleets.And this new corvettes, such as the
Steregushchy Corvette are great and have the latest word of technology.

RuStepan wrote:All i know is that, this year the Russian government gives big emphasis to its navy. I heard from vesti news, that Russia will add every year, one corvette and one strategic submarine to the Black Sea Fleet. Other than that they will of course expand the Baltic and the Pacific Fleets.And this new corvettes, such as the
Steregushchy Corvette are great and have the latest word of technology.

My problem with the Navy procurement plan is this, corvettes and submarines are nice, but if you want to build 6 carriers as has been stated by MoD, then you have to build air defence destroyers to go with it. They say that we will see how Steregushchy goes as a tech demostrator and build higher classes of ships on that basic design. All the while we will be waiting for years, even decades to come out with an AEGIS type destroyer. You can't have a competitive high seas fleet without this class of ships. The cruisers we have now aren't going to be servicable for much longer.

Russian task force arrives in Gulf of Aden on anti-piracy mission
RIA Novosti

30/07/200913:53

VLADIVOSTOK, July 30 (RIA Novosti) - A new task force from Russia's Pacific Fleet has arrived in the Gulf of Aden to fight piracy off the Somali coast, a fleet spokesman said on Thursday.

The task force, comprising the Admiral Tributs destroyer with two helicopters, a salvage tug, a tanker, and a naval infantry unit, will escort commercial ships, conduct aerial reconnaissance, and search for suspected pirate vessels.

"The task force arrived in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday and will soon start to form a convoy of commercial ships to be escorted to a secure shipping lane," Capt. 1st Rank Roman Martov said.

The Admiral Tributs is an Udaloy-class missile destroyer, armed with anti-ship missiles, 30-mm and 100-mm guns, and Ka-27 Helix helicopters

Around 35 warships from the navies of 16 countries are currently deployed off Somalia's coast to counter frequent pirate attacks on key trade routes.

The Russian Navy joined international anti-piracy efforts off Somali coast in October 2008.

Three Russian warships have so far participated in the mission - the Baltic Fleet's Neustrashimy (Fearless) frigate, and the Pacific Fleet's Admiral Vinogradov and Admiral Panteleyev destroyers.

A total of 126 vessels have been attacked with 44 of them captured since the start of the year in the region. Somali pirates are currently holding around 270 hostages on at least 16 vessels.

According to the United Nations, Somali pirates collected $150 million in ransom payments from ship owners last year, while overall losses from piracy were estimated at $13-16 billion, including the soaring cost of insurance and protection for vessels, as well as sending ships on longer routes to avoid high-risk areas.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2009/07/mil-090730-rianovosti02.htm

Why Russia needs a navy?
31.07.2009

Throughout almost the entire history of the Russian fleet, we see a dramatic transformation of the naval policy of tsarist Russia, Soviet Union and modern Russia. First, it is part of the change objectives and the lack of clearly defined purposes of the application of the fleet.

Historical analysis of the experience of construction and development of the fleet shows that it is done without proper scientific justification of an administrative decision, and sometimes arbitrary methods, has been extensive and has been focused primarily on the development of the birth of the Navy.

For example, in 1927 - 1928 biennium. in the Soviet Union built the fleet for «small war», in 1936 - 1940 biennium. planned to build a «large fleet», equivalent to the number of ships of the English and the Japanese fleet, combined. In the 1970's - 1980's built a huge, unbalanced multi-ocean navy, which serve a long time, the country could not, because it was not created the necessary infrastructure.

In line with the theory of institution-building naval response to the question of the fleet to be built, is formulated through a consistent definition of the projected threat, the construction, the tasks that will address the fleet. After that, it is necessary to determine the requirements for those groups (forces) that will solve the problem with a given efficiency in the allotted time, including their composition and structure. At the final stage of appearance of each fleet is determined by taking into account its characteristics and, finally, with the Navy, to develop specific programs and requirements of its construction to weapons, media, infrastructure, acquisition, organizational structure.

Despite the evidence and the logic of such a sequence, throughout the history of naval fleets in the world, this sequence is not observed or partially observed. The most common reasons for this - the fragility of views on the role of the fleet in the future war, the errors in predicting and identifying targets, subjectivism (voluntarism) and in the construction of the fleet, targeting the development priorities of childbirth, lack of scientific justification for the construction of the Navy, and specialists in this field.

From Lieutenant to the Chief of the Navy, we are preparing professionals only on the application of the fleet, but not for its construction. The analysis showed that for the period 1900 - 2000 biennium. all issued guidance documents concerned only the use of naval forces. There is no leadership, guidance, finally, a textbook on its construction.

Neither the Soviet Union nor other countries have not been able to avoid methodological errors in the construction of vessels, was first determined that the number of ships and their classes (on the economic opportunities in the first place), then their problem, not vice versa. «Testing» theories of construction during the Second World War showed that no country was able to build a navy, to fully meet its objectives. Mistakes in the limited and corrected a number of countries during the war.

Foundation of the construction are the challenges that lie ahead forces the Navy. Resources that serve as an important limiting factor. In the absence of economic opportunities for the construction needs of the fleet should be reasonable to reduce the military-political ambitions of the state, reduce the required level of problem solving, or their number, focusing on addressing only the essential. At the same time, important search of promising low-cost ways to meet these challenges and taking into account these methods in the construction of the Navy.

The absence of Soviet military doctrine in the 1920's - 1930's clearly defined strategic objectives at sea thereby adversely affecting the balance of naval forces in childbirth classes, and warships, the system of home theater equipment and maritime warfare. None of the alternative concepts of construction and use of the Navy, were walking in the interwar period of the 1920's - 1940's, the practice has not been confirmed. The actual content of the fighting at sea during the Great Patriotic War had nothing to do with the tasks that fleets fulfilled before the war.

Analysis of the approaches used to build a Navy USSR, showed that the main object of application of effort in the field of construction equipment and machinery, in the second turn - the media.

In doing so, one can not help but note the following. Absolutisation properties of weapons has led to the emergence of numerous types, variants, projects that are incompatible with each other and the most difficult system of logistics. For comparison: the Soviet Union since 1958, had 28 types of anti-missiles, United States - 2 type-USSR - 14 anti-aircraft complexes, USA - 5, with three of them used (and continue to use) the same modernized anti-aircraft missiles.

In turn, absolutisation properties of the ship (or aircraft) as the carrier leads to a diversity of increasingly improved project ships with incompatible tactical characteristics, together with the difficult management of logistics.

Today, the conditions and nature of the fighting at sea have changed dramatically, and approaches to the construction of the Navy remained the same. The current fighting in the sea will be carried out simultaneously in all the surrounding environments: underwater, over water, air, space, land, and, finally, in the information environment. No race of the Navy is not able to solve the tasks. Their decision may be exercised only groups of dissimilar forces, hence the construction of the Navy should not be on maternity leave forces, as it was before, but through the creation of a common design and plan a balanced group of different forces to solve the relevant problems. We continue to build a fleet of maternity forces, intuitively identifying a priority.

This raises the objective necessity of replacing the existing traditional approaches based on the priorities in the development of childbirth, new approaches aimed at the comprehensive construction of a balanced perspective of different groups of fleets capable of solving the tasks entrusted to them with a given efficiency, in accordance with the economic opportunities State. The timely change of conceptual approach to the construction of the Navy of Russia is critical to success in achieving the goals of its construction.

Rear Admiral Stock Igor Petrenko

http://www.redstar.ru/

I agree that the Navy is ill suited to deal with current tasks, but we have yet to define what the goal is. Do we build these carriers to compete with the US, or do we stick with coastal defense? At present, the only ships we can build in numbers are subs and corvettes.

Vladislav wrote:I agree that the Navy is ill suited to deal with current tasks, but we have yet to define what the goal is. Do we build these carriers to compete with the US, or do we stick with coastal defense? At present, the only ships we can build in numbers are subs and corvettes.

We need to intergrate both straegies.

Russian Subs Patrolling Off US Coast

By LOLITA C. BALDOR, AP
WASHINGTON (Aug. 5) - Two nuclear-powered Russian attack submarines have been patrolling in international waters off the East Coast for several days, in activity reminiscent of the Cold War, defense officials said Tuesday.
In Moscow, a top Russian general says two nuclear-powered Russian attack submarines that have been spotted off the U.S. East Coast are part of regular patrols.
Anatoly Nogovitsyn, the deputy chief of staff of Russia's armed forces, said the patrols are not newsworthy. Nogovitsyn said Russia resumed the submarine patrols after restarting strategic bomber patrol flights in 2007
U.S. Northern Command would not comment on the Russian submarines' movement. But in a prepared statement, Northern Command spokesman Michael Kucharek acknowledged the patrols and said the U.S. has been monitoring the two submarines.

Alexander Zemlianichenko, AP
Russian Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn, seen speaking to the media in Moscow on Wednesday, said the submarine patrols were "a normal thing."

Two senior U.S. officials, however, said the submarines had been patrolling several hundred miles off the coast and so far had done nothing to provoke U.S. military concerns. The officials provided details on condition of anonymity in order to discuss intelligence reports.
While the incident raises eyebrows, it did not trigger the more intense reaction by the U.S. military that Russia prompted when two of its bombers buzzed an American aircraft carrier in the western Pacific in February 2008. U.S. fighter planes intercepted the two Russian fighters, including one that flew directly over the USS Nimitz twice at an altitude of about 2,000 feet.
The event did not escalate beyond that, but it signaled a more aggressive military agenda by Moscow.
The latest incident, which was first reported by The New York Times, comes amid increased Russian military activity in the region, and as the Obama administration works to thaw tense relations with Moscow over plans for a missile defense system in Central Europe.
Just last week a senior Pentagon official said the administration is looking at options for the plan, which would install 10 interceptors in Poland and a radar system in the Czech Republic. Assistant Secretary of Defense Alexander Vershbow told Congress members that the Obama administration is looking at various configurations as part of its review of missile defense plans.
Russia, meanwhile, conducted naval exercises with Venezuela last year in the Caribbean and sent one of its warships through the Panama Canal for the first time since World War II. The exercises with Venezuela were the first deployment of Russian ships to the Western Hemisphere since the Cold War.
Officials said they became aware of the most recent submarine activity off the East Coast early on through intelligence sources and were not notified by Moscow in advance of the patrols. They said the submarines have not crossed into U.S. waters, which extend 12 miles out into the ocean.
The statement issued by Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command said, "We have been monitoring them during transit and recognize the right of all nations to exercise freedom of navigation in international waters according to international law."


http://news.aol.com/article/russian-nuclear-submarines-patrol-us/603540

U.S. tracks unexpected Russian subs off east coast
RIA Novosti

10:44 05/08/2009 WASHINGTON, August 5 (RIA Novosti) - The Pentagon is concerned by the unexpected presence of two Russian submarines in international waters off the U.S. coast, although a Russian official said the patrol was not unusual.

The NewYork Times reported late on Tuesday that the two submarines had been in the area for several days. The newspaper quoted Defense Department officials as saying one of the Akula-class vessels remained 320 kilometers (200 miles) off the coast, while the location of the second was not clear.

One of the submarines is an Akula II nuclear-powered attack submarine, considered the quietest and deadliest of all Russian nuclear-powered attack submarines.

A Pentagon spokesman acknowledged the report. "We have no comment about this. But we are aware of what is happening," he told RIA Novosti by telephone.

Defense Department officials expressed concern to the New York Times about the presence of the vessels due to the unexpected nature of their appearance, but were not worried about the U.S. military's ability to track them.

A U.S. military expert told the paper that it was probably 15 years since two submarines had carried out such a patrol.

That assessment was rejected by a high-ranking Russian Navy source, who told RIA Novosti that the submarines' presence near U.S. waters was not unusual as Russian vessels had never stopped patrolling the world's ocean.

"Even during the fleet's most difficult times in the mid-1990s, Russian submarines put to sea on active alert for patrols. This practice continues to this day," the official said.

The Russian Navy has been more active in recent years, increasing its presence on the world's oceans and carrying out exercises with foreign navies, including in Venezuela last December.

In mid-July the Russian Navy launched two missiles from submarines in the Arctic Ocean. The test was hailed by an intelligence source as a success as the United States had not known about the location of the submarines prior to the launch.

The source said that the launch area, covered by ice floe, was heavily patrolled by Russian attack submarines and the Americans were unable to detect the arrival of two strategic submarines before the launch.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2009/08/mil-090805-rianovosti02.htm

good news..at least we know that those Akulas still have teeth

If we can just get Bulava working properly...

The fact the USN hasn't been able to track these subs for the last 15 years speaks volumes.

My friend who did serve in Russian Army stated that

"Russia is a Land Power and we Don't need Navy we have land and air access to all country in our concern..it's better to scrap them and concentrate more in building tanks or aircrafts"

i somewhat feel that he has a point.. it's true that Russia possess Largest landmass in Eurasia and have borders with almost all country in Asia and Mid East as well as Europe .. this allows deterrence like TOPOL-M TEL or trains to be mobilized through land as easy as Carrier Groups moves at sea.

Stealthflanker wrote:My friend who did serve in Russian Army stated that

"Russia is a Land Power and we Don't need Navy we have land and air access to all country in our concern..it's better to scrap them and concentrate more in building tanks or aircrafts"

i somewhat feel that he has a point.. it's true that Russia possess Largest landmass in Eurasia and have borders with almost all country in Asia and Mid East as well as Europe .. this allows deterrence like TOPOL-M TEL or trains to be mobilized through land as easy as Carrier Groups moves at sea.

Remember Zmey arguing how Naval officers wouldn't think so? Well we have Russian Admirals questioning the relevance of it.

Vladimir79 wrote:

Remember Zmey arguing how Naval officers wouldn't think so? Well we have Russian Admirals questioning the relevance of it.

oh so..you're Vlad80 from IranDefence eh

Stealthflanker wrote:

Vladimir79 wrote:

Remember Zmey arguing how Naval officers wouldn't think so? Well we have Russian Admirals questioning the relevance of it.

oh so..you're Vlad80 from IranDefence eh

Is this Xenostrike?

Vladimir79 wrote:


Is this Xenostrike?

yeah ..glad to see you here

Vladimir79 wrote:If we can just get Bulava working properly...

The fact the USN hasn't been able to track these subs for the last 15 years speaks volumes.

psst.. go to Youtube.. i think "American Experts" there stated oherwise

Stealthflanker wrote:

Vladimir79 wrote:If we can just get Bulava working properly...

The fact the USN hasn't been able to track these subs for the last 15 years speaks volumes.

psst.. go to Youtube.. i think "American Experts" there stated oherwise

Would these be the arm chair generals that said we couldn't even defeat Georgia?