slasher Tue Jun 26, 2018 9:38 am
Ned86 wrote: slasher wrote:Okay thanks. Just didn't realize it was in repair. Open sources I checked had it listed as in service. The Ru SSN forces really seems to be suffering with low numbers of operational units though.
It was in dry dock for a short period of time.
Probably to fix some tiny problems and refresh the hull and make it quieter.
It had similar "repair" at the same time last year in Nerpa.
Northern Fleet has 9 active nuclear subs + Kazan in trials, which is definitely not low number of operational subs.
Not to mention, Diesel electric subs, special purpose subs and SSBNs in Northern Fleet.
Thanks for the clarification @Ned86. However, according to Wikipedia.ru, these eight SSNs below are listed as currently operational. Is this correct and if so which would be the ninth?
Project 971 - Active: 3 (K-317 Pantera, K-154 Tigr, K-335 Gepard)
Project 945 - Active: 1 (B-276 - Kostroma)
Project 945A - Active: 2 (B-534 Nizhny Novgorod, B-336 Pskov)
Project 671RTMK - Active: 2 (B-138 Obninsk, B-414 Daniel Moskovsky)
With regards to my initial observation, it was in reference to the fact that of the 10/11 Project 971 SSNs in hand, I was wondering, having seen the pic of the Gepard in dry dock, if that would have made it just three of these currently operational for the entire Navy. Also, units of the other older models are being/have been retired.
The Navy has indeed been addressing the issue of improving the quantity and quality of their SSN fleet though, with upgrades and new builds after having reached a critical state. Things are however expected to turn around in a couple years according to plans.