Russian submarine, already 20-years old, finally moves towards final sea trials

The Severodvinsk (K-329) is a Yasen-class (Project 885) attack submarine designed in the waning days of the Soviet Union and laid down in 1993. Yes, folks… 1993. The keel on this boat is already 20-years old and it hasn’t been accepted into service yet. Budget constraints and technical snafus have resulted in this Cold War behemoth spending 20-years in various states of construction and testing. The current plan (subject to further cock-ups) is to commission the Severodvinsk in December 2013. Вопросы есть? Вопросов нет!

АПЛ “Северодвинск” в скоро приступит к госиспытаниям в Белом море

Ранее в СМИ появлялись сообщения, что ВМФ РФ якобы отказывается принять АПЛ “Северодвинск” в свой состав в этом году из-за технических проблем. В ОСК эти сведения опровергали.

© РИА Новости. Владимир Родионов

МОСКВА, 28 окт — РИА Новости. Головная многоцелевая атомная подлодка (АПЛ) “Северодвинск” (проект 885, шифр “Ясень”) в ближайшее время начнет государственные испытания в Белом море, сообщает пресс-служба “ПО Севмаш” в понедельник.

Ранее в СМИ появлялись сообщения, что ВМФ РФ якобы отказывается принять АПЛ “Северодвинск” в свой состав в этом году из-за технических проблем. В ОСК эти сведения опровергали.

“”Северодвинск” приступает к государственным морским “экзаменам””, — говорится в сообщении. На предприятии не уточнили дату выхода лодки в Белое море.

Как сообщил ранее генконструктор КБ “Малахит” (разработчик этих АПЛ) Владимир Пялов, подлодка после проведения успешных госиспытаний должна быть принята на вооружение до 25 декабря 2013 года.

В настоящее время на заводе “Севмаш” в Северодвинске строится вторая подлодка проекта 885 — “Казань”. Ее передача флоту запланирована на 2015 год. Третья лодка “Новосибирск” заложена в 2013 году.

http://ria.ru/defense_safety/20131028/973166957.html

Russia will turn over 35-year old aircraft carrier to India on 15 November

Laid down in for the Soviet Navy as Baku, renamed Admiral Gorskhov in the post-Soviet era, and rechristened (or should that be rehindued?) as the Vikramaditya when sold to the Indian Navy. When accepted into Indian service on 15 November, the hull will already be 35-years old.

INS Vikramaditya to be handed over to Navy on Nov 15

NEW DELHI: After a delay of around five years, aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya is now expected to be handed over to the Indian Navy on November 15 in Russia, where it is presently undergoing refit.

Vikramaditya, formerly known as Admiral Gorskhov, completed all its trials in the last two months in the Barents Sea and the White Sea after delays of around five years on several counts.

The carrier is on course to be handed over to the Indian Navy in November 15, Navy officials said today.

Once inducted, it will be the second aircraft carrier in the Navy after INS Viraat and give it an strategic advantage in the Indian Ocean.

Vikramaditya, which is already years past its original 2008 delivery date, was supposed to have been handed over on December 4, 2012, but sea trials in September that year revealed the ship’s boilers were not fully functional.

It then returned to the shipyard to fix the problems that were detected during the sea trials.

The ship had demonstrated excellent seaworthiness, speed of 27.9 knots (about 52 km per hour) and manoeuvrability during the three-month sea trials.

India and Russia had signed a USD 947 million deal for 45,000-tonne Gorshkov in 2004. The deal amount was revised later to USD 2.3 billion.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/ins-vikramaditya-to-be-handed-over-to-navy-on-nov-15/articleshow/22718865.cms

Russian Navy moves LPD to Syria

The Russian Navy is moving the LPD Nicholas Phylchenkov from the Black Sea Fleet to the Mediterranean where it will conduct operations off the coast of Syria. The Nicholas Phylchenkov is a Tapir class (Project 1171) ‘large landing ship’ that was commissioned into the Soviet Navy in 1975. The class can accommodate 20 main battle tanks, or 45 armoured personnel carriers, or 50 trucks and 300 troops.

БДК “Николай Фильченков” вышел из Новороссийска к берегам Сирии

Завтра корабль пройдет пролив Босфор, в пятницу – Дарданеллы, и в назначенное время присоединится к группировке ВМФ России, рассказал представитель ВМФ РФ.

© РИА Новости. Василий Батанов | Купить иллюстрацию

МОСКВА, 11 сен — РИА Новости. Большой десантный корабль Черноморского флота “Николай Фильченков” с грузом накануне вышел из Новороссийска и направился в восточную часть Средиземного моря, сообщил РИА Новости в среду высокопоставленный представитель ВМФ РФ.

В минувшую пятницу источник в бригаде десантных кораблей Черноморского флота (ЧФ) сообщал РИА Новости, что “Николай Фильченков” зайдет в порт Новороссийска для заправки топливом, а потом примет на борт грузы для Сирии. По его словам, этот поход нельзя считать каким-то особенным, так как экипаж корабля “ходил в Сирию десятки раз”.

“БДК “Николай Фильченков” 10 сентября с грузом на борту вышел из Новороссийска и взял курс на Средиземное море. Завтра корабль пройдет пролив Босфор, в пятницу — Дарданеллы, и в назначенное время присоединится к группировке ВМФ РФ”, — сказал представитель ВМФ РФ.

Во вторник высокопоставленный представитель ВМФ РФ сообщал РИА Новости, что сторожевой корабль Черноморского флота “Сметливый” выйдет из Севастополя и направится к берегам Сирии 12 сентября. По его данным, 17 сентября в район восточного средиземноморья прибудет ракетный крейсер “Москва”, а 29 сентября в район сирийского побережья прибудут два корабля ЧФ: ракетный катер “Ивановец” и малый ракетный корабль “Штиль”. В пятницу отряд кораблей, включающий БДК “Новочеркасск” (ЧФ) и “Минск” (Балтийский флот), а также разведывательный корабль “Приазовье” (ЧФ), прошел Дарданеллы и поступил в распоряжение командования средиземноморской эскадры.

http://ria.ru/arab_riot/20130911/962390366.html

New submarines, helicopter carriers, corvettes for Russian Navy

The Russian Navy has been decommissioning its Soviet-era Sovremenny class (Project 956) destroyers since 1998 and the Steregushchy class (Project 20380) corvettes seems to be an adequate replacement. These are multi-mission vessels that are powerful enough to be designated as frigates by NATO, comparable in rôle to the FREMM, LCS and Type 26… although the Russians insist they are merely corvettes.

Whether or not the BrahMos-equipped Project 21956 destroyer ever goes into a production run is still to be seen. It would seem to be the logical replacement for the aging Udaloy (Project 1155) class.

Russia’s Pacific Fleet to Receive New Warships in 2014

Mistral-class helicopter carrier

MOSCOW, July 19 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian Pacific Fleet will start receiving new warships in 2014 for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the fleet’s commanders said.

“Rather large-scale deliveries of new equipment, new warships to the Pacific Fleet will start in 2014,” Rear Admiral Sergei Avakyants said in an interview with Rossiya 24 television on Thursday.

Avakyants emphasized the fact that the fleet received a new warship last time in 1991.

According to the Russian military, at least one of the two Mistral-class helicopter carriers, being built in France for the Russian navy, is intended for the Pacific Fleet, which has already prompted concerns in Japan.

Several Project 20380 Steregushchy-class corvettes are being built for the Pacific Fleet at the Amur shipyard in Russia’s Far East with estimated delivery in 2014-2015.

In addition, one of the first Borey-class ballistic missile submarines will be put in service with the fleet after the much anticipated commissioning by the end of 2013, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

The Pacific Fleet currently consists of the Varyag missile cruiser, four Udaloy-class destroyers, a Sovremenny-class destroyer and dozens of submarines, including five Delta III-class ballistic missile submarines.

http://en.rian.ru/military_news/20130719/182312686/Russias-Pacific-Fleet-to-Receive-New-Warships-in-2014.html

History of the Russian Navy (2009)

Russian Pacific Fleet begins snap exercise

70 vessels from Russia’s Pacific Fleet have joined “snap” military exercises ordered by President Vladimir Putin to test combat readiness.

The “surprise” military exercise may also be seen as sabre rattling (shouldn’t that be cutlass rattling for the navy?) by neighbours around the Pacific Rim and comes hard on the heels of joint naval exercises conducted by Russia and China.

Massive Snap Military Drills Begin In Eastern Russia

Pacific Fleet.

MOSCOW, July 13 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian military began early on Saturday large-scale exercises in the Eastern Military District aimed at improving combat readiness of the Russian armed forces, the Defense Ministry said.

The exercise, which involves over 80,000 servicemen, some 1,000 armored vehicles, 130 aircraft and 70 warships from the Pacific Fleet, will continue until July 20. It is the largest surprise check of combat readiness of the Russian military in the post-Soviet period.

“The main goal of the drills is to check the readiness of units to carry out their missions, and to assess the quality of their training and technical preparedness,” the ministry said in a statement.

The snap drills were ordered by President Vladimir Putin on Friday when he told Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to inform foreign countries about the upcoming exercises, taking into account their scale and common international practice.

It is the third surprise check of combat readiness since the beginning of the year and follows a major shake-up at the top of a military establishment tarnished by persistent evidence of rampant corruption.

Putin said in May that surprise military drills is a perfect way to keep the armed forces in good shape and vowed to continue similar practices in the future.

The Eastern Military District is one of the four operational strategic commands of the Russian Armed Forces. The district was formed in 2010. It absorbed the territories of the former Far East Military District and part of the former Siberian Military District with headquarters at Khabarovsk.

http://en.ria.ru/military_news/20130713/182212185/Massive-Snap-Military-Drills-Begin-in-Eastern-Russia.html