Russian Navy: Severodvinsk (Yasen Class SSN), Alexander Nevsky (Borei Class SSBN) entering service

Two Russian submarines are entering service just in time for the Russian Navy Day, which falls on July 27 this year: a Yasen class nuclear attack submarine Severodvinsk and a Borei class ballistic missile submarine Alexander Nevsky.

Yasen Class SSN - Severodvinsk ( Image Courtesy - en.ria.ru ) 

Construction of the Severodvinsk began in 1993, but its completion was significantly delayed and submarine was finally launched in 2010. The submarine, whose rivals are the US Navy’s Seawolf class and Virginia class submarines, is equipped with the Russian equivalent of the US Tomahawk missile, which can carry a nuclear warhead and has a firing range of up to 3,000 kilometers (1,800 miles).The Yasen-class submarine also has additional missiles that can be used for high-precision strikes against ground targets.

Borei Class SSBN - Alexander Nevsky ( Image Courtesy - en.ria.ru ) 

The Borei class Alexander Nevsky submarine began trials in October 2010. It was involved in test-firing Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles, which all Borei class submarines are equipped with. Alexander Nevsky is the first series-built submarine of the Borei class. Two additional Borei class submarines and two Yasen class submarines are currently under construction. In total, Russia plans to build 8 Borei-class submarines and 8 Yasen-class submarines by 2020.

Russia has been stepping up the development of its navy since Crimea became part of the Russian Federation in March. In addition to the Russian naval base in the Crimean city of Sevastopol, Russia is developing a port in the country’s southern city of Novorossiysk, so that part of Russian’s Black Sea Fleet vessels and troops could be deployed there.

By 2017, six Admiral Grigorovich class frigates and six improved Kilo-class diesel-electric submarines will join the Black Sea Fleet.

News Courtesy - en.ria.ru

Vladivostok - Mistral Class to be launched on October 15

The Russian Navy will receive its first Mistral-class helicopter carrier from France on November 1, 2014, a high-ranking defense industry official told RIA Novosti on Friday.

The Vladivostok, which is being built at the DCNS shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, is scheduled to be floated out on October 15. “Over the course of a year, the ship will be further equipped and undergo sea trials in order to be handed over to the Russian Navy on November 1, 2014,” the official said.

Bow and Stern section of Vladivostok in France ( Image Courtesy - militaryphotos.net ) 

In October 2014, the second Mistral-class ship will be delivered to Russia, Rogozin added, referring to the helicopter carrier ‘Sevastopol’, which was laid at the DCNS shipyard in France's Saint-Nazaire on June 18.

Russia and France signed a 1.2 billion euro ($1.6 billion) contract for two French-built Mistral-class helicopter carriers in June 2011.

News Courtesy - en.ria.ru

Russian Navy - Plan for two more Borei A Class SSBNs

Russia is looking to start construction for two more nuclear-powered strategic submarines of the Borei A class this year, the official Rossiyskaya Gazeta daily has reported. The construction of the Alexander Suvorov is to start July 28 - Russia's Navy Day, while for another submarine, Mikhail Kutuzov, construction will start in November. 

One submarine of the Borei A class, Knyaz Vladimir, has been under construction since July 2012. Russia plans to build eight submarines of Borei and Borei A Class until 2020 to form the core of its navy's nuclear deterrence strategy. Three of them will be of Borei and five of Borei A type.

Borei Class SSBN - Alexander Nevsky at sea trials ( Image Courtesy - en.rian.ru )

The first Borei-class submarine, Yury Dolgoruky, was put into active service on 10 Jan, 2013 in the Northern Fleet. The second Borei submarine, Alexander Nevsky, is undergoing sea trials, while third submarine Vladimir Monomakh has recently started with harbour trials. This SSBN development is progressing ahead of the schedule, five ships may be complete by 2018 itself, while the initial plan was to launch the last of these five submarine by 2020.

Borei Class -

• Yury Dolgoruky
• Alexander Nevsky
• Vladimir Monomakh

Borei A Class -

• Knyaz Vladimir
• Alexander Suvorov
• Mikhail Kutuzov

News Courtesy - en.rian.ru

Vladimir Monomakh - Borei Class SSBN starts sea-trials

Nuclear-powered Ballistic Missile Submarine, the Vladimir Monomakh, which is the third ship in Russia's Borei project has begun its sea trials, as it bids to become fully operational by mid-2013.

This submarine forms part of the Borei family of ships, which Russia Navy will operate as the strategic component of its nuclear naval forces over the next few decades. The first of the Borei class is the Yury Dolgoruky, which was commissioned in Russian Navy on 10th Jan, 2013.

Borei Class SSBN - Vladimir Monomakh at sea-trials ( Image Courtesy - dailymail.co.uk ) 

Another missile cruiser in the Borei family, the Aleksandr Nevsky, is also undergoing tests, Sevmash shipyard has said. Meanwhile, the Knyaz Vladimir, the fourth and even more advanced submarine, is currently under construction. 

The Russians plan to have around ten Borei submarines over the next eight years, according to the state armaments program of 2011-2020. 

News Courtesy - dailymail.co.uk

Russian SSBN Yury Dolgoruky joins Russian Navy Fleet

Borei class nuclear-powered submarine Yury Dolgoruky has officially became part of the Russian Navy. The first of the new generation submarines, which will be the country's main nuclear deterrent in coming years, entered into service with the Russian Navy on 10 Jan, 2012.

Yury Dolgoruky missile cruiser raised the flag in a ceremony in the Arctic port of Severodvinsk. The Yury Dolgoruky submarine is also the first to have the latest Bulava intercontinental missile on-board.

Borei Class SSBN, Yury Dolgoruky at sea-trials ( Image Courtesy - 02varvara.wordpress.com ) 

"Another seven Borei-class submarines will join the Navy by 2020. The Navy will also receive eight Yasen-class submarines by then", President Vladimir Putin said.

The Navy has already ordered three more Borei-class submarines: Alexander Nevsky, Vladimir Monomakh and Knyaz Vladimir.

Built at an estimated cost of 23 billion rubles ($750 million), the Yury Dolgoruky is 170 meters long and 13.5 meters wide, with a diving depth of 450 meters. 

News Courtesy - The Moscow Times

Russia is developing a Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier

For the past two years Russia has been designing a prospective Heavy Nuclear-Powered Aviation Cruiser, which should become one of the most important elements of the country’s national security at sea, a source in the Military-Industrial Commission under the government of the Russian Federation informed journalists. "The Russian Navy needs a futuristic platform, which would be dozens of years ahead of her time, and not just an analogue of modern aircraft carriers existing in the United States or other countries," he noted.

"The main requirement for this ship is its ability to act in all environments: space, air, water, land and underwater", the source emphasized. The Aviation Cruiser is expected to be put to use in the Russian navy in 2020. The new Aircraft Carrier will combine the properties of a command and control vessel and that of a powerful defensive ship. It is also planned to fit up this Aviation Cruiser with the most advanced equipment that has no analogues in the world.

Russian Aircraft Carrier - Admiral Kuznetsov ( Image Courtesy - armyrecognition.com )

The main purpose of such a ship is to deliver strikes at targets in the air, on water, on land and even in space. The latter task will be achieved if the ship works in a tandem with a group of orbital facilities. The Russian navy has 4 subdivisions - thus, it is planned that Russia will have 4 battle groups headed by Aircraft Carriers.” These groups will consist of the Aircraft Carrier itself, at least 6 more other Battle Ships and 1 or 2 Submarines.

The conditions which the commanders have put forward for the new ship is that it should spend a very long time without being reloaded with any energy from outside (it is planned that this will be reached by equipping the ship with nuclear reactors), be workable at any weather and have a high combat viability.

The displacement of the new Aircraft Carrier will be more than 50,000 tons, it will be considerably bigger than “Admiral Kuznetsov” but smaller than its modern US analogues. It will be able to take about 80 airplanes on its deck.

News Courtesy - english.ruvr.ru

Delay in INS Vikramaditya - A Setback not a Disaster !!!

Yet another likely delay in dispatching the much-awaited aircraft carrier has caused tempers to flare back in India, but the problems are not as grim as reported.

It is a setback no doubt, but the “technical malfunction” experienced during INS Vikramaditya’s high-speed trials in the Barents Sea is hardly a disaster. Ship is not crippled, as some 'experts' have suggested. But what happened was that seven of the eight steam boilers in the carrier’s power plant overheated.

However, casual observers have missed the point that the overheating was discovered during trials. That’s what trials are for – to identify and remove such glitches. And no, unlike what some ‘experts’ have been suggesting, fixing the problem won’t require cutting open the ship.

INS Vikramaditya at sea trials ( Image Courtesy - defenceforumindia.com )

Vikramaditya’s problems are not insurmountable. The ship’s propulsion system is brand new, the problem is most likely with the integration of the boilers. Information trickling in, suggests that the first reports exaggerated the problem, and that the ship is sailing on its own power. The overheating seems to be happening only at high speeds. Two months ago the carrier experienced its first landing, by a MiG-29K. The sea trials have been under way for several months off the north coast of the Barents Sea, and in all other respects the ship appears to be in working order.

So, it is a wait for few months, not years, as some of the media has been shouting on top of their lungs. A 45,000 ton Aircraft Carrier, would go through a fine tuning just before it is ready for commissioning. You will be surprised to know what French Navy went through with their Aircraft Carrier - Charles de Gaulle. 

News Courtesy - indrus.in

Russian Navy - Return of Akula !!!

A Russian Akula-Class nuclear-powered attack submarine, loaded with cruise missiles, has been patrolling near the US strategic nuclear submarine base at Kings Bay, Georgia, the home base for eight of America’s nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines.

Armed with various types of torpedoes, including those with nuclear warheads, anti-submarine-warfare missiles and long-range (3,000 kilometers) nuclear cruise missiles, Akula-Class SSNs are the most advances attack submarines of Russian Navy, capable of destroying both nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers. It is alleged that the Russian sub went undetected for weeks, its presence was detected only when it had completed its patrol and left the area. This could also mean that it might have been relieved-of-duty and has been just replaced by another Akula, which is now on stations, around the coast of United States.

Vepr, an Akula Class SSN ( Image Courtesy - rt.com )

The report alleges that powerful US hydro-acoustic sensors deployed in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, supported by powerful military satellites, were unable to detect a submarine Russia has deployed for the past two decades. 

Sending a nuclear-propelled submarine into the Gulf of Mexico-Caribbean region is another demonstration by Russia that it is still a big player on the world’s political-military stage.

The last time Russian subs were supposedly detected near US shores was in 2009, when the New York Times reported on two Russian nuclear-powered assault submarines patrolling the Atlantic some 200 miles off the American coast. The report also mentioned future Russian plans to build dozens of new submarines, which will be even more sophisticated than Akula.

News Courtesy - rt.com

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Russian SSBN Novomoskovsk, Delta Class Ballistic Missile Submarine returns to service

The Russian Navy's SSBN Novomoskovsk has been refitted and returned to service with the Northern Fleet, it will serve another ten years before being decommissioned in 2022, Fleet Spokesman Captain First Rank Vadim Serga said on Monday.

The Project 667 type boat (NATO Delta 4) arrived at its base in the port of Severomorsk on Monday after the refit at the Zvezdochka shipyard at nearby Severodvinsk. "The boat's life after refit and modernization will be extended by another ten years," Serga said.

The refit of the Novomoskovsk included hundreds of improvements, "making the boat quieter, increasing its ability to detect other submarines, increasing its survivability and nuclear safety," he added. Novomoskovsk is the second Northern Fleet 667 boat to be refitted. Last year, the Verkhoturye underwent a similar refit at Zvezdochka and was returned to service.

 

Russian SSBN Novomoskovsk ( Image Courtesy - en.ria.ru )

The Novomoskovsk's refit began in 2007. The boat was originally built at Sevmash in June 1987 and entered service in 1990. The boat was the first to launch a scientific satellite into orbit with a ballistic missile in 1998. The 667 class boats displace 12,000 tons, they are armed with 16 intercontinental ballistic missiles.

News Courtesy - en.ria.ru

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Construction started for fourth Russian SSBN of Borei Class

President Vladimir Putin will visit the Arkhangelsk Region in north Russia on Monday - July 30, 2012 to attend the ceremony of laying down Russia’s fourth Borei class (Project 955A) ballistic missile submarine, the Kremlin press office reported on Sunday.

The ceremony for laying down the Borei-class boat, named Knyaz Vladimir, will be held at Sevmash, the largest shipbuilding enterprise in Russia and the country's sole nuclear submarine builder located in the port city of Severodvinsk on the White Sea.

Yury Dolgoruky - Borei Class SSBN ( Image Courtesy - en.ria.ru )

The Borei class is set to become the mainstay of the Russian Navy's strategic nuclear deterrent fleet. Three other Borei class boats are at various stages of development at the Sevmash shipyard on the Kola Peninsula. Yury Dolgoruky is currently undergoing sea trials, whilst Alexander Nevsky and Vladimir Monomakh are under construction.

News Courtesy - en.ria.ru

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