Feature 4 | Russia
affair. The ship was actually designed to
take an entirely different missile system
and when this failed, work began on
navalising the land-based Topol but there
are Russian press reports that there may
be major design faults in the redesign.
With two more submarines on the
slipways and a class of five now anticipated,
the Russian naval leadership is between
the proverbial rock and the hard place
as national prestige is riding on the
programme and the political leadership
will hardly be lavish with funding if the
programme fails.
These developments come at a time
when the Russian Navy has been
increasing the number of patrols by its
ballistic missile force, with more in 2008
than at any time over the past 10 years. RFs Neustrashimyy steams through the Baltic.
The Federation of American Scientists
used data from US naval intelligence that
showed that Russian missile submarines continuous patrols but made occasional submarines, RFS Severodvinsk, should join
conducted 10 patrols in 2008, compared patrols for training purposes instead and the fleet this year and a second ship has
with three in 2007 and five in 2006, it is unclear whether or not Moscow has reportedly been laid down. But the issue
while in 2002 there were none. For now resumed continuous patrols. of nuclear submarines may indicate the
the past decade Russia’s 11 ballistic Meanwhile, the first of the Yasen Russian Navy is learning from its mistakes;
missile submarines have not maintained (Project 885) class nuclear-powered attack indeed just before Admiral Shlemov
retired he called for a rationalisation
of the nuclear-powered submarine
a Ka-27 Helix
fleet, according to the head of naval
helicopter
procurement. He observed: “Too many
assigned
kinds of nuclear-powered submarines were
to Admiral
designed and manufactured in the Soviet
Vinogradov
years, thus we are experiencing problems
investigates a
with their operation and modernisation.”
fishing vessel.
The Russian Navy has four classes of
ballistic missile submarine and six classes
of attack submarines. Russian press
sources have quoted shipbuilding officials
as stating all of the former Soviet Navy’s
250 decommissioned nuclear submarines
will be scrapped by 2012, with the focus
upon the Pacific Fleet.
The Black Sea Fleet is expanding its
base at Novorssiysk, with more than US$2
billion being expended up to the end of
this year. The fleet is also scheduled to
receive new submarines and coastal
defence missile systems and plans are
advanced to transfer it from its base in the
Ukrainian port of Sevastopol.
Some of the new Lada (Project 677)
diesel-electric submarines may be
scheduled for the Black Sea Fleet. RFS
Kronshtadt is scheduled to join the fleet
this year followed by RFS Sevastopol in
40 Warship Technology May 2009
p38-39-40-41_WT_May09.indd 40 17/04/2009 15:23:45
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