Russian Navy Discussions and Updates

seaspear

Well-Known Member

Feanor

Super Moderator
Staff member
Update.

I haven't posted here for a while so I apologize that some of this is old news.

There are images showing that Russia is building a large naval base in Abkhazia. This is likely an attempt to move assets to a place where Ukraine can't hit them. The base was technically already there but the expansion is significant.


In response to the threat of unmanned boats Russia has mounted HMGs on a number of ships. It's better than nothing, but a suboptimal solution.


In October of last year a 22800 small missile ship, the Rzhev, is being prepared for hand over. It carries the Pantsyr SHORAD and UKSK cells, meaning it can bring some value even to a grouping of fairly large Pacific Fleet ships. It's supposed to be handed over by the end of 2024 but I don't have anything to suggest this actually happened.


The Yakutsk, the 6th 636.6 submarine for the Pacific Fleet has been launched. It's expected to enter service in 2025.


The fifth 22160 patrol ship degaussing and trials, before entering service with the Black Sea Fleet. It's currently


The 22800 ship Tucha was accepted for service in the Black Sea Fleet, after trials in the Caspian sea. It's the 6th 22800 small missile ship.


The first 22350 icebreaker patrol ship and the 4th 22160 patrol ship are undergoing trials in the Baltic. The 22350s are meant for the Arctic, the 22160s are all supposedly going to the Black Sea Fleet. The second 22350 was recently launched.


The 885M Arkhangel'sk was handed over to the VMF. The Perm', the 6th such ship, is preparing for launch. Nuclear submarine programs are proceeding at a fairly substantial pace.


The 3rd 23130 medium tanker for the VMF was launched.


Reportedly both reactors on the Nakhimov, the second Kirov-class in service but undergoing upgrades, are now active.


Satellite images show the project 23900 LHD construction on-going in Crimea. Sea trials have been pushed back to 2027. I suspect there's no hurry to finish them until the war ends.


Some sort of Russian unmanned boat undergoing testing. We have had information of Russia using boats of this kind against the bridge in Zatoka, Odessa region. But it's been mostly quiet. Also, it's not clear Russia will get much value out of these vessels in the current war. In a hypothetical confrontation with a western European force on the other hand...


There are reports that the Zvezda shipyard in the Russian Far East is negotiating joining the USC.

 

Sandhi Yudha

Well-Known Member
Reports/Articles start to appear that the modernization and repairs of Project 1143,5 will be put on hold and plans to make the decision to cancel it totally.

https://en.topwar.ru/267848-resheni...-priostanovleny-na-neopredelennoe-vremja.html

Admiral Kuznetsov—The Last Soviet Carrier—Could Be Scrapped as Russia’s Naval Ambitions Falter

Burden of repair: Admiral Kuznetsov cruiser may be scrapped


The costs of the overhaul, repair and modernisation of the worn out Admiral Kuznetsov can be seen as a bottomless pit, with so many setbacks and bad luck. After entering service it can maybe only stay operational for some expensive ten years.

It is indeed maybe better to spend money on the Project 23900 LHD vessels which are under construction.

Btw, it seems that the fifth vessel of the Project 11711, Sergei Kabanov, is laid down.
В Калининграде заложили третий БДК модернизированного проекта 11711
 
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hauritz

Well-Known Member
Reports/Articles start to appear that the modernization and repairs of Project 1143,5 will be put on hold and plans to make the decision to cancel it totally.

https://en.topwar.ru/267848-resheni...-priostanovleny-na-neopredelennoe-vremja.html

Admiral Kuznetsov—The Last Soviet Carrier—Could Be Scrapped as Russia’s Naval Ambitions Falter

Burden of repair: Admiral Kuznetsov cruiser may be scrapped


The costs of the overhaul, repair and modernisation of the worn out Admiral Kuznetsov can be seen as a bottomless pit, with so many setbacks and bad luck. After entering service it can maybe only stay operational for some expensive ten years.

It is indeed maybe better to spend money on the Project 23900 LHD vessels which are under construction.

Btw, it seems that the fifth vessel of the Project 11711, Sergei Kabanov, is laid down.
В Калининграде заложили третий БДК модернизированного проекта 11711
I would be happy to see Russia continue to waste as much money as possible on this piece of junk. Realistically they have more pressing issues then keeping this cold war relic operational.
 

Feanor

Super Moderator
Staff member
Reports/Articles start to appear that the modernization and repairs of Project 1143,5 will be put on hold and plans to make the decision to cancel it totally.

https://en.topwar.ru/267848-resheni...-priostanovleny-na-neopredelennoe-vremja.html

Admiral Kuznetsov—The Last Soviet Carrier—Could Be Scrapped as Russia’s Naval Ambitions Falter

Burden of repair: Admiral Kuznetsov cruiser may be scrapped


The costs of the overhaul, repair and modernisation of the worn out Admiral Kuznetsov can be seen as a bottomless pit, with so many setbacks and bad luck. After entering service it can maybe only stay operational for some expensive ten years.

It is indeed maybe better to spend money on the Project 23900 LHD vessels which are under construction.

Btw, it seems that the fifth vessel of the Project 11711, Sergei Kabanov, is laid down.
В Калининграде заложили третий БДК модернизированного проекта 11711
Minor point, this is the 3rd 11711 "modified". They did a very silly thing of pretending it's the same ship type as the Ivan Gren but it's very clearly not. It's significantly larger (in fact the largest surface vessel the VMF is going to receive in 20+ years) and has a very different layout. The 11711 mod. was laid down with two vessels which was strange for a new ship class. And this is our first indication that the program seems to be proceeding with some level of success. Nonetheless many questions remain, including how they're going to make up the air group for them. The Ka-27 family is very very old, and at this point there aren't that many left. We may see a Ka-32 buy for the AVMF, or they may try to bank on OKR Minoga producing a new light helo for the AVMF. The second option I think is riskier by far.
 

Sandhi Yudha

Well-Known Member
The Northern Fleet recently hold a large scale exercise.
The frigate Admiral Golovko, the nuclear-powered submarine Oryol and a Bastion coastal defense missile system live-fired missiles in the Russian Navy’s large-scale drills codenamed July Storm, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Sunday.

Joint missile firings were conducted with Kalibr, Granit and Oniks cruise missiles at a multiple sea target in the Barents Sea.

Russian frigate, nuclear sub, Bastion system live-fire missiles in sweeping naval drills
 

Ananda

The Bunker Group

20250821_110106.jpg20250821_110059.jpg

Nakhimov back to sea, after close to 3 decade of refit it is begin sea trials. Zirkon Hypersonic missile will be main weapon aboard that Kirov class battlecruiser. It is expexted the existing sister ship will be decommision when Nakhimov reenter the fleet. Russia is not being expected to maintain two Battlecruiser on similar time line.
 

Sandhi Yudha

Well-Known Member

View attachment 53359View attachment 53360

Nakhimov back to sea, after close to 3 decade of refit it is begin sea trials. Zirkon Hypersonic missile will be main weapon aboard that Kirov class battlecruiser. It is expexted the existing sister ship will be decommision when Nakhimov reenter the fleet. Russia is not being expected to maintain two Battlecruiser on similar time line.
The original plan was to overhaul/upgrade the Pyotr Velikiy after Nakhimov was finished and returned to the fleet, but if it will take again more than 12 years with the same amount of costs, then maybe it is better to use the budget to build a Project 22350M frigate/destroyer.

I wonder what requires more money to overhaul and modernise, a Project 1144 battlecruiser or the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier.
 

John Fedup

The Bunker Group
The original plan was to overhaul/upgrade the Pyotr Velikiy after Nakhimov was finished and returned to the fleet, but if it will take again more than 12 years with the same amount of costs, then maybe it is better to use the budget to build a Project 22350M frigate/destroyer.

I wonder what requires more money to overhaul and modernise, a Project 1144 battlecruiser or the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier.
The overhaul and modernisation of a nuclear vessel is expensive and time consuming so maybe more costly. IMO, a project 22350M would be better value for money.
 

SolarisKenzo

Well-Known Member
I can barely see any reason to justify this ship.
I mean, to be honest, we all know the only true reason to deploy a nuclear powered cruiser in 2025, after 3 decades out of service, is propaganda (internal or external, call it "prestige", call it "national standing", whatever).
Look at it: built in the early 80s, entered service in 1988 and was monthballed in '99. After 15 years out of service they decided to modernize it and it took almost 11 years to put it back somewhat operational.
Russian surface fleet is full of ships that had a life similar to the one described above, the carrier Kuznetsov isn't an exception.

Prestige is really the only reason to spend so much time and so much money and workforce on an oversized cruiser packed of weapons with debatable (to be kind) stealthness and electronic capabilities.

I'd like to know what's the "damage control" protocol on a missile carrier like a Kirov, if there is one at all and if it's not based on the assumption that any explosion would just end up in the ship detonating...
 

John Fedup

The Bunker Group
I'd like to know what's the "damage control" protocol on a missile carrier like a Kirov, if there is one at all and if it's not based on the assumption that any explosion would just end up in the ship detonating...
The protocol is probably "swim for your life" at sea and "run for your life" when docked.
 
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