XLT: New GUGI Oceanographic Research Vessel

Project 02670 oceanographic research vessel "Yevgeniy Gorigledzhan"

                                           [Translation of Yantar Baltic Shipyard press release]

RESEARCH VESSEL "YEVGENIY GORIGLEDZHAN" TO BE LAID DOWN AT SHIPYARD
March 16, 2016

At 12:00 on March 19, a keel-laying ceremony for Project 02670 oceanographic research vessel (OIS) "Yevgeniy Gorigledzhan" will take place at Yantar Shipyard.

Expected to attend the ceremony are representatives of regional authorities, Russian Federation Ministry of Defense's Main Directorate for Deep Sea Research, Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau, and relatives of Yevgeniy Gorigledzhan.

OIS "Yevgeniy Gorigledzhan" will be built by repairing and converting the "MB-305" rescue tug (Szczecin Shipyard, 1983). Yantar Shipyard signed a corresponding contract with the RF Ministry of Defense in mid-February of this year. The vessel, intended for the Russian Federation Ministry of Defense's Main Directorate for Deep Sea Research, will be delivered to the customer in 2017.

Project 02670 was developed by Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau. The vessel is designed for conducting undersea technical operations, ecological monitoring of the marine environment, oceanographic mapping of the seabed, and rendering assistance to search and rescue forces. The vessel will carry undersea and rescue vehicles. The vessel will displace 4,000 tons, have a length of 81 meters and a beam of 16 meters, an endurance of 30 days, a crew of 32 and up to 25 mission personnel.

Gorigledzhan Yevgeniy Alekseyevich (March 19, 1934 - September 26, 2014) was a Soviet and Russian design engineer, general designer of special-purpose nuclear-powered submarines at Rubin Central Design Bureau of Marine Technology, RF State Prize recipient, and Shipbuilder Emeritus.

Arktika-2012 + "Losharik" = "Drill, Baby, Drill!"

Research into this week’s sighting of the “secret” submarine “Losharik” (actually, the sighting of a photograph probably taken nearly ten years ago) led back to the submarine’s participation in Arktika-2012 – an expedition to determine Russia’s mineral rights in the Arctic. Below are some interesting facts that may be new to readers already familiar with the expedition:

• The expedition took place between August 10 and September 28 and involved the civilian icebreakers “Dikson” and “Kapitan Dranitsyn”, as well as the Russian Navy’s Delta Stretch nuclear-powered submarine “Orenburg” and deep-submergence nuclear-powered submarine “Losharik”.
• “Orenburg” and “Losharik” (identified in expedition reports and briefings as “scientific research submarines” NIPL-1 and NIPL-2, respectively) departed port in early September. “Orenburg” (mothership for "Losharik") surfaced near one of the icebreakers on September 8, marking the start of the two submarines’ participation in the expedition. The submarines ended their participation on September 24.

Commemorative certificate from Arktika-2012
[credit: Yevgeniy Gusev]

• On board “Losharik” was civilian geologist Yevgeniy Anatolyevich Gusev. Following the expedition, Gusev posted to the web a scan of a certificate commemorating his presence on “PL BN-220” (“Submarine Hull Number 220”), which turns out to be the hull number for “Losharik”. Gusev learned very quickly that posting the certificate to the web was a very bad idea, but his attempts to undo this mistake were unsuccessful as the certificate was immediately reposted across dozens of websites, blogs, and forums.
• The French iXSea GAPS (Global Acoustic Positioning System) was used to coordinate activities between the icebreakers and the submarines. Additionally, an underwater communications (UWC) system was installed on “Kapitan Dranitsyn”. The UWC system allowed for voice communications as well as for passing SMS text messages.

"Orenburg" surfaced near the North Pole following its participation in Arktika-2012 - September 27, 2012
[credit: urban3p]

• “Orenburg” was used to survey large areas believed to have escarpments (steep slopes) that may be suitable for placement of a GBU-2 seabed drilling unit. Based on those surveys, locations were passed to “Losharik” for more detailed survey work. Upon completion of the secondary survey, “Losharik” communicated back to “Orenburg” one of three commands: "Drill" (site suitable for drilling), "Dredge" (no suitable site, but area contains rock bottom material that can be dredged), and "Empty" (no suitable site and no rock bottom material). Upon receipt of any command, “Orenburg” would then head to the next survey area. When “Losharik” sent a "Drill" command, it would hover over the site while "Kapitan Dranitsyn" maneuvered over the submarine’s location, lowered the GAPS system (which is linked to a GPS system) to determine the exact location of “Losharik” (±10m accuracy). After the submarine’s position was fixed, the icebreaker would order “Losharik” to depart the area so that the GBU-2 could be lowered.
• Of the ten locations identified as possible drilling sites, only two were identified as suitable. Three sites were identified as not suitable but having rock bottom material. The remaining sites were "empty."

Diagram depicting how activities were coordinated during Arktika-2012 using GAPS, GPS, Iridium,and WiFi
[credit: Andrey Morozov]

• “Dikson” and “Kapitan Dranitsyn” were able to share seismology and ice data using a WiFi network that had a range of 8 kilometers.

XLT: "Sviyaga" Transport Dock Launched For GUGI

Project 22570 transport dock "Sviyaga" - November 6, 2014
(Image credit: Russian Public Television)

          [Translation of news clips by Kazan Radio & TV Company and Russian Public Television]

THE LONG VOYAGE: UNIVERSAL VESSEL BUILT IN TATARSTAN
Kazan Radio & TV Company
November 6, 2014
http://kzn.tv/kzntube/v-bolshoe-plavanie-sudno-mirovogo-masshtaba-postroili-v-rt/ 

A new floating transport dock was launched today. It was built in Zelenodolsk, at the Gorkiy Shipyard. The new vessel was named "Sviyaga" in accordance with a long-standing tradition of bestowing ships with names of the locations where they were built. The shipyard is perfectly located on the Volga River, the right-bank tributary of which is the Sviyaga. The dock has strategic importance to the Navy. Diana Makhmutova learns what makes this vessel so remarkable.

It is the first vessel of its type to be built in Russia in the 21st century. And it was built in Tatarstan. "Sviyaga" will be used to repair and service Russian Navy Northern Fleet vessels. And today at midnight the dock will enter the water. The view of it and its size are amazing, aren't they?

It is 14 meters wide and 134 meters long. By comparison, the Kazan-Arena stadium soccer field is 30 meters shorter. This dock will transport ships and vessels along the internal waterway system from the north to the south.

[Aleksey Burilichev - Vice Admiral, Commander of Military Unit № 40056, Hero of Russia] "It was designed to transport Varshavyanka- and Lada-class [7FBTK: KILO SS and Petersburg SS] submarines. It will allow us to freely fulfill tasking and transport ships wherever they are needed."

Freely – that is, in spite of sanctions. Now submarines, without heading into the open ocean, can travel within the country from the White Sea to the Baltic Sea, from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, and from there on to the Caspian Sea. This naturally increases the Russian Navy's mobility.

[Ildar Khalikov - Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan] "The Gorkiy Shipyard here in Zelenodolsk in the Republic of Tatarstan is ready for any task. This year you have produced 50% more than was recorded last year. And over a short period, over the past five years, we're talking about a greater than four-fold increase."

When in use, the vessel will submerge up to 10 meters. The entire process is simple: the dock takes on ballast, the submarine enters the dock, then the repair vessel surfaces, and the submarine remains inside. The dock was designed so that it can sail under every bridge in the European portion of Russia. Those who distinguished themselves during the vessel's construction were presented awards by the leading dignitaries of the Republic.

[Anatoliy Yefimov - First Class design engineer, A.M. Gorkiy Zelenodolsk Shipyard] "During the construction of a single unit, there are 5,000 issues that need to be resolved, generally speaking. And sometimes as many as 12,000. It's a universal design into which you pour all of your soul, energy, effort and knowledge... and in the end, you're proud of what you accomplish."

The last distantly comparable vessel, named "Zeya", was built back in 1991, and it's located in the Pacific. The 21st century dock was built using the latest technology.

[Renat Mistakhov – A.M. Gorkiy Zelenodolsk Shipyard general director] "Today, Factory Serial #571, the unit that we are building, is ahead of schedule. According to the schedule, it's supposed to be ready in April 2015, but it's only November 2014. This is all due to your efforts. Our industry achieves such results when there is a secure tomorrow, when there are orders."

"Sviyaga" will depart on its first long voyage in August 2015.

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MODERN FLOATING DOCK LAUNCHED IN TATARSTAN
Russian Public Television
November 6, 2014
http://www.otr-online.ru/news/v-tatarstane-spustili-36633.html

Today shipbuilders in Tatarstan launched the "Sviyaga" floating transport dock.

This is first such vessel built in Russia in the past 12 years. It is intended for use in the Northern Fleet. "Sviyaga" will transport military ships from the north to the south, and they can be repaired in it, as well. Every piece of modern hardware needed is on board.

[Aleksandr Shlyakhtenko – Almaz Central Naval Design Bureau general director] "This is a special dock – for the Directorate of Deep-Sea Research. It will transport special-purpose vehicles. But the most important thing is that this dock can operate with robotic hardware."

The dock is nearly 135 meters long. That is longer than a soccer field. It is 14 meters wide. It will be capable of transporting cargo weighing more than 3,000 tons.

"Orenburg" Stretches Its Legs Near North Pole

Delta Stretch "Orenburg" near the North Pole - October 16, 2014
(Image courtesy of Yngve Kristoffersen and Audun Tholfsen)

Two Norwegian scientists, Yngve Kristoffersen and Audun Tholfsen, who have been living and working on an ice drift station in the Arctic since August, had an unexpected visitor last week. The October 16 entry from their weekly blog update reads:

Position: 89 19′ N, 174 51′ W, temperature – 8 C, air pressure 1036 hPa, wind 5 knots from E. Ice drift 0.1 knots toward east. Started recovery of the thermistor string as it is only 5 meter away from a crack that has widened 3 meters. The thin ice on refrozen leads are likely sites of future pressure ridge formation. Having recovered half (150 m), we discovered that the hydrophone was about to be consumed by the pressure ridge south of the hovercraft. Started to melt out the hydrophone, but was not successful. The 12 kHz echo sounder is giving us problems with weak or no bottom returns – recovered the transducer. In the evening. we spotted lights at a distance. Turned out to be a submarine at the surface in position: 89 17.5′ N, 172 42.9′ W. We were not able to identify it.

Delta Stretch "Orenburg" near the North Pole - October 16, 2014
(Image courtesy of Yngve Kristoffersen and Audun Tholfsen)

The submarine surfaced about 3 nautical miles from the researchers' camp. The researchers decided to head toward the submarine. When they approached to within 100 meters, the submarine submerged.

Reviewing the photos, it appears the submarine in question was none other than Delta Stretch-class auxiliary nuclear-powered submarine "Orenburg".

Delta Stretch "Orenburg" in Olenya Guba - April 2010
(Image courtesy of topwar.ru)

"Orenburg", which primarily performs highly sensitive missions for the Ministry of Defense's Main Directorate for Deep-Sea Research (GUGI), last visited the North Pole in late September 2012 while participating in the Arktika-2012 geological survey expedition along the Mendeleyev Ridge.

"Krab" - The Little Tug That Could

Locations of "Krab" Operations, August 20-September 3, 2014

There's a very interesting little harbor tug operating in the Black Sea named "Krab". Flying the Russian Navy flag, it's based in Temryuk (Sea of Azov), but regularly visits Novorossiysk. It was built at Pella Shipyard in 2011 and transferred via the inland waterway system to Temryuk, where it arrived in October of that year. Originally called "RB-45" ("RB" stands for "рейдовый буксир" - "harbor tug" in Russian), it was renamed "Krab" in 2012 or 2013.

Since arriving in the Black Sea, the harbor tug has performed mission profiles that go beyond what you would expect a harbor tug to perform. In fact, in late July 2013, during the keel-laying ceremony for the Project 16609-class harbor tug "Belukha", Vice Admiral Burilichev (head of the Ministry of Defense's uber-secret Directorate for Deep-Sea Research (Russian abbreviation: GUGI)) stated that "Krab" and two other harbor tugs built by Pella were performing tasks not typical for their class. In this video (1:53-2:57), the vice admiral states:

The ships that were delivered in 2011 and 2012... I am happy to report that they are being used a lot. Moreover, we are using them not exactly as intended - not as harbor tugs for operations with ocean- and sea-going vessels. We are using them as integrated platforms for testing radio-technical equipment. And, the tug "Krab" is currently participating in events related to providing security for the 2014 Olympic Games. The [Project 16609] tugs "Kasatka" and "Delfin" participate in training events related to rescuing and assisting submarines in distress. They also are assigned other serious tasks that go far beyond those of harbor tugs.

I recorded the movements of "Krab" between August 20 and September 3 of this year to give you a glimpse into just one unusual mission the harbor tug has performed. It clearly shows the tug executing ladder search patterns from the western to the eastern sides of the inlet to Tsemesskaya Bukhta, which leads to Novorossiysk. The blue conex box that is found on its afterdeck possibly contains the mysterious radio-technical equipment that Burilichev referenced in the above video.

And wherever "Krab" goes, you're likely to find another interesting GUGI-subordinate vessel named "Seliger"...