"Admiral Kuznetsov" & Friends to Deploy Soon

SU-33 Flanker and MIG-29K Fulcrum on board "Admiral Kuznetsov" -- August 2016

It now appears certain that the Russian Navy's sole aircraft carrier, "Admiral Kuznetsov", along with the nuclear-powered cruiser "Petr Velikiy" and destroyer "Severomorsk", are preparing to deploy within the next week.

"Petr Velikiy" -- May 2016

According to social media, "Petr Velikiy" was scheduled to transfer to a mooring position near Severomorsk today and depart from there on October 15 for a six- to eight-month deployment.

"Admiral Kuznetsov" performing final preparations -- October 8, 2016

"Admiral Kuznetsov" will arrive at a similar mooring position near Severomorsk on October 11. Interfax, citing an anonymous source, earlier reported the aircraft carrier would depart on October 15-20.

"Severomorsk" at 35th Shipyard -- July 8, 2016

"Severomorsk" is also scheduled to depart on October 15, based on social media.

Auxiliary support for the deployment will likely include salvage tug "Nikolay Chiker" and oiler "Sergey Osipov". "Nikolay Chiker" is currently moored near Severomorsk Naval Base. "Sergey Osipov" was noted underway near Severomorsk Naval Base on October 8.

KA-52 Hokum on board "Admiral Kuznetsov" -- August 29, 2016

The aircraft carrier is expected to deploy with a mixed inventory of KA-27/KA-29 Helix and KA-52 Hokum helicopters, as well as SU-33 Flanker and MIG-29K Fulcrum fighters.

Repairs of "Admiral Kuznetsov" began last spring, and it appeared they would continue until the end of this year; however, the repairs were completed earlier than scheduled. Following a number of underway combat drills and carrier flight operations, "Admiral Kuznetsov" returned to Rosta for final preparations before it transfers to its Severomorsk mooring position this week.

"Admiral Kuznetsov" & Friends to Deploy Soon

SU-33 Flanker and MIG-29K Fulcrum on board "Admiral Kuznetsov" -- August 2016

It now appears certain that the Russian Navy's sole aircraft carrier, "Admiral Kuznetsov", along with the nuclear-powered cruiser "Petr Velikiy" and destroyer "Severomorsk", are preparing to deploy within the next week.

"Petr Velikiy" -- May 2016

According to social media, "Petr Velikiy" will transfer to a mooring position near Severomorsk on October 9 and depart from there on October 15 for a six- to eight-month deployment.

"Admiral Kuznetsov" performing final preparations -- October 8, 2016

"Admiral Kuznetsov" will arrive at a similar mooring position near Severomorsk on October 11. Interfax, citing an anonymous source, earlier reported the aircraft carrier would depart on October 15-20.

"Severomorsk" at 35th Shipyard -- July 8, 2016

"Severomorsk" is also scheduled to depart on October 15, based on social media.

Auxiliary support for the deployment will likely include salvage tug "Nikolay Chiker" and oiler "Sergey Osipov". "Nikolay Chiker" is currently moored near Severomorsk Naval Base. "Sergey Osipov" was noted underway near Severomorsk Naval Base on October 8.

KA-52 Hokum on board "Admiral Kuznetsov" -- August 29, 2016

The aircraft carrier is expected to deploy with a mixed inventory of KA-27/KA-29 Helix and KA-52 Hokum helicopters, as well as SU-33 Flanker and MIG-29K Fulcrum fighters.

Repairs of "Admiral Kuznetsov" began last spring, and it appeared they would continue until the end of this year; however, the repairs were completed earlier than scheduled. Following a number of underway combat drills and carrier flight operations, "Admiral Kuznetsov" returned to Rosta for final preparations before it transfers to its Severomorsk mooring position this week.

Russian Navy Activity Summary, February 2016

Landing ship "Ivan Gren" undergoing initial deperm - February 2016

Date	Event
Feb 2	Submarine “Vladikavkaz” returned to Polyarnyy after "long-distance" mission
Feb 2	New deep-submergence submarine rescue vehicle "AS-40" temporarily embarked on submarine rescue ship "Alagez"; will transfer to "Igor Belousov" after it transfers to Pacific Fleet
Feb 4	New-construction landing ship “Ivan Gren” commenced initial deperming near Yantar Baltic Shipyard
Feb 6	Frigate "Admiral Essen" began first phase of state acceptance testing
Feb 8	Surprise combat readiness inspection began in Southern Military District (augmented by elements of the Central Military District); inspection ended on Feb 12
Feb 10	Frigate "Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Gorshkov" completed 15-day dock repair period at Shipyard 35 in Murmansk
Feb 11	Frigate "Admiral Grigorovich" returned to Yantar Baltic Shipyard for spruce work before scheduled commissioning ceremony on March 11
Feb 13	Kalibr-armed patrol combatant "Zelenyy Dol" and minesweeper "Kovrovets" departed Sevastopol en route to the   Mediterranean Sea; "Zelenyy Dol" arrived in Tartus, Syria, on Feb 17
Feb 18	Third Project 22160 patrol ship "Pavel Derzhavin" laid down at Gorkiy Zelenodolsk Shipyard
Feb 19	Project 19910 hydrographic survey vessel “Admiral Rogotskiy” laid down at October Revolution Shipyard (Blagoveshchensk)
Feb 21	Intelligence collection ship "Priazovye" noted heading southbound through Turkish Straits
Feb 24	Flight ban and route closures went into effect for "Russian Navy exercises" in the eastern Mediterranean Sea; valid through Feb 29
Feb 24	Oceanographic research vessel "Admiral Vladimirskiy" completed Antarctica survey and began transit to Cape Town, South Africa
Feb 29	Floating workshop "PM-138" joined Russian Navy task group in the Mediterranean Sea; to relieve "PM-56"

Follow-Up: Kalibr Missile Shooter Heading to Mediterranean Sea

Flight ban and flight route closures for "Russian Navy exercise" -- February 24-29, 2016

Two NOTAM warnings have been issued for Russian Navy "rocket test firings" that may occur in the eastern Mediterranean Sea next week:

A0126/16 -
RUSSIAN NAVY EXERCISE (ROCKET TEST FIRINGS) WILL TAKE PLACE IN AREA:
344400N0345800E
351300N0345800E
351300N0353300E
344400N0353300E
THE AREA INCLUDES BUFFER ZONE. SFC - FL660, 0500-1500, 24 FEB 05:00 2016 UNTIL 29 FEB 15:00 2016. CREATED: 18 FEB 13:45 2016 

A0127/16 - DUE TO RUSSIAN NAVY EXERCISE AS REFFERRED IN NOTAM A0126/16 THE FOLLOWING AIRWAYS WILL BE CLOSED:
1. W/UW17 (BALMAS-NIKAS)
2. R/UR78, M/UM978 (ALSUS-NIKAS)
SFC-FL660. 0500-1500, 24 FEB 05:00 2016 UNTIL 29 FEB 15:00 2016. CREATED: 18 FEB 13:55 2016

The flight ban and flight route closures are identical to those announced for "Russian Navy exercises" in the past.

"Zelenyy Dol" transiting the Turkish Straits -- February 14, 2016
(credit: Yörük Işık)

Three Russian Navy combatants are currently operating in the eastern Mediterranean: the missile cruiser "Varyag", the destroyer "Vitse-Admiral Kulakov", and the missile ship "Zelenyy Dol". The latter arrived in Tartus, Syria, on February 17. While there is growing suspicion that "Zelenyy Dol" may launch land-attack cruise missiles into Syria during its current deployment, different flight bans and route closures were used when Kilo-class submarine "Rostov-na-Donu" launched four land-attack cruise missiles into Syria in December 2015.

Russian Navy Activity Summary, January 2016

DSRV "AS-40" (right) + DSRV "AS-28" (left) on board "Alagez" submarine rescue ship -- February 2, 2016

Date	Event
Jan 2	Research vessel "Admiral Vladimirskiy” arrived in Cape Town, South Africa; departed on Jan 4
Jan 3	Cruiser “Varyag” entered Mediterranean Sea via Suez Canal; to relieve “Moskva”
Jan 6	Destroyer “Bystryy” arrived in Da Nang, Vietnam; departed Jan 9
	Project 18271/Bester-1 deep-submergence submarine rescue vehicle “AS-40” recently arrived in Pacific Fleet; to be temporarily embarked on submarine rescue ship “Alagez” until “Igor Belousov” transfers to Pacific Fleet
	Frigate “Admiral Grigorovich” returned to Baltiysk following 28-day deployment to Northern Fleet to conduct weapons testing
Jan 9	Cruiser “Moskva” returned to Sevastopol following 108-day deployment to Mediterranean Sea
Jan 10	Ocean-going tug “MB-97” departed Kronshtadt; subsequently arrived in Baltiysk on Jan 12 for permanent basing; to be commissioned in Feb 2016
Jan 12	Crew of new-construction frigate “Admiral Makarov” sent to St. Petersburg to undergo specialized crew training
Jan 13	Hull numbers on several Black Sea Fleet combatants changed as early as Jan 13 – specifically, the middle digit was changed. Over the course of several days, the following changes were noted (old > new): cruiser “Kerch” (713 > 753), frigate “Ladnyy” (801 > 861), frigate “Pytlivyy” (808 > 868), destroyer “Smetlivyy” (810 > 870); no other hull number changes noted in the Black Sea Fleet or any other fleet area
Jan 14	Northern Fleet’s Arctic Oceanographic Expedition recently stood up; to perform systematic research of the water areas of the Arctic Sea and territories of Russian arctic islands; successor to Northern Hydrographic Expedition (1924-2011)
Jan 17	Destroyer “Bystryy” arrived in Shanghai, China; departed Jan 21
Jan 18	Research vessel “Admiral Vladimirskiy” reached Lazarev Sea and began its Antarctic survey work
	Crews of new-construction submarines “Kolpino” and “Velikiy Novgorod” sent to Obninsk to undergo specialized crew training
Jan 23	Landing ship “Korolev” returned to Baltiysk following 249-day deployment to Mediterranean Sea
Jan 25	Fire broke out on “PD-41” floating dry dock at Shipyard 30 in Dunay; no reporting on any damage to ships that were inside the dock at the time
Jan 26	Destroyer “Bystryy” returned to Vladivostok following 85-day deployment

Russian Navy Exercise in Eastern Mediterranean Sea

Flight ban (yellow) and flight route restrictions (red) for Russian Navy combat drills -- January 8-11, 2016

In late January, flight bans and route restrictions were announced for a Russian Navy exercise:

A0037/16 - RUSSIAN NAVY EXERCISE (ROCKET TEST FIRINGS) WILL TAKE PLACE IN AREA BOUNDED BY:
344400N0345800E
351300N0345800E
351300N0353300E
344400N0353300E
THE AREA INCLUDES BUFFER ZONE. SFC - FL660, 0500-1500, 08 FEB 05:00 2016 UNTIL 11 FEB 15:00 2016.

A0039/16 - DUE TO RUSSIAN NAVY EXERCISE AS REFERED IN NOTAM A0037/16 THE FOLLOWING AIRWAYS WILL BE CLOSED:
W/UW17 (BALMA-NIKAS)
R/UR78, M/UM978 (ALSUS-NIKAS)
BTN SFC-FL660. 0500-1500, 08 FEB 05:00 2016 UNTIL 11 FEB 15:00 2016.

The flight ban and flight route restrictions are identical to those used before by the Russian Navy.

While there has been no official statement by military public affairs representatives about the exercise, there are two naval combatants operating in the eastern Mediterranean Sea that could utilize the area: Slava-class cruiser "Varyag" (Pacific Fleet) and Udaloy I-class destroyer "Vitse-Admiral Kulakov" (Northern Fleet). Last month, the destroyer conducted anti-air warfare training that included simulated surface-to-air missile and gunnery drills.

"Yauza" Heading to Black Sea

AIS tracking of "Yauza" -- September 10-27, 2015

Since September 10, a vessel named "Yauza" has been making its way from Severomorsk, Russia, to the Turkish Straits, presumably headed for the Black Sea. The day before getting underway, the vessel was at a Severomorsk weapons handling facility (home of the 571st Technical Missile Base), where it was located between 0946 UTC on September 9 and 0456 UTC on September 10. What activity was conducted there is a mystery.

AIS tracking of "Yauza" showing it at a Severomorsk weapons handling facility on September 8-10, 2015

The vessel has made no known port calls since leaving Severomorsk. "Yauza" was noted tracking north through the Turkish Straits today when it unexpectedly turned around between 1222 UTC and 1510 UTC. The vessel continued tracking to the southwest until 1647 UTC when it reached a holding point located ~14 nautical miles east of the Greek Island of Lemnos.

AIS tracking of "Yauza" on September 27, 2015

Given the name and departure port, this appears to be the Northern Fleet cargo and personnel vessel "Yauza". If true, its apparent voyage to the Black Sea would be unusual and could be related to the ongoing transfer of Russian military personnel and materiel to Syria.

Amguema cargo vessel "Yauza" in 2007 -- before conversion
credit: Denis Nemetovskiy

Amguema-class cargo vessel (Rus: Project 550M special-purpose large naval dry cargo vessel) "Yauza" was built at Kherson Shipyard for the Soviet Navy. It was laid down in April 1974 and joined the Northern Fleet in 1975. In 1988, the vessel was resubordinated to the Ministry of Defense's 12th Main Directorate, which oversees military nuclear safety and security programs. Since then, the vessel had been used to transport cargo between the Russian mainland and Novaya Zemlya.

Commemorative booklet celebrating Nerpa Shipyard's 50th anniversary in September 2015
credit: Nerpa Shipyard

On April 3, 2008, the Ministry of Defense signed a contract (253/05/7/K/0329-08) with Nerpa Shipyard in Snezhnogorsk (Murmansk Oblast) to perform capital repairs, modernization, and conversion of "Yauza", to include increasing the number of passengers it could carry to 98. The vessel's superstructure was lengthened, and two new cranes were installed: one on the bow (Liebherr CBW 60/16, 60 metric ton lift capacity) and one on the stern (9 metric ton lift capacity). Other changes included the installation of new main (4 х 1,500 kW) and emergency (1 х 200 kW) diesel generators, steam boilers (2 x 4,000 kg/h), and modern control, safety, and communications systems. The vessel has four cargo holds.

Amguema cargo + passenger vessel "Yauza" in June 2014 -- after conversion

On October 8, 2012, “Yauza” was relaunched. The vessel commenced post-modernization factory sea trials in June 2014 and was turned back over to the Northern Fleet in May 2015. In July, employees of the 51st Central Design and Technology Institute of Ship Repairs received awards for developing design documentation for the vessel's repairs and modernization.

The “Yauza” conversion was not completed without a few scandals. In October 2013, investigators claimed that Nerpa Shipyard had not completed RUB 415 million in work for which it had already been paid. Additionally, the price of the original contract had grown an additional RUB 159.8 million. Contracts fulfilled just between July 2013 and December 2014 totaled RUB 28,006,934, including RUB 6,000,000 for round-trip towing services between Nerpa Shipyard and Severodvinsk in 2014. The final cost of the project reportedly more than doubled from the original RUB 1.6 billion to nearly RUB 4 billion. In July 2015, former Nerpa Shipyard general director Aleksandr Gorbunov was sentenced to four years in prison and fined RUB 600,000 for falsely claiming the shipyard had completed repairs on "Yauza" for which it received RUB 10 million. In September, shipyard employees were still waiting to be paid salaries for June through August. When one worker asked via social media where the money for employees' salaries had disappeared to, another responded it had "sailed away" with "Yauza".

Musical Submarine Rescue Ships

"Sayany" submarine rescue ship in Valletta, Malta - September 3, 2015
[credit" Emmanuel L.]

On August 31, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that Black Sea Fleet Prut-class submarine rescue ship "EPRON" had departed the Black Sea en route to India for unspecified "international military cooperation" with that country's naval forces. The ship transited the Suez Canal, entered the Red Sea on September 3, and is scheduled to arrive in India in early October. "EPRON" last deployed out of the Black Sea in 2011 to support NATO's Bold Monarch submarine rescue exercise near Spain.

What exactly "EPRON" will do in India and for how long is unknown. With the departure of the Black Sea Fleet's sole fully functional submarine rescue ship, this would appear to indicate no submarine operations will occur in the Black Sea for some time. However, Pacific Fleet Rudnitskiy-class submarine rescue ship "Sayany" is currently in the Mediterranean Sea. It was photographed in Valletta, Malta, on September 3, and there is reason to believe it will head into the Black Sea in the near future.

So, what's really going on?

All of Russia's four fleets have submarine rescue ships in their inventories:

- The Northern and Pacific Fleets each have two Rudnitskiy-class ships equipped with deep-submergence rescue vehicles (DSRV); the Pacific Fleet also has the DSRV-equipped Elbrus-class ship "Alagez". Both fleets also have two DSRVs; however, one of the Northern Fleet's DSRVs is currently undergoing a two-year maintenance cycle at Kanonerskiy Shipyard (St. Petersburg).

- The Baltic Fleet has one DSRV-equipped Kashtan-class ship - SS-750.

- The Black Sea has the "EPRON" and the 100-year-old Kommuna-class ship "Kommuna". While "EPRON" is equipped with a rescue chamber, since 2007 the "Kommuna" has had no equipment capable of bringing stranded submariners to the surface. It is equipped only with small remotely-operated vehicles (ROV) capable of surveying the distressed submarine and providing limited support to rescue operations.

Thus, the Pacific Fleet is the only fleet with two operational DSRVs, and the only fleet capable of deploying it (on board "Sayany") to the Mediterranean Sea. As with the Baltic and Northern Fleets, the Pacific Fleet can continue submarine operations with a single operational DSRV.

"Kommuna" submarine rescue ship with "AS-5" DSRV on board - December 2005

In a July 17 Krasnaya Zvezda article about "Kommuna" was this tell-tale paragraph:

In the future, "Kommuna" will again have rescue work. In the near future, six new diesel-electric submarines will arrive in the Black Sea Fleet, and the safety of their operations needs to be ensured. And so plans for "Kommuna" include receiving a rescue submersible and carrying out rescue ship missions.

"Kommuna" was last equipped with a DSRV (Project 1837-class "AS-5") between 1998 and 2006. In 2007, "AS-5" was transferred to the Baltic Fleet, where it served until being stricken from service last year. The above statement, however, suggests the rescue ship may once again serve as the mothership for a DSRV. And that DSRV may be delivered by "Sayany".

If the Krasnaya Zvezda article is correct in suggesting "Kommuna" will take on the Pacific Fleet DSRV on a permanent basis, that means "Sayany" will return to Vladivostok empty, leaving the Pacific Fleet with only one DSRV. While that may be workable for a short time, it would be impossible to operate submarines were the sole remaining DSRV to be out-of-service, either for routine or unscheduled maintenance, for many months. And while Russian Navy's four newer Project 18551/Priz-class DSRVs can be transported via air, road, and train between fleet areas, that is far from the optimal way of providing submarine rescue support.

Yet, the Pacific Fleet was forced to operate in just this way in 2005-2008 and 2012-2013 when the fleet's two DSRVs took turns undergoing long-overdue repairs and upgrades. And it is under these conditions that the Northern Fleet is currently operating - one operational DSRV, one undergoing upgrades. However, from a geographical perspective, the impact on the Northern Fleet is negligible compared to the Pacific Fleet. The farthest distance between Northern Fleet submarine bases (Kola area and Severodvinsk) is approximately 330 nautical miles. Placing a rescue ship somewhere between those two bases would ensure a DSRV could be on station to support operations near both bases and could arrive at the location of a distressed submarine in less than 10 hours. The Pacific Fleet, on the other hand, has two submarine bases (Vladivostok and Kamchatka Peninsula) that are located nearly 1,200 nautical miles apart. Placing a DSRV-equipped submarine rescue ship at 600 nautical miles from either base means it would not arrive at the location of a downed submarine for nearly 30 hours.

"Igor Belousov" with "AS-40" DSRV on board - May 7, 2015
[credit: Curious]

Enter Russia's newest submarine rescue ship, "Igor Belousov", with the fleet's newest DSRV, Project 18271/Bester 1-class "AS-40". Since leaving Baltiysk in August for Phase 4 of factory sea trials, the "Igor Belousov" crew has been testing the ship's diver chamber and Pantera Plus ROV at design depths in the Atlantic Ocean. After being commissioned, the rescue ship will eventually join the Pacific Fleet, probably in 2016, which means the fleet will once again have two DSRVs in its inventory.

The transfer of the Pacific Fleet DSRV will provide the Black Sea Fleet with a much needed boost in submarine rescue capabilities. With the arrival of the first new Kilo-class submarine in the Black Sea later this month and five more over the next 18 months, the Russian Navy cannot risk supporting its growing undersea arsenal using 1950's technology.

"Bryansk" Officer Dies in Submarine's Sail

"Bryansk" surfaces through the ice -- August 21, 2007

One week ago, July 25 - the day before Russian Navy Day, a 45-year-old warrant officer (Vitaliy Shimanskiy) died on board Delta IV-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine "Bryansk". Investigators remain tight-lipped while they continue questioning crew members, as well as relatives and friends of the officer. The only details to emerge so far are that he was found dead in the submarine sail after the submarine surfaced and that he was tied to something inside the sail.

The first clue that something had gone wrong came in the form of an urgent plea via social media for Shimanskiy's contact information during the early afternoon hours on July 25. And then silence... until Komsomolskaya Pravda published the first article about the incident two days after Navy Day. The item quickly spread through social media and was republished by regional and national media outlets.

While there are few other clues about Shimanskiy (he was a member of the submarine's Second Crew), a quick internet search revealed that a Senior Warrant Officer Vitaliy Vitoldovich Shimanskiy had appealed to the Gadzhiyevo Garrison Military Court in February 2014 to force defense officials to pay him money owed following decrees by the Western Military District that had increased his salary. The description of Shimanskiy's job title matches that of a technician working on a nuclear-powered submarine.

Many questioned why Shimanskiy remained in the sail as the submarine was submerging (no one knew he was missing? possible suicide?) and why he was tied to the sail (so his body would be found?). Several current and former servicemen from the submarine's home port of Gadzhiyevo did admit that there was at least one other similar situation, although the submariner(s) in that instance survived.

Warrant Officer Shimanskiy is survived by his wife and daughter. A memorial service was held on July 30; the burial will take place in St. Petersburg.

MOD vs Zvezdochka Shipyard: Oscar II "Orel"

Oscar II submarine "Orel" undergoing dock repairs at 82nd Shipyard (Roslyakovo) - March 31, 2012
credit: avsky

On December 30, 2010, the Russian Ministry of Defense signed state contract R/1/2/0137/GK-11-DGOZ with Zvezdochka Ship Repair Center for service maintenance and repairs of Northern Fleet ships and submarines, to include Oscar II submarine "Orel", Sierra II submarine "Pskov", and Victor III submarines "Obninsk" and "Tambov". Costs included in the table of work to be performed on "Orel" totaled RUB 10,529,136. While the contract was signed in December 2010, the specific repairs for "Orel" were not approved by the MOD until May 22, 2012 - nearly 17 months after the contract was signed. According to the contract, all work under the contract was to be completed by December 31, 2012.

On December 25, 2014, the MOD filed papers with the Arbitration Court of Moscow seeking RUB 3,042,920 in compensation for the shipyard's failure to complete the agreed to work on "Orel" by the specified deadline. According to its complaint, the MOD stated that some elements of the submarine's repairs were not completed as of October 16, 2013, or 289 days after the contract deadline.

The court determined that nearly all contract line items for the "Orel" repairs were completed by the deadline. Two line items, totaling RUB 7,260,831, were completed by May 13, 2013. However, this delay was caused in part by the MOD's failure to finalize the specifics of the submarine's repairs as they related to those two line items until May 2012.

On April 2, 2015, the court issued its decision (A40-217314/2014) in which it found Zvezdochka was not authorized to unilaterally stop work under the contract, as it violated Articles 309 and 310 of the Russian State Code. The court, however, dismissed the MOD's claim that a contract having multiple line items can only be considered complete when all line items have been completed. Since the shipyard did complete all but two of the line items within the stated deadline, the court limited the shipyard's compensation to the MOD to RUB 500,000 (about 16% of what the MOD was seeking), plus another RUB 13,000 in court fees.

Within a few days, both sides filed appeals with the 9th Arbitration Appeals Court, which is scheduled to begin reviewing the case on July 7.

Upgrading Barents Sea Undersea Surveillance

Sierra II nuclear-powered submarine "Kostroma" after collision with "USS Baton Rouge" in 1992

The Russian Ministry of Defense is planning to install a new, modernized MGK-608M fixed undersea surveillance system in the Barents Sea by the end of 2016. The announced contract covers the installation, set-up, and calibration of the system, but not the production of the system – which suggests that the system has already been produced. The contract also covers training of operators at the Northern Fleet’s Experimental Sonar Facility in Severomorsk. The total cost of the MOD contract is RUB 216,349,700.

Based on the contract (RA/1/04/Р/0347/2015), at-sea installation of the MGK-608M will be performed by a Northern Fleet cable ship. This most likely will be the fleet’s only operational Klasma-class cable ship – “Inguri”. The contract also contains other interesting details:

• this MGK-608M will replace a prototype MGK-608M system installed some time earlier
• there are passive and active elements of the system
• the current passive section will be lengthened by 105 kilometers
• the system will be connected to an Alevrit “functional surveillance control system” [procurement and installation of the Alevrit system is covered under state contract RA/1/04/Р/0346/2015]
• the cable ship will spend 218 days in port and 50 days at sea loading, checking, installing, and calibrating elements of the system

An earlier version of the undersea surveillance system, MGK-608, has been in operation since the mid-1990s. Contracts for repairs of the MGK-608 in 2007-2008 indicate that the older system was still functional at that time.

Annual stockholder reports (2011-2013) for the Special Draft Design Bureau of Control Systems showed that the company was working on software improvements for MGK-608 systems under a State Defense Order for the “Severyanin” program; its efforts were to continue into 2015. Additionally, the reports indicated that the company has been working on a component of a Scientific Research Project (OKR) called “Silda” under state contract 253/10/8/К/0028-07 (signed September 28, 2007). The contract stipulated that work on OKR “Silda” was to occur between September 2007 and March 2015. Thus, while there appears to be a link between MGK-608, the “Severyanin” project, and OKR “Silda”, the link between these efforts and either the prototype or newer MGK-608M is not yet clear.

MGK-608E undersea surveillance system offered for export
(credit: Atoll Scientific Research Institute)

The MGK-608 has been offered for export (MGK-608E) by the Atoll Scientific Research Institute. According to the company’s website:

The MGK-608E fixed passive sonar system is made up of a number of linear phased antenna arrays, consisting of receiving elements (hydrophones), which are installed on the seabed and can be extended to a range of dozens or hundreds of kilometers from the shoreline.

The system, which has a reported 90% accuracy rate in detecting submarines, can be installed at a depth of up to 1,000 meters, with the hydrophones extending up to 200 kilometers from shore.

Locations of 1992-1993 submarine collisions in the Barents Sea
(credit: Wikipedia)

With claims of multiple detections of foreign submarines operating in the Barents Sea dating back as far as the 1960s, Russia views the presence of NATO submarines in the Barents Sea as a constant irritant. Submarine collisions in 1986, 1992, and 1993 have added to Moscow’s concerns that NATO boats regularly operate in their back yard with impunity. In August 2014, Russian submarines detected what they believed to be a Virginia-class submarine conducting operations in the Barents Sea. This February, Voyenno-Promyshlennyy Kuryer published an article written by Rear Admiral (retired) Sergey Zhandarov in which he stipulated that the U.S. Navy Virginia-class submarine “New Hampshire” operated in the Barents Sea for some period between February 11 and August 13, 2014, likely referring to the same submarine detection reported above.

Daily Operations Center at the National Defense Command Center - 2015
(credit: RF Ministry of Defense)

While installation of the newer MGK-608M undersea surveillance system may provide local officials improved warning of the presence of foreign submarines in the Barents Sea, it will also keep decision-makers at the new National Defense Command Center apprised of ongoing activity in the area as part of the growing Common State Maritime and Undersea Surveillance System (Rus: ЕГСОНПО). The MGK-608M, along with other sensors and data sources, will provide Moscow with a common operating picture of activities occurring in and around Russia. Not only will duty officers in Moscow be informed in near-real time when the fleet has detected a foreign submarine, they will be able to monitor the fleet's response to the intruder, as well.

"Admiral Kuznetsov" Taking a Long Nap

"Admiral Kuznetsov" being loaded into 82nd Shipyard floating dry dock (May 14, 2015)

On May 13, the Russian Navy's sole aircraft carrier, "Admiral Kuznetsov", was towed to the 82nd Shipyard in Roslyakovo for out-of-water maintenance. The next day, the Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier was placed in the shipyard's PD-50 floating dock.

The question on everyone's mind is: how long will repairs last? Fleet officials would only say that workers needed to complete a survey of the ship before they could determine the full scope of work and finalize work orders.

Today, the first 13 contracts for the aircraft carrier's repairs were released. Based on a review of the contracts, it appears "Admiral Kuznetsov" will be out of business until at least December 2016. The combined total cost of the initial contracts: RUB 1,308,808,984. Below is a breakdown of the contractual information.

Time	Costs (RUB)	Description
May 2015	607,360	survey of Svetlana-2N and Svetlana-23N.5 systems
May 2015	2,845,300	repairs of piping and sea chests
May 2015	986,000	repairs of 3D12AL main engine
Jun 2015	7,663,811	repairs of gas turbine generators
Aug 2015	93,768,131	repairs of Svetlana-2N system
Aug 2015	2,974,414	repairs of heating and separation systems of bilge water separators
Sep 2015	99,963,064	repairs of coolant machinery
May 2016	675,578,027	repairs of environmental systems
Nov 2016	167,394,664	repairs of navigation systems and equipment
Nov 2016	16,443,429	repairs of self-degaussing equipment
Dec 2016	31,403,960	repairs of Compartment 7 equipment
Dec 2016	97,180,824	repairs of radar and sonar systems
Dec 2016	112,000,000	repairs of NTsV pumps

XLT+: RF Navy's First New Icebreaker in 45 Years - "Ilya Muromets"

Keel authentication plaque for Project 21180 icebreaker "Ilya Muromets" - April 23, 2015
(credit: Admiralty Shipyards)

                                              [Translation of Admiralty Shipyards press release]

ADMIRALTY SHIPYARDS LAYS DOWN ICEBREAKER "ILYA MUROMETS"
April 23, 2015

Admiralty Shipyards general director Aleksandr Buzakov called the keel-laying of the new ship a remarkable holiday: "It's symbolic that this event is taking place on the shipyard's open way where, during different years, ships were built that made company history, to include the world's first nuclear-powered icebreaker, 'Lenin'," Aleksandr Buzakov pointed out. "Construction of the new ship began immediately at a good pace: in October of last year, cutting of metal began for the icebreaker's first section, and today on the building way we already see eight sections of the future ship."

"Today's event is a holiday not only for the shipyard, but also for the entire Navy," noted Andrey Vernigora, head of the RF Ministry of Defense's Department for State Defense Order Procurement. "Admiralty Shipyards is one of Russia's oldest companies from whose building ways have been launched nearly 3,000 vessels and ships, and there is no doubt among the Navy leadership that this new icebreaker will be of the highest quality, completed on time, and capable of strengthening the defense capabilities of our nation."

"It's great that the new ship received the proud name 'Ilya Muromets'," said St. Petersburg deputy governor Sergey Movchan. "And I'm happy to congratulate the workforce of the renowned Admiralty Shipyards on another company holiday. The keel-laying of a new ship is a holiday not only for the shipyard and city, but also for the nation. I wish the shipbuilders much success and hope you have many more ship construction orders!"

The new single-deck multifunction vessel is intended to provide icebreaking support for the basing and deployment of fleet forces in ice conditions, independent escort of ships and vessels, as well as towing support.

The Project 21180 icebreaker is a new-generation vessel having new approaches to electric propulsion and a modern power plant. "Ilya Muromets" is the first icebreaker in Russia to have Azipod-type thruster pods that are mounted externally on the vessel using an articulated mechanism and that can rotate 360 degrees about the vertical axis, which allows the icebreaker to equally freely move forward, backward, and sideways. The timeline for delivery of the vessel – late 2017.

Vessel's basic tactical and technical features: displacement – 6,000 tons; length – 84 meters; beam — 20 meters; free board – 9.2 meters; draft — 7 meters; speed – 15 knots; endurance – up to 60 days; range – up to 12,000 miles; ice navigation – ice field thickness of up to 1 meter; propulsion type – diesel-electric with 3.5 megawatt thruster pods; crew – 32.

                                                                       - - - - - - - - - -

On March 21, 2014, the RF MOD signed a contract (Z/1/1/0123/GK-14-DGOZ) with Admiralty Shipyards for the construction of the first Project 21180 icebreaker. Although the exact cost of the contract was not specified, in November, the shipyard secured a RUB 890,000,000 state-backed loan with VTB Bank; the loan is valid through December 31, 2018. Requests for Proposals published to date provide a general timeline for the icebreaker's construction.

ITEM	DELIVERY
crane (26-ton lift capacity)	May 2016
launch-retrieval unit for BL-820 small boat	May 2016
towing winch	May 2016
fire detection system	Apr 2016
accommodation ladders	Jan 2016
emergency diesel generator	Jan 2016
fuel spill response container	Jan 2016
galley elevator	Jan 2016
shaft electric plant	Jan 2016
tow module	Jan 2016
electronic chart navigation system	1Q2016
boiler plants	Dec 2015
hydraulics system	Dec 2015
Azipod thrusters	Nov 2015
remote control equipment for piping system	4Q2015
hatchway doors	Sep 2015
in-port diesel generators	Sep 2015
main diesel generators	Sep 2015
pneumatic tanks	Sep 2015
heat exchangers	Jul 2015
water coolant pumps	Jul 2015
water desalination plant	Jul 2015
radio-navigation equipment	3Q2015-1Q2016
air heaters	3Q2015
compressors	3Q2015
electric pumps	3Q2015
galley equipment	3Q2015
navigation equipment	3Q2015
pumps	3Q2015
reservoir tank	3Q2015
transformers	3Q2015
UV-450-01 observation and targeting sight	3Q2015
bow thrusters	Jun 2015

"Petr Velikiy" Heads for Norwegian Sea ASW Exercise

Possible antisubmarine warfare exercise area closure in Norwegian Sea - December 7-20, 2014

According to a December 8 Western Military District press release, Northern Fleet Kirov-class nuclear-powered cruiser "Petr Velikiy" departed port in the past few days and is heading to an antisubmarine warfare (ASW) exercise. According to Vice Admiral Nikolay Yevmenov (Chief of Staff, Northern Fleet), "a feature of this event is the area where it will be conducted - farther away and with more difficult hydrological conditions than in those areas where we regularly conduct such training." The ASW exercise area is further defined as being "in neutral waters in a training range of a far maritime zone on the border of the Norwegian and Greenland Seas."

While there is only the general description of the ASW exercise area, the following area closure, which was announced last week, seems to match that description in terms of location:

HYDROARC 350/2014    
NORWEGIAN SEA.
HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS.
DNC 21, DNC 22.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS 072100Z TO 202100Z DEC IN AREA BETWEEN 75-00N 72-00N AND 007-00E 012-00E.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 202200Z DEC 14.

Other participants of the training event, which will last several days, will include "several Northern Fleet submarines of various classes," shipborne KA-27 Helix helicopters, and IL-38 May and TU-142 Bear F long-range, fixed-wing ASW aircraft. At the conclusion of the event, "Petr Velikiy" is scheduled to launch torpedoes and depth bombs.

While Kirov is not the first surface combatant that comes to mind when you think of antisubmarine warfare, it is a capable platform, and it can carry a couple ASW helicopters. But if Russia is going this far out to conduct an antisubmarine warfare exercise, why bring only one ASW-capable surface combatant? Why not include an Udaloy or Sovremennyy destroyer?

Is "Petr Velikiy" Preparing for Another Half-Year Deployment?

Kirov nuclear-powered cruiser "Petr Velikiy" in the Mediterranean Sea - November 2013

Northern Fleet Kirov-class nuclear-powered cruiser "Petr Velikiy" completed a seven-month deployment between October 2013 and May 2014. After a six-month stand-down that included some level of repairs, the cruiser returned to sea in mid-November to complete combat certifications. During an approximate week-long underway period, the cruiser's crew conducted basic crew certifications along with gunnery and surface-to-air missile qualifications. Very routine, nothing unusual.

In late November, however, dispatches from social media suggested "Petr Velikiy" was preparing for a half-year deployment. And in early December, Deputy Minister of Defense General Dmitriy Bulgakov visited "Petr Velikiy" during a trip to Severomorsk.

There is no other information on departure/return dates, potential port calls, areas where the cruiser will operate, or even the names of support vessels. And, of course, no official confirmation of such a deployment has been released.

“Aleksandr Nevskiy” to Launch Bulava SLBM This Week

Flight bans (red) and flight route restrictions (green) - November 28-29, 2014

Several flight bans and flight restrictions have been announced for Barents Sea missile activity scheduled for November 28-29, 2014:

Flight bans
G2530/14 - TEMPO DANGER AREA ACT WI COORD:
  1. 693800N 0341000E-694700N 0341000E-702200N 0350000E-700400N 0362600E-692700N 0353500E-692700N 0351800E-693800N 0341000E-693800N 0341000E.
  2. 770300N 0530200E-755800N 0563300E-750500N 0521300E-760400N 0485300E-770300N 0530200E-770300N 0530200E.
SFC - UNL, DAILY 0900-2030, 28 NOV 09:00 2014 UNTIL 29 NOV 20:30 2014.

G2540/14 - FLT PROHIBITED WI AREA BOUNDED BY COORD:
693800N 0341000E-692700N 0351800E-692700N 0341000E-693800N 0341000E.
SFC - 1500M AMSL, DAILY 0900-2030, 28 NOV 09:00 2014 UNTIL 29 NOV 20:30 2014.

Flight route closure
G2525/14 - FLW ATS RTE SEGMENTS CLSD: B483 PIBOL - ANODI, B488 TILGA - ANODI. SFC - UNL, DAILY 0900-2030, 28 NOV 09:00 2014 UNTIL 29 NOV 20:30 2014.

Additionally, a flight route closure over the Kamchatka Peninsula near the Kura Test Range also goes into effect on the same dates:

P8284/14 - ATS RTE SEGMENT CLSD: B240 TILICHIKI NDB (TK) - OKLED. SFC - UNL, DAILY 0900-2030, 28 NOV 09:00 2014 UNTIL 29 NOV 20:30 2014.

"Aleksandr Nevskiy" arrived in Severodvinsk on November 7 to onload at least one SS-N-32 Bulava SLBM. The submarine departed Severodvinsk on November 15 for a two-day return transit to Sayda Guba. A week later, it transferred to the Severomorsk area.

Despite some confusion created by Interfax on November 10, military officials confirmed the next day that "Aleksandr Nevskiy", indeed, would launch a Bulava SLBM sometime during the last 10 days of November.

XLT+: "Severodvinsk" Emergency Escape Chamber Tested

Severodvinsk SSGN "Severodvinsk" with emergency escape chamber removed (November 2014)
(Image credit: TASS)

        [Translations of RF MOD press release and Russian TV21 news clip + RT video clip + more photos]

NORTHERN FLEET TESTS EMERGENCY ESCAPE CHAMBER FOR NEW "SEVERODVINSK" SUBMARINE
November 10, 2014
http://function.mil.ru/news_page/country/more.htm?id=11999475@egNews

The Northern Fleet held training of the emergency escape chamber on the lead Yasen-class nuclear-powered submarine "Severodvinsk", which joined the Russian Navy in June of this year.

According to Commander of the Northern Fleet Admiral Vladimir Korolev, "for the first time in the Russian period of our Navy's history, we have tested the direct applicability of the emergency escape chamber of a new nuclear-powered submarine with a test team on board."

Admiral Vladimir Korolev emphasized that "test results of the emergency escape chamber once again have confirmed that ships joining the fleet are reliable and well thought out. The careful preparation of the Northern Fleet Submarine Forces Command and the "Severodvinsk" crew for this event ensured safety execution of this highly complex combat training event."

A distinctive feature of this event was that, in the relatively shallow waters of Guba Zapadnaya Litsa, the nuclear-powered submarine, which displaces more than 13,000 tons and is nearly 140 meters long, had to submerge to a depth of 40 meters and become stable at that depth, thus replicating the motionless condition of a simulated distressed submarine on the seabed.

At the same time, the test team consisting of five men practiced steps for evacuating the simulated distressed submarine using the emergency escape chamber. In addition to the test team, inside the escape chamber was ballast that was equal to the total weight of the submarine's crew.

A second technical feature of this event was that after the emergency escape chamber with its positive buoyancy separated and freely floated to the surface, the submarine "became heavy" due to the mass of the escape chamber - and this was several tons. The crew had just a few seconds to stabilize the submarine at the assigned depth and later to safely surface.

After surfacing, the emergency escape chamber was towed to the side of a rescue vessel, and the test crew then climbed on board.

In addition to the "Severodvinsk" submarine crew, joining the training were units of the Northern Fleet's search and rescue service - the rescue vessel "Mikhail Rudnitskiy" and diver specialists.

Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Viktor Chirkov thanked the Northern Fleet personnel who participated in testing the emergency escape chamber for the courage and professionalism demonstrated during the training event.

All modern Russian Navy nuclear-powered submarines and those currently being built are equipped with emergency escape chambers.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

SUBMARINERS TEST EMERGENCY ESCAPE CHAMBER
November 10, 2014
http://tv21.ru/news/2014/11/10/?chid=13&newsid=74641

The Northern Fleet tested the emergency escape chamber on the lead Yasen-class nuclear-powered submarine "Severodvinsk", which joined the Russian Navy in June of this year. Elvira Serga and Konstantin Kabanets went to sea to see how this went.

The operation that the submariners had to perform, which was unique in terms of its complexity: rescuing the crew of a simulated distressed submarine using the emergency escape chamber. This evacuation method was invented 53 years ago. During Soviet times, however, only two such training events were held. And this operation is being held for the first time in the history of the Russian Navy. The "Severodvinsk" nuclear-powered submarine is already heading to the operations area.

In the shallow waters of Guba Zapadnaya Litsa, the nuclear-powered submarine, which displaces 13,000 tons and is nearly 140 meters long, has to submerge to a depth of 40 meters and become stable and motionless at that depth, thus replicating a motionless condition on the seabed.

[Sergey Grishko - Northern Fleet Submarine Forces Deputy Commander for the Electro-Mechanical Service] "For a crew with rather consistent training, this is a complex maneuver. But it's absolutely safe. Considering the support units that have been assembled for this maneuver, I believe everything will be fine."

On "Severodvinsk", the emergency escape chamber is built into the sail. One can only enter and exit the submarine through it. The chamber has the same factory of safety as that of the submarine itself. In essence, it's one more compartment. Inside of it at the moment it separates free will be five men - the test team, and ballast that is equal to the total weight of the crew. The goal is to test the reliability of the rescue system.

Air is removed from the ballast tanks, and the submarine begins to submerge. The first smoke flare indicates that the submarine has reached its position at the designated depth. The second flare is a signal that the chamber has separated.

The completely watertight compartment, a "group parachute" with people inside, freely floats to the surface. At that moment, the submarine, which became heavier due to the mass of the emergency escape chamber, goes deeper due to inertia. The crew's task is to stabilize the submarine at the assigned depth and ensure a safe surfacing maneuver.

The first phase of the operation was a success. Now this gigantic "cork" needs to be pushed to a tug and then moored to the hull for later transport to port. SevMash representatives on board the tug breathed a sign of relief.

[Viktor Pavlov - senior master from SevMash in Severodvinsk] "Of course, it was an unforgettable scene. Everything happened exactly as it was supposed to. Very cool, everything turned out very well, and I'm very pleased!" The next phase - decompressing the escape chamber and evacuating the personnel.

The entire team consisted of five testers: Sergey Balazhigitov, Sergey Melnikov, Aleksandr Dorofeyev, Igor Osaulenko, and Vladimir Serebryakov were transferred to the surface unharmed. Their names have already become part of the history of the Russian Navy.

[Sergey Balazhigitov - communicator] "I feel excellent, exhilarated, and we completed the task. We're ready for the next tasks."

[Sergey Melnikov - chemist] "Oxygen was within maximum allowable concentration limits. At the moment we surfaced, it was 21%, which means that the oxygen reserves in this emergency escape chamber ensure that the assigned tasks can be performed."

[Igor Osaulenko - test group leader] "There were no abnormal sensations - it was like being in an elevator. We rocked a little, and there was a 20 degree list to one side, and we jumped out of the water. That was it. Everything happened literally within 10 seconds, so no one had any time to really think about it."

[Vladimir Serebryakov - damage control commander] "Well, I can now say with confidence that it works, because I tested it myself. The emergency escape chamber is reliable, and it performed its function completely and thoroughly."

The "Severodvinsk" crew also successfully managed its task. Without the escape chamber, the submarine was stabilized, it surfaced unharmed, and it returned to port. Here, too, moored the tug with the escape chamber - the most non-combatant component on the submarine.

[Aleksandr Moiseyev - Northern Fleet Submarine Forces Commander] "This was rather serious training and maneuvers for the submarine. That is, credit goes without doubt to the commanding officer and the personnel who prepared to test this armament. This equipment was tested under factory conditions, but we tested it under conditions at its permanent home port in order to confirm our confidence in the equipment."

[Sergey Mityayev - "Severodvinsk" commanding officer] "We remembered, we read what they wrote about this, we figured it out and then we did it. A crane is now placing it on a special platform that was brought from SevMash, where both the submarine and emergency escape chamber were built. Later, after this, they'll perform specific steps to remove the ballast that was placed in it, and then use a crane to place it in its normal seated position."

After the successful operation, the crew will have a short break, and then the "Severodvinsk" crew will again go back on combat watch.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

RT also released a video of the event. Below are more TASS photos of "Severodvinsk" and its emergency escape chamber.