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.

XLT: Why NATO Fears Russian Exercises

                                 [Translation of Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper article]

WHY NATO FEARS RUSSIAN EXERCISES
November 3, 2014
By Anton Balagin
http://www.rg.ru/2014/11/03/uchenia-site.html

In peacetime, every military drains its soul in exercises. Moreover, such maneuvers by Russian military forces causes a nervous reaction, more like fear, from NATO. At times, not only are government officials and the press scared, but also professional military troops. We found out why this is happening.

"Sukhoi" versus "Aegis"

The encounter of a Russian bomber with the U.S. Navy destroyer DONALD COOK is worthy of a place in military training manuals as an example of an effective psychological attack. On April 12, an unarmed SU-24, which took off from Shagol (Chelyabinsk) Airbase, was flying over the Black Sea and approached the new American combatant ship, which is armed with cruise missiles and the latest “Aegis” command and control system. After the encounter, DONALD COOK quickly headed to the Romanian port of Constanța where, according to media reports, 27 sailors from the destroyer’s crew requested to be released from service. On April 14, the Pentagon released an emotional statement in which the SU-24 flight was called a violation of military traditions and international agreements.

What really upset the Americans? The Aegis system, with which the destroyer is equipped, is the latest word in technology in terms of detecting and destroying seaborne and airborne targets. It brings together the radars, fire control systems, and missiles of all ships equipped with it into a single network resembling a naval internet. Aegis radars can simultaneously track and target missiles at hundreds of targets located thousands of kilometers away. Altogether, a magnificent system.

But in place of bombs or missiles, the SU-24s approaching DONALD COOK carried a container with a Khibina radio-electronic warfare system. After approaching the ship, the Khibina systems turned off its [the destroyer’s] smart radar, combat control links, and data transfer systems – in a word, the entire Aegis, like we turn off a television with the push of a button on a remote. Afterwards, the fighter-bombers conducted a simulated missile attack on the blind and deaf destroyer. Then another and then... a total of 12 combat approaches.

DONALD COOK never approached Russian waters again. Nor did NATO ships that relieved it in the Black Sea.

The Russians are Coming!

Flying over American ships is a time-honored tradition for our pilots. In Soviet times, TU-95 strategic bombers would sneak up, undetected, to American aircraft carriers in the Atlantic and perform low-level flyovers while photographing their equipment and showing them friendly gestures through the windows. In naval parlance, this is called demonstrating the flag. The encounters occurred in neutral waters and, from the view of international law, were absolutely without reproach.

The U.S. wasn’t taken to court after, in August, Northern Fleet ships detected an American Virginia-class submarine in waters adjacent to the Barents Sea and forced it to leave the area. Everyone trains: when one penetrates, others detect and thwart. Some succeed, others don’t.

Each flight by Russian bombers along U.S. borders and its allies causes a storm of indignation by NATO. Fighters are scrambled to intercept, and then a whirlwind is stirred up in the press. In the end, some important official rises to the NATO pulpit in Brussels to call the incident “another provocation by Russia.” By the way, such flights – near Chinese borders, let’s say – are performed regularly by American bombers. And they conduct large-scale exercises there. And U.S. Navy Lockheed P-3C Orion intelligence collection aircraft patrol near Russia’s eastern borders, and our MIG-31s scramble to intercept. And no one objects – everyone trains.

Incidentally, TU-160 flights far from Russia that unnerve the West – they are not just combat training or demonstrating the flag. Intercepting a super-sonic strategic bomber is a very expensive luxury. Whereas super-sonic is cruising speed for a “White Swan” [TU-160], for fighters chasing it such speeds require the exertion of all of their forces – afterburners at a minimum. Which is harmful to the engine’s service life. And for an F-22 Raptor, each such flight turns into repairs of its priceless, in the true sense of the word, stealth coating.

Where are We?

Sometimes there is no need for the Russian military to scare its colleagues from the North Atlantic bloc or western journalists – NATO does that successfully on its own. Not too long ago, residents of the small Polish town of Gruta, 220 kilometers north of Warsaw, were on the brink of panic when they saw foreign military helicopters in a rapeseed field next to the town.

Recalling World War II, elder residents thought that the Germans had again invaded, while younger residents believed that the Russians were coming. Additionally, soldiers in foreign uniforms poured out of the helicopters and began wandering around the town trying to find out from passersby where they had ended up. They asked in English.

They turned out to be American helicopters that had become lost on a return trip from exercises held in Latvia. Six UH-60 Black Hawks were flying to the Polish airbase in Mirosławiec, but fell behind the main group and got lost. Finding a farmer who understood a little English, the pilots unfolded a map and asked him to show where their current location. He did, and the mayor of Gruta presented the Americans with a pamphlet that described the local attractions.

One of the most effective points of that exercise (besides the forced landing of the Black Hawks in the rapeseed field) was the assault landing of 500 troops at the Latvian airport of Lielvārde. “But there, the NATO military personnel at least knew where they had landed,” wrote an El Mundo military affairs reporter.

XLT: Status of Petersburg SS Construction

Petersburg SS "Sankt-Peterburg"
(Image courtesy of TASS)

                                                      [Translation of TASS news article]

SECOND PROJECT 677 SUBMARINE FOR RUSSIAN NAVY TO BE LAUNCHED IN LATE 2015
October 28, 2014
http://tass.ru/armiya-i-opk/1538231

The second Project 677 diesel-electric submarine for the Russian Navy, "Kronshtadt", will be launched in late 2015. Admiralty Shipyards general director Aleksandr Buzakov informed TASS about this at Euronaval-2014. Previously it was reported that work on the submarine "Kronshtadt" should be completed in 2017.

"There is still a year before the launch of 'Kronshtadt'," said Buzakov. "Everything will depend on equipment delivery timelines, and not timelines for conducting factory work. When the equipment shows up, we can talk about more precise timelines for a launch," he added.

The general director reported that one quarter of the hull work on "Kronshtadt" has been completed.

Construction of a third submarine

Admiralty Shipyards has begun construction of a third Project 677 diesel-electric submarine for the Russian Navy, although a contract has not yet been signed. The submarine has been named "Sevastopol", Buzakov explained. "A final contract has not been signed, but the cost and a number of other contract parameters have been agreed to. That is to say, at the present time, several formalities are proceeding to completion. Therefore, part of the work on the submarine is already underway," Buzakov explained, noting that a small percentage of hull work has already been completed as part of the submarine's construction.

The general director noted that the first three Project 677 diesel-electric submarines will not be equipped with air-independent propulsion (AIP). "This will be a series of three submarines that will not be equipped with AIP. The lead unit, "Sankt-Peterburg", is undergoing trial operations. On the other two submarines, everything will be verified in terms of quality and other parameters, which must be raised to the level of the design," Buzakov said.

AIP allows non-nuclear submarines to operate under the water for long periods without having to surface.

Project 677 (Lada) diesel-electric submarines were developed to combat surface ships and were designed for antisubmarine warfare, destruction of enemy naval bases, facilities and sea lines of communication, as well as for intelligence and patrol missions.

XLT+: Project 20386 Corvette and UAVs

Gorizont Air S-100 unmanned aerial vehicle on display at Interpolitekh-2013 - October 2013
(Image courtesy of dokwar.ru)

                                                     [Translation of TASS news article]

NEW GENERATION CORVETTE WITH MODULAR WEAPONRY AND SHIPBORNE UAVS TO BE LAID DOWN IN 2015
Source: TASS
Date: October 15, 2014
http://itar-tass.com/armiya-i-opk/1508847

The keel-laying of a Project 20386 new generation corvette, which will bring together a modular principle for weaponry and the capability of basing unmanned aerial vehicles, is planned for next year year. Igor Zakharov, deputy general designer of Almaz Central Naval Design Bureau, told our TASS reporter this during an interview.

A number of media outlets, citing the Almaz design bureau and United Shipbuilding Corporation, earlier reported about the impending construction of corvettes under the improved Project 20386, which has evolved from the Project 20380 and Project 20385.

"The technical design phase is currently underway; therefore, I cannot describe the new corvette's characteristics. It will be a multipurpose ship of a principally new project. The keel-laying is planned for 2015," Zakharov said.

According to him, most likely the ship will be laid down at Severnaya Verf in St. Petersburg, but the decision rests with the customer.

Zakharov noted that the future corvette will have permanent, basic weaponry and removable combat modules, which will expand the number of missions the ship can perform. Designers are also interested in the introduction of an unmanned aerial vehicle on the corvette, "but everything related to this issue is not moving forward as fast as we would like," the Almaz deputy general designer admitted. He explained that the problem is linked to operating unmanned aerial vehicles in the common airspace of Russia and relevant regulatory issues with air safety.

The Gorizont helicopter-type unmanned aerial vehicle is being looked at as a possible option for equipping the corvette. "This is the only Russian unmanned vehicle that we know of that can land on a ship," Zakharov explained.

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Beyond the translation...

Indeed, Almaz Central Naval Design Bureau is still performing research and development into the Project 20386. On September 30 of this year, the design bureau announced that it had signed a contract with the Krylov State Scientific Center for "Component of Scientific Research Work: Determination of the Seagoing and Maneuvering Qualities of the Project 20386 Ship (Project 82)." The contract, which is based on Technical Specification 20386.360030.010TZ, is effective through November 2015. The work is broken down into two stages for which Almaz will pay RUB 6,097,000 (Stage 1) and RUB 3,450,000 (Stage 2).

If realized, Project 20386 would represent the third variant in the Steregushchiy line of frigates. Four units have been built, and two more are still being built (Amur Shipyard) as Project 20380 (Steregushchiy I). Two units of the Project 20385 (Steregushchiy II) have been laid down, with at least two more reported to have been contracted for construction at Amur Shipyard.

XLT: Admiral Viktor Chirkov Discusses Black Sea Fleet Issues

Admiral Viktor Viktorovich Chirkov - RF Navy Commander-in-Chief
(image courtesy if RIA Novosti)

(Translation of RIA Novosti interview with Admiral Chikrov)

RF NAVY CINC: BSF TO RECEIVE 30 NEW SHIPS BY 2020
RIA Novosti
06.10.2014
http://ria.ru/interview/20141006/1027138432.html

Following the reunification of Crimea and Russia, only Russian ships and submarines will moor in the Black Sea Fleet's main base in Sevastopol. Russia will no longer make lease payments to Ukraine to base the Russian fleet in the City of Russian Glory. And now there is the question of expanding the presence of Black Sea Fleet ships in the Crimea by using facilities and bases once used by the Ukrainian Navy.

As part of the "Crimea Today" project, Sergey Safronov, head of RIA Novosti's defense editorial section, talked with RF Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Viktor Chirkov about the Russian Navy's plans for development of the Black Sea Fleet.

— Comrade Commander-in-Chief, what missions does the Black Sea Fleet have under the new geopolitical conditions that have emerged?

— The missions remain unchanged. The primary ones — together with the navies of Black Sea states, to promote stability in the Black Sea and to ensure security for peaceful economic activities and shipping. But along with this, I would like to mention that we have the capability of executing these missions more effectively. Above all, we are now confident that developing the Black Sea Fleet and maintaining its fighting capabilities will occur in a programmatic manner, without any artificial impediments. We have always striven and will continue to strive to have a balanced Black Sea Fleet in terms of composition and combat capabilities so that it will be capable of executing missions to ensure the security of our southern maritime axes in its operational area of responsibility, as well as to effectively work together with the forces of other branches and services of the Russian Federation Armed Forces. These missions are not changing.

We are following this course while implementing the directives of the RF Minister of Defense and in an effort to execute a shipbuilding program in the interests of the Black Sea Fleet on a priority basis. For well-known reasons, the fleet was aging uncontrollably. Now we are putting an end to this destructive aging process, we are revitalizing our subsurface and surface forces, we are organizing the basing infrastructure for Black Sea Fleet forces in the Crimea, and we are reviving the ship repair system. And this will allow Black Sea Fleet sailors to effectively and fully carry out their missions in the Black and Mediterranean Seas, to include as part of the Mediterranean Sea standing operational group.

— How will the Black Sea Fleet basing system be developed, and, specifically, will the purpose of the Novorossiysk basing point change?

— The "Creation of a Black Sea Fleet Basing System on RF Territory in 2005-2020" federal targeted program, which addresses the construction of a basing point for Black Sea Fleet ships and vessels in Novorossiysk, will be completed in full. Geoport, with its unique protective seawall, will become another basing point for Black Sea Fleet forces together with the basing of forces in the main base - in the city of Sevastopol. The Black Sea Fleet will have a truly integrated basing system on the Crimean Peninsula, which includes the Black Sea Fleet's main base - Sevastopol - and other basing points. This basing system and infrastructure will be self-sufficient; that is, able to provide for a full cycle that allows for the comfortable basing of surface ships, submarines, and coastal troops with corresponding social infrastructure facilities.

— How will the Black Sea Fleet be augmented and revitalized over the coming years?

— In accordance with the military shipbuilding program, over the next six years about 30 combatant ships of various classes will join the Black Sea Fleet. I am talking about first-, second-, third- and fourth-rank ships and auxiliary vessels. And I am not talking about an unjustified build-up of forces. These are long overdue needs of the Black Sea Fleet, which has not been revitalized for many years.

By the end of the year, the Black Sea Fleet will receive two of six Project 636 submarines. These are the "Novorossiysk" and "Rostov-na-Donu" submarines. Also by the end of the year, we plan to raise the flag on the first of six Project 1135.6 escort ships, which are being built for the Black Sea Fleet. These ships can operate both independently and as part of a grouping of fleet forces. Ships of this class are ideally suited for Black Sea waters and for operations beyond its borders. For example, as part of the Navy's Mediterranean Sea standing operational group. Escort ships of this type are capable of effectively conducting counter-piracy missions in the Gulf of Aden. Also joining the Black Sea Fleet will be six Project 22160 open-sea patrol ships, which are designed to carry out patrols to protect territorial waters, to patrol the 200-mile exclusive economic zone in open and closed seas, to protect ships and vessels during sea voyages, as well as to protect naval bases and water areas in order to warn of an attack by various enemy forces and means, to interdict illegal and pirate activities, to search for and render assistance to victims of maritime accidents, and to monitor the environment.

— The Black Sea Fleet search and emergency rescue service has longed need to be revitalized and modernized. What is the Navy HQ planning to do in this area?

— The Black Sea Fleet rescue forces received a new rescue craft, which was built using a modular approach. It is attached to the Black Sea Fleet diver school (Sevastopol), which is part of the Navy Combined Training Center. On a side note, the Project 23370 modular craft is the Navy's first vessel to be built using a modular approach, and it provides new capabilities for search and rescue forces of the Navy as a whole and of the Black Sea Fleet in particular.

By the end of 2014, the Russian Navy's search and emergency rescue service is scheduled to have seven Project 23370 modular search and rescue craft in its inventory. In the near future, Navy rescuers will be equipped with a total of 12 such craft. By the end of this year, there will be six new auxiliary vessels to provide integrated support for operations by Black Sea Fleet surface and subsurface forces.

— A topic of special concern for the Black Sea Fleet has always been hydrographic support for shipping safety. What is the situation like in this area now?

— The task of reestablishing regular hydrographic surveys in the Black Sea Fleet's operational zone in the interests of shipping safety has been long overdue. For these goals, the 10th Oceanographic Expedition of the Black Sea Fleet Hydrographic Service was established; three hydrographic vessels have already been assigned. By 2016 we plan to exclusively revitalize the inventory of hydrographic vessels in the Black Sea Fleet. I am talking about the introduction of new hydrographic vessels, and particularly of modern large hydrographic vessels, into the fleet.

— What can Black Sea Fleet naval aviation expect?

— Black Sea Fleet naval aviation has received an opportunity to expand and restore its capabilities. We have begun to rearm the pool of aircraft. Replacing the SU-24 aircraft are the new SU-30MS. Robust repairs of existing Black Sea Fleet airborne vehicles (helicopters and aircraft) will allow us to achieve a level of 80% this year. That's not bad at all.

—  How will the NITKA facility be used?

— We have a clear understanding of the function and use of the training facilities (NITKA) at Saki and Yeysk. In Saki, we will train pilots of existing shipborne aircraft, while the new NITKA in Yeysk will be used for scientific research purposes and for studying new, advanced airborne vehicles. And there is logic to this. We have the opportunity to provide continuous pilot training and to use what currently exists for the future.

— What is the situation with ship repairs for the Black Sea Fleet in Crimea?

— That is a standing topic — ship repairs in the Black Sea Fleet. The military ship repair system in Crimea is coming to life. Contracts are being signed.

We have an opportunity to fully exploit the capabilities of the "Black Sea Fleet 13th Shipyard (13 SRZ)" Federal State Unitary Enterprise (FSUE). After the well-known events of 1991, there were serious obstacles to repairing Black Sea Fleet ships. This significantly complicated how issues related to maintaining and restoring combat ships' technical readiness were solved.

For the 13 SRZ, in the near future we plan to have production areas, which meet modern requirements and technologies, to purchase new equipment, and to begin a phased replacement of machining workstations with the goal of servicing newer ships that will begin to join the Black Sea Fleet starting in 2014. These efforts are already underway. The shipyard has come back to life. As an example, the 13 SRZ in Sevastopol has already repaired a second Northern Fleet large antisubmarine warfare ship that was part of the Mediterranean Sea standing operational group. And the Black Sea Fleet submarine "Alrosa" is undergoing repairs at this same shipyard. Employee salaries have been brought up to a Russia-wide level. Any social strain has been lifted.

Based on its composition, the Black Sea Fleet should execute its missions, as intended, in full. And for this, it is necessary to boost the ship inventory to a commensurate level.

XLT: Buran-6M, Uragan-P Communications Suites

Delta IV SSBN
(image courtesy of Wikipedia)

(translation of Control Systems Holding Company press release)

UIC Equips New “Okean” Escort Ship with Modern Communications Suite

Moscow/August 21, 2014

Control Systems Holding Company (part of the United Instrument-Production Corporation (UIC)  - RosTekh State Corporation) has completed delivery of a Buran-6M unique, multifunction communications suite for the lead unit of the new generation Project 22100 “Okean” class of escort ships.

“Okean” is the first ice-class ship to be fully designed in accordance with the requirements of the Border Service – Federal Security Service of Russia. Based on its overall characteristics, “Okean” has no equal among vessels of its class.

The Buran-6M automated communications suite (ACS) installed on the “Okean” was manufactured at one of Control Systems’ companies – Neptun Scientific Research Institute (SRI). The suite provides communications between ships in a group and shore-based control posts, transfers data to ship- and land-based airborne vehicles, receives and transmits files over radio channels, shares data with the shipboard combat information management system, and records communications. The Buran system includes a “drive” mode for airborne vehicles, which supports the launch and recovery of shipborne helicopters while taking into consideration all safety requirements for civilian and military aircraft.

“At the heart of the Buran-6M ACS are hardware components that, in terms of power, exceed similar components produced by us in previous years,” notes UIC department director Aleksandr Kalinin. “Ethernet network technology has been introduced into the communications suite, and this allows for modern digital communications hardware to be connected to the system. The suite uses open architecture, which provides broad capabilities for future upgrades and integration of modern technologies and resources, which are necessary to defend the State border.”

Neptun SRI also has completed development of another modern transmission suite, which will be used in the Uragan-P submarine communications suite.

“The transmission suite was fully created using technology developed by Neptun SRI that has no equal among technologies used in the Russian Navy,” said Control Systems acting general director Andrey Riznyk. “The technology is designed to transmit information from a submarine to control posts during independent operations. The output of the transmission suite significantly exceeds the capability of earlier equipment, which allows for increased communications range and continuity.”

The use of special software in the Uragan-P suite reduces the possibility of operator error. The suite uses open architecture, it has the capability of being further upgraded, and its functionality can be expanded.