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.

Overhauled Kilo Subs Remain Kalibr-less

Kilo "Vladikavkaz" - September 19, 2014
(Image courtesy of Zvezdochka Ship Repair Center)

Six new (Project 636.3) Kilo-class diesel submarines are being built for the Russian Navy at Admiralty Shipyards in St. Petersburg. All six, which are destined for the Black Sea Fleet, will be armed with the Kalibr-family of missiles: the SS-N-27 Sizzler anti-ship cruise missile, the SS-N-30 land-attack cruise missile, and the 91R ASW missile. But will happen with the older Kilos?

Two 25-year-old Northern Fleet Kilos have undergone overhauls at Zvezdochka Ship Repair Center in Severodvinsk, but the overhauls apparently do not include backfitting them with the Kalibr system.

"Kaluga" arrived at the shipyard in 2002 for repairs, but without a decision on whether to repair or scrap the submarine, it remained idle for about six years. In 2008, Onega Scientific Research Technological Design Bureau drafted documentation for "medium repairs" (i.e., overhaul, which gives the submarine another 10 years of service) of the submarine, but only in 2010 was "Kaluga" finally moved into a repair hall. The submarine was rolled back out in May 2012. In 2013, the shipyard made it clear that "Kaluga" was not backfitted with the Kalibr system.

"Kaluga" was inactive so long that the crew it had in 2002 had been nearly disbanded, reduced to just a few crew members. As such, the crew of another Kilo, "Yaroslavl" (commanded by Captain 2nd Rank Oleg Mikholap), manned "Kaluga" throughout its post-overhaul sea trials (2012-2013) and transfer back to Polyarnyy (July 2013). In 2013, Mikholap was replaced by his executive officer, Captain 3rd Rank Yuriy Gusarov, as the "Yaroslavl" commanding officer; however, as "Yaroslavl" was non-operational, Gusarov's crew remained on "Kaluga". In October-November 2013, just three months after returning from the shipyard, "Kaluga" (under Gusarov's command) conducted a month-long deployment (area unknown). Gusarov and his crew remained on "Kaluga" as late as June 2014 and could still be on board.

The second Kilo to be overhauled at Zvezdochka Ship Repair Center, "Vladikavkaz", was transferred to Severodvinsk in 2008. Due to a similar "indecision-making" process, a contract for the submarine's "medium repairs" was not signed until 2011. The submarine was rolled into the repair hall in late 2011 for a nearly two-year overhaul period. The submarine rolled out of the repair hall on September 19 of this year and will be returned to the Russian Navy in late 2015.

Although neither Kilo was backfitted with the Kalibr missile system, they did receive the MGK-400V.1 sonar system, which provides improved sonar capabilities. Other upgrades were made to navigation and weapons-related components.

Next up: either "Magnitogorsk" or "Yaroslavl". "Magnitogorsk" has been performing duties in the Baltic Fleet since late 2013 (it did a similar Baltic Fleet deployment in 2012). Its return to the Northern Fleet may have been delayed until one of the Baltic Fleet's own Kilos, "Vyborg", returns to service following lengthy repairs. "Yaroslavl" has been inactive for at least two years. As with "Kaluga" and "Vladikavkaz", none of these old Kilos are expected to receive Kalibr upgrades.

Update: "Transshelf" Departs Russia with Nuke Boats

Akula I SSN "Bratsk" (left) and "Samara" (right) loaded on "Transshelf" - August 2014
(image courtesy of vkontakte.ru)

Nuclear-powered icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy" escorting "Transshelf" - September 16, 2014
(image courtesy of RosAtomFlot)

Dockwise semi-submersible heavy-lift vessel "Transshelf", with Akula I-class nuclear-powered submarines "Bratsk" and "Samara" loaded on board, arrived in the vicinity of Severodvinsk on September 23. According to a spokesperson for Zvezdochka Ship Repair Center, which has been contracted to conduct repairs and upgrades of the two submarines, "Transshelf" will remain near the Nikolskoye entrance buoy until weather improves.

For earlier reporting:

Why is the Netherlands Helping the Russian Navy Right Now? (August 14, 2014)

Nuke Boats Loaded on Heavy-Lift Vessels (August 28, 2014)

"Transshelf" Departs Russia With Nuke Boats (August 31, 2014)

"HYSY 278" Departs Russia With Oscar II SSGN (September 3, 2014)

Status of Russian Navy Nuke Boat Transfers (September 5, 2014) 

"HYSY 278" Arrives Near Bolshoy Kamen With Oscar II SSGN (September 7, 2014

Update: "Transshelf" Departs Russia With Nuke Boats (September 10, 2014)

Update: Status of Russian Navy Nuke Boat Transfers (September 11, 2014)

Update: "Transshelf" Departs Russia with Nuke Boats (September 16, 2014)

Update: "Transshelf" Departs Russia with Nuke Boats (September 19, 2014)

Dolgorukiy SSBN: The Dirty Secret Under the Hood

Dolgorukiy SSBN "Yuriy Dolgorukiy" underway in the White Sea - September 7, 2009
(Image courtesy of images.yandex.ru)

The Russian Navy’s newest class of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines is not as new as Moscow's submarine dealers would like you to know.

All of the Dolgorukiy-class (Project 955) SSBNs launched to date are actually hybrids of Akula SSNs and Oscar II SSGNs. I’m not sure why this isn’t more clearly explained in the English-language Wikipedia article, but it’s abundantly clear in the Russian-language version of the article.

If it were only the Frankenstein hull, then all debate could center on the third generation hull structure’s impact on the submarine’s theoretical tactical performance and detectability. But the hull is not the only borrowed item on this submarine.

It turns out that in addition to hull sections, the Dolgorukiy SSBN is borrowing used steam turbines from scrapped nuclear-powered submarines that were built nearly 30 years ago. This month, the Northeastern Repair Center in Vilyuchinsk (Kamchatka Peninsula) announced it was signing a contract (worth RUB 1,198,951) with the Far East subsidiary of Onega Scientific Research Technological Design Bureau (in Bolshoy Kamen, east of Vladivostok) for the “creation of technological and design documentation to support the removal of modular steam turbine plant equipment” plus “assistance during the deinstallation and removal of an Azurit-M modular steam turbine plant [from Oscar II SSGN “Krasnoyarsk”]" in the 4th quarter of 2014. The umbrella contract under which this work is to be done is Z/1/1/0169/GK-12-DGOZ, signed on May 25, 2012, which actually covers the construction of hulls 5-8 of the Dolgorukiy SSBN class. Thus, the steam turbine plant on “Krasnoyarsk” will be used in the construction of a future, new and improved Project 955A version of the Dolgorukiy SSBN (the 955A series started with the fourth hull, "Knyaz Vladimir"). And there is a strong suspicion that this has happened with some, if not all, of the earlier units, as well.

How much would you pay for a “new” car that used a frame constructed from 30-year-old cars and that was powered by a used engine?

Show me the Car Sub Fax!!!

Exercise Vostok-2014 - Closures, Bans, Restrictions

Restricted areas for Vostok-2014 exercise - September 20-28, 2014 (Map courtesy of Google Maps)

An area closure, flight bans, and flight route restrictions have gone into effect in the Kamchatka Peninsula area in preparation for Russia's Vostok-2014 strategic command-staff exercise, which kicked off on September 19 and will run through September 25. The Pacific Fleet's Slava-class missile cruiser "Varyag" is on one-hour standby to get underway to launch missiles and fire its guns upon receipt of orders.

Area closure (red)
KAMCHATKA-SOUTHEAST COAST.
GUNNERY. MISSILES.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS 2000Z TO 1100Z COMMENCING
DAILY 20 THRU 27 SEP IN AREA BOUND BY
52-16-24N 158-51-30E, 53-05-48N 160-01-48E,
51-28-54N 163-34-00E, 51-08-18N 163-18-30E,
51-16-12N 162-11-00E, 50-06-18N 161-38-54E,
50-34-48N 160-14-30E, 51-23-54N 159-44-24E.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 281200Z SEP 14.

Flight bans (yellow)
P6495/14 - AIRSPACE CLSD WI SECTOR FROM AZM 117 DEG TO AZM 168 DEG AT DIST FROM 32KM TO 50KM FROM PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY/YELIZOVO ARP. SFC - FL330, DAILY 0100-0300, 22 SEP 01:00 2014 UNTIL 25 SEP 03:00 2014.

P6625/14 - AIRSPACE CLSD WI SECTOR FROM AZM 117 DEG TO AZM 168 DEG AT DIST FROM 32KM TO 50KM FROM PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY/YELIZOVO ARP. SFC - 10000M AGL, DAILY 0100-0300, 26 SEP 01:00 2014 UNTIL 28 SEP 03:00 2014.

P6496/14 - TEMPO DANGER AREA FOR ACFT FLT ACT WI COORD:
5259N 16019E-5148N 16253E-5039N 16011E-5124N 15944E-5206N 15845E-5210N 15848E-5256N 16015E-5259N 16019E. SFC - 25000M AGL, DAILY 2000-0100 0300-0800, 21 SEP 20:00 2014 UNTIL 25 SEP 08:00 2014.

P6626/14 - TEMPO DANGER AREA ACT WI COORD:
5259N 16019E-5148N 16253E-5039N 16011E-5124N 15944E-5206N 15845E-5210N 15848E-5256N 16015E-5259N 16019E. SFC - 25000M AGL, DAILY 2000-0100 0300-0800, 25 SEP 20:00 2014 UNTIL 28 SEP 08:00 2014.

Flight route closures (green)
P6494/14 - FLW ATS RTE SEGMENTS CLSD:
B932 RAPAK - RIMLI,
G73  PETIN - TUSOM,
G801 KUNAD - RIMLI,
G815 KUNAD - DIROS,
G816 LUMES - RIMLI. SFC - 25000M AGL, DAILY 2000-0100 0300-0800, 21 SEP 20:00 2014 UNTIL 25 SEP 08:00 2014.

P6623/14 - FLW ATS RTE SEGMENTS CLSD:
B932 RAPAK - RIMLI,
G73  PETIN - TUSOM,
G801 KUNAD - RIMLI,
G815 KUNAD - DIROS,
G816 LUMES - RIMLI. SFC - 25000M AGL, DAILY 2000-0100 0300-0800, 25 SEP 20:00 2014 UNTIL 28 SEP 08:00 2014.

P6501/14 - ATS RTE SEGMENTS CLSD:
A812 BAKEN - PETIN,
B703 PETIN - LETSA,
G101 SOBOLEVO NDB (SW) - PETIN,
G583 MALKA NDB (MK) - UST-BOLSHERETSK NDB (UB),
G73  UST-BOLSHERETSK NDB (UB) - PETIN. SFC - FL140, 21 1900-2000, 22 0800-0900 1900-2000, 23 0800-0900 1900-2000, 24 0800-0900 1900-2000, 25 0800-0900, 21 SEP 19:00 2014 UNTIL 25 SEP 09:00 2014.

P6621/14 - ATS RTE SEGMENTS CLSD:
A812 BAKEN - PETIN,
B703 PETIN - LETSA,
G101 SOBOLEVO NDB (SW) - PETIN,
G583 MALKA NDB (MK) - UST-BOLSHERETSK NDB (UB),
G73 UST-BOLSHERETSK NDB (UB) - PETIN. SFC - FL140, 25 1900-2000, 26 0800-0900 1900-2000, 27 0800-0900 1900-2000, 28 0800-0900, 25 SEP 19:00 2014 UNTIL 28 SEP 09:00 2014.

P6502/14 - ATS RTE B932 SEGMENT RAPAK - RIMLI CLSD. SFC - FL330, DAILY 0100-0300, 22 SEP
01:00 2014 UNTIL 25 SEP 03:00 2014.

P6622/14 - ATS RTE B932 SEGMENT RAPAK - RIMLI CLSD. SFC - 10000M AGL, DAILY 0100-0300, 25
SEP 01:00 2014 UNTIL 27 SEP 03:00 2014.

Update: Impending Missile Launch from Kotelnyy Island?

Gunnery/missile area closures near Kotelnyy Island - September 15-25, 2014 (Map courtesy of Google Earth)

Russia has reissued and extended an area closure near Kotelnyy Island:

ARCTIC.
LAPTEV SEA.
MISSILES. GUNNERY.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS 2200Z TO 1800Z
COMMENCING DAILY 21 THRU 25 SEP IN AREA BOUND BY
75-53.4N 132-39.0E, 76-28.2N 133-08.0E,
76-50.8N 135-00.0E, 76-58.5N 136-26.1E,
75-57.7N 137-33.5E, 75-35.5N 137-00.0E,
75-37.5N 136-13.5E, 75-50.7N 135-41.0E.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 261900Z SEP 14.

The new area closure (depicted in yellow above) is slightly different in shape when compared to the earlier closure (depicted in red) that remains in effect until tomorrow.

Moreover, the new area closure's effective dates (September 21-25) coincide nicely with the Vostok-2014 strategic command-staff exercise that kicked off on September 19 and runs through September 25. Whether or not this is related to the exercise, a missile launch from this Arctic island certainly will be linked by the media to the new "North" Joint Strategic Command. According to an ITAR-TASS unnamed "Ministry of Defense source," the new command will stand-up on/before December 1, 2014.

Petersburg Diesel Submarine Construction Continues

Petersburg SS "Sankt-Peterburg" moored on Neva River in St. Petersburg - July 2010
(Image courtesy of Wikipedia)

Construction of the second hull of the Petersburg diesel submarine class, named "Kronshtadt", was restarted in July 2013 when a new contract (Z/1/2/0280/GK-13-DGOZ) was signed with Admiralty Shipyards. Construction was stopped in 2009 after the Russian Ministry of Defense decided it would no longer fund the plagued program following the poor performance and prolonged testing of the first hull, "Sankt-Peterburg". But "Kronshtadt" is now showing signs of life.

"Sankt-Peterburg" was laid down in December 1997 and launched in October 2004. During factory testing, multiple issues with sonar, power plant, and propulsion systems significantly impacted the submarine's ability to achieve the technical and tactical performance requirements set by the Russian Navy. The submarine was finally commissioned in April 2010 - but only for "trial operations." After several years of limited operations, the submarine was transferred from the Baltic Sea to the Barents Sea in October 2013 for additional at-sea testing. "Sankt-Peterburg", which remains in a "trial operations" status, apparently has conducted few (if any) at-sea operations since the transfer based on a total lack of reporting.

"Kronshtadt" was laid down at Admiralty Shipyards in July 2005, and little information about the submarine was known about it after construction was halted in 2009. Since the new contract was signed in July 2013, however, there have been signs that real construction is underway, as proven by a dozen contracts for equipment deliveries announced between December 2013 and now.

(Description / cost / delivery date)

• 72V29KM rapid remote-control equipment / ??? / 1Q2015
• hydraulic mooring anchor capstan / ??? /2Q2015
• reserve propulsion system / ??? /1Q2016
• LGS-42 winch / ??? / 2Q2015
• oil-water separators / ??? / 1Q2015
• ARM-5 automated steering apparatus / ??? / 4Q2015
• automated air compressor systems / ??? / 1Q2015
• Baget 41-10 computer / ??? / 3Q2015
• modernization of Zhikler mast-raising devices / RUB 1,780,800 / ???
• Gnom-2 acoustic digital recorder / ??? / 4Q2015
• diesel generators / ??? / 3Q2015
• MG-65 emergency underwater communications system / ??? / 2Q2015
• diesel generator pedestals / RUB 5,332,671 / Jan 2015

When the new contract went into effect in July 2013, Admiralty Shipyards reported that "Kronshtadt" was scheduled for handover to the Russian Navy in 2017. While the completion dates for the above contracts seem to suggest a 2017 delivery date is possible, it remains to be seen if sub-contractors for components can stay on schedule.