XLT+: Could Engine Fire on "Admiral Gorshkov" Impact "Admiral Kasatonov" Delivery?

Gorshkov frigate "Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Gorshkov" at Northern Shipyard - January 23, 2015
(credit: Curious)

                                                   [translation of FlotProm news article]

ENGINE ON "ADMIRAL GORSHKOV" FRIGATE DESTROYED BY FIRE DUE TO CONTROL SYSTEM FAILURE
January 28, 2015
http://flotprom.ru/2015/181758/

The Central Naval Portal (CNP) has learned that an accident involving an engine on the new frigate "Admiral Flota Gorshkov", built at Northern Shipyard for the Russian Navy, was caused by the failure of a control system.

A CNP journalist learned from the Saturn Scientific Production Association, which is performing a survey and subsequent repairs of the engine, that the primary theory behind the failure was abnormal performance of the control system which led to the engine being flooded with fuel, after which it caught fire.

The fact that the engine on the Russian Project 22350 frigate "Admiral Gorshkov" required repairs was reported on December 29, 2014. On December 17, Northern Shipyard announced it was accepting bids for a 24-million-ruble contract for disassembling and surveying the ship's gas turbine engine.

According to a Saturn official, an assessment of the loss and inspection of the damaged engine pieces will last until March 2015 as company workers are not familiar with the engine's design. It is too early to announce when repairs will be completed and when fully operational engine pieces will be available.

The accident theory has been confirmed by another CNP source within the shipbuilding industry who has information about the accident. "The fuel pump did not shut off in time. There was a surge, and blades in the engine were damaged by the fire. The turbine has been removed and shipped to Rybinsk (location of Saturn Scientific Production Association - ed.) for repairs," the source said, noting that this occurred in September 2014.

Additionally, similar information has been reported by yet another knowledgeable shipbuilding industry source. He said that the control system failure could have been the result of a design error. "The turbine needs to undergo capital repairs; the blades were damaged by the fire. The problem was with the control system's performance. It was, most likely, a design error," he explained.

This opinion is shared by a Northern Shipyard employee. "The control system malfunctioned even though it functioned normally prior to this," the company specialist noted.

The design of the frigate engine's control system is Avrora Scientific Production Association Concern. Avrora informed CNP that the customer has not contacted the company regarding any complaints resulting from the mishap and pointed out that talking about the causes of the mishap can only be done after an official conclusion is made by experts.

Northern Shipyard's press office claims that there have been and currently are no problems with the ship or its equipment. "Our position is very simple. 'Gorshkov' completed the first phase of testing. And that's our position," stated the press office, adding that during the sea trials, the ship demonstrated specified numbers in accordance with technical specifications.

The fire-damaged M90FR gas turbine engine was developed and built at Saturn Scientific Production Association in cooperation with the Ukrainian company Zorya-MashProyekt. The Ukrainian company's press office told CNP that it had not heard about any problem with the Russian ship's engine and that no one had consulted the company regarding repairs.

Afterwards, CNP learned that the frigate's damaged engine was replaced with a duplicate engine from another ship of the same class - "Admiral Flota Kasatonov", which is also being built at Northern Shipyard. This was done in order to not delay factory sea trials of "Gorshkov".

                                                                      - - - - - - - - - -

Gorshkov frigate "Admiral Flota Kasatonov" at Northern Shipyard - January 23, 2015
(credit: Curious)

• If the September 2014 timeframe is correct, then the incident occurred during pierside testing - before factory sea trials even began. "Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Gorshkov" completed 30 days of factory sea trials between November 18 and December 26 last year. It has not been underway since.

• "Admiral Flota Kasatonov" was launched at Northern Shipyard on December 12 (without a gas turbine engine, if you believe the above report).

Status of Kilo Transfers to Black Sea Fleet

Despite official claims that new Kilo-class (Project 636.3) submarines would begin arriving in the Black Sea Fleet in May-June 2015, the readiness of the first hull, named "Novorossiysk", is in question. According to one source, there may be problems with the submarine as evidenced by the lack of reporting of any activity by the submarine since it transferred to Polyarnyy in November 2014. The source indicated "something serious" occurred on the submarine before the New Year that will require its return to Admiralty Shipyards in the Baltic Sea this spring before it heads for the Black Sea.

The second unit of the new class, "Rostov-na-Donu", was commissioned into the Russian Navy on December 30. On January 8, a navy spokesman told reporters that the submarine crew was preparing to transfer to the Northern Fleet for deep-water testing of equipment and weapons. The submarine remains at Admiralty Shipyards as of today.

When President Putin visited Novorossiysk Naval Base in September 2014, he was informed by Black Sea Fleet commander Admiral Vitko that construction projects at the base to support new ships [and submarines] would not be completed until late 2016. And that date has been pushed back to sometime in 2017, according to a Southern Military District press release this month. A review of contracts announced in 2014 indicates a lot of work has yet to be completed. Seven contracts specifically linked to submarine basing in Novorossiysk have reported completion deadlines of between May 2015 and February 2016, with the majority of them being completed in August or later.

Description	Cost	Deadline
high-pressure air stations	RUB 265,636,262	May 20, 2015
high-pressure air station	RUB 275,241,985	August 15, 2015
transformer substations	RUB 36,241,590	August 15, 2015
battery recharging station	RUB 251,979,920	October 15, 2015
battery storage facility	RUB 41,477,946	October 30, 2015
barracks for submarine crews	RUB 190,983,303	December 1, 2015
battery workshop	RUB 375,464,251	February 28, 2016
TOTAL	RUB 1,437,025,257

Despite this construction timeline, the first two new submarines can be temporarily based in Sevastopol, if needed. With regards to submarine battery recharging requirements, the converted Romeo-class submarine "PZS-50" (PZS = floating charging station) could be transferred to Novorossiysk on a temporary basis. "PZS-50" normally supports the fleet's sole Kilo submarine, "Alrosa"; however, that submarine's ongoing repairs will last through October 2015. This means "PZS-50" is free to support submarine basing requirements in Novorossiysk until that base's recharging station is completed in October, after which "PZS-50" would return to Sevastopol.

This Week in Contracts: December 22-31, 2014

23rd State Naval Design Institute/23 Gosudarstvennyy Morskoy Proyektnyy Institut (St. Petersburg)

• Number: 31401863241
• Contractor: Federal Natural Resources Management Service for the Primorye Kray (Vladivostok)
• Description: State environmental review of design documentation for basing of Mistral landing ships in Bukhta Uliss
• Time frame: not specified
• Contract value: RUB 400,365

• Number: 31401863943
• Contractor: Kamchatka Kray Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy)
• Description: Soil and water sampling at Pacific Fleet naval bases in Kamchatka Kray
• Time frame: before December 31, 2014
• Contract value: not specified

• Number: 31401866634
• Contractor: Eskort-Tsentr (Moscow)
• Description: Development of design documentation "Engineering Complex of Technical Protection Resources" for Gadzhiyevo missile handling facility/Pier 6 (Site 931)
• Time frame: not specified
• Contract value: RUB 2,030,000

• Number: 31401871827
• Contractor: Central Directorate for Commercial Fishing Assessments and Standards for the Preservation and Development Marine Resources and Acclimatization (Moscow)
• Description: Consultation services to review environmental impact of basing Mistral landing ships in Bukhta Uliss
• Time frame: within 15 days of receiving design documentation
• Contract value: RUB 199,734

• Number: 31401875776
• Contractor: Central Directorate for Commercial Fishing Assessments and Standards for the Preservation and Development Marine Resources and Acclimatization (Moscow)
• Description: Environmental impact survey of Mys Kazak missile loading facility/Pier 1 (Site 3002PV)
• Time frame: within 15 days of receiving design documentation
• Contract value: RUB 159,641

• Number: 31401889106
• Contractor: Institute of Computational Technology - Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Novosibirsk)
• Description: Calculation of impact of tsunami waves near Site 583/7 (Bukhta Bogatyrevka)
• Time frame: within three months of contract signing
• Contract value: RUB 500,000

33rd Shipyard/33 Sudoremontnyy Zavod (Baltiysk)

• Number: 31401867155
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Repairs of multiple systems on Steregushchiy frigate "Steregushchiy"
• Time frame: February 2015
• Contract value: not specified

35th Shipyard/35 Sudoremontnyy Zavod (Murmansk)

• Number: 31401850514
• Contractor: Kompensator Scientific Production Enterprise (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Delivery of compensators (x34) for Udaloy II destroyer "Admiral Chabanenko"
• Time frame: within 90 days of contract signing
• Contract value: RUB 2,497,942

• Number: 31401863712
• Contractor: no bids submitted
• Description: Delivery of TShMS-0.66K-I-0.5 transformers (x29) for Udaloy II destroyer "Admiral Chabanenko"
• Time frame: within 90 days of payment
• Contract value: RUB 1,570,000

• Number: 31401864047
• Contractor: no bids submitted
• Description: Delivery of 20NKBN-25UZ battery cells (x10) for Udaloy II destroyer "Admiral Chabanenko"
• Time frame: within 90 days of payment
• Contract value: RUB 2,140,000

• Number: 31401877531
• Contractor: no bids submitted
• Description: Automatic cut-off switches (x35) for Udaloy II destroyer "Admiral Chabanenko"
• Time frame: 120-170 days after receipt of first payment
• Contract value: RUB 30,500,000

• Number: 31401879727
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Delivery of 5NK-55P battery cells (x42) for Udaloy II destroyer "Admiral Chabanenko"
• Time frame: within 45 days of first payment
• Contract value: RUB 260,000

51st Central Technology and Design Institute of Ship Repairs/51 Tsentralnyy Konstruktorsko-Tekhnologicheskiy Institut Sudoremonta (Lomonosov)

• Number: 31401860443
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Laboratory studies to determine status of cable devices on Smolnyy training ship "Perekop"
• Time frame: not specified
• Contract value: RUB 2,000,000

• Number: 31401860570
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Laboratory studies to determine condition of hull structures on Smolnyy training ship "Perekop"
• Time frame: not specified
• Contract value: RUB 2,000,000

Admiralty Shipyards/Admiralteyskiye Verfi (St. Petersburg)

• Number: 31401875241
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Delivery of MGS-30M emergency signaling system for Petersburg submarine "Kronshtadt"
• Time frame: 3Q2015
• Contract value: not specified

• Number: 31401875330
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Delivery of gas analyzers (x19) for Petersburg submarine "Kronshtadt"
• Time frame: 2Q2015
• Contract value: not specified

• Number: 31401875534
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Delivery of valves for Belousov submarine rescue ship "Igor Belousov"
• Time frame: 1Q2015
• Contract value: not specified

• Number: 31401875602
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Delivery of valves (x54) for Petersburg submarine "Kronshtadt"
• Time frame: 1Q2015
• Contract value: not specified

• Number: 31401875681
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Delivery of electrical-related items (1,016 items) for Kilo (Project 636.3) submarine(s)
• Time frame: 4Q2014 - 1Q2015
• Contract value: not specified

• Number: 31401875794
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Delivery of water desalination plant for Petersburg submarine "Kronshtadt"
• Time frame: 2Q2015
• Contract value: not specified

Almaz Central Naval Design Bureau/Tsentralnoye Morskoye Konstruktorskoye Byuro Almaz (St. Petersburg)

• Number: 31401861477
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Adjustments to drawings for equipment tie downs for Project 20181 naval weapons transport vessel
• Time frame: no later than May 29, 2015
• Contract value: RUB 8,900,000

Amur Shipyard/Amurskiy Sudostroitelnyy Zavod (Komsomolsk-na-Amure)

• Number: 31401883688
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Temporary additional manpower (115,920 man-hours) for assembly and welding work on shipyard construction projects
• Time frame: January 1, 2015 - December 31, 2015
• Contract value: RUB 67,813,200

• Number: 31401883846
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Temporary additional manpower (198,720 man-hours) for assembly and welding work on shipyard construction projects
• Time frame: January 1, 2015 - December 31, 2015
• Contract value: RUB 116,251,200

• Number: 31401883848
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Temporary additional manpower (99,360 man-hours) for electrical installation work on shipyard construction projects
• Time frame: January 1, 2015 - December 31, 2015
• Contract value: RUB 67,862,880

Astrakhan Shipyard/Astrakhanskiy Sudoremontnyy Zavod (Astrakhan)

• Number: 31401857421
• Contractor: Burevestnik Factory (Gatchina)
• Description: Delivery of clamps for Project 705B harbor tug (Factory #004)
• Time frame: within 60 days of first payment
• Contract value: RUB 22,795

• Number: 31401857572
• Contractor: Ryazan Radio Factory (Ryazan)
• Description: Delivery of radio sets for Project 22870 salvage and rescue tugs (Factory #007-#008)
• Time frame: March 2015
• Contract value: RUB 369,176

• Number: 31401857693
• Contractor: Shipboard Electro-Technical System Scientific Production Center (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Delivery of electric equipment for combined electrical power system with shaft electric plant for Project 22870 salvage and rescue tug
• Time frame: November 2014 - November 2015
• Contract value: RUB 241,505,626

• Number: 31401858575
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Delivery of electric ventilators for Project 705B harbor tug (Factory #004) and Project 22870 salvage and rescue tugs (Factory #007-#008)
• Time frame: within 90 days of first payment
• Contract value: RUB 20,143,739

• Number: 31401870368
• Contractor: ENA (Shchelkovo)
• Description: Delivery of pump equipment for Project 705B harbor tug (Factory #004)
• Time frame: within 120 days of contract signing
• Contract value: RUB 2,146,688

• Number: 31401870538
• Contractor: All-Russia Scientific Research Institute of Relay Manufacturing-PROGRESS (Cheboksary)
• Description: Delivery of electrical distribution equipment and integrated technical equipment control system for Project 705B harbor tug (Factory #004)
• Time frame: no later than June 30, 2015
• Contract value: RUB 16,531,800

• Number: 31401870683
• Contractor: Manometr (Engels)
• Description: Delivery of manometers for Project 705B harbor tug (Factory #004)
• Time frame: within 60-90 days of contract signing
• Contract value: RUB 55,790

• Number: 31401870749
• Contractor: Manometr (Engels)
• Description: Delivery of manometers for Project 22870 salvage and rescue tugs (Factory #007-#008)
• Time frame: within 60-90 days of contract signing
• Contract value: RUB 924,577

• Number: 31401871269
• Contractor: Kompressor Scientific Production Association (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Delivery of Compressor Equipment for Project 705B harbor tug (Factory #004)
• Time frame: within 90 days of contract signing
• Contract value: RUB 5,115,446

• Number: 31401871338
• Contractor: Zvezdochka Ship Repair Center (Severodvinsk)
• Description: Delivery of screw shafts for Project 705B harbor tug (Factory #004)
• Time frame: within 12 months of contract signing
• Contract value: RUB 3,143,013

• Number: 31401877484
• Contractor: Tranzas Navigator (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Delivery of lighting, radio, and TV equipment for Project 705B harbor tug (Factory #004)
• Time frame: within 12 months of contract signing
• Contract value: EUR 260,000

Khabarovsk Shipyard/Khabarovskiy Sudostroitelnyy Zavod (Khabarovsk)

• Number: 31401849403
• Contractor: DalZavod Ship Repair Center (Vladivostok)
• Description: Dock repairs of Piskunov seagoing tug "Aleksandr Piskunov"
• Time frame: within 60 days of contract signing
• Contract value: RUB 2,276,800

Kumertau Aviation Production Enterprise/Kumertauskoye Aviatsionnoye Proizvodstvennoye Predpriyatiye (Kumertau)

• Number: 31401888347
• Contractor: Independent Insurance Group (Moscow)
• Description: Property and personal liability insurance for KA-27 (x2), KA-27M (x8), KA-29 (x5), KA-32 (x4), and KA-226 (x18) test flights in 2015
• Time frame: for one year after contract signing
• Contract value: RUB 34,213,234
• Remarks: stated value of airframes: KA-27/KA-27M/KA-29 = RUB 180,000,000; KA-32 = RUB 250,000,000; KA-226 = RUB 150,000,000

Maritime Information Systems-Agat Concern/Kontsern MorInformSistema-Agat (Moscow)

• Number: 0473100003814000036
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Delivery of surface ship automatics system software suite for controlling combined use of submersibles and unmanned aerial vehicles during ocean surveys
• Time frame: not specified
• Contract value: RUB 6,998,646

• Number: 0473100003814000037
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Delivery of model of informational view of interoperability of hydrophysical ship control system with control nodes
• Time frame: not specified
• Contract value: RUB 2,921,361

Middle Neva Shipyard/Sredne-Nevskiy Sudostroitelnyy Zavod (Pontonnyy)

• Number: 31401872072
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Temporary additional manpower (10,000 man-hours) for work on Obukhov minesweeper "Aleksandr Obukhov"
• Time frame: 2015
• Contract value: not specified

• Number: 31401878096
• Contractor: V. A. Degtyarev Factory (Kovrov)
• Description: Installation and testing of 14.5mm MTPU gun mount and DP-64 grenade launcher on Obukhov minesweeper "Aleksandr Obukhov"
• Time frame: 1Q2015 - August 2015
• Contract value: RUB 1,559,896

• Number: 31401878680
• Contractor: Radar MMS Scientific Production Enterprise (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Installation and testing of Syuzhet-KM hydrometeorological support system on Obukhov minesweeper "Aleksandr Obukhov"
• Time frame: January 2015 - August 2015
• Contract value: RUB 764,975

• Number: 31401878921
• Contractor: Kazan Electro-Technical Factory/Radar Operation-Repair Center (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Installation and testing of device 6701-3, 6731-5, and KPA-67 on Obukhov minesweeper "Aleksandr Obukhov"
• Time frame: January 2015 - August 2015
• Contract value: RUB 5,280,225

• Number: 31401886778
• Contractor: Aris (Otradnoye)
• Description: Shipboard space planning/outfitting (x16 rooms) of Obukhov minesweeper "Aleksandr Obukhov"
• Time frame: March 25, 2015
• Contract value: RUB 40,700,000

Nerpa Shipyard/Sudoremontnyy Zavod Nerpa (Snezhnogorsk)

• Number: 31401881657
• Contractor: Armalit-1 (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Delivery of AKPO, AKSS, and APS anti-vibration mounts for Akula II submarine "Vepr"
• Time frame: December 30, 2014
• Contract value: RUB 858,075

• Number: 31401881823
• Contractor: ElektroRadioAvtomatika - Kola Office (Snezhnogorsk)
• Description: Electromechanical work on Sierra II submarine "Pskov"
• Time frame: February 2015
• Contract value: RUB 3,510,629

• Number: 31401881839
• Contractor: ElektroRadioAvtomatika - Kola Office (Snezhnogorsk)
• Description: Electromechanical work on Sierra II submarine "Pskov"
• Time frame: February 2015
• Contract value: RUB 823,931

• Number: 31401881849
• Contractor: ElektroRadioAvtomatika - Kola Office (Snezhnogorsk)
• Description: Compacting of cable sleeves in main ballast tanks #2, #6, #11, and #12 on Victor III submarine "Obninsk"
• Time frame: December 31, 2014
• Contract value: RUB 1,517,454

• Number: 31401881875
• Contractor: ElektroRadioAvtomatika - Kola Office (Snezhnogorsk)
• Description: Restoration of the technical readiness of Victor III submarine "Tambov"
• Time frame: not specified
• Contract value: RUB 3,311,295

• Number: 31401881887
• Contractor: ElektroRadioAvtomatika - Kola Office (Snezhnogorsk)
• Description: Restoration of the technical readiness of Victor III submarine "Tambov"
• Time frame: February 2015
• Contract value: RUB 133,831,210

• Number: 31401893910
• Contractor: N. D. Zelinskiy Elektrostal Chemical-Mechanical Factory (Elektrostal)
• Description: Delivery of KFLO-30 filtration cassettes for Akula II submarine "Vepr"
• Time frame: March 30, 2015
• Contract value: RUB 43,851

Northeast Repair Center/Severo-Vostochnyy Remontnyy Tsentr (Vilyuchinsk)

• Number: 31401890761
• Contractor: Vyartsilya Vostok (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Routine maintenance on main engine on Emba II cable ship "Biryusa"
• Time frame: before December 30, 2014
• Contract value: RUB 5,939,283

Northern Machine-Building Enterprise/Severnoye Mashinostroitelnoye Predpriyatiye [SevMash] (Severodvinsk)

• Number: 31401882295
• Contractor: Bank of Development and International Trade - VneshEkonomBank (Moscow)
• Description: RUB 9,336,103,000 credit line
• Time frame: January 15, 2015 - December 31, 2019
• Contract value: equal to 9% APR of borrowed amount
• Remarks: to be used for repairs and modernization of Kirov cruiser "Admiral Nakhimov"

• Number: 31401898181
• Contractor: Hidrotehnica Scientific Technology Center - subsidiary of Moldovahidromas (Kishinev, Moldova)
• Description: Delivery of BEhN-226 pumps (x2) for Severodvinsk submarine under construction
• Time frame: March 31, 2016
• Contract value: USD 4,740,140

• Number: 31401904341
• Contractor: Northern Region Shipbuilding Company (Severodvinsk)
• Description: Temporary additional manpower (122,400 man-hours) for SevMash construction projects
• Time frame: January 2015 - June 2015
• Contract value: RUB 91,555,200

Northern Shipyard/Severnaya Verf (St. Petersburg)

• Number: 31401863277
• Contractor: V. A. Degtyarev Factory (Kovrov)
• Description: Installation and testing of 14.5mm MPTU gun mounts on Ivanov intelligence collection ship "Yuriy Ivanov"
• Time frame: December 2014
• Contract value: RUB 1,207,048

• Number: 31401863355
• Contractor: Obukhovskoye (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Installation and testing of LGS-250 hydraulic winch on Ivanov intelligence collection ship "Yuriy Ivanov"
• Time frame: December 2014
• Contract value: RUB 663,801

• Number: 31401879552
• Contractor: Irtysh Omsk Production Association (Omsk)
• Description: Delivery of R-610-1 integrated emergency shortwave radio for Gorshkov frigate "Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Admiral Gorshkov"
• Time frame: within 5 months of first payment
• Contract value: RUB 2,035,884

• Number: 31401888379
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Engineering and geodesic surveys of Northern Shipyard property
• Time frame: not specified
• Contract value: RUB 3,443,511
• Remarks: part of larger project titled "Construction of Modern Shipbuilding Complex at Northern Shipyard - Phase 1"

• Number: 31401904160
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Design survey work
• Time frame: within 16 months of contract signing
• Contract value: RUB 549,375,000
• Remarks: part of larger project titled "Construction of Modern Shipbuilding Complex at Northern Shipyard - Phase 1"; project includes (a) renovation and retooling of existing production facilities, (b) outfitting quay (approx. 520m in length), (c) dry dock + caisson gate, (d) covered slipway, (e) dredging of water area around shipyard, (f) transportation and power supply facilities

• Number: 31401888379
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Engineering and geodesic surveys of Northern Shipyard property
• Time frame: not specified
• Contract value: RUB 3,443,511
• Remarks: part of larger project titled "Construction of Modern Shipbuilding Complex at Northern Shipyard - Phase 1"

Rubin Central Design Bureau of Naval Technology/Tsentralnoye Konstruktorskoye Byuro Morskoy Tekhniki Rubin (St. Petersburg)

• Number: 31401892540
• Contractor: SberBank - Northwest Bank (St. Petersburg)
• Description: RUB 505,300,000 non-revolving credit line
• Time frame: through December 31, 2018
• Contract value: not specified
• Remarks: to be used for retooling to support production of systems, equipment, and components for Kalina non-nuclear submarine

Vympel Shipyard/Sudostroitelnyy Zavod Vympel/Sudostroitelnyy Zavod Vympel (Rybinsk)

• Number: 31401882076
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Delivery of MG-757.1 Anapa swimmer detection sonar system for Grachonok diver support vessel (Factory #01221)
• Time frame: November 2014
• Contract value: RUB 18,207,313

Yantar Baltic Shipyard/Pribaltiyskiy Sudostroitelnyy Zavod Yantar (Kaliningrad)

• Number: 31401853941
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Delivery of LG-120-1 LG-120-2 winches for Gren landing ship "Petr Morgunov"
• Time frame: December 2015
• Contract value: RUB 11,484,264

• Number: 31401867511
• Contractor: not specified
• Description: Delivery of electrical pump units for Gren landing ship "Petr Morgunov"
• Time frame: July 2015
• Contract value: RUB 14,486,058

Zvezda Far East Shipyard/Dalnyevostochnyy Zavod Zvezda (Bolshoy Kamen)

• Number: 31401868691
• Contractor: DalZavod (Vladivostok)
• Description: Repairs of floating dry dock "Pallada"
• Time frame: October 27, 2014 - November 30, 2014
• Contract value: RUB 14,077,729

• Number: 31401874744
• Contractor: Rubin Central Design Bureau of Naval Technology (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Development of working design documentation for Oscar II submarines "Chelyabinsk" and "Tver"
• Time frame: October 10, 2014 - December 31, 2016
• Contract value: RUB 817,890,587

• Number: 31401875176
• Contractor: ElektroPribor Central Scientific Research Institute Concern (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Delivery of Simfoniya-3.2-949AM navigation system for Oscar II submarine "Irkutsk"
• Time frame: September 2016
• Contract value: RUB 707,185,304

• Number: 31401890786
• Contractor: All-Russia Bank of Regional Development (Moscow)
• Description: RUB 291,600,000 credit line
• Time frame: through December 31, 2014
• Contract value: RUB 1,454,005

Zvezdochka Ship Repair Center/Tsentr Sudoremonta Zvezdochka (Severodvinsk)

• Number: 31401859036
• Contractor: Special Design Bureau of Boiler Manufacturing (St. Petersburg)
• Description: Set-up of KGV 1.0-0.7 boiler on Sorum seagoing tug "MB-19"
• Time frame: before September 30, 2014
• Contract value: RUB 487,715

• Number: 31401868774
• Contractor: Manometr (Engels)
• Description: Delivery of IGP-22007 depth indicator for Delta III submarine "Ryazan"
• Time frame: not specified
• Contract value: RUB 1,103,556

• Number: 31401871164
• Contractor: Northern Machine-Building Enterprise (Severodvinsk)
• Description: Temporary additional manpower (15,300 man-hours) for Zvezdochka Ship Repair Center
• Time frame: 2015
• Contract value: RUB 203,000,000

• Number: 31401871214
• Contractor: Arktika Northern Production Association (Severodvinsk)
• Description: Temporary additional manpower (2,500 man-hours) for Zvezdochka Ship Repair Center
• Time frame: 2015
• Contract value: RUB 2,000,000

• Number: 31401872082
• Contractor: Bank of Development and International Trade - VneshEkonomBank (Moscow)
• Description: RUB 753,000,000 credit line
• Time frame: through December 31, 2018
• Contract value: RUB 189,606,000
• Remarks: to be used for (a) retooling Vega Test Factory (Borovsk) to support serial production of steering/propulsion units (RUB 123,000,000); (b) construction of workshop at Zvezdochka Ship Repair Center to produce new types of propulsion systems (RUB 630,000,000)

• Number: 31401872232
• Contractor: Bank of Development and International Trade - VneshEkonomBank (Moscow)
• Description: RUB 687,400,000 credit line
• Time frame: through December 31, 2018
• Contract value: RUB 223,943,000
• Remarks: to be used for retooling Zvezdochka Ship Repair Center to support medium repairs and modernization of third generation nuclear-powered submarines

• Number: 3140187243
• Contractor: Bank of Development and International Trade - VneshEkonomBank (Moscow)
• Description: RUB 644,000,000 credit line
• Time frame: through December 31, 2018
• Contract value: RUB 135,213,200
• Remarks: to be used for (a) retooling Nerpa Shipyard to support repairs of third generation nuclear- and diesel-powered submarines (RUB 544,000,000); (b) retooling Astrakhan Shipyard (RUB 100,000,000)

• Number: 31401872576
• Contractor: Bank of Development and International Trade - VneshEhkonomBank (Moscow)
• Description: RUB 1,087,700,000 credit line
• Time frame: through December 31, 2018
• Contract value: RUB 292,365,800
• Remarks: to be used for retooling Krasnaya Kuznitsa Shipyard (Arkhangelsk)

XLT: How Patriots are Slashing the Nation's Defensive Capability

                                                            [translation of internet blog entry]

HOW PATRIOTS ARE SLASHING THE NATION'S DEFENSIVE CAPABILITY
January 9, 2015
http://yurnik-br.livejournal.com/10387.html

Foreign analysts looking at the growth of military budgets are concerned about the "Russian bear" for no good reason. No, its claws are not extending out, it's not snarling and showing its menacing teeth. Yea, it might growl a little. But its teeth and claws have been cut off - and not by external, malicious enemies, but by an internal bone infection.

For example, let's take a look at the well-known SevMash - Northern Machine-Building Enterprise Production Association, where construction of the nuclear-powered missile cruiser "Generalissimus Suvorov" began on December 26, 2014.

SevMash needed welders and assembly workers. It would seem you could turn to the State Labor Service and invite specialists from across the nation. Or even prepare your own or get them from your competitors. But, no - SevMash, right before the New Year, on December 31, announces a competitive bidding process for "provision of services to supply personnel." Additionally, this was not an auction, but rather the purchase from a single-source provider.

And who is this single-source provider? Could it be a head-hunting agency? Or at least the State Labor Service? No, the one and only suitable entity was Telekort Pomorskiy LLC, which was registered as a company on September 1, 2014.

And if you look at the contract, which has already been signed by both parties and stamped - there is no date!

At the same time the, sum that the defense firm is paying the young, but unscrupulous company ‒ 610 million 368 thousand rubles.

In Sevastopol, 44 million rubles were stolen for repairs of Black Sea Fleet ships. But that's just kopecks compared to the Severomorsk [sic] siphoning. By the way, the coincidence of the last names of the director of the "single-source provider" and the deputy defense minister, who visited SevMash in 2008 ‒ is that really a coincidence?

P.S.
On the page of Gennadiy Akinfeyev from Severodvinsk - the same name and residence as the owner of Telekort Pormorskiy - is this picture.

"We await the sanctions..."

Me thinks that with patriots such as these, we don't need sanctions ‒ we'll siphon, waste, and destroy everything ourselves.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Magazine Lassoes a Fictitious Horse in the White Sea

Scan of Top Gear magazine page showing mysterious submarine

One of today's popular military news stories out of Russia was the "accidental" leak of a picture of a rarely seen piece of naval hardware: the "Losharik" nuclear-powered special-purpose submarine. The boat gets its name from a 1971 Soviet stop-motion film bearing the same name. The lead character in the children's film was named Losharik because it was a horse ("loshad") formed from balls ("sharik") used by a circus juggler (watch the 10-minute movie here).

Losharik - the juggling man's horse

Today's story first surfaced last Friday when a scan of page 149 from a past or future edition of the Russian version of Top Gear magazine was posted to the internet. When queried, the poster stated he wasn't sure which edition the page came from, but he had heard that Top Gear's office in Moscow had been visited on Friday by some government officials - possibly from the Ministry of Defense. After the story was picked up by the Russian press today, the source went back and deleted his posts and the original image. But it was too late as more than a hundred Russian and foreign news sites had already republished the picture.

It's not clear when or where the photo was taken. The article's title, "Water Spray of the White [Sea?]," would seem to suggest the White Sea was, in fact, the location. The background does look very similar to other pictures taken from the beach adjacent to Severodvinsk, on the southeastern corner of the White Sea.

Nikolay Ushanov

One of the people in the article is most likely Nikolay Ushanov (identified by the diminutive name "Kolyunya" and "K-U" within the article's text). Ushanov has penned articles for and been on the editorial staff of many car magazines in Russia, such as Car Shop, XXL-Auto, Trend, Top Gear, Car World, and most recently Classic & Sports Car. He lives in Moscow, but has occasion to travel to such hot spots as the White Sea in far northwestern Russia. Before he was a car magazine writer and editor, he served in the Soviet Navy aboard a Yankee-class nuclear-powered submarine. Apparently Ushanov has maintained some naval and shipbuilding industry contacts, as evidenced by his attendance at the roll-out of the third Dolgorukiy-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine "Vladimir Monomakh" in December 2012. The submarine was built at Northern Machine-Building Enterprise in Severodvinsk.

Given his background, the picture really could have been taken at any time over the past decade. A local Severodvinsk photographer believes the photo used in the Top Gear article was taken nine years ago. It's unclear if he knows that to be true, or if he, too, noted Ushanov's work history and guessed it was taken while he was working for Top Gear magazine between 2004 and 2010. One final possible clue to the photo's date is the vehicle being discussed in the article: the Mercedes-Benz GL 450. According to Wikipedia, the GL 450 was not sold until 2006.

It's amazing what the press will pick up on a slow news day.

RF Navy Acquiring Eight Deep-Water Work Submersibles by 2017

DeepWorker 2000 (forward) and Dual DeepWorker (aft) deep-water work submersibles
[credit: Nuytco Research Ltd]

In a press release today, the RF Ministry of Defense reported that two ARS-600 new-generation manned underwater deep-submergence vehicles would join the RF Navy in 2015. Another two joined the RF Navy in 2014. So, what are these submersibles?

The DeepWorker (DW) single-person and Dual DeepWorker (DDW) two-person submersibles (identified by the Russians as "ARS-600" (autonomous work submersible-600 meters)) allow one pilot (DW) or one pilot + one passenger (DDW) to operate underwater at depths of 1,000-3,000 feet, depending on the model and configuration. The submersibles can remain submerged (tethered or untethered) for up to six hours during normal operations. The submersibles can be used to:

• search for and examine a submerged object;
• retrieve submerged objects weighing up to 80 kg;
• attach lines to objects weighing more than 80 kg, then deliver the line ends to a surface vessel that can then lift the objects;
• clear the rescue hatch cover of a distressed submarine so that a deep-submergence rescue vehicle (DSRV) can land on the hatch to rescue the submarine crew;
• attach hoses to provide high-pressure air and ventilation to a distressed submarine;
• perform other operations.

The RF Navy has been testing the DW/DDW submersibles since at least 2012. Russian Navy head Admiral Chirkov visited the MOD's Scientific Research Institute of Rescue and Undersea Technologies (Lomonosov) in June 2012 to get a first-hand look at the submersibles. Reporting to date indicates the new Belousov-class submarine rescue vessel "Igor Belousov" will be equipped with at least one DW/DDW. Other vessels not permanently equipped to support the DW/DDW, such as Kashtan- and Sura-class heavy-lift vessels, could be quickly configured to serve as temporary Vessels of Opportunity (VOO), as needed.

Civilian research vessel "Heather Sea" - February 8, 2013
[credit: Stanislav Kruglov]

A possible link to Seliger-class research vessel "Seliger" (owned and operated by the Ministry of Defense's Main Directorate for Deep-Water Research, or GUGI) and November 2014 DW/DDW testing suggests it, too, may be temporarily or permanently equipped with the submersibles at some point in the future. For at least five days in November, the Russian-flagged civilian research vessel "Heather Sea" served as a VOO for the testing of two DW/DDW submersibles along the Russian Black Sea coast between Novorossiysk and Sochi. As it was underway and in the immediate vicinity of the "Heather Sea" operations, "Seliger" either played a support role and/or was actually involved in retrieving and launching the submersibles. Click here for a video showing the two vessel's operations between November 13 and November 20.

The November testing was in jeopardy of being delayed due to personnel matters. A month before departing Varna, Bulgaria, the owners of "Heather Sea" were accused of not paying wages to the ship's employees. On November 6, the ship's chief engineer, Albert Andrianov, sent an on-line petition to the State Labor Commission for assistance in getting his company to pay RUB 700,000 in wage arrears (from mid-June through October). Following the commission's intervention, the company paid the engineer's wages through September. A week later, "Heather Sea" was in Anapa, Russia.

Track of "Heather Sea" - January 11, 2015

After the DW/DDW testing in November, "Heather Sea" remained in Novorossiysk until departing port at approximately 07:00 GMT this morning. It is unclear whether "Heather Sea" is performing additional operations with DW/DDW submersibles or some other tasking, but "Seliger" does not appear to be underway.

To date, at least eight DW/DDW submersibles have been ordered for the fleet (excluding the DW/DDW submersible(s) tested in Lomonosov). The first four were to be delivered in 2014, with another two to be delivered to Baltiysk in 2016, and a final pair to be delivered to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy in 2017. It is not clear if the two DW/DDW used in the November 2014 testing were from the first batch of four that were scheduled for delivery in 2014 or the two that were previously delivered to the MOD's Scientific Research Institute of Rescue and Undersea Technologies by 2012.