In 2021, the Russian Navy will receive about 40 ships and support vessels of various classes.

This was announced by a member of the collegium of the Military-Industrial Commission and the Naval Collegium under the government, Vladimir Pospelov.

“It is planned to commission ships of the frigate and corvette classes.

The next serial diesel-electric submarines of Project 636.3 will be surrendered, as well as small missile ships, patrol boats and support vessels, ”he said in a comment to RIA Novosti.

In addition, the fourth-generation nuclear-powered strategic submarine Knyaz Oleg (project Borey-A) and the first serial submarine of the Yasen-M project, Novosibirsk, will be adopted.

Recall that the State Armaments Program provides for the transfer of the Navy in the period from 2018 to 2027, a total of over 180 ships and vessels of new projects.

This was announced at the beginning of 2019 by the Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu, speaking at the collegium of the defense department.

The State Arms Program (GPV) for 2018-2027 was adopted in January 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced this at the time.

  • Vladimir Putin

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  • © Sergey Ilyin

The budget provides for 20 trillion rubles for the implementation of the program.

Of these, 19 trillion will be spent on the purchase, repair and development of weapons, military and special equipment, and 1 trillion will go to the construction of infrastructure.

Surface part 

According to experts, the transfer of 40 ships of various classes to the Navy will be a serious step towards strengthening the domestic naval forces.

"Such a volume of supplies will be a major contribution, given that it implies the transfer of ships capable of carrying both strategic weapons and sea-based cruise missiles," Igor Korotchenko, editor-in-chief of the National Defense magazine, said in a commentary on RT.

A similar point of view is shared by the editor-in-chief of the magazine "Arsenal of the Fatherland" Viktor Murakhovsky.

"Everything is relative.

If we compare it with previous years, now there is growth, albeit not very significant.

Of the negative aspects, we can note the shift in the delivery date of the frigate of project 22350. So far, this is the only frigate that is being built in Russia, the only surface ship in the oceanic zone, "the expert explained in a commentary on RT.

  • Ballistic missile launch "Bulava"

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  • © Press Service of the Northern Fleet

Let us recall that the frigates of Project 22350, the lead ship of which is the Admiral Gorshkov, are designed to destroy surface and submarine ships, convoys and landing detachments, ground targets, as well as to carry out anti-aircraft, anti-submarine and anti-missile defense of ships and vessels.

In total, within the framework of project 22350, it is planned to build ten ships.

To date, two ships of the series have been commissioned: "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov" and "Admiral of the Fleet Kasatonov", three more ships are planned to be built within three years.

As the commander of the Northern Fleet, Admiral Alexander Moiseev, told reporters on May 13, the next Project 22350 frigate "Admiral Golovko" will join the Navy in 2022.

According to Viktor Murakhovsky, the replenishment of the Navy with ships of this class of new generations is an important task of the domestic shipbuilding industry.

“It is necessary to commission those universal amphibious ships that are laid down in the Crimea.

The role of the fleet remains high in ensuring the defense interests of the state and freedom of navigation, ”the expert added.

We will remind, a year ago the media reported on the contract of the Ministry of Defense with the Kerch shipyard "Zaliv" for the construction of two universal amphibious assault helicopter carriers of project 23900, developed by the Zelenodolsk design bureau.

The ships will be named Ivan Rogov and Mitrofan Moskalenko.

In March 2021, it became known about the beginning of the formation of ship hulls.

The ships will have a displacement of 30 thousand tons and will be able to carry 16 helicopters.

Underwater potential

Experts highlight Russia's achievements in building various types of military submarines.

In particular, the project 636.3 diesel-electric submarines mentioned by Vladimir Pospelov are a modernized version of the 636 Varshavyanka submarines.

The latter, in turn, became a continuation of the Soviet submarines of the 877 "Halibut" series.

The Black Sea Fleet is equipped with six submarines of this project.

At the moment, a similar series of ships for the Pacific Fleet is under construction.

In 2019, the Pacific Fleet received the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky submarine, and in 2020 - the Volkhov.

Now in the shops of "Admiralty shipyards" are being built two more submarines of the project: "Magadan" and "Ufa".

  • Solemn ceremony of launching the nuclear-powered submarine "Kazan"

  • RIA News

  • © Sergey Mamontov

In April 2021, shipbuilders began mooring trials of the Magadan submarine.

The tests will be completed in early June, after which the submarine should go to the factory sea trials.

According to the press service of the Ministry of Defense, Project 636.3 submarines are among the quietest in the world.

"The optimal combination of acoustic stealth and target detection range, the latest navigation system, a modern automated information and control system, powerful torpedo-missile weapons ensure the world priority of this class of submarines in the field of non-nuclear submarine building," the Defense Ministry believes.

“If we talk about diesel-electric submarines of Project 636, then it was originally laid down in the Soviet era.

However, ships of this type are also in demand by the fleet, they need to be built.

Such ships are especially useful as part of the Black Sea, Northern and Pacific fleets, ”Viktor Murakhovskaya believes.

Atomic superiority

Experts attribute the commissioning of new ships of the Borey-A and Yasen-M projects to the main achievements of the domestic shipbuilding industry.

“The ships of these projects meet all modern requirements of the best technological achievements of submarine shipbuilding.

This also applies to electronic equipment, and strike weapons, and such a criterion as habitability.

Suffice it to say that such boats can sail around the world without surfacing, ”said Viktor Murakhovsky.

The machines of project 885M (Yasen-M) were developed by the designers of JSC SPMBM Malakhit (St. Petersburg).

Nuclear submarines of this class are being built in Severodvinsk, at the JSC PO Sevmash.

Multipurpose nuclear submarines are designed to destroy surface combat ships, vehicles, submarines and enemy ground targets.

Ash is equipped with eight vertical launchers capable of launching Kalibr and Onyx cruise missiles.

Also, nuclear submarines are carried on board 30 torpedoes of 533 mm caliber.

In early May, the Project 885M Kazan nuclear submarine was accepted into the balance of the Russian Navy - the ship became the lead cruiser of the series.

As previously reported by TASS agency citing a source in the military-industrial complex, the second project 885M submarine, "Krasnoyarsk", may be launched in August this year.

The first serial missile carrier of project 995A (Borey A) "Knyaz Oleg" was launched in the summer of 2020.

This was reported in PO "Sevmash", engaged in the release of ships of this series.

As the General Director of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) Alexei Rakhmanov specified in April 2021, the Knyaz Oleg nuclear submarine will be handed over to the fleet in October.

Submarines of the Borey project are to replace the outdated third-generation nuclear submarines 667BDR Kalmar, 667BDRM Dolphin and 941 Akula.

Since 2013, the Navy has received three Borey missile carriers: the K-535 Yuri Dolgoruky, the K-550 Alexander Nevsky nuclear submarine, and the K-551 Vladimir Monomakh.

  • Strategic nuclear-powered missile submarine Yuri Dolgoruky

  • RIA News

  • © Pavel Lvov

In parallel, the development of a modernized series of nuclear submarines of project 995A ("Borey-A") was carried out.

The lead ship of the K-549 series "Prince Vladimir" was handed over to the military in 2020.

In addition to "Prince Vladimir" and "Prince Oleg", the project will build nuclear submarines "Generalissimo Suvorov", "Emperor Alexander III" and "Prince Pozharsky".

All of them have already been laid down at Sevmash.

Boreis of both modifications are carried on board 16 Bulava ICBMs with nuclear warheads.

Low visibility is considered to be one of the important advantages of the Borey project nuclear submarine.

It is provided by the use of sound-absorbing materials.

In total, it is planned to build ten ships of this series.

As Vladimir Pospelov noted in a commentary to RIA Novosti, Russia may continue building strategic missile-carrying submarines of Project 995 even after the delivery of the ships contracted to date.

“The series can be continued.

The project has shown itself to be successful and has good prospects for modernization, ”he explained.

He also recalled that the total possible number of ICBM carriers with nuclear warheads is determined by the START-3 Treaty.

According to experts, the fleet plays a vital role as a component of the country's strategic nuclear forces.

“It is known that it is the submarine ballistic missiles that make up a significant portion of our strategic nuclear deterrent potential.

It is the most secretive and most mobile component of our strategic nuclear forces.

In this sense, the fleet must first of all ensure operational deployment, cover the areas where our strategic missile submarine cruisers are used, ”explained Viktor Murakhovsky. 

The second important task of the Navy is to ensure the safety of navigation and the boundaries of the near sea zone.

It is carried out by corvettes, small missile and patrol boats.

“The fleet must restore its capabilities, we are now observing this process,” the expert added.

A similar opinion was expressed by Igor Korotchenko.

“The Navy provides nuclear deterrence with its naval strategic component.

The Navy also contributes to the potential for non-nuclear deterrence.

A special role today is played by the sea carriers of the Kalibr cruise missiles, ”the expert summed up.