Russian Navy: Status & News #1

Basic trawler Project 12700 "Alexandrite"



Developed in the Central Maritime Bureau "Almaz". It is intended for search, trawling and destruction of mines in coastal and near-sea area. Full displacement 620 tons, length 51,75 m, width 10,2 m, draft 2,68 m. The speed full speed of 15 knots, range 1500 miles. Power diesel power plant of about 2500 liters. with.

Armament: 30-millimeter gun mount AK-306, MANPADS "Igla", 2 machine-gun installation, the system will find and destroy mines. The crew of 41 people.

Currently under construction two ships of this projectYes.

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Construct OAO Medium-Nevsky Shipyard (St. Petersburg). Laid down in 2002. Delivery of the Navy announced in 2011.

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Construct OAO Medium-Nevsky Shipyard. Laid down in 2004.

Large landing ship project 11771



A Nevsky Design Bureau (St. Petersburg). Suitable for transporting and landing troops. Full displacement 4500-5000 tons, length 120 m, width 16,5 m, draft 3,6 m. Speed full speed of 18 knots, range 3500 miles. Power diesel power plant of about 4 thousand liters. with. (engine 10D49).

Armament: two 122-mm multiple rocket launchers, 76-mm artillery installation AK-176 and two 30-millimeter artillery guns are AK-630M, 1-2 helicopters. Can carry 13 tanks or 36 armored personnel carriers and up to 300 paratroopers. The crew of about 100 people.

Currently under construction, one ship of this project, announced an order for a total of six such BDK.

"Vice-Admiral Ivan Gren"
Construct JSC Baltic Shipyard "Yantar (Kaliningrad). Serial number 301. Laid down 23 December 2004. Delivery of the Navy announced in 2012.

Small landing craft air cavity of the project 21820 "Dugong"



A CDB for hydrofoil craft them. R. E. Alekseeva (Nizhny Novgorod). Suitable for transporting and landing troops. Full displacement 230 tons, length 45 m, width 7,6 m, draft 2,2 m. Speed full speed to 50 knots. It is planned to equip the "Dugong" diesel-gas turbine power plant (gas turbine engine M70FRU capacity of 14 thousand liters. Pp.). Originally planned to be installed on board a diesel power plant with capacity of 18 thousand liters. with. (two diesel engines M507A-2D).

It can carry 140 tons of cargo, including paratroopers and military equipment (tanks, three or five APCs). The crew of 6 people.

Currently under construction, one ship of this project, announced an order up to ten "dugong."

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Construct JSC Shipbuilding Plant "Volga" (Nizhny Novgorod). Serial number 811. Laid down 21 February 2006. Delivery of the Navy announced in 2009.

Boats 4-th rank
Landing craft air cavity of the project 11770 "Serna"



A CDB for hydrofoil craft them. R. E. Alexeev. Total displacement 99.7 (according to other data, 105) m, length 25,6 m, width 5,8 m, draft 1,52 m. The speed full speed of 30 knots, cruising range of 600 miles. Power diesel power plant of 8 thousand liters. with. (2 diesels M503A to 4 thousand liters. Pp.).

Armament it. It can carry a tank or 2 APCs and 92 paratroopers. The crew of 5 persons.

To date, built about seven boats of this project is built one more "Serna".

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Construct JSC Shipbuilding Plant "Volga". Delivery of the Navy announced in 2009.

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Construct JSC East Wharf "(Vladivostok). Serial No. 3001. Laid down in 2008. Delivery of the Navy announced in 2009.

Auxiliary ship
Vessel connection project 18280



Developed by Central Design Bureau "Iceberg" (St. Petersburg). Designed for communication and control a fleet of radio reconnaissance and electronic warfare. Total displacement of about 4000 tons, length 95 m, width 16 m, draft of about 4 meters is equipped with a diesel power plant (engine 8CHN30/38).

Armament - air defense system. The crew of about 120 people.

Currently being built one ship of the project, announced an order for a total of two ships of the project 18280.

Admiral Yuri Ivanov "
Construct Severnaya Verf. Serial number 787. Incorporated December 27, 2004. Delivery of the Navy announced in 2011.

Salvage ship project 21300S



Developed by the Central Maritime Bureau "Almaz". Designed for search and rescue, diving and underwater engineering works. Total displacement 5310 (according to other data, 5037) m, length 105.1 (107.3) m, width of 17,2 m. The speed full speed to 15 knots, cruising range of about 3000 miles. Equipped with diesel electric power plant (six diesel generators and two propulsion motors).

The vessel placed various manned and remotely operated deep sea vehicles, diving complex, deep-sea diving suits to work, hyperbaric chambers and other rescue equipment, helicopter. Armament: man-portable air defense systems. Crew 99 (97) persons.

Currently being built one vessel of this type, announced an order for a total of four vessels of the project 21300S.

Igor Belousov "
Construct JSC "Admiralty Shipyards". Incorporated December 24, 2005. Delivery of the Navy announced in 2011.

Naval Weapons Project 21130 "Diskant"



A CDB "Iceberg". Designed for transport and handling of missiles and other weapons of the Navy. Total displacement of about 7000 tons, length 116 m.

Currently under construction, one ship of this project.

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Construct Amur Shipbuilding Plant. Serial No. 2130. Laid down in 2008. Delivery of the Navy announced in 2011.


Naval Weapons (search-and-transport ship) project 20180



Developed by the Central Maritime Bureau "Almaz". Designed for the transport, handling, towing, security testing of marine equipment and weapons, search and rescue operations. Total displacement 5400 tons, length about 100 m. The speed full speed to 14 knots.

Armament it. The crew of 65 persons.

Currently under construction, one ship of this project.

"The Star"
Construct a "Center for repair" Little Star ". Serial number 01218. Incorporated September 3, 2004, launched on December 20, 2007. Delivery of the Navy announced in 2009.

At the present time is running tests.

The vessel loader project 20360 "Dubnyak"



Developed by KB Design ships Vympel (Nizhny Novgorod). Designed for the transport and transshipment of arms and other goods. Total displacement 1985 tons, length 61,5 m, width 15,7 m, draft 3,1 m. Speed full speed 10.5 knots. Power diesel power plant 1100-1200 liters. with. (two engines Deutz BF8M1015MC germanskogo production capacity of about 600 liters. pp. each).

Armament it. The crew of 23 people.

Currently being built one ship of the project, announced the order of the two "Dubnyak.

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Construct "Okskaya Shipyard (Navashino, Nizhny Novgorod Region).. Incorporated March 31, 2005, launched in 2008. Delivery of the Navy announced in 2009.

Training ship project 12441U "Thunder"



Developed in the Central Maritime Bureau "Almaz" originally as a guard ship, then because of financial and technical difficulties as it agreed to finish building the school. Intended for training sailors and developing new models of arms and marine equipment. Full Displacement 2,900 tons (hereinafter specified parameters for the initial project), length 121 m, width 14,1 m, draft 9,3 m. Speed full speed up to 31 node, range up to 4800 miles. Power turbine power plant of 49 thousand liters. with. (according to published data, the ship has two gas turbines marching M-62M to 6 thousand liters. pp. and two-burner gas turbines, M-90 for 18,5 thousand liters. pp. each).

The initial project was planned to have a patrol with rockets, artillery, anti-submarine, anti-aircraft complexes of different types of helicopter, but due to redevelopment in the training ship of weapons will in all probability, reduced to a minimum. The crew of 210 people (on the original draft).

Currently the project is built one ship 12441U.

Borodino
Construct JSC Baltic Shipyard "Yantar". Serial No. 1900. Laid down 25 July 1997 as a patrol ship "Novik" (renamed in 2004). Delivery of the Navy announced in 2011.

Opytovoe ship Project 11982



Developed by the Central Maritime Bureau "Almaz". Intended for testing of new technology (including manned autonomous and nonautonomous deep-water craft), search and rescue, scientific research and oceanographic studies. Total displacement 1117 tons, length 59,7 m, width of 10.8 m. The speed full speed to 13 knots, cruising range of 1000 miles.

Armament it. The crew of 25 people (16 sailors and scientific staff of 9 persons).

Currently being built one ship of this project.

Seliger
Construct JSC Baltic Shipyard "Yantar". Incorporated July 8, 2009. Delivery of the Navy announced in 2011.

Marine rescue tug Project 22030



A KB designing ships Vympel. Suitable for towing ships and vessels in high seas, harbors and roads, assisting ships and vessels in distress, fighting fires. Total displacement of about 1400-1500 m, length 56,8 m, width 11,8 m, draft 3,7 m. Speed full speed 14,3 knot, range 4000 miles. Power plant capacity of about 6 thousand liters. with. (three diesel-generator).

Armament it. The crew of 19 people.

Currently being built one ship of the project, announced the order of three tugs.

"Okhotsk"
Construct Khabarovsk Shipbuilding Plant. Walozhen June 16, 2007. Delivery of the Navy announced in 2011.

Marine rescue tug draft 745MB "Walrus"



A CDB Baltsudoproject "(St. Petersburg). Suitable for towing ships and vessels in high seas, harbors and roads, assisting ships and vessels in distress, fighting fires. Total displacement 1390 (according to other sources, about 1600) m, length 56,5 m, width 12,65 m, draft 4,3 m speed full speed to 14 knots. Power plant capacity of about 2500-3000 liters. with. (internal combustion engine Belgian 8DZC rowing and motor).

Weapons: Possible placement of 30-millimeter guns AK-230. The crew of 22 people.

Since 1972, the project has built 21 lift 745 and 19 border guard ships project 745P. Currently under construction two ships of this project (in the modification of 745MB), announced an order for a total of four "walrus.

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Construct OJSC "Shipyard" Vympel (Rybinsk, Yaroslavl region). Serial number 442. Laid down on the project 745P. Delivery of the Navy announced in 2011.

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Construct OAO Zelenodolsk Plant. Gorky. Laid down in 2008. Delivery of the Navy announced in 2009.

A small survey vessel Project 19910



Developed by KB Design ships Vympel (Nizhny Novgorod). Designed for hydrographic work, installation and maintenance of navigation equipment. Full displacement 1000-1200 tons, length 56,4 m, width 11,17 m, draft 2,94 m. The speed full speed of 12 knots, range 2000 miles. Power diesel-electric power plant of about 3000 liters. with. (two diesel generator GDG-1000 made in Germany).

Armament it. The crew of 17 people.

The parent vessel ( "Vaigach") joined the fleet in 2008. Currently being built one vessel of this type, announced an order for a total of four vessels of the project 19910.

Viktor Faleev "
Construct JSC East Wharf "(Vladivostok). Serial No. 2001. Laid down 24 October 2006. Delivery of the Navy announced in 2011.


Large hydrographic boat of 19920 (19920B)



A KB designing ships Vympel (Nizhny Novgorod). It is intended to survey the bottom topography in coastal areas, and other hydrographic studies. Total displacement 249.4 m, length 34.5 (according to other data, 36,54) m, width 7.6 (7.9) m, draft 2 m. The speed full speed of 11 knots, range 1000 miles. Power diesel power plant is about 650 liters. with. (two engines 6CHNSP18 or Germanic Deutz BF6M1015).

Armament it. The crew of 11 people.

The head-cutter of the project BGK-2090 joined the Navy in 2008. Currently under construction a boat of this type.

BGK 797
Construct JSC Shipbuilding Plant. October Revolution "(Blagoveshchensk, Amur region.). Serial number 701. Laid down 17 October 2006, launched in July 2008. Delivery of the Navy announced in 2009.

Service and crew boat project 21270 Puffin



Developed in the Central Maritime Bureau "Almaz". Designed for making naval parades, delivery of command ships and other festive events. Full displacement 103 tons, length 27,4 m, width 6,5 m, draft 1,75 m. The speed full speed to 22 knots, cruising range of 350 miles. Power diesel power plant of about 2700 liters. with. (two engines M470).

Armament it. It can carry up to 12 passengers. The crew of 6 people.

Since 2003, built three boats of this project, currently under construction, one "savages".

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Construct Severnaya Verf. Serial number 854. Laid down in 2008. Delivery of the Navy announced in 2009.

Raid lift project 90600



Developed by JSC "Leningrad Shipyard" Pella ". Suitable for towing boats and ships in the harbor, the roads and in coastal areas. Total displacement of about 400 tons, length 25,5 m, width 8,8 m, draft 3,5 m. Speed full speed of 12 knots, range 3000 miles. Power plant capacity of about 2700 liters. with. (two engines).

Armament it. The crew of 8 persons.

Since 2003, built 18 tugs Project 90600 (including one for the Navy of Russia). Currently under construction 2 vessels of the project, announced by order of RF Navy a total of five tugs.

RB-47
Construct OAO Leningrad Shipyard "Pella". Serial number 919. Laid down in 2009, launched on March 25, 2009. Delivery of the Navy announced in 2009.

RB-48
Construct OAO Leningrad Shipyard "Pella". Serial number 920. Laid down in 2009, launched on July 2, 2009. Delivery of the Navy announced in 2009.

Project 12150 patrol boat "Mongoose"



Developed in the Central Maritime Bureau "Almaz". Designed for patrol and search and rescue operations. Total displacement of about 30 tons, length 18,7 m, width 4,4 m, draft 1,2 m. Speed full speed about 50 knots, cruising range of about 400 miles. Power diesel power plant around 2700 (according to other data, 3500) l. with. (two engines).

Armament: guns, possibly placing missile complex "Whirlwind" (range up to 10 km) and man-portable air defense systems. The crew of 6 people.

For the Border Service, Ministry of Emergency Situations and the Navy built more than a dozen such boats (including one for the Navy). Currently, the Defense Ministry built one "Mongoose".

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Construct OJSC "Shipyard" Vympel "" serial number 02607. Laid down: January 2, 2009. Delivery of the Navy announced in 2009.

Russian Pacific Fleet task force departs on anti-piracy mission

RIA Novosti

24/02/201008:01

(RIA Novosti) - A Russian Pacific Fleet task force, departed on an anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden from the Far Eastern port of Vladivostok on Tuesday.

The task force comprises an Udaloy-class missile destroyer, Marshal Shaposhnikov, a salvage tug and a tanker.

The Russian Navy has maintained a permanent presence off the Horn of Africa, with warships operating on a rotation basis. Russia joined international anti-piracy efforts off the Somali coast in October 2008.

The task force was the fourth group of warships from the Russian Pacific Fleet engaged in the anti-piracy mission off Somalia, with the previous three task forces led by the Admiral Vinogradov, Admiral Panteleyev and the Admiral Tributs destroyers.

During the tour of duty, the Pacific Fleet groups escorted a total of over 100 commercial vessels from 26 countries along the shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden, and thwarted over 20 pirate attacks.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/russia/2010/russia-100224-rianovosti07.htm

Russia holds Black Sea drills 'under NATO's watchful eye'

RIA Novosti

03/03/201014:52

NOVOROSSIISK, March 3 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian Black Sea Fleet practiced an amphibious landing of troops on the coast of Abkhazia as a nearby NATO vessel observed, a Russian Navy source said on Wednesday.

He said the drills, involving a dozen warships, were conducted on February 27 in close cooperation with the coast guard forces of the former Georgian republic of Abkhazia and were watched by a U.S. coast guard vessel.

"During the drills, the USS John Hall was in this area of the Black Sea," the source said, adding that the U.S. vessel was officially conducting joint drills with Georgian Navy coast guards vessels.

"However, the main task of the American vessel in the Black Sea was not the practice of Georgian-American interaction on the sea, but in tracking the drills of the Black Sea fleet," the source added.

Last month, the presidents of Russia and Abkhazia signed a deal allowing a Russian military base in Abkhazia for 50 years to "protect Abkhazia's sovereignty and security, including against international terrorist groups."

Georgia, which fought a five-day war with Russia over its former republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in August 2008, has fiercely criticized the plans for the base in Abkhazia, which it considers part of its territory.

Russia's military buildup in the region since the armed conflict has also been condemned by the West as running counter to international law and contravening the internationally brokered ceasefire agreement signed by Russia and Georgia in the wake of their August 2008 conflict.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/russia/2010/russia-100303-rianovosti02.htm

Russia, developed a new generation destroyer

The development of a new generation of destroyers for the Navy of Russia, which will be built on the stealth technology, said on Thursday, a source in the military-industrial complex.

"We are carrying out research work on the image of the new ship far sea zone, drawn up the technical documentation of the project. This process will take approximately 30 months," - said the source Interfax. According to him, promising a ship, project number which has not yet been appointed, will be multi-purpose, and that will determine his choice of weapons.

"The destroyer will receive a set of missile launchers with universal vertical launch for firing precision missiles against ground, surface and underwater targets. PVO spacecraft will provide anti-aircraft missiles large, medium and short range," - explained the expert.

Be universal and artillery destroyer, which will be able to fire at the coastal and marine enemy targets with precision-guided missiles, added a military expert. The versatility of the spacecraft will have an impact on the content of his radio-filling, the expert said. Destroyer equipuniversal system for detection and targeting, means, electronic countermeasures, and sonar equipment to detect submarines, underwater mines and terrorist forces, "- said the source.

This new ship will be hardly noticeable to other people's radars, ie built stealth technology. "The high level of secrecy will provide the architectural features of the shell in conjunction with a special coating of its elements, as well as materials with high absorbing properties", - explained the expert. Particular attention will be paid to protect and improve the survivability of the ship. One particularly promising destroyers will be his high level of environmental safety, than has hitherto been no different domestic fighting ships, the expert noted.

According to him, the ship far sea zone will have unlimited seaworthiness and speed of 30 knots. At 17-node during the destroyer will be able to independently take up to 10 thousand miles. Manning expected relatively small, which will improve the quality of habitability. Displacement of the ship reaches 10 thousand tons. Main propulsion will be gas-turbine-type destroyer. The ship will provide a hangar for two ASW helicopters.


10:36 11.03.10

http://www.izvestia.ru/news/news234695

wow.. good news

however.. will that destroyer managed to reach same level of RCS reduction similar to Fighter Aircraft ?

No, it will be reduced in size to fishing trawler.

Russian warship to make port call in Oman

RIA Novosti

18/03/201001:33

MOSCOW, March 18 (RIA Novosti) - A Russian frigate will start on Thursday a two-day visit to the port of Salalah in Oman to replenish water and food supplies for its current anti-piracy mission off the Somali coast, a Navy source said.

The Neustrashimy frigate from Russia's Baltic Fleet has escorted about 20 commercial vessels since its arrival in the Gulf of Aden in January and thwarted at least one attack by Somali pirates.

"On March 20, the frigate will leave the port of Salalah and continue escorting commercial vessels in the Gulf of Aden until it is replaced by a task force from Russia's Pacific Fleet led by Admiral Shaposhnikov destroyer," the source said.

It is Neustrashimy's second anti-piracy mission in the area. The frigate was the first Russian warship to join international anti-piracy efforts off Somalia in October 2008.

The frigate's armament includes SS-N-25 Switchblade anti-ship missiles, SA-N-9 Gauntlet SAM, a 100-mm gun, torpedoes and depth charges. The frigate also carries a Ka-27 ASW helicopter.

The Russian Navy has maintained a constant presence off the Horn of Africa, with each fleet dispatching warships on a rotational basis.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/russia/2010/russia-100318-rianovosti04.htm

Russia conducts Navy anti-submarine drills in Sea of Japan

RIA Novosti

24/03/201010:28

VLADIVOSTOK, March 24 (RIA Novosti) - A mixed task force from the Russian Pacific Fleet started on Wednesday a series of anti-submarine warfare (ASW) drills in the Sea of Japan, a fleet spokesman said.

"Two task forces comprising missile destroyers and diesel-powered submarines are taking part in the drills in line with a regular training program," Capt. 1st Rank Roman Martov said.

The exercises involve a number of search-and-destroy missions, simulated torpedo attacks and live-fire drills with on-board artillery and air defense systems.

The Admiral Tributs and Admiral Vinogradov destroyers, which carried out patrol missions in the Gulf of Aden as part of international efforts to fight sea piracy, will take part in the drills.

According to Martov, the exercises will culminate with a "battle" between the destroyers and submarines, when the surface ships attempt to thwart "a surprise attack from the deep."

Russia's Pacific Fleet has a missile cruiser, five destroyers and a large number of submarines in service. Its anti-submarine warfare aircraft include Tu-142 Bear F and Il-38 May planes, and Ka-27 Helix D helicopters.



http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/russia/2010/russia-100324-rianovosti03.htm

Russian warship to take part in Blackseafor naval drills

RIA Novosti

25/03/201011:55

MOSCOW, March 25 (RIA Novosti) - The Caesar Kunikov large amphibious landing ship from Russia's Black Sea Fleet will take part in regular Blackseafor naval drills in April, the fleet's press office said on Thursday.

Blackseafor was formally established in 2001 on Turkey's initiative and comprises Turkey, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Romania, Georgia and Russia. It conducts search and rescue operations and environmental monitoring, and organizes goodwill visits to Black Sea countries.

Its charter says Blackseafor can also be deployed for peacekeeping operations under a UN or OSCE mandate.

This year's drills will be conducted under the command of the Bulgarian Navy.

The Blackseafor warships will practice tactical maneuvers, the conduct of combat operations against surface ships, air defense and communications, the press office said.

The warships will also practice assisting distressed ships, naval isolation, ship inspection and provision replenishing at sea. Special attention will be paid to anti-terror exercises.

Georgian warships have not participated in the Blackseafor exercises for a number of years.

Russia has said it will not take part in any naval exercises involving Georgian warships.

Diplomatic ties were cut off between Russia and Georgia in August 2008 after a five-day war over the former Georgian republic of South Ossetia.

The Caesar Kunikov is a Ropucha-I class large landing ship. It was involved in the conflict between Russia and Georgia in August 2008.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/russia/2010/russia-100325-rianovosti05.htm

Ships of 10,000 ton displacement can generally be detected by radar of most fighter aircraft at 400km or beyond.

I have read comments from British Navy guys that with the Kirov class, which were designed for reduced radar cross section too, it was easier to detect them by the wake that they created than to try to detect the ship itself.

That is not to suggest the Kirov was radar invisible, but that the wake can give you away and also a hint that the radar reduction measures were effective of course.

At the end of the day unless you turn all your radars off you will not be invisible and if you do turn your radars off then you are vulnerable to surprise attack.

There is safety in numbers, but in the end it doesn't matter what the defence is it can be overwhelmed with numbers.

Russian North Fleet destroyer to rejoin fleet after 18 years

RIA Novosti

05/04/201016:53

MOSCOW, April 5 (RIA Novosti) - The Vice-Admiral Kulakov destroyer will rejoin Russia's Northern Fleet after an 18-year overhaul, a spokesman for the Severnaya Verf shipyard said on Monday.

The Vice-Admiral Kulakov, a Project-1155 Udaloy-class destroyer, was commissioned in 1982 and was in service until March 1991 when it was retired for repairs.

The retrofit program ran into serious difficulties over a lack of funding and there were even plans to scrap the warship. However, in the early 2000s, the Russian Defense Ministry raised enough funds to complete the modernization.

The Vice-Admiral Kulakov has a displacement of 6,200 tons, a length of 162.99 m, a speed of 35 knots, a range of 19,400 km, and a crew of 300.

It is armed with AK-100 artillery systems, Rastrub-B and RBU-6000 antisubmarine complexes, Kinzhal antiaircraft missile systems, and anti-submarine torpedoes. It also carries two Ka-27 Helix-series helicopters.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/russia/2010/russia-100405-rianovosti03.htm


Personal opinion : This is what we should be doing!

Russian warship escorts another convoy in Gulf of Aden

RIA Novosti

16/04/201001:29

MOSCOW, April 16 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian Udaloy class missile destroyer Marshal Shaposhnikov is escorting four civilian vessels off the coast of Somalia, a Russian Navy spokesman said.

A Russian Pacific Fleet task force comprising the Marshal Shaposhnikov, the MB-37 salvage tug and the Pechenga tanker arrived in the Gulf of Aden on March 29 to join the anti-piracy mission in the region.

The destroyer, which has two naval helicopters and a unit of naval infantry on board, has already escorted two commercial convoys comprising a total of 27 ships in pirate-infested waters off the Somali coast.

Russia joined international anti-piracy efforts in the region in October 2008. The Russian Navy has maintained a near-permanent presence off the Horn of Africa since then, with warships operating on a rotation basis.

The current task force is the fourth group of warships from the Russian Pacific Fleet engaged in the anti-piracy mission off Somalia, with the previous three task forces led by the Admiral Vinogradov, the Admiral Panteleyev and the Admiral Tributs destroyers. The Northern and Baltic fleets have also sent their warships to the region.

According to official data, Somali pirates carried out 217 attacks on commercial ships in 2009, hijacking 47 vessels and taking 867 crew members as hostages. They hijacked at least 12 ships since the beginning of 2010.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/russia/2010/russia-100416-rianovosti03.htm

Drills in Far East to involve warships of three Russian fleets

RIA Novosti

23/04/201005:20

VLADIVOSTOK, April 23 (RIA Novosti) - Warships of three Russian fleets will meet in the Sea of Japan during large-scale military exercises in the Far East, a Pacific Fleet source told RIA Novosti on Friday.

The Russian Armed Forces will conduct large-scale Vostok-2010 military exercises in Siberia and Far East in June-July. The exact date of the drills is yet to be announced.

The flagships of the Northern Fleet and the Black Sea Fleet, the Pyotr Veliky nuclear-powered missile cruiser and the Moskva missile cruiser, respectively, are expected to join warships of the Pacific Fleet during the exercise, the source said.

"During the Vostok exercise, warships of the three Russian fleets will conduct joint maneuvers with firing at naval and aerial targets. In addition, they will train elements of joint combat and repelling underwater and aerial attacks," the source said.

The upcoming land drills will involve units from the Far Eastern, the Siberian and the Volga-Urals military districts.

As part of the drills, the Armed Forces will practice the deployment of additional troops in Siberia and the Far East to strengthen the existing military contingent in the region in case of a potential military conflict.

Russia holds Vostok strategic command-and-staff exercises every two years. More than 8,000 troops took part in Vostok-2008.

The Russian military conducted the Caucasus 2009, Zapad 2009 and Ladoga 2009 strategic exercises, and 15 brigade-level and 161 battalion-level drills last year.


http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/russia/2010/russia-100423-rianovosti02.htm

Russian warship to escort 12 merchant vessels in Gulf of Aden

RIA Novosti

28/04/201016:38

MOSCOW, April 28 (RIA Novosti) - A Russian warship will escort 12 commercial vessels through the Somali pirate-infested waters of the Gulf of Aden, a Defense Ministry spokesman said on Wednesday.

He said the Pacific Fleet's Udaloy-class missile-armed destroyer Marshal Shaposhnikov would start the operation on Wednesday evening.

The Marshal Shaposhnikov, a large anti-submarine ship, has two helicopters and an infantry unit on board.

A Russian Pacific Fleet task force comprising the Marshal Shaposhnikov, the MB-37 salvage tug and the Pechenga tanker arrived in the Gulf of Aden on March 29 to join the anti-piracy mission there.

The task force is the fourth group of warships from the Russian Pacific Fleet engaged in the anti-piracy mission off Somalia, with the previous three task forces led by the Admiral Vinogradov, Admiral Panteleyev and the Admiral Tributs destroyers. The Northern and Baltic fleets have also sent task forces to the region.

Somali pirates carried out a record number of attacks and hijackings in 2009. According to the Piracy Reporting Center of the International Maritime Bureau, a total of 217 vessels were attacked last year, resulting in 47 hijackings.


http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/russia/2010/russia-100428-rianovosti02.htm

Russia mulls construction of 'anti-piracy' ship

RIA Novosti

08/05/201016:38

MOSCOW, May 8 (RIA Novosti) - Russia could build at least one special-purpose ship to fight sea piracy in the next several years, the Pacific Fleet commander has said.

Vice Admiral Konstantin Sidenko said "special ships and vessels" were needed to ensure safety at sea and deal with sea piracy, which posed the greatest security threat.

He offered no details about its design or equipment but said that such a ship would be part of the Pacific Fleet, because its area of responsibility includes the Indian Ocean, in particular the Gulf of Aden.

The chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces said on Friday Russia had no plans to beef up its task force in the Gulf of Aden following a pirate attack on a Russian tanker.

"We have no plans to reinforce our deployment," said Gen. Nikolai Makarov, who is also first deputy defense minister.

A SWAT team from the anti-submarine destroyer Marshal Shaposhnikov freed the Moscow University tanker and its 23 crewmembers on Thursday. The ship was hijacked by Somali pirates on Wednesday en route from the Red Sea to China.

One pirate was killed and several injured in a 22-minute operation. The pirates were captured, but later released. Makarov said Russia had "no legal grounds for detaining them" as they could not be prosecuted under international or national law.
A Russian special investigations committee spokesman initially said that all the detained pirates involved in hijacking the tanker would be sent to Moscow to face legal proceedings and prosecution.

The Russian task force comprising the RFS Marshal Shaposhnikov, the MB-37 salvage tug and the Pechenga tanker arrived in the Gulf of Aden on March 29 to join the anti-piracy mission in the region.

Somali pirates carried out a record number of attacks and hijackings in 2009. According to the International Maritime Bureau Piracy Reporting Center, a total of 217 vessels were attacked last year, resulting in 47 hijackings.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/russia/2010/russia-100508-rianovosti01.htm

It would be interesting to speculate on the design for such a role.

Would you go for a wolf in sheeps clothing where it pretends to be a cargo vessel, or would you make it a hunter with high speed and lots of guns?

I would expect for armament you would want the ability to fire out to 8-10km or so accurately, so a 76.2mm AK-176M-MR-123-02 gun would probably be a good start. Perhaps a 57mm automatic gun as well for the faster small boats as well as the standard 30mm CIWS systems too.
You would want helicopters and I would think that 2-4 Ka-29 assault helos for carrying troops, and maybe some armed attack helos like the Ka-52s might also be useful for their flight range and firepower, and also their armour protection to protect them from return fire.

For the ship itself, high speed would just burn up fuel quickly and for long duration voyages from the Pacific Fleet base it will need large stores, for its own fuel and the fuel used by the aircraft, as well as ordinance and of course accommodation for the boarding teams.

GarryB wrote:It would be interesting to speculate on the design for such a role.

Yep, but for that I would need to know more about the methods and means of the pirates. For example, I think I remember reading somewhere that once they seize a ship, they are in communications with specialized firms who conduct negotations. If so, the first thing I would go for is an electronic-warfare suite to cut-off all the means of communication of the pirates.

Then there is the issue of the size of the area to be monitored. I suppose that to be effective such a ship would have to have a pretty good intelligence capability, including the ability to constantly monitor all movements in the area of responsability in real time.
Ideally, this ship should be able to receive and share data with non-Russian forces in the area. Such a data fusion capability would have to be included in the design of the intelligence suite of the ship.

Once a ship has been seized, a UAV/RPV above it 24/7 is probably a good idea.

I might be mistaken, but my understanding is that firepower is not really an issue with pirates. They are, as far as I know, armed only with small-arms and RPGs. For safely, we can assume that they will also have machine guns and possible some 30/50 cal guns. None of that is much of a threat to a well-trained assault team, weather by speedboat or helo.

It would probably be deisrable to be able to put the sized ship's rudder and/or engines out of commission. I am not sure as to what the easiest method for that would be. Any ideas?

One thing the pirates most definitely do not have (so far) is night-vision gear. Hence, the assault component of the force should have top-of-the-line night vision equipment. That, and special weapons (flashbangs, gas, etc.).

So my vote goes for a EW and intelligence ship with a squadron of helicotpers (Ka-29TB, Ka-32A2, Ka-32A7, Ka-32S, Ka-31, etc.), a complement of fast attack craft and a company of specially naval assault operators.

You make some very good points, though respectfully disagree that a 50 cal HMG is not threat to guys in an inflatable boat... no matter how well trained they are, or for that matter no threat to helos.

It is my understanding that the smaller boats are controlled by larger boats that act as motherships or base ships for attacks.

I would expect the main weapons used to foil an attack would be in helos, guns and rockets and the odd ATGM when precision is required. All three should be able to be used outside the range of RPG and small arms fire and potentially out to outside HMG range if necessary.

Regarding the 57mm and 76.2mm guns, with almost 3kg and 16kg shells respectively able to engage targets out to 8-10km they can be used to fire warning shots and also to damage vessels. I would expect their rate of fire (240 rpm and 120 rpm) would make the engagement of high speed targets practical, because some of those little boats are fast.

For a larger boat the 76.2mm gun might be a little light, but a heavy anti ship missile will be over kill.

Something like a Kh-25ML with a 90kg HE warhead and laser guidance to allow targeting of the rear of the vessel would be useful.

Having thought about it some more I actually think that modelling the pirates operation might be worth while... having a larger slower mothership as a base of supply with a load of a dozen or so helicopters with long range fuel tanks added to act like the high speed boats.

The main problem is the speed of the little boats which is reportedly up to 50 knts so no modern conventional warship can catch them. Helos have a speed advantage, though obviously a few very high flying UCAVs would also be useful.

I suspect the real solution is to build a land base there and hire a lot of fishermen to help support the base operations. Pay some of the fishermen to patrol looking for Pirates might sound strange, but all the options are not cheap and this is really the only one that might make the problem go away.

GarryB wrote:You make some very good points, though respectfully disagree that a 50 cal HMG is not threat to guys in an inflatable boat... no matter how well trained they are, or for that matter no threat to helos.

Sorry, I should have been more explicit on what I meant. 30 or 50 cal machine guns are, of course, a potential risk to an inflatable (or even a regular) small boat or helo. What I meant is that a modern force can use sound tactics (such as a night attack with NVGs) to destroy/disable these (or get rid of the folks manning them). I just don't think that your average Somali pirate crew is going to be very proficient at using a machine gun and a modern craft or helo will deliver its ammo with far more accuracy and effect. Targeting and precision will mean more than caliber or range in such a confrontation.

In general, I think that kinetics should be kept to a minimal level, both for safety and to minimize costs. This is why I respectfully disagree with the use of heavy guns or missiles - depending on the ship, they might do too much damage.

What still eludes me is a good solution to temporarily disable the engines or rudder without trashing the hijacked ship. Some kind of small specialized slow-speed torpedo might be the answer I would imagine. Getting it right on the screws should be a piece of cake, and a small warhead might be just enough to get the job done without catastrophic damage.

I have seen one video on Youtube I think it was, where a Russian vessel "stopped" another vessel with its 30mm gatling. It just fired burst after burst at the rear end of the target vessel till it stopped. Well actually it caught fire I think from memory.

The heavy guns on the boats would not increase costs by very much, in fact I think I remember some training ships that had medium calibre guns on them for the purposes of training.

A couple of 76.2mm or even 100mm or 130mm shells into the hull near the waterline to the rear of most vessels will stop them without too much risk of sinking them. Unless the vessels are small or overloaded then it would only take a couple of shells at the hull below the smoke stack to take out the engine room and stop the ship.

Equally aiming at the rudder might be possible, but hitting the screws with any gun would be unlikely.

Landing special forces on board to take over the bridge would be the most sure option, but for little boats a single 57mm shell to the rear of the boat should stop it. The Ka-29 has a 4 barrel 30 cal gatling gun behind a moving panel in the nose that fires at 6,000 rounds per minute. Directing that at the rear of a speed boat should physically stop it if spraying the water around the boat doesn't make the crew stop.

If you don't care about the lives of the pirates then a single ATGM like ATAKA with a HE Frag warhead aimed at the centre of a small speed boat should neutralise the target.

I think the real question is tactics.

Do you want to simply escort vessels to protect them, do you want to simply use safe room tactics and respond to vessels in the process of being hijacked, or do you want to scan the ocean and hunt for pirates.

For each role slightly different vessels and equipment will work better.

Certainly helos offer good response times without the need for an expensive aircraft carrier.
An AWACS helicopter like Ka-31 would be most useful in detecting attacks as they are launched.
Electronics to enable mother craft to be identified means you can attack the source of the problem rather than having to chase around the little fish.

Personally I think the best weapons would be light cannon on aircraft and ships (30mm would be fine, but I would like some heavier options just in case though only to about 76.2mm rather than really heavy guns). I would want 57mm guns for their high rate of fire, their range and their hitting power and their ability to hit very fast moving targets like small boats. 30mm guns for the same reason, but use the 30mm because they would be cheaper per round.
I would also want ATGMs from ship and helo platforms simply because they are relatively cheap compared with proper Anti Ship Missiles, yet offer precision targeting at ranges beyond HMG and RPG fire range so point targets can be accurately engaged.
Lastly I would want unguided rockets from Helos, preferably with Ugroza laser guidance kits so they could be used as cheap ATGMs with range and accuracy, but also reduced costs.

GarryB wrote:I have seen one video on Youtube I think it was, where a Russian vessel "stopped" another vessel with its 30mm gatling. It just fired burst after burst at the rear end of the target vessel till it stopped. Well actually it caught fire I think from memory.

Interesting. If you find the link, please post it here, ok?

GarryB wrote:I think the real question is tactics. Do you want to simply escort vessels to protect them, do you want to simply use safe room tactics and respond to vessels in the process of being hijacked, or do you want to scan the ocean and hunt for pirates.

I would imagine that escorting is just too expensive so as long as the anti-piracy force can a) sever communications between the pirates and their representatives b) immobilize the seized ship and c) send in an assault team the deterrence factor should already bring down the number of incidents substantially.

A specialized ships does make sense. There is something a little silly in seeing a major anti-submarine ship like the Shaposhnikov going after pirates (even the Peter the Great on its reecent multi-ocean cruise to a shoot at some anti-piracy ops if I remember correctly!). The kind of ship that would be needed for this kind of stuff could be far cheaper to built (or, most likely, convert).

The easy answer is to arm merchants with 14.5mm rail mountable MGs. No pirate skiff is going to stick around for that.

Indeed I think the cheapest option would be a couple of 14.5mm guns and perhaps a few man portable ATGMs like Kornet or even older models like AT-4/-5 Konkurs/fagot with HE Frag warheads.
A unit of ten Marines with one commander and three teams of three men to operate 24/7 in 8 hour shifts for each of the three teams.

A more expensive option might be to tow a small patrol craft with a power line leading back to it so it could operate engines off and during an attack, or an attack on a nearby vessel it could be released and zip at up to 50 knots to intervene. Such a vessel could be towed through the danger areas and then refuel and rearm and restock and then be towed by the next vessel through.
The added fuel bill for the tow should not be large for the towing vessel and the marines will be in their own boat with a wider range of weapons and communications and sensors.

I think a good option might be to go with the first option but add some UAVs for early detection of pirate vessels.

It seems there is a Somali report that the Russians shot those pirates they captured instead of releasing them.
Of course there are a few problems with the original report because the spokesman for the Pirates! claimed that at least 10 Pirates were executed, yet Russian sources said only 10 were captured and one was killed during the rescue so at most only 9 could have been executed.
Second if all the Pirates had been shot, then how would the Somalis know already?
Third if the Russians can't try the Pirates in a court of law for piracy it seems there is no law on the high seas and anyone can do to anyone what they wish, so I guess that would include the Russians.
Personally I rather doubt a Russian ship captain would order his sailers to execute anyone in cold blood, but then those ships will have Navy special forces on board and the rules are different for special forces.
It could certainly be argued that shooting some Pirates caught in the act of Piracy doesn't require a court or legal proceedings.
The people the US has at Guantanimo have certainly be given no human rights, what with their not even being told what they are being held for, no legal representation, not to mention water boarding and sleep deprivation through loud music all constituting torture.
Indeed aledged criminals are regularly bombed from UCAVs in foreign countries by the US and killed without trial based on intel, which has proven in the past to be very unreliable.
Quite often forces will operate "behind enemy lines" and when it proves impossible to look after prisoners then prisoners are not taken if you know what I mean.

No, this is not Off Topic, because one design consideration might be for the holding of prisoners for extended periods.
There might even be the potential for targeted kidnappings so that trades can be made for certain hostages.

Personally I have no reason to believe the Somali "Representatives of the Pirates", and no reason not to believe the Russian navy when it says the Pirates were released after being fed and treated for wounds on an inflatable boat. If they really are fishermen then they wont need GPS to head for shore.

BTW here is a link to that Video I was talking about:
[url=http://www.youtube com/watch?v=IldNCez8KeI&feature=related]http://www.youtube com/watch?v=IldNCez8KeI&feature=related[/url]
If you put the dot back between the youtube and the com it will work.
It shows the Russian border patrol first warning a Chinese ship with flares to stop and then with 30mm rounds into the engine deck to make it stop.

I get sick of these wussies who talk about water cannons. Save that for Green Peace, pirates mean business.