Russian Navy: Status and News #5

Russian missile cruiser makes call at port of Algiers in long-distance deployment

The visit will last several days

MOSCOW, August 26. /TASS/. The Russian Northern Fleet’s missile cruiser Marshal Ustinov has made a business call at the port of Algiers, the Fleet’s press office reported on Monday.

"The visit by the Northern Fleet’s sailors will last several days, during which Russia’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the republic Igor Belyaev will come aboard the ship. Also, excursions to the cruiser will be organized for the families of the embassy’s staff and representatives of the Algerian Navy," the press office said in a statement.

Chief of Staff of the Northern Fleet’s division of guided missile ships Captain 1st Rank Andrei Saloshin and missile cruiser commander Captain 1st Rank Vladimir Kuzmin will hold meetings with the command of the Algerian Navy.

During its business call, the crew will replenish foods supplies, the press office said.

The guided missile cruiser Marshal Ustinov entered the Mediterranean Sea on August 22. The warship departed the Northern Fleet’s main naval base of Severomorsk on July 3 to take part in Russia’s Main Naval Parade in St. Petersburg on July 28. After the parade, the missile cruiser’s crew took part in the Russian Navy’s large-scale exercise Ocean Shield 2019. After it left its home base, the missile cruiser has covered a distance of about 9,000 nautical miles.

Guided missile cruisers of this type are designated to fight a potential enemy’s surface ships and provide for the combat survivability of the Navy’s forces in distant waters. The development of these missile cruisers started back in the first half of the 1970s. Overall, four warships of this type were built. Three of them are operational in the Russian Navy.

The guided missile cruisers of this Project displace 11,500 tonnes and are 186 meters long. They can develop a full sea speed of 32 knots and deploy to a range of 7,500 miles at a speed of 18 knots. Guided missile cruisers of this project feature 130mm AK-130 artillery guns, striking and surface-to-air missile systems, 30mm AK-630M small-caliber air defense artillery complexes and torpedo armament. The guided missile cruisers can carry a Ka-27 helicopter or its modification on their deck. They have a crew of up to 510 men.

magnumcromagnon wrote:Plans on creating erkoplans with a takeoff mass of 800 tons have been created:

Tsavo Lion wrote:Update: https://lenta.ru/news/2019/09/06/admiral/

Russia’s first two helicopter carriers to be laid down in Crimea in spring 2020 — sources

MOSCOW, September 11. /TASS/. Russia’s first two amphibious assault ships will be laid down at the Zaliv shipyard in Crimea in May 2020, two sources in Russia’s shipbuilding industry told TASS on Wednesday.

"Two amphibious assault ships with water displacement of up to 15,000 tonnes will for the first time in the Russian history be laid down at the Zaliv shipyard in Kerch in 2020," the source said.

He added that the first helicopter carrier will be delivered to the Russian Navy before the current state armament program expires at the end of 2027.

The other source specified that "both ships will be laid down in May 2020."

According to him, the ships will be able to carry over 10 helicopters of various types and will be equipped with a dock-type chamber for landing craft utilities (LTU).

"The development of technical specifications of the new ships has entered the final stage. Once they are ready, in coming months, an agreement will be signed to build the helicopter carriers," he said.

TASS has been unable to officially confirm the information, provided by the sources, at the time of the publication.

The Zaliv shipyard in Kerch has facilities to build vessels up to 300 meters in length and up to 50 meters in width and, therefore, can build ships with a displacement exceeding 150,000 tonnes.

Earlier, a source in Russia’s shipbuilding industry told TASS that no later than by the end of the year, the Defense Ministry will complete developing technical specifications for a universal amphibious assault ship. There are plans to build the lead universal amphibious assault ship and deliver it to the customer under the state armament program through 2027 while the work on the first serial-produced vessel will be completed before the early 2030s, the source said.

Universal amphibious assault ships, also called helicopter carriers, are distinguished by their large displacement (20,000 tonnes and more) and can carry a large group of heavy helicopters of various designation (up to 16 helicopters aboard Mistral ships and more than 30 aboard US Wasp-class vessels), and also vertical take-off rotorcraft.

Universal amphibious assault ships can carry from several hundred to over one thousand marine infantry personnel, boats and other craft for landing the assault force and transport the armor. Universal amphibious assault ships normally feature a powerful combat control system and can act as a command and control vessel for a grouping of forces.