In addition to eight nuclear-powered missile-carrying Yury Dolgoruky-class submarines, the Navy will commission eight nuclear multipurpose submarines, eight diesel-electric submarines and 51 modern surface warships, including 15 frigates, up to 25 corvettes, and four Mistral class amphibious helicopter carriers until 2020.
Russian President Vladimir Putin made several significant statements about the importance of naval shipbuilding during a meeting on the 2011-2020 State Armament Program in Severodvinsk on July 30. Putin made his statements at a time when the government has decided to sequestrate spending on government defense contracts in 2013-2015. The Russian President made it clear that the course of implementing the program will remain unchanged, as will the priority goals indicated in this program.
The Navy is the top priority. President Putin said that 4.44 trillion rubles, or 23.4% of the entire program, have been allocated for upgrading naval general-purpose forces (without account of the naval strategic nuclear forces). The military should get about a third of these funds within the next five years.
This will help increase the percent of updated armaments and military equipment in the general-purpose naval forces to 30% in 2016 and up to 70% by 2020. The creation of balanced naval groups equipped with high-precision long-range weapons is a top priority.
According to the information made available by the President, in addition to eight nuclear-powered missile-carrying Yury Dolgoruky-class submarines, the Navy will commission eight nuclear multipurpose submarines, eight diesel-electric submarines and 51 modern surface warships, including 15 frigates, up to 25 corvettes, and four Mistral class amphibious helicopter carriers until 2020. Engineers are working on promising shipbuilding projects, such as a multi-purpose non-nuclear submarine, a destroyer and a short-range multi-purpose ship (corvette) in a modular configuration.
Therefore, the Russian shipbuilding industry is faced with the challenging task of significantly stepping up its production capabilities. Over the past few years, the Navy has commissioned only a few ships. Flagship nuclear-powered submarines, such as the missile-carrying Yury Dolgoruky and the multi-purpose submarine Severodvinsk were the only vessels scheduled for commissioning in 2011. However, one can only hope that by the end of this year the Yury Dolgoruky will finally be put into service following a drawn-out construction and testing period. The same goes for the strategic Bulava missile developed specifically for this submarine which has also endured a lengthy trial period. If the current schedule holds, these new missile-carrying submarines equipped with Bulavas can be expected to see service before the end of 2014.
Putin also indicated that submarines not currently under repairs should not simply remain inactive in storage yards. Indeed, about half of the relatively new nuclear submarines built in 1980s-90s have remained unfit for active duty in recent years. This indicates a lack of focus on the part of the Navy’s top command on the combat readiness of the Navy in general, and a lack of funding for ship repairs from the state. It is a questionable policy that spends huge amounts of money on new nuclear submarines when existing submarines are not operated or maintained properly. Perhaps Putin’s attention to this issue will turn the situation around. It apparently takes a bark from the Kremlin to make these kinds of changes.
Putin's visit to Severodvinsk, where he also attended the keel-laying ceremony of the fourth Borei-class missile carrying submarine, named Knyaz Vladimir, shows the political will of the Russian authorities to pursue a fairly ambitious naval shipbuilding program, but at the same time a certain apprehension over the ability of the domestic industry and the Navy command to properly implement this program in terms of shipbuilding and operation.
Views expressed are of individual Members and Contributors, rather than the Club's, unless explicitly stated otherwise.