You may want to check out War is Boring and video of the Russians practicing amphibious landings in downtown Severomorsk.
I dont have time right now to find it, but there were recent amphibious exercises in the Baltic, they're sending ice breakers to the Arctic this summer, they are pouring money into revitalizing the sub base in Kamchatka and they are participating right now in an international submarine rescue exercise in the North Fleet.
I think you're going to find that the thrust of the Russian's naval strategy is going to involve the Arctic. I wouldn't be suprised if the Russians attempted to be the first nation to send a surface comabatant to the North Pole pretty soon. They are already using strategic bombers in the northern periphery already and the Russian press is very sensitive to Danish and Canadian moves in the Arctic.
Also, in the Russian sources on this I've seen, Maksimov said that it hasn't been ruled out that "it is not inconceivable" that President Medvedev will lead the exercises from areas of the oceans directly.
Combine that with high profile coverage of Medvedev visiting the Strategic Rocket Forces base as Teykovo, some of the service acadamies and a press report on how he got the Kazbek nuclear football, there is a concerted effort to show that Medvedev is in charge.
I think its going to be a busy summer for Russian military watchers.
135 dollar/barrel oil must RAWK!
Heh...cold war over...(chuckle)
It will be interesting to see how Russia defines and utilizes her Northern Fleet, i.e., composition, mission and actual deployment schedules. Putin has his own
agenda here. I don't believe the Russian navy will do anythging positive with regard to assisting other nations or the world seagoing community in general. But then again, I remember the old days when the US and Russia went head to head.
I hope Putin has more seagoing tugs, he may need them.
Tincanman
http://upload6.postimage.org/
968...to_hosting.html
I found this fantastic photo of a Krivak I SKR shadowing a carrier identified as the Nimitz during an unrep shot from the Russian point of view.
The Cold Warrior in me is nostalgic for stuff like this and it makes the encounters the US Navy has with IRGC speedboats look, quite frankly, petty.
As a human being, I hope it isn't a return to the past for the US and Russian navies.
On a related note -- The Russian Navy intends to return the nuclear-powered cruiser “Admiral Nakhimov” to service in the Northern Fleet. It has spent the last nine years docked in the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk, Arkhangelsk Oblast. All electric equipment is to be replaced and new computer technology installed. In addition, the vessel’s “Granit” missile system will be replaced with new missile models.
Will be interested to see which gets to sea first - the Indian carrier or the Kirov...the latter with a nuke plant sitting idle for 9 years...
- SJS
SJS -
I saw the news report on the return of the Nakhimov and I think it is far from certain that it will actually happen.
From a 12 May Interfax article:
The Russian Navy command is not considering the possible disposal of the Admiral Nakhimov heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser. The cruiser will be eventually returned to the North Fleet.
Which means probably well founded rumors were circulating that they wre considering disposal. And "eventually" in Russian usually means "some day, in the distant future, if at all".
The reactor's core will be unloaded this year.
"Although it is not planned to decommission the ship, there is such a notion as the point of no return. Once that point is passed, it will be easer to dispose of the ship than to repair it," a source at the Belomorsk naval base told Interfax.
To me, re-coring is the "point of no return" mentioned in the article. After all, I'm sure both of us can find many examples in the American Navy where we have disposed of ships rather than re-core them - I have the CGNs in mind, many of which would still be serviceable even today if they had been recored. I think a lot of the 637s and even some 688s were decomissioned rather than recored.
SJS,
While presented as new information, it isn't. The ship has had work on it for almost a year now, it will be to sea long before the Indian carrier.
Previous reports indicate the ship has been used for testing new electronics, which implies the reactor has already brought back online.
calipygian,
That doesn't make sense, the ship was commissioned in 1988 and was barely ever at sea between 1991-1999, and not at all out to sea since. The reactor was barely used over a 20 year period, would it really need to be replaced?
Im just repeating the press reports about the reactor re-coring, and they quote a shipyard source.
Maybe there are more problems with the engineering plant than any of us know.
As poor as American press reporting can be on American navy issues (I mean, the Navy Times called one of the Burkes a cruiser recently), the Russian press can be worse.
I saw an op-ed by a retired Russian General recently that said that if the Cold War heated up again, they would simply re-activate the Rail Mobile SS-24 ICBM system and Russia would be great again, completely ignoring the fact that they were all cut up with plasma torches for razor blades between 2003 and 2006 and the missiles all disposed of.
So the Bear heads back to sea. W ho said the Cold War was over?
Jerry,
Me.
If we try to manage Russia like it is the cold war, we will get blindsided. Different era, different conditions.
G:
Roger the testing, but that could also be accomplished on shore power. I think calipygian may be closer to the truth re. the plant -- it's not like the class has been troublefree in that regard. There is also a question in my mind about operating a reactor pierside for a prolonged period without some significant accomodations. Not to map 1:1, but I recall some pretty specific proceedures and conditions that had to be followed when planning ancorage/pierside evolutions while on IKE.
- SJS
Looking at the time frame it would take Russia to design and build a new heavy cruiser like the Admiral N., it probably makes sense to Putin to get the old one ready to put back into service......The "new" Russia navy is going to take a long time to build, train and scare the rest of the world. Russian shipyards fell into hard times two decades ago, they will not bounce back quickly, if ever. It takes thousands of skilled workers to build subs and carriers, and experienced men to teach trainees the skills they'll need to bring the shipbuilding industry back.....Until all this comes about, Putin's new navy is a hollow threat.
Cali:
did you see my short post on Chris Michel and Military.com?
bob
Bob Melley - Negative. You have link?
So how should we manage Russia this time around?
I agree, things are certainly different.
SJS,
Pierside power makes more sense.
"So how should we manage Russia this time around?"
Through dissuasion we guide their decisions while integrating them as much as possible into international institutions and international partnerships. When Russia gets invested in the global economic system on a broarder level than oil, it will be a good thing for our nations economic interests.
Well, judging by this announcement from the Russian Navy, they are going to at least make a go at playing nice internationally:
http://www.navy.ru/news/navy/
ind...ELEMENT_ID=6411
"Russia introduces the Pantaleyev"
Rough translation:
Plans by the Navy Main HQ Staff calls for further participation by ships of the Pacific Fleet in international exercises, aimed at strengthening stability and mutual trust in the Asia-Pacific region. Thus, the large anti-submarine ship of the Pac Fleet "Admiral Pantaleyev" will take part in the annual quadrilateral international exercise "FRUKUS-2008" in August, which will become one of the main international maritime cooperative events.
According to "Red Star", the exercises will take place in the Sea of Japan littoral. American, British and French ships will participate. The goal of the exercises will be to prepare for international maritime peacekeeping operations.
OT: The Russian Navy is also announcing that India will take delivery of four MIG-29Ks for the Gorshkov this year and that Indian pilots will go to Russia for training and then the planes will go to Goa, India.
Well, from an expat-in-Russia perspective I think I'm on the safe side when saying that any cooperation with the West will be kept at a minimum. The Western threat and the Anglo conspiracy against Russia is a core integral part of politics here.
Regarding the future stance and task of the VMF: Don't forget about Ukraine, the Crimean and Sevastopol. Some kind of military action is not out of question here.
The second part - as was mentioned - for sure will be "protecting Russian interests" in the Artic. No war here, though, but aggressive "showing the flag".
And number three global presence in support of Russia's global interests, including permanent forward presence, like they tried/try to establish e.g. in Montenegro and Syria. Here there might actually be some (limited) degree of cooperation, if it fits the Kremlin's agenda, but only temporary.
"I think I'm on the safe side when saying that any cooperation with the West will be kept at a minimum."
Not according to what I'm reading. Will be interesting to see how the English language Russian news sources report it.
All I'm seeing are lists of exercises with other countries for the Navy, and yes it includes the US.
Commenting by HaloScan
