Russian Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
Main mission ASW no anti-ship.
Yes...the Udaloy was primarily an ASW vessel. The Sovs were the primary vessels more oriented towards anti-ship, at sea warfare, from the period.

But the Udaloy IIs were going to be much more multi-mission. They only built the one (the other two were canceled and scrapped because of the Soviet fall), but that one is still active and does have good anti-surface capability.

Having said that, the SS-N-Silex missiles that the Udaloy I carried, though principally for anti-submarine work, did have a torpedo that could also be used for anti-surface targeting as well if I remember correctly. So...in a need, those missiles could be used to deliver torpedoes against other ships.
 
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thunderchief

Senior Member
Like Jeff said refitting a ship even an extensive one is not the same as building from scratch. Not even close.... Building a large tonnage ship is also NOT the same as building a 100k carrier.
A ship even bigger than a carrier is relatively easy from a standpoint of know how. Why? Because all the blueprints are there. Dozens of shipyards can probably build 200, 300,000 super tankers or cargo ships but again NOT the same as building a CVN or even a CV.

Well , in that case, could you please share with me blueprints for some oil tanker, if it isn't such a big deal :D

Jokes aside, blueprints are considered as a secret, both commercial and military . On the other hand, I'm fairly certain Russians do poses blueprints for Kunznetsov-class, Vikramidtya (of course) and most likely for Ulyanovsk. With that as a basis they could design larger STOBAR carrier , just like they design new ships all the time .
Catapults are a problem , of course . Neither Soviet Union nor Russia have much experience with steam catapults . Therefore, they would probably skip that altogether and try to develop EMALS. Could they do that I don't know, it is still uncharted territory .
Finally, Russia does poses shipyards capable of building large ships . They did replace miles of cables in Vikramidtya, they do have floating docs , cranes etc .. My final conclusion is that they do have infrastructure and know-how to build STOBAR carrier . And they would most likely hone those skills while they repair and refit Kuznetsov .

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Btw, for those who missed that , Kuznetsov is now undergoing major overhaul


Friday, May 22, 2015
"Admiral Kuznetsov" Taking a Long Nap

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"Admiral Kuznetsov" being loaded into 82nd Shipyard floating dry dock (May 14, 2015)


On May 13, the Russian Navy's sole aircraft carrier, "Admiral Kuznetsov", was towed to the 82nd Shipyard in Roslyakovo for out-of-water maintenance.
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, the Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier was placed in the shipyard's PD-50 floating dock.

The question on everyone's mind is: how long will repairs last? Fleet officials would only say that workers needed to complete a survey of the ship before they could determine the full scope of work and finalize work orders.

Today, the first 13 contracts for the aircraft carrier's repairs were released. Based on a review of the contracts, it appears "Admiral Kuznetsov" will be out of business until at least December 2016. The combined total cost of the initial contracts: RUB 1,308,808,984. Below is a breakdown of the contractual information.

Time Costs (RUB) Description
May 2015 607,360 survey of Svetlana-2N and Svetlana-23N.5 systems
May 2015 2,845,300 repairs of piping and sea chests
May 2015 986,000 repairs of 3D12AL main engine
Jun 2015 7,663,811 repairs of gas turbine generators
Aug 2015 93,768,131 repairs of Svetlana-2N system
Aug 2015 2,974,414 repairs of heating and separation systems of bilge water separators
Sep 2015 99,963,064 repairs of coolant machinery
May 2016 675,578,027 repairs of environmental systems
Nov 2016 167,394,664 repairs of navigation systems and equipment
Nov 2016 16,443,429 repairs of self-degaussing equipment
Dec 2016 31,403,960 repairs of Compartment 7 equipment
Dec 2016 97,180,824 repairs of radar and sonar systems
Dec 2016 112,000,000 repairs of NTsV pumps

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kwaigonegin

Colonel
Well , in that case, could you please share with me blueprints for some oil tanker, if it isn't such a big deal :D

Jokes aside, blueprints are considered as a secret, both commercial and military . On the other hand, I'm fairly certain Russians do poses blueprints for Kunznetsov-class, Vikramidtya (of course) and most likely for Ulyanovsk. With that as a basis they could design larger STOBAR carrier , just like they design new ships all the time .
Catapults are a problem , of course . Neither Soviet Union nor Russia have much experience with steam catapults . Therefore, they would probably skip that altogether and try to develop EMALS. Could they do that I don't know, it is still uncharted territory .
Finally, Russia does poses shipyards capable of building large ships . They did replace miles of cables in Vikramidtya, they do have floating docs , cranes etc .. My final conclusion is that they do have infrastructure and know-how to build STOBAR carrier . And they would most likely hone those skills while they repair and refit Kuznetsov .

----------------------------

Btw, for those who missed that , Kuznetsov is now undergoing major overhaul




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Lol... You keep moving the goal post to my original respond to the article.. The article says a 100 aircraft 'advanced carrier'. In my mind that means CVN. Not a STOBAR and not a Vikramaditya. Russia IMHO DOES NOT have the capability to built a 100 aircraft 'advanced carrier' in the near future for reasons I have already stated in my previous posts.
 

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
Lol... You keep moving the goal post to my original respond to the article.. The article says a 100 aircraft 'advanced carrier'. In my mind that means CVN.
Amen...which is what this whole discussion was about.

Russia IMHO DOES NOT have the capability to built a 100 aircraft 'advanced carrier' in the near future for reasons I have already stated in my previous posts.
Precisely.

And I would argue that Russia, right now, could not build from scratch a Vikramaditya either. It took them the better part of then years to refit that existing hull into a STOBAR carrier.

Now, the Soviets built all of those vessels decades ago. But that expertise is gone...and the dollars and infrastructure is not available.

This is precisely why the Russians contracted with France to even build the two Mistrals. They themselves admitted at the time that they could not produce one of those LHDs now and that it would be ten years to even do that.

...and a 21,000 ton LHD is not a Super carrier either...and they were ten years away from being able to even build one of those.

So...in other words...ditto.
 

FORBIN

Lieutenant General
Registered Member
Yes...the Udaloy was primarily an ASW vessel. The Sovs were the primary vessels more oriented towards anti-ship, at sea warfare, from the period.

But the Udaloy IIs were going to be much more multi-mission. They only built the one (the other two were canceled and scrapped because of the Soviet fall), but that one is still active and does have good anti-surface capability.

Having said that, the SS-N-Silex missiles that the Udaloy I carried, though principally for anti-submarine work, did have a torpedo that could also be used for anti-surface targeting as well if I remember correctly. So...in a need, those missiles could be used to deliver torpedoes against other ships.
A variant with a warhead also but in use ?

85RU/URPK-5 Rastrub, KT-100U launcher. Entered service 1975. Carries UGMT-1 (AT-3 Orlan) anti- sub and anti-ship torpedo and is in addition anti-shipping missile with a warhead of 185 kg.
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delft

Brigadier
The last keel-up carrier that was built for Russia/Soviets, that was actually launched was the Varyag...and it was laid down in 1985...30 years ago. The people who were in their 30s and 40s who did the heavy design and manufacturing/fabrication work are now in their 60s and 70s. Retired and long away from doing that sort of work...and they were in the Ukraine in the first place.
IIRC the flattops were designed in Leningrad.
 

delft

Brigadier
I'm talking about where they were built. (Varyag, Kuznetsov). At these types of yards, there are entire groups of engineers who work with the fabrication process apart from the design of the carrier itself. They are the ones who engineer all of the jigs, tools, processes to put it together.
But the people designing a ship, an aircraft, a building, must know the methods that will be used to assemble it. Otherwise they will make expensive decisions.
 

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
But the people designing a ship, an aircraft, a building, must know the methods that will be used to assemble it. Otherwise you will make expensive decisions.
They are two completely different disciplines.

They coordinate their activities and communicate...but the former is not steeped in the latter.

As I said...it is moot. They were designed and engineered long ago and built long ago...those who did so are all retired now (at the best).

Russia is simply in no position right now to build large aircraft carriers...or even LHDs. They have admitted this themselves.
 
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