Achieved and plans: new submarines for the Russian Navy
SSBN "Generalissimo Suvorov" during the withdrawal from the boathouse, December 2021
The Russian shipbuilding industry, despite all the difficulties and limitations, successfully continues the implementation of a major program for the construction of submarines. Every year to the customer represented by the naval fleet several ships of different types and classes are being handed over, and another number of pennants are expected to be handed over this year. Submarines of the new construction will replenish the strategic and conventional components of the fleet.
Last year's results
Currently, domestic enterprises are conducting serial construction of nuclear and diesel-electric submarines of four types. Special purpose submarines are also being built. The industry regularly bookmarks new orders, launches finished submarines and, after testing, transfers them to the customer. So, several events of this kind took place last year.
On December 29, the Navy received the strategic missile submarine K-553 Generalissimo Suvorov, the sixth ship of Project 955 Borey (the third in the 955A series). In the near future, this submarine will make an inter-naval transition to a permanent base in the Pacific Ocean. On the same day, the next Borey was taken out of the boathouse and launched under the name Emperor Alexander III.
The program for the construction of multi-purpose nuclear submarines pr. 885M "Ash" encountered some difficulties. At the end of last year, the delivery of the fourth "Ash" (the third in the "885M" series), which received the number K-571 and the name "Krasnoyarsk", was expected. However, the tests of the ship dragged on. Its delivery was postponed to the first half of 2023.
Ceremony of the withdrawal of the next "Borea" - "Emperor Alexander III", December 2022
In accordance with the schedule, the construction of diesel-electric boats pr. 636.3 "Varshavyanka" is underway. On November 16, another ship of this type, B-588 Ufa, was handed over to the customer. This is the fourth diesel-electric submarine of the new series intended for KTOF. As planned, one submarine of this type is completed and handed over to the fleet every year.
At the same time, the construction of diesel-electric submarines, pr. 677 Lada, is still facing difficulties. Last year, it was planned to accept the first production boat of this type, the B-586 Kronstadt, into the fleet. Due to the identified shortcomings, tests and improvements continue, and the delivery of the ship has been postponed. At the same time, there are reasons for optimism. So, at the end of December, the next pennant of the series, B-587 Velikiye Luki, was launched. In addition, in June, the laying of the next two orders - "Vologda" and "Yaroslavl" took place.
Thus, last year the Navy, in accordance with the plans, received two new submarines and is now preparing them for full-fledged operation and combat duty. The transmission of two more ships, unfortunately, had to be shifted several months to the right. These pennants will now be included in the 2023 statistics.
Construction continues
The main plans of the shipbuilding industry and the fleet for 2023 are already known. In the coming months, orders carried over from last year will be completed, and in addition, the transfer of the next new-built ships is expected. As in previous years, we are talking about several submarines of different types at once.
Multi-purpose nuclear submarine "Krasnoyarsk", July 2021
According to known data, the SSBN "Emperor Alexander III", launched in December, is now undergoing mooring trials. In the coming months, it will go to sea for factory and state tests, as well as test launches of standard weapons. As a result of these events, no later than December, the submarine will be accepted by the fleet.
The construction of diesel-electric Varshavyanka continues in full accordance with the schedule. In the spring of this year, the fifth pennant of this type for KTOF will be taken out of the shed. The new boat B-608 Mozhaisk will be completed and tested by the end of the year, after which it will be accepted by the customer.
In general, taking into account last year's "debts", the current 2023 will be one of the most successful in modern stories in terms of replenishment of submarine forces. The Navy will receive one Borey strategic missile carrier, one Yasen-M multi-purpose nuclear submarine, Varshavyanka, and, probably, two Ladas at once. Judging by the peculiarities of the current construction and other works, significant transfers should not be expected this year.
Plans for the future
Simultaneously with the delivery of finished ships, the construction of the following orders, which are planned to be transferred to the fleet in the foreseeable future, continues. In addition, the next ships are being laid down, which will be completed and handed over to the customer only in a few years. The current 2023 will not be an exception - the construction and laying of nuclear submarines and diesel-electric submarines of various types will continue.
Diesel-electric submarine "Ufa", November 2022
So, at the end of 2021, it became known that in 2023 the laying of two next Borei-A SSBNs would take place. These will be the 11th and 12th submarines of the series. The exact date of the start of construction and the names of the ships have not yet been called. Given the current pace of construction of Project 955A submarines, it can be assumed that two orders will be completed at the beginning of the next decade.
In the coming years, the situation with the multi-purpose "Ash" should change. So far, they are handed over irregularly and with an interval of several years. However, after 2024-25. the delivery of such nuclear submarines should become rhythmic and annual. Such changes, most likely, will begin with the next "Arkhangelsk" and "Perm", already laid down and under construction.
The construction of non-nuclear "Varshavyanka" will continue. Now the boat "Yakutsk" is in the workshop, the last in the series for KTOF. There is the following contract for four diesel-electric submarines for the Baltic and Northern fleets. According to various sources, the first two of them, which have already received the names "Petrozavodsk" and "Murmansk", can be laid in 2023. Their construction will take no more than 2-3 years.
Successes and difficulties
Thus, submarine shipbuilding continues to solve the assigned tasks and regularly transfers new ships of various types to the navy. Due to such construction, the planned renewal of the submarine forces of all the main operational-strategic formations of the Navy is carried out, aimed at maintaining and increasing combat capability.
"Velikie Luki" project "Lada", December 2022
The submarine force modernization program faces objective organizational, technological, financial and other limitations. In addition, in recent years, new difficulties and potential threats have arisen due to the deterioration of the international situation, and in 2022 the situation worsened further. Perhaps these processes could also affect the process of building submarines.
Nevertheless, despite all the difficulties, last year the built submarines were handed over to the customer. At the same time, one of them was a strategic missile cruiser, designed to strengthen a particularly important component of the Navy and the armed forces as a whole. The surrender of several other ships had to be postponed, but we are only talking about a few extra months, and the flag will soon be raised on these submarines.
With all this, the construction does not stop. New pennants of all major projects are being laid, built, launched and tested. The fleet will be able to receive the next submarines this year, and in the next 2024, these events will be repeated, but with other orders.
It should be noted that the construction of submarines, despite all external factors, etc., has long become a constant and rhythmic process. So, SSBNs pr. 955 (A) are regularly laid down and transferred to the fleet, although construction takes several years. The construction of diesel-electric submarines, project 636.3, looks similar, but such boats are built faster. Now the industry needs to establish the production of nuclear submarines, pr. 885M and non-nuclear "677", so that the fleet receives them just as regularly.
Judging by news In recent years, all the tasks set have been successfully solved, although achieving the desired results requires a lot of effort and time. Nevertheless, general trends are optimistic and allow us to speak confidently about the successful modernization and development of submarine forces.
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