A few days ago, the United Shipbuilding Corporation announced the completion of the formation of a new structural unit. To work with the Black Sea fleet and the Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy created the Southern Center for Shipbuilding and Ship Repair. The center included five shipbuilding and repair plants. These are Novorossiysk, Tuapse and Kriushinsky shipbuilding and ship repair plants, as well as Astrakhan enterprises “Shipyards named after Karl Marx "and" Lotus ". The main task of the South Center is the construction and repair support of the Black Sea Fleet and the Caspian Flotilla. Moreover, it seems that work with the Black Sea sailors will have a higher priority. The official ceremony of establishing the center will take place on February 4.The establishment of the Southern Shipbuilding Center and ship repair became known several months ago when the USC leadership announced its intentions to make another center, in addition to the North, West and Far East. Thus, all the operational-strategic associations of the Russian Navy received their own shipbuilding and repair centers. The experience of previous years has shown the benefit of such a decision, which ultimately led to the creation of the last center.
It is noteworthy that the creation of the Southern Center, primarily intended for work with the Black Sea Fleet, in the current situation has a special priority. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, a considerable part of the infrastructure of the Black Sea Fleet, as well as part of the ships, went to an independent Ukraine. Due to a number of controversial issues, some of which have not been resolved so far, the Russian Black Sea Fleet has experienced a number of serious problems concerning the construction and repair of ships. In past years, the Black Sea Fleet received equipment, in most cases, produced at nearby enterprises. Now, for obvious reasons, it is very often necessary to overtake ready-made ships and submarines from the Baltic or northern shipyards. It is not difficult to guess how, in this case, logistic and repair procedures become more complicated.
First of all, based on such considerations, in their time, the leadership of the fleet and industry began to create regional centers of shipbuilding and ship repair. However, it is not entirely clear why the center on the Black Sea and Caspian "directions" appeared last. At present, in the light of events in the Middle East and North Africa, the development of the Black Sea Fleet has the highest priority, because it is this compound that is based closest to areas of tension and can react to the threats that have appeared most quickly. Nevertheless, the leadership of the Navy and USC for some reason decided to build the centers in exactly this sequence. Perhaps it was decided to work out the creation and mechanisms of the work of the shipbuilding centers on the basis of the already existing developed infrastructures of the Northern and Pacific Fleets and only then make a similar structure in the Black Sea Fleet and the Caspian Flotilla. Anyway, now, despite the difference in the time of creation, all the units of the Russian Navy will have their own shipbuilding and ship repair centers.
Judging by the available information, during the first years the main task of the Southern Center will be the maintenance of the existing fleet equipment, including those built at other enterprises. At the same time, USC will modernize production facilities, thanks to which it is later possible to resume the construction of ships in the Black Sea shipyards. After the start of construction of new ships, the Black Sea Fleet and its supporting infrastructure can be called fully independent. Among other things, the resumption of construction of new technology will be useful in view of the geographical position of the Black Sea Fleet. Under certain circumstances, during an armed conflict, the Black Sea Fleet ships may be locked in the sea. In this case, all repairs will have to be carried out with the help of our own enterprises, since there will be no opportunity to overtake this or that ship to the factory where it was built. In addition, we are talking about restoring former prestige. In Soviet times, a large number of the largest and most complex ships were built on the Black Sea shipyards. Now the palm in this respect has passed to the plants of other regions.
And yet it is impossible not to admit that the creation of the Southern Shipbuilding Center and ship repair is not even half the battle. In addition to structural changes, you need to bring to mind many other things. Due to controversial political issues, the Black Sea Fleet is now experiencing not the best of times and, as a result, is losing a significant part of its combat potential. The organization of the Southern Center actually solves only the issue of maintenance and repair. Other important problems are the creation and modernization of supply points, bases, etc. - is just to be decided. The issue of building new facilities has been repeatedly raised at various levels and it seems that now it is moving from the stage of talks to the stage of real affairs. However, there is every reason to assume certain problems. Items based, supplies, etc. should be located on the coast, and the shores of the Black Sea have long been a resort area. In addition, the location of a military facility implies certain requirements for transport routes and parameters of the coastline. Because of this, the construction of new facilities in the most convenient places may be contrary to the interests of third parties, for example, merchants engaged in the tourism business. Their reaction to the plans of the military may be very different.
It should be noted that private interests should not be a reason for a serious change in plans concerning the security of the country. Of course, most likely, some reconciliation mechanism of the parties will have to be worked out, but the priority in this case should be the modernization of the naval infrastructure. Recent developments in the Mediterranean region require early action to improve the condition of the Black Sea Fleet. In addition, the complexity of the whole situation with it increases due to disputes over the lease of objects in Ukraine. So, because of all the problems, tasks and difficulties, the current work on the creation of the Southern Shipbuilding Center and ship repair actually turn out to be only the first step of a long and long journey.
On the materials of the sites:
http://vpk.name/
http://lenta.ru/
http://oaoosk.ru/
http://odnako.org/