Nuclear melt - the beginning of recovery
End of 2013 for the Navy fleet Russia was marked by replenishment. The fleet was transferred the second strategic missile carrier of project 955 Borey - “Alexander Nevsky”, and on December 30 the ceremony of transferring the lead multipurpose missile carrier of project 885 “Ash” - “Severodvinsk”
Better late than never
At the beginning of the year, the head "Borey" - "Yuri Dolgoruky" was transferred to the fleet. Its construction began in 1995. Severodvinsk was delayed even more - it was laid in 1993. The construction of “Alexander Nevsky” was much faster - it began in 2004 year.
However, you need to understand that the actual production time of the Yury Dolgoruky and Severodvinsk was not much longer - stable funding and regular work began only closer to the middle of the 2000-s. Until that time, both ships were a few separate sections with almost no filling. At the same time, both projects had to be reworked for new equipment, since progress in the field of electronics, hydroacoustics and other industries did not stand still.
Today, the construction time is reduced: in the next, 2014, the third ship of the 955 project, the Vladimir Monomakh, laid down in 2006, should be handed over to the fleet. And the time of construction of the fourth and subsequent "Boreev" is planned to be reduced to 4 years. The same thing should happen with "Ash". The main problem of “Boreev” is still the lack of knowledge of the Bulava missile complex, but this should be fixed in the next year or two.
Nuclear and non-nuclear deterrence
Appointment of "Ash" and "Boreev" is similar, but it has significant differences. "Boreas" - "Dolgoruky", "Nevsky" and the subsequent "princes" - strategic missile carriers. On board each - 16 ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads. The main weapons Yasenei are universal launchers containing up to 32 cruise missiles of the Onyx and / or Caliber complexes. Depending on the weapons, Ash trees can hit surface and coastal targets at a distance of 2 800 kilometers. The range of anti-ship missiles is less - to 300 kilometers, but they have a higher speed of flight.
The variety and high accuracy of cruise missiles make it possible to use Yasen-type submarines for strategic non-nuclear deterrence tasks - they can effectively destroy military infrastructure, including facilities for an early warning system and anti-missile defense. In addition, they can attack aircraft carrier compounds, and their torpedo armament and underwater acoustics allow them to deal with the enemy’s strategic missile-carriers.
In total, under the current state armament program, the fleet should receive eight boats of the 2020 Borey and 955 Ash trees by the 885 year. Currently, the Russian Navy has received two Boreas, the first Ash is expected to arrive in the near future, two more Boreas and two Ash trees are in various stages of construction and testing, and at least four more boats are expected to be built in 2014. both projects.
Not "Ash" one ...
With all the advantages of the project 885 "Ash" have a very significant drawback: the cost of these boats is about one hundred billion rubles. This is due to the considerable size and outstanding tactical and technical characteristics (TTH), coupled with combat capabilities. At the same time, the tasks of the Navy cannot be solved solely by introducing a relatively small number of these boats. At best, "Ash" can replace the aging "aircraft carrier hunters" project 949A "Antey" in the ranks.
However, the fleet needs at least another half to two dozen modern multi-purpose nuclear submarines to solve the daily tasks of tracking submarines and ships of the likely enemy, as well as to protect their missile carriers from enemy submarin fighters and, finally, for regular presence in key areas ocean with the possibility of timely rotation of forces and their capacity.
Such a boat should be the new project of the Malachit St. Petersburg Marine Engineering Bureau (SPMBM Malachite OJSC). The construction of the boat will begin approximately in the second half of the decade. The project will have a smaller size and arsenal compared to Yasen. This will make the construction Submarines of this type are much faster.
In combination with diesel submarines of new construction, three new nuclear projects - "Ash", "Borey" and promising submarine "Malachite" - will form the basis of the submarine forces of the Russian Navy on 30-40 years ahead.
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