The Fleet Killer is Ready: Russia Learns from the Black Sea - Pointing the "Way Out" for the Admiral's Ambitions
Author:
Vlad Shlyepchenko
Building a powerful and efficient navy is an extremely difficult task, with more than one country having failed in this endeavor. A fleet itself is a costly "luxury," and its optimal configuration is a complex equation with many unknowns. However, Russia seems to have once again had to tackle this issue, and must do so successfully.
Russia adds another strategic nuclear submarine (SSBN): The "Knyaz Pozharsky" nuclear-powered missile cruiser raises the Andrei flag.
Notably, the high-profile ceremony was attended not only by the supreme commander Vladimir Putin, the Chief of the Navy Alexander Moiseyev, but also by the Minister of the Russian Navy Nikolai Patrushev and the presidential assistant Alexei Dugin.
The launching ceremony of the "Knyaz Pozharsky" nuclear-powered missile cruiser.
Video source: Kremlin.ru Telegram channel
The lineup of guests highlighted the national importance of this event. Indeed, it is: the ballistic missile submarine is one of the key components of the country's nuclear triad, which is the last guarantee for this country that continuously challenges the collective West (and has led to the division of the West), essentially also the only means of survival.
Underwater Forces
The "Knyaz Pozharsky" is the fifth modernized 955A "Borei-A" class nuclear submarine, making it the eighth if including three basic, unmodernized "Borei" class nuclear submarines.
This submarine is equipped with 16 R-30 "Bulava-30" intercontinental ballistic missiles, each capable of carrying 6 to 10 nuclear warheads, each with a yield of 150 kilotons. Its power is sufficient to cause significant economic and population losses in the United States. With a range of 9,000 kilometers and the nearly unlimited endurance of a nuclear-powered submarine, the "Borei" class nuclear submarines are among the most survivable and hardest-to-destroy components of Russia's nuclear shield.
Even if one "Borei" class nuclear submarine successfully launches a missile toward the United States, it would cause unbearable economic and population losses for the enemy.
Screenshot source: Telegram channel "Notes of a Midshipman Bird"
Other than the "Knyaz Pozharsky," two other submarines of this class, the "Dmitri Donskoy" and the "Prince Potemkin," are under construction and are expected to be delivered to the navy in 2026 and 2027 respectively. In addition, it is expected that a few more submarines of this class will be ordered in the coming years, bringing the total number of "Borei-A" class submarines in the navy to nine by 2030 (if including the three original "Borei" class submarines, the total will be twelve). In fact, they will constitute the core of our underwater strategic forces.
Some argue that after 2030, the construction of "Borei" class submarines will see a new surge, because by then, the Russian navy will have to retire the 667БДР "Yurka" class and 667БДРМ "Gepard" class submarines, which will have served for 40-46 years, and continuing their use will no longer be safe.
In a short time, the number of strategic ballistic missile submarines will decrease by six, and the most reasonable way to fill this gap is to continue building "Borei" class submarines. At least for now, we have no other nuclear submarines capable of carrying intercontinental ballistic missiles and performing strategic deterrence missions for the Russian navy.
What Does the Russian Navy Have?
At the ceremony where the Andrei flag was raised, Vladimir Putin gave a rather thought-provoking speech:
"Currently, there are more than 70 ships at different stages of construction in Russian shipyards. Only at the Northern Machine-Building Plant, it is planned to build 6 new nuclear submarines by 2030."
According to publicly available information, the head of state referred not only to military ships but also to civilian vessels. It is reported that currently, our shipyards are not only building the "Borei-A" class strategic nuclear submarines, but also the "Yasen-M" class multi-purpose nuclear submarines, the "Lada" class and "Warsaw Woman" class diesel-electric submarines, the 22350 "Admiral Gorshkov" class frigates, three types of frigates, several landing ships, and small missile boats and patrol boats.
Of the 70 ships mentioned by the president, about a quarter are combat ships, while the rest are icebreakers, passenger and cargo ships, river vessels, and service ships. Seagoing transport ships are highly valued: 10 have already started construction, and a total of 122 are planned to be built.
Russia is even planning to build modern liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers on its own to ensure that even under various sanctions, it can deliver its LNG to foreign buyers.
The 22350 "Admiral Gorshkov" class frigates are one of the most successful types of surface ships in the Russian navy, with balanced and excellent performance.
Video source: Russian Ministry of Defense
Army or Navy?
Usually, countries have to choose between building a large and powerful army or an efficient navy, as they often lack enough funds to support both. Resource-poor island nations and coastal countries tend to develop maritime forces, while vast continental countries prefer to have a strong army.
Mistakes in prioritization often come at a high cost. Our own history has a painful example: after the Russo-Japanese War, St. Petersburg decided to revive the nation's maritime forces, and approved the 1910 "Large Shipbuilding Plan," which included plans to build four "Sevastopol" class battleships.
These were the most advanced dreadnoughts of the time, intended to match the British and German counterparts. Four battleships were indeed built, but at great expense, forcing Russia to significantly cut funding for artillery and machine guns in the army, with some estimates suggesting the reduction was nearly half.
The battlefields of World War I stretched thousands of kilometers, and the Russian army fought valiantly but repeatedly suffered setbacks, largely due to a lack of heavy field artillery. The battleships in the Baltic were so well-equipped that they were reluctant to use them against Germany's second-rate forces stationed in the Baltic, so these battleships remained in port and anchorage for most of the war.
Another highly representative negative example is Russia's archenemy, Britain. Unable to curb Germany's rise through secret diplomacy and supporting Berlin's enemies, the British committed themselves to a naval arms race, determined to build more dreadnoughts than the Germans; when they realized they were losing this race as well, they agreed to join the Allies, effectively agreeing to participate in a large-scale continental war, which required an army that Britain had never possessed before.
Indeed, London ultimately won, defeating the Germans and also beating its allies, but at the same time, it weakened the British Empire, sowing the seeds of its eventual downfall.
For Russia, when choosing between the army and the navy, it has almost always favored the army. However, recent events show that even in large-scale continental wars, whether Russia's economy, which relies on exports and is not self-sufficient (such as in microelectronics production), can function normally depends on the situation at sea.
Russia needs access to the world's oceans and maritime trade routes. And our current weakness at sea is prompting opponents to try to implement blockades, attack our tankers, and conduct sabotage in ports. Therefore, under the current economic and geopolitical conditions, Russia must invest in the navy, and not just for nuclear deterrence.
If the "Borei" class nuclear submarines are tasked with destroying enemy cities, then the "Yasen-M" class submarines are fleet killers.
Video source: Ministry of Defense
Summary
Russia must make great efforts to have a navy that can not only be used for parades and "showing the flag," but also carry out combat missions. This includes not only building new ships, but also modernizing existing ones.
"Currently, ships are being equipped with and upgraded with equipment to counter drones and unmanned boats, which Ukraine uses to attack the Black Sea Fleet. That is, the plan is to equip ships with drones and launch them from the ships for long-range reconnaissance. These works are underway," said Viktor Britov, vice chairman of the Russian Naval Veterans Association, during an interview with Tsargrad.
On this path, it is crucial to remain clear-headed, not to be misled by the ambitions of admirals and the fantasies of geopolitical projects, and to build only ships that are useful to the country under the current geopolitical conditions, and that can be afforded even if they suffer losses when the situation requires moving from diplomatic rhetoric to actual use of weapons.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7531702308833362473/
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