Stonewalltalks also about the LAZAREV
google translation:
17:03, 2 October 2009
In the battle of the Pacific Fleet could return “atomic city”Russia’s Defense Ministry announced plans to return to the combat of the Pacific Fleet was nearly sold on the nails that are now on the conservation of heavy nuclear cruiser “Admiral Lazarev. Recall that the Defense Ministry announced plans to withdraw from the regime of conservation of the largest and most powerful in the world neavianesuschih ships – the heavy atomic cruiser Project 1144 Orlan.
Cruisers such a project in the Baltic plant in its time it was built four of them. Today on the move only one remained – “Peter the Great. Assigned it to the Northern Fleet. From the “live” two fellow cruisers are in the mode of so-called conservation: “Admiral Nakhimov in SF and” Admiral Lazarev “in the Pacific Fleet.
“Lazarus” was launched back in 1981, and in the fleet was adopted three years later. Sailors of the Soviet Navy cruiser known as the “Frunze” – it was renamed in 1992. Around the time he ceased fighting “career.”
Cruiser is now in the supernatant in the bay Abrek Gulf Shooter. He has removed or fallen into disrepair, virtually all weapons. A nuclear reactor silenced, and the fuel is discharged in 2004-2005. Metalist carried from the ship all Non-Ferrous. Docking the ship has not been nearly two decades. A Dec. 6, 2002 on “Lazarev” and does a fire, which extinguished for 4 hours.
In 1999, the cruiser was prepared for final disposal – money for its repair was not forthcoming. However, in the headquarters of the Navy found the same responsible people who offered not to rush this matter. Today, the military authorities once again preoccupied by this, and perhaps as early as next year, some money will be allocated. However, it already is not about repairing, but a radical reconstruction of the ship. This edifice of length 252 and width of almost 30 meters equip fresher weapon control systems and other novelties.
In fact, the Pacific Fleet will receive the balance of a small town. Only the crew of the Lazarev, nearly 800 people, and yet applied to it and the whole coastal infrastructure. Which, incidentally, also need to recover.
Source – the Defense Ministry, “Golden Horn”
StonewallRussia’s purchase of French warship requires ‘political decision’
MOSCOW, October 1 (RIA Novosti) – France will sell Russia a warship it wants to buy if the two countries reach a political agreement, the French foreign minister said on Thursday.
Russia confirmed in mid-September that it was in talks with France to buy a Mistral-class helicopter carrier.
“Negotiations on the purchase of the Mistral carrier are going on between our countries. It is a great ship. However, there is political procedure that needs to be followed. If a political accord is reached, I believe you will be able to buy this ship,” Bernard Kouchner said in an interview with Ekho Moskvy radio.
He did not elaborate on what kind of political accord or agreement was involved.
Russian Deputy Defense Minister Vladimir Popovkin said on September 19 that in buying the ship Russia was seeking technology to boost its shipbuilding industry.
He added that Russian shipbuilders strongly oppose the deal and that the government had yet to make a decision on whether Russia needs to build costly aircraft carriers.
A Mistral-class ship is capable of transporting and deploying 16 helicopters, four landing barges, up to 70 vehicles including 13 battle tanks, and 450 soldiers. The vessel is equipped with a 69-bed hospital and can be used as an amphibious command ship.
The ship could cost between 300 and 400 million euros ($430-580 million).
Gen. Nikolai Makarov, the chief of the Russian General Staff, said in August that Russia had plans to buy three or four ships of the same class to be jointly built in Russia.
Stonewallsorry if it’s a repost…
Fate of Admiral Nakhimov still up in the air
DATELINE: MOSCOW Sept 4Before upgrading any weapons the cost of the upgrade and its results should be clearly understood, Russian Deputy Defense Minister for armaments Vladimir Popovkin said.
“We are going into upgrading as into a dark forest,” Popovkin said at hearings organized by the Public Chamber together with the Union of Russian Machine-Building on Friday.
Asked about the prospects of financing the repairs and upgrade of the heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser Admiral Nakhimov, Popovkin said that the price of the work exceeds $1 billion.
“We will have to provide a billion now and when we start the upgrade we will have to spend one and a half billion more. A new [ship] costs two and a half billion but it will also have double the service life,” he added.
Therefore before making such decisions “everything must be properly calculated,” he said.
Unofficial sources say that the repairs and upgrade of the cruiser were supposed to end at Sevmashpredpriyatiye in 2011 but even now it is clear that the deadline will be shifted.
Source: Interfax-AVN
StonewallFighters for India tested in Barents
2009-09-30
MiG-29KFour MiG-29K jet fighters designed for the Indian Navy have conducted test flights from Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier in the last two days.
The four naval fighter jets have Monday and Tuesday this week successfully made several take offs and landings on Russia’s only operating aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, in the Barents Sea, according to the Indian news agency PTI.
Aviaport.ru reports that the test pilots where Russian, but Indian naval officials were onboard the aircraft carrier and observed the MiG-29K test flights.
The Indian Navy will use the Russian built MiG-29K fighter jets onboard the aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, currently under upgrading at the naval yard in Severodvinsk. As earlier reported by BarentsObserver, India will pay USD 2.2 billion for the former Soviet aircraft carrier. The vessel is scheduled to be completed and handed over to the Indian Navy by December 2012.
This week’s test flights over the Barents Sea are just the start of the Indian Navy’s testing. Before Admiral Gorshkov will sail to India, the Indian Navy will conduct a year-long sea trail in the Barents Sea slated for 2011-2012, as reported by BarentsObserver this summer.
Upon takeover from Russia, Admiral Gorshkov will be renamed INS Vikramaditya.
The experience and results from the fighter jets deck landing and take-off tests from Admiral Kuznetsov this week benefits both the Indian and Russian Navy. BarentsObserver reported last week that also Russia plans to buy 24 new MiG-29K for Airwing Kuznetsov. Today the aircraft carrier has 19 Su-33 fighter jets- They need to be replaced within 2015.
http://www.barentsobserver.com/fighters-for-india-tested-in-barents.4637890-116320.html
StonewallNew fighter jets for Admiral Kuznetsov
2009-09-25
Russia plans to buy 24 new MiG-29K fighter jets for the country’s only aircraft carrier, the Severomorsk-based “Admiral Kuznetsov”.
A contract on purchase of 24 fighter jets for Airwing Kuznetsov could be concluded within two years, a source in the Ministry of Defence told news paper Vedomosti. Landing drills with the planes on the “Admiral Kuznetsov” can start already this autumn.
Russia has 19 Su-33 aircraft carrier fighter jets. They need to be replaced within 2015, so the question of providing new planes is highly relevant. Russia is currently producing MiG-29 jets for India.
http://www.barentsobserver.com/new-fighter-jets-for-admiral-kuznetsov.4636606-58932.html
Stonewall
Gorshkov deal on “visual examination”?
STAFF WRITER 13:55 HRS IST
Abhishek Shukla
New Delhi, Sep 27 (PTI) India signed the multi-million dollar deal of decommissioned Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov merely on “visual examination in as-is condition” and Navy “thought” ship could be repaired.
After signing the contract in 2004, the opening up the equipment for detailed examination and survey of the state of the hull structure, systems and cabling, it emerged that these could not be repaired and hence would have to be replaced with new ones, says Vice Admiral S P S Cheema.
The contract for the aircraft carrier was signed in January 2004 for which the “work package was drawn up based on visual examination in ‘as-is’ condition wherein it was thought that the majority of equipment, systems and hull structures could be repaired while the electronic equipment could be renewed,” Vice Admiral Cheema said in a reply to an RTI application filed by Subhash Chandra Agrwal.
http://www.ptinews.com/news/302768_Gorshkov-deal-on–visual-examination–
StonewallUS Navy 5-year plan to cut littoral ships, other weapons
17:58 24-09-2009
The U.S. Navy has proposed a new five-year budget that cuts by almost half its purchases of a new warship that operates close to shore, a potential blow to Lockheed Martin Corp. and General Dynamics Corp, Bloomberg reported.
The Navy would buy 15 of these ships through 2015, down from 29 in its plan of a year ago, and trim spending overall by 4.5 percent, according to an unreleased budget document. That’s the goal set by top Defense Department officials.
Lockheed and General Dynamics are the prime contractors for the new Littoral Combat Ship. Each has a contract to build two and would have to compete for contracts for the next 15.
The Navy’s proposal is being reviewed, along with those of the other services, in keeping with the Pentagon’s intent to submit in January its long-range budget to the White House in conjunction with its detailed fiscal 2011 budget.
The Navy’s proposed cuts reflect the pressure on the military services to meet spending targets that allow little growth beyond inflation. Top Navy officials say they still plan ultimately to increase the fleet to 313 ships, up from 286 now, and to buy the initially planned total of 55 littoral ships.
The ships are designed for mine clearance, submarine hunting, humanitarian relief, and other missions in shallow coastal waters called littorals. They have a draft of no more than 20 feet, enabling them to operate close to coasts in the Persian Gulf, Korean peninsula and elsewhere.
Guidance From Gates
The service’s proposal to trim planned spending from 2011 through 2015 to $666.3 billion from $698 billion reflects Defense Secretary Robert Gates’s guidance calling for modest growth with emphasis on improving the security of nuclear weapons and upgrading the capabilities to conduct irregular warfare and cyber defense.
The Air Force’s new five-year plan proposes cuts totaling $24.2 billion, or 3.8 percent, according to its unreleased budget.
President Barack Obama assigned Gates to rein in defense spending, which now consumes about 19 cents of every dollar of the federal budget. Adjusted for inflation, defense spending has grown about 43 percent since fiscal 2000. When war costs are included, the number increases to 72 percent.
‘Modest’ Growth
Gates, in an Aug. 31 interview with Bloomberg Television, said the long-range budget being crafted calls for growth that is “modest” when adjusted for inflation and “that allows us to sustain the programs that we have.”
“It’s the stability we need, and I don’t think the rates of growth need to be significantly” higher, Gates said.
Navy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition Sean Stackley told reporters last week the service remains committed to buying 55 littoral ships. Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Gary Roughead told reporters Sept. 15 the service remains committed to a fleet that totals 313 vessels.
The Navy, in its new plan, proposes “significant reductions” in planned purchases of Raytheon Co. missiles and other weapons.
Purchases of Waltham, Massachusetts-based Raytheon air-to- air missiles, Jsow-C cruise missiles, the latest version of the Standard Missile-6 and lightweight MK-54 torpedoes all are cut in the five-year plan.
The purchase of air-to-air missiles is cut to 849 from 1,033’ the Jsow-C is reduced to 1,879 from 2,663’ the Standard Missile-6 is cut to 637 from 688 and torpedo quantities drop to 770 from a planned 1,336.
On the other hand, purchases of Raytheon’s advanced Sea Sparrow weapon for intercepting anti-ship missiles, an international program involving nations including Australia, Denmark and Germany, will be boosted to 236 from 62.
Alliant Missile
Purchases of Alliant Techsystems Inc.’s air-launched advanced anti-radar missile scheduled to enter service in 2010 will be cut to 719 from a planned 954.
Like the Air Force, the Navy would cancel the Joint Tactical radio communications program for ships and planes that is managed by Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed Martin.
The Navy also proposes to delay purchase of the EP-X replacement for its Lockheed Martin EP-3 Orion surveillance aircraft, according to the document. The program is in a stage of early development, and no contractor has been chosen.
Altogether, $3.4 billion would be cut from research and development, including $1.6 billion for the EP-X program.
Programs Deferred
The Navy would trim about $25 billion through 2015 by deferring or canceling weapons programs, including a total of about $18 billion in its shipbuilding account, which includes the littoral ship.
The Navy also would cut to 132 from 150 its purchases of the V-22 tilt-rotor plane built by Textron Inc. and Boeing Co. and would buy 15 of 28 planned Lockheed KC-130J refueling tankers, according to the Aug. 19 budget document made available to Bloomberg News.
Navy spokesman Commander Cappy Surette said the service declined to discuss its budget request.
The Navy plan also would cut through 2015:
— Six of seven planned amphibious warfare ships. These include one of two that would be capable of carrying the Marine Corps’ new Lockheed F-35 vertical takeoff plane and V-22 Ospreys and all five “mobile landing platform” vessels that would carry pre-positioned equipment. Northrop Grumman Corp. is building the first ship’ no construction contracts have been awarded for the other five vessels.
— Two new ships intended to replace aging command ships such as the USS Mount Whitney. The first vessel was planned for 2012. General Dynamics and Northrop have received contracts for design studies but not for construction.
— Two of 11 planned high-speed, shallow-draft troop and cargo vessels managed by the Navy to transport Army and Marine Corps units and helicopters. Austal USA is building the vessels in Mobile, Alabama.
— One of 10 planned Virginia-class submarines made jointly by Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics.
In addition, the Navy would save as much as $825 million by retiring 20 ships one year ahead of schedule, including the USS Halyburton that in April helped free the American captain of a container ship hijacked by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden. The Halyburton would be decommissioned in 2013 instead of 2014. MILAZ
StonewallNavy Cuts Could Devastate Gulf Coast Shipyards
(Source: Lexington Institute; issued September 23, 2009)
(© Lexington Institute; reproduced by permission)
Tony Capaccio of Bloomberg Business News today reported the Navy’s planned program cuts for fiscal 2011-2015. When combined with other recent Navy actions, they add up to a heavy blow for naval shipbuilders on the Gulf Coast.
First, the Navy wants to cut one of two 40,000-ton helicopter carriers in its plan of record, billion-dollar ships that are built at the Northrop Grumman yard in Pascagoula, MS.
Second, the service wants to eliminate both next-generation command ships in its plan, which almost certainly would have used the same hull employed on the LPD-17 amphibious docking ships built at Pascagoula and the Northrop Avondale yard near New Orleans.
Third, there is no sign of additional LPD-17 construction in the plan, nor of a replacement for aging LSD amphibious warships that would probably also use the LPD-17 hull.
The Navy is also cutting funds for “mobile landing platform” vessels and cutting two of eleven high-speed troop-carrying ships that would have been built at the Austal Shipyard near Mobile, AL.
Austal is facing a separate challenge as a result of last week’s decision to select a single design for the Littoral Combat Ship being built there by General Dynamics and in Wisconsin by Lockheed Martin. Some observers think the GD/Austal version will be at a competitive disadvantage in any down-select because the Lockheed vessel was begun a year earlier and thus has a more mature design.
On the other hand, GD looks like a winner in the decision to shift work on next-generation Zumwalt destroyers to its Bath Iron Works in Maine, leaving construction of smaller Burke-class destroyers at Pascagoula. If the proposal to eliminate a helicopter carrier at Pascagoula is implemented, that will probably drive up costs on the Burkes by forcing that class to carry more of the shipyard’s overhead costs.
You could argue that the Navy has tried to spread around the pain by eliminating one of ten Virginia-class attack submarines to be built during 2011-2015 at the Northrop Grumman yard in Newport News, VA and the General Dynamics yard in Groton, CN.
However, that money goes away at the same time the service is likely to commence development of a replacement for Trident ballistic-missile subs, so the two yards may end up experiencing a net gain in revenues despite the loss of a sub.
-ends-
Stonewall
StonewallGreek submarine force could go under as TKMS cancels two contracts
23 September 2009
The Hellenic Navy could lose its submarine capability within the next decade following the collapse of two submarine procurement and upgrade contracts with German shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS).
The company announced the cancellation of the contracts on 22 September; they include the construction of four Papanikolis-class (Type 214) submarines and the modernisation of three Type 209 boats for the navy.
Outstanding payments on both contracts total EUR524 million (USD775.3 million), including EUR300 million owed to TKMS’ Greek subsidiary, Hellenic Shipyards (HSY).
Despite negotiations over the past two years, TKMS stated that no solution has been found to secure payments for the submarines and consequently Greece is in default of its contractual obligations.
A TKMS spokeswoman told Jane’s : “A continuation of the contract is no longer economically justifiable.” She added: “HDW [Howaldtswerke Deutsche-Werft] and HSY intend to file for arbitration in case there [is] no solution.”
TKMS subsidiary HDW built the first Type 214 submarine, Papanikolis, at its shipyard in Kiel, Germany, and offered the boat for acceptance in 2006. It was refused by the Greek Ministry of Defence (MoD), which claimed the boat did not perform to requirements. However, Papanikolis was subsequently certified as seaworthy by the German MoD during sea trials off the coast of Norway in 2008.
The next three Type 214s were built in Greece by HSY, at Skaramangas near Athens. Pipinos was launched in April 2007, Matrozos followed in 2008 and Katsonis at the end of that year.
StonewallI doubt we will se them come back into service. There are only another 2 after the 2 already in service and i think these have been stripped to keep the 2 in service going. These ships were built 30 odd years ago and the money to fill them up with weapons and nuclear propulsion and crew etc would be huge. Better off building something new learning from the ships.
There is only one operational, the Peter The Great
and 2 inactive:
080 ADMIRAL NAKHIMOV BCGN Kirov 30.12.1988 #189 Baltiiskyy SSZ NOR
(until 1992 known as Kalinin.) Keel laid down on May 17, 1983. Launched on April 25, 1986, and commissioned on December 30, 1988. ex-Kalinin, Kirov-3. 21.4.1989 entered NOR. 2004: Undergoing refit at Sevmash. Inactive. To be completely refitted with new computerized management systems and Onyx missiles. Planned sea trials for 2007. 07.2006 according to MoD minister S. Ivanov ship is modernizating instead of continue construction of SSGN Belgorod. Planned to re-enter navy in 2011. Modernization costs RUR 7 bn. 05.2008 visited by vice governor of Arkhangelsk.
ADMIRAL FLOTA KUZNETSOV BCGN Kirov cancelled #189 Baltiiskyy SSZplanned for construction 31.12.1988 but 4.10.1990 cancelled
ADMIRAL USHAKOV BCGN Kirov 30.12.1980 #189 Baltiiskyy SSZ NOR(until April 22, 1992 known as Kirov). Keel laid down on March 27, 1974. Launched on December 27, 1977, and commissioned by the Navy on December 30, 1980. 6.3.1981 entered NOR. 4.1 2.1984 awarded by USSR MoD Pennants. Based at Severomorsk. Inactive since 1990 when there was an accident in the ship’s machinery. Kirov-1, inactive, was stricken in 1998. 2002 decommissioned. Scrapped.
015 ADMIRAL LAZAREV BCGN Kirov 31.10.1984 #189 Baltiiskyy SSZ PAC(until 1992 known as Frunze). Laid down on July 27, 1978. Launched on May 26, 1981, and commissioned on October 31, 1984. 7.12.1984 entered PAC. 21.8 – 22.11.1985 visited Luanda (Angola), Aden (Yemen), Vietnam. The ship is based at Severomorsk, but has been laid up over the last few years. It is expected that the vessel will be decommissioned; decommissioned Jun 99. May be recommissioned for Pacific Fleet if funds can be found. 2004: awaiting overhaul. 10.2007 located in Strelok bay.
http://www.warfare.ru/?lang=&linkid=1720&catid=243&type=cruisers&ina=true
StonewallNavy restores nuclear cruisers
http://www.gazeta.ru/news/lenta/2009/09/19/n_1405266.shtml (Russian)
Vympel, in response to your news, I was expecting the above 😉
Good news I would say, the Kirovs are next to none.
so…does he means Admiral Nakimov and Lazarev will be re-activated?
Stonewalljust found.
StonewallStonewallAlgeria concludes deal to buy frigates, helicopters from Italy – paper
Sep 16, 2009 (BBC Monitoring via COMTEX) —
[Report by Bouallam Ghamrasah in Algiers: “Algeria Concludes Deal With Italy To Buy Frigates and Helicopters”]
Algeria will get in 2011 modern warships equipped with American anti-submarine missiles following a deal with Italy worth 4 billion euros. The deal replaces a similar agreement with France which Algeria decided to cancel because of negotiations between Paris and Rabat to sell FREMM frigates. Algeria concluded another deal with Italy to sell 100 helicopters.
An Algerian source acquainted with military affairs told “Al-Sharq al-Awsat” that a high-level delegation from the Defence Ministry is in Italy since last Saturday to inspect the workshop manufacturing the six frigates which Algeria demanded at the end of last year after cancelling a similar deal with France. The reason is an agreement which Paris signed with Rabat to sell it the same frigates. The competition between Algeria and Morocco to acquire the most modern arms and military equipment is not a secret to observers of the region. Despite the Algerian-French disagreement over what was called “Rabat’s intrusion in the negotiations”, many military agreements projects in the military field are still ongoing and were the result of President Nicolas Sarkozy’s visit to Algeria at the end of 2007.
The same source said the Defence Ministry’s delegation held during the visit, which ends on Saturday, meetings with senior officials in the Italian Defence Ministry, most notably General Aldo Schiralli, the ministry’s secretary general, and Naval Forces Commander Admiral Andrea Camprelgheri [names transliterated as published]. The delegation inspected the workshop where the “FREMM” frigates are built in Pisa, northwest of Italy, and talked to officials from “Fincantieri” group which is building them at its headquarters in Trieste, the Alps Mountains on the border with Slovenia. Within the framework of cooperation with Italy, the Algerian security forces will be provided soon with 100 “109-A”, “LUH” and “AW 139” helicopters made by the “AgustaWestland” Company under a bilateral agreement that was revealed during the Algerian delegation’s visit to Italy.
According to the source, the value of the “FREMM” frigates deal is 4 billion euros while that of the helicopters deal is not known as it comes under the “modernization of the armed forces” programme which started in 2002 and which involves equipping all branches of the Algerian army which received early this year a squadron of the modern Russian-made “Sukhoi 30” aircraft in accordance with a $7 billion deal concluded in 2006. The source referred to “US reservations in principle” about selling the frigates equipped with US equipment.
In a manifestation of the Defence Ministry delegation’s visit, an official in the Algerian Navy announced yesterday [15 Sep] the start of exercises off the Italian coasts between 18 and 25 September. The exercises will be held within the framework of the 5+5 Euro-Mediterranean group and military cooperation between Algeria and Italy.
Source: Al-Sharq al-Awsat website, London, in Arabic 16 Sep 09
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