http://balancer.ru/forum/punbb/attachment.php?item=283204&download=2

Uglich looks to be making good progress.

http://balancer.ru/forum/punbb/attachment.php?item=283205&download=2

Behind it is the 3rd of the class, Veliky Ustug.

Wonder how close Gryad Sviazhsk is to completion.

Are all of these Pr.21631 class or just a different version of Pr.21630?

Most upgraded Delta 4 will eventually carry Liner SLBM replacing Seneva.

As far as upgrade goes it hard to know but i dont think Delta 4 sonar will be replace with a new type but will be modernised with modern digital stuff and signal processors etc

I don’t know to what level the upgrade for pr.667BDRM has been. But as you said modern digital units are a definite. Also, seeing that this modernization is meant for atleast one more decade of service, I do see a possibility of new sonar also. Even the IN Kilos have been getting new equipments.

w.r.t to the evolution of the SSBN…..the changes mentioned for the new pr.955 is vastly different from the pr.667 evolution, basically from pr.667BD to pr.667BDRM. Allmost all pr.667 had a similar typical layout, but the (speculated) new pr.955/955M (or pr.958 or whatever) is a complete diversion from the earlier path and is proposing even the change of basic layout by having a spherical bow mounted sonar, which means a complete redesign for sections till the SLBM silos.

Personally,I’d love to see such a design, but does the MoD and Russian Navy have that much finance finance and so much time is the question.

If RuN is indeed getting such a design, I’d love to see the “earlier” pr.955 design as INs future assets. 🙂

The problem is nearly all attempts to bring more ‘accountability’ into PSUs have failed to have the desired outcome. The plain fact is that PSUs, from the onset, have been run very differently in India as compared to ‘Socialist’ countries like Russia and China. They are more like non-profit welfare organisations can commercial enterprises, and attempts to bring fundamental reforms in the way they were are generally avoided due to possible opposition from their labour unions which form a major votebank for governments.

They get infinite blank cheques to cover their debts and continue running simply because they are Indian PSUs, unlike Russia where scores of government enterprises, design bureaus etc went bankrupt and closed shop or had to diversify or come up with new commercial initiatives on their own to survive.

See the case of Air India: The UPA is having to provide an ‘equity infusion’ of a whopping Rs 40,000 CRORES of taxpayer money(That much money is several times the company’s value, and enough to start a new airline instead, or to provide homes and jobs to millions of unemployed, poor people instead of just 40,000 AI employees) to bail out Air India and even then future projections show it is unlikely to turn a profit even by 2020.

This was the reason why the old NDA government started a Ministry of Divestment to wash their hands of the problem: Arun Shourie explained in an interview how their efforts to make loss-making PSUs into competitive entirprises consistently failed.

I’m not touching upon all the matters….and making it short. Its a topic that has wide scope for discussion….

w.r.t how the PSU are run in India is a shame. But do we really have accountability? I don’t think so.
How many in the high-place/management/position have been made accountable for their failures in India? If we search the answer for this we’ll see why the management is not proper.
Even in “corrupt” MIC of Russia, we see people in high positions being kicked out for their failures. Can we point out any such thing with our PSUs….how many bosses were kicked out?

AI, BSNL etc fall into same category…..the bottom line is the top guys who run these are destroying it from inside so that private players can march ahead. I agree about the disinvestment part and that is why I said, for most Indians the magical solution to hide/escape from their own incompetence is to privatize. But why are these top guys not able to think why private entities make it work??? The magical formula is not any magic – its is proper management & accountability to back up the “plan”. The two vital elements work because, for the private “owners”, there is a sense of “bloodline bonding” for their concerns, which is lacking in PSU bosses, who gets their salaries and subsidies on time even without performing.

There maybe lot to talk about on the topic, but I’ll limit it as it consumes lot of time as well as patience to write.

I have highlighted the significant elements. An organisation with plenty of money is more likely to be able to get work done – but who is paying? Where do these funds come from? Taxpayers, as in Air India?

The ‘class apart’ could be simply a reflection of the flood of taxpayers money into MDL. That is not a good thing, it’s a higher cost to the state, & hence the nation. Paying people good money to do very little is not wise.

I agree and that was the point I was trying to make…that tax payers money is getting wasted. In short, by class apart, I meant Yantar was able to put their act together and regain part of their lost productivity, where as MDL is still inefficient and lay where it was earlier.

Not related to aviation, so I do not wish to have any discussion on this matter, but posted this as a news. Anyone wishes to discuss the matter can create a new thread in General Discussion and all those interested can continue there. I posted it only to get some exposure to the news article and if need be a new thread be started in general discussion. This same article was posted by another member @Kids Corner last week. But immatured moderators pulled it down and no one probably knew it or the member re-posted it. In a sense this “news” was censored.

According to reports in Colombia, the government and military initially examined the procurement of the Indian Arjun tank, but quickly learned that its capabilities were limited.

Developed within the framework of a multi-year project, India encountered difficulties producing the Arjun and at one point turned to Israel to help solve the problems.

Produced by the IDF in cooperation with some of the leading defense industries, the IDF produced the Merkava for its own use. The meetings with the Colombians discussed the potential procurement of 25 to 40 tanks. The cost of the Merkava tank has never been published, but experts estimate it is approximately six million dollars.

Kuznetsov’s screws.

Vietnamese Gepard 3.9

http://img13.imageshost.ru/img/2012/04/15/image_4f8a963cb4d71.jpg
http://img13.imageshost.ru/img/2012/04/22/image_4f941c3b46f71.jpg
http://img13.imageshost.ru/img/2012/04/22/image_4f941c15c953d.jpg

Hmmm. One wonders how Yantar will be able to handle the load, unless they plan to expand.
They are still working on Ivan Gren and two Talwars, even those all of them are out of the way of new construction. Aside from that there are three 11356s already under construction, and another trio to follow, as soon as this year.
Another trio of Talwars would be quite the load.
Then there is the question of an Ivan Gren follow on hull.

Yes, Yantar will need to expand, but in terms of manpower where they are severely stretched. But expand only if it is based on long-term sights. They have two production lines and both are running full.

The good part is Yantar have managed to get back on track and now running like a well oiled machinery since the funds began to flow in. Their hull fabricating section is doing good and we can see the rate at which the sections are coming up and getting integrated. But the much more labor intensive fitting out work will need expansion. Comparing “State-Owned” shipyards in India and Russia will show and even prove that “state-ownership” is the not the problem of non-performing institutes/industrial entities. But proper management and accountability is the key to success! Unfortunately many in India don’t know what accountability & management is or its value to a project or institute. Their only “magical” solution is to privatize.

Comparing MDL (who have practically no shortage of funds) and Yantar (who had to see the worst of the times) gives us a good contrasts. Truly a class apart.

http://kuleshovoleg.livejournal.com/57648.html

Good news, the Kaluga submarine, which has been in repair and overhaul for many years, is ready to rejoin the fleet.

Yes indeed and hope they are all now club capable.
And which is the submarine in the back? Hope it is the next in line for upgradation?

http://pics.livejournal.com/kuleshovoleg/pic/000ehgzx
http://pics.livejournal.com/kuleshovoleg/pic/000d0yd5