For those who are still in cold-war-waters:

– please do some research before posting. Last time I checked, SOSUS was not operated by the USN anymore. Guess why 😀
– for those who know more, I’d suggest to remember that the Sovs/Russians have their own SOSUSes. Guess where and why. That should answer the question about the “bastion” strategy and the need for Russian SSBNs to sail towards the Antlantic
– for those really interested in matters acoustic, please remember that “radiating noise” is not a term used in real submarine acoustics as such. A given type of sub might be ultra-quiet at, say, 6 knots and pure heavy metal at 12 before becoming relatively quiet at 15. Do I have to say why? Subs (especially SSBNs) have pre-designed optimum depth and speed parameters that they tend to stick to for some reason.
– another difference between Russian and US acoustic detection techniques is the emphasis the Soviet/Russians have put (nolens volens) on “non-traditional” detection methods (“keelwater” detection, non-acoustic detection, low and ultra-low frequency detection – which was the Achilles heel of USN boats till the Seawolf class). There is a reason why the Russians I know from the “Deep North” complain about the Seawolf and not really about the LA boats.
– another point: those who think that the current Borei-class boat (Y. Dolgoruki) and the Yasen have been laid down decades ago are mistaken. “Laid down” means (in case of the Borei) that there were two semi-assembled hull sections at the yard till 2003: Real construction has started in 2003 only, based on totally new design specs. With the Sev., it’s even better: the design changed several times, and the boat that will hit the water (if ever) has nothing to do anymore with the original design. I even think it will be a totally new class of boats, and Yakhont/Onyx is out as a main armament.

What Indian will have to wait for 10 more years , like till 2020 , I thought the Indian twin seat version will fly in 2014

Hey RSM what about your promised 12 hours time to answer my question , time up 😉
Just to add one more to it , any detailed info on Sineva SLBM ? 😀

Sorry, Austin, just a lot of contradictory information.
Apparently, re your question: one reactor, modernised derivate of the OK-650V. Special circulation pump and increased active zone service life (up to 25 years – methinks more like 20 max.). Some special hydro-based coolant is rumoured as well (echoing the Rubin mixed water mineral/metal-enhanced closed cooling projects of the 80s), but most likely not. Methinks it’s a conservative design.

Sineva: what do you mean by “detailed”? I’m in love with it, but you probably need more, right? 😀

Would it go down here??…I haven’t heard anything on it…

According to some, it could be a GRU nuclear “deep water station” and not a “pure” SSN. Although I think it could be a Sierra – she is much more at ease in this kind of waters.

It looks more like beeing towed for scrapping. I dont understand all the media-reports about this ship beeing upgraded, BS flagship blah blah, and now latest report they say repair is finished 😮 It looks like ****.

Agree. Never believed these reports anyway.

I understand, but at least for me it is more easy to trust a news channel than claimed eyewitnesses report on a forum without a source.;)

I kinda lost confidence in “news channels” a long time ago, don’t remember why 😀 Eyewitness reports are backed by my sources and by official statements. Telemetric data has been given to the US some hours ago already. Believe me, there are enough folks involved and informed.

Why are they experimenting and testing a new type of MARV on a completely new missile? I would expect them to at least get the missle from A to B first..:confused:
The Bulava launch history is not exactly a success. Why not test new MARV’s on a well proven missile like the SS-N-23.? Technology can then easily be added to the Bulava program later..???

The have tested it already, on a space-launch derived vehicle, on a SS-19, on a Topol-M, on the RS-24 (it’s “part of the package”, kind of). They decided to test it among “normal” vehicles on this test also. Why not? It does not require any structural change. You do a double-test, in a sense. The tech is already inbuilt, no need to change anything in the Bulava itself. The bus is compatible. The SS-N-23 would need major modifications.

You know you really make me chuckle sometimes Star49, of course the Ukraine can make rifles and pretty much every other kind of defensive and offensive system you could buy.

The “could buy” is the most significative part here.
The Ukainian defense industry is actually dying, and dying fast.
Defensive and offensive systems: that’s not absolutely true.
Let’s have a look at it:
– Tanks: inspite of 1st-grade production capacity and experience, they can’t produce more than a dozen tanks a year. The Molot tanks will not effectively enter service in the Ukr. army till Jesus will come back.
– Jet fighters etc.: nil.
– Transport aircraft: the whole Antonov design bureau is surviving because of foreign orders (Russia especially) and has agreed to subcede part of its best-value production in Russia
– Space: Sat. production is dead. Rockets production is almost dead. The only customer, again, is Russia.
– Air defense: very good expertise in radar systems, no mass production. Probably the one and only expertise industry that has survived. Air defense missiles: very small-scale production and upgrade.
– Engines: Motor Sych is planning to transfer to Russia.

Actually in many ways its the other way round, there are a number of things that Russia is having difficulty producing without Ukranian support. A good example being large ship Gas Turbines an industry which was pretty much based in the Ukraine only before the break up.

You are right, but only partly:
Gas turbines are not ordered from Ukraine anymore. The Russians have done a lot to increase their own production, all the new ships will be equipped with domestic turbines.
Rocket and helicopter engines: as I said, MSych is all but swallowed by Russia at the time we write. Russia has also expanded production of domestic engines. All modern Russian missiles run on domestic engines.

how the mighty Russian defence industry is amazing at building large ship gas turbines and the Ukraine can barely build a tractor…

Neither can. Ask Belarus for tractors and the like 😀
By the way, all the Nikolaev shipyards are in Russian hand since this week. The Russian FLC West bought 70% of 3 shipyards that Aker Shipyards possessed in Germany, Norway and Ukraine.

About Ochakov. I have seen some pictures of her last years undergoing refit. Latest pictures after 2006 show absolutely no work beeing done (at least not visual).

Rumour has it (again…) that she will fall victim to all the nice brand new plans to modernise the RuN with shiny brand new weaponry and is bound to be scrapped for good.

RSM55.. Why should we believe your eyewitnesses report rather than Kommersant?

Because Kommersant is BS when it comes to military matters, because Kommersant has already published a lot of BS in the past about the aforementioned matters, and because it what they say is technically impossible.

There could anyway be something wrong with the warhead-separation….

Of course, such as not optimal time slots for separation, bypass of optimal trajectories, sub-atmospheric reaction time… But all that does not qualify for a failed test. This is routine combat parameters calibration.

BTW, i think russianforces.org is one of the best site with info about russian strategic forces. They always seem to be very accurate.

Well, you know, in the land of the blind, the one-eyed is king. Russianforces.org and Podvig in particular has a very strange “newsreel” approach that impedes on their analysis. And they were not so accurate as they were supposed to be.

PS: Austin, give me 12 hours, will clarify.

A little plea to all: it was a nice thread, all in all, so let not spoil it by rubbish. But let me put some historical facts straight, bob909 (I’m not Russian, not especially russophile, but there is something about the expression “historical truth” that I like).

Yea, yea – Russia uber alles. This contribution was mainly raw resources (like today) mined by all but not russians.

Bob, you’re repeating a very old cliché that was very en vogue in the late 80s but has absolutely no factual base. In fact, now that all the stats are widely available, it is absolutely clear that the Russian SFSR contributed much in gross domestic product, direct investment, labour etc as the other Soviet Republics, at the cost of living standards in the RSFSR. In fact, the highest living standards in the late USSR were in the Baltic states and the Republic of Georgia. There was a decade-long policy to invest massively in the infrastructure, education and industrial capacity of “border” republics at the expense of the RSFSR. It’s a sad fact, it’s not nationalism.
And btw, your German expression might anger many Russians who haven’t forgotten history.

[/QUOTE]Those people will find a job in another country, but what russians will do without 20-30% of workers resources? What a percentage of lets say weapons constructors are russians? 10 or 5%?
And “well established Russian train and pipeline network” is a joke, right[/QUOTE]
The Russian train network is one of the best of the world – no joke. It needs massive investment and modernisation, true – but it’s a very efficient and functioning structure. And all the railroads to Central Asia-Ukraine etc are tied to the Russian railway system, so no joke here.
For your information:
80% of the Russian Federation population are ethic Russians (whatever that means)
There is more than 1 mio ethnic Georgians in Russia.
More than a third of Ukrainians is directly dependent on working aggreements / contracts in or with Russia. More than 10 million Ukrainians work full or part time in Russia (not ethnic Ukrainians, but citizens of Ukraine nota bene).
Central Asian, Azeri, Ukrainian workers cannot find a job in another country that offers them comparable salaries a part of which they can send home to help their families (remember the visa issue also).
So yes, Russia is certainly dependent on low-salary workers (especially in construction, low qual. jobs etc – like most of Western countries by the way) but the corresponding countries are much more dependent. If Russia severs economic ties with, for example, Ukraine (hardening working legislation, introducing visas, stopping buying Ukrainian industrial products – no need for sanctions here), the Ukrainian economy faces collapse because for 80% of its exports Russia is in the position of a monopolistic buyer. Ukraine already has a 34% inflation and a soaring unemployment rate, so imagine what consequences such a move could have.
END OF OFF-TOPICAL DISCUSSION (for my part).

Russian Navy successfully test-launches a Bulava SS-N.
Today at 18.45 Moscow time, the Dmitry Donskoy fired a Bulava missile at the Kura test range. Test warheads have reached their aimpoint and the whole launch was conducted according to plan. The warheads reportedly reached the test range at 19:05 Moscow time.
(Russian) http://www.rian.ru/defense_safety/20080918/151403421.html