Instead of complaining about US NMD plans for Europe, why not just fit a small nuke to the S-500? It could be deployed along the border and take out any ABMs that they think are headed for Russian ICBMs in-flight. You’ll need a missile with rapid acceleration to get out and make the intercept before your own ICBMs are within range of the warhead, but they figured that out with the PRS-1, so it shouldn’t be a huge problem. Seems a far cheaper and just as effective solution to counter something that probably can’t chase down an ICBM fired towards the USA anyway.

Anti-ABM system or AABMS.

Congratulations SOC, you have taken everything to the next dimension.

US maintains a very formidable and perhaps generations ahead SSN fleet compared to Russian SSN fleet.

Have you actualy compared the average age of the US subs with that of Russian subs?

Most US SSNs are of the LA (688) class. There are only a handfull of Seawolfs and Virginias at sea.

Also look at their SSBN fleet (all ageing OHIO class, and no new ones in the docks yet). The US Navy will soon have to start buiding replacements for these too… and that will no doubt affect negatively SSN procurement.

AFAIK, the Russians have only one YASEN class (Severodvinsk) building. Maybe a second one too. Plus they have four SSKs in construction (ST. PETERSBURG already in service) and 3 +1 Yury Dolgoruky class SSBNs in the pipeline (lead ship already launched).

And the Akula 2 class as per US admission is slightly better than LA class

The US Navy was actualy impressed by the quietness of the previous VICTOR III class. I believe that one is more than a match to the LA…nevermind Akula or Akula2.

and the Seawolf class and Virginia class SSN are miles ahead in terms of acoustic quitening and weapon system compared to LA class.

..and we are all familiar with these kind of claims:rolleyes:

Compare that with Russia , the only capable submarine SSN for now seems to be the Akula class and Sierra class

There are also 5 VICTOR III subs in service. These are very capable too. I suggest you to read about operation “Atrina”

So Russia has nothing in its fleet now which can remotely challenge the Seawolf or Virginia class SSN.

You are contradicting what you said above.

The only glimmer of hope is the Yasen Class SSN of which from all accounts only 2 will be produced by 2015.

I am aware of one only. There may be another one :confused:

Perhaps all the Akula and Sierra class SSN will receive comprehensive upgrade to extend its life ,some of them already did

Yes, you have answered your own question at the end.

There is no way any country that can challenge US underwater (submarine ) advantage for many decades to come either in terms of quality or numbers.

Wow, you must have a crystal ball that can see the future for DECADES.

Is it already game , set , match for USN as far as its SSN fleet goes in the 21st Century ?

I don’t have a crystal ball like you do, but I ask you: Do you know how much each Seawolf cost? Do you know why they are not building them any more? Do you know why they have switched to the Virginia class? Do you know about the future “build rate” vs “retirement rate” of US Navy SSNs in the future?

More photos here: http://photo.strizhi.info/v/airwolf/airwolf_002/

New Russian frigate may be fitted with BrahMos cruise missiles

MOSCOW, June 20 (RIA Novosti) – A Russian frigate being built at a shipyard in St. Petersburg may be equipped with sea-based Russian-Indian BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, a Russian defense industry official said on Friday.

“The only [Russian combat] ship that could feature these [the BrahMos] missiles is the Project 22350 frigate Admiral Sergei Gorshkov being built at the Severnaya Verf shipyard in St. Petersburg,” the source said.

In 1998, Russia and India established the BrahMos Aerospace joint venture to design, develop, produce and market a supersonic cruise missile.

The BrahMos missile, named after India’s Brahmaputra River and Russia’s Moskva River, has a range of 180 miles (290 km) and can carry a conventional warhead of up to 660 pounds. It can hit ground and sea targets while flying at an altitude as low as 10 meters (30 feet) and at a speed of Mach 2.8, which is about three times faster than the U.S.-made subsonic Tomahawk cruise missile.

Its sea-based and land-based versions have been successfully tested and put into service with the Indian Army and Navy.

The three additional Project 11356 Krivak IV-class guided missile frigates built in Russia for the Indian Navy will feature the BrahMos supersonic anti-ship cruise missile system.

Experts estimate that India might purchase up to 1,000 BrahMos missiles for its Armed Forces in the next decade, and export 2,000 to third countries during the same period.

Russia apparently had no plans to for the missile to enter service with its Armed Forces, but under pressure from the Indian side may consider equipping at least one surface ship with BrahMos missiles.

“Considering that we have only one platform [suitable for BrahMos missiles] we may deploy six of them on the ship [the Admiral Gorshkov frigate],” the Russian official said.

The Admiral Sergei Gorshkov is scheduled for launch in 2009. According to some military sources Russia’s Navy intends to procure up to 20 such vessels.

The frigate has a displacement of about 4,500 tons, a length of over 130 meters (430 feet), a maximum width of 16 meters (51 feet), and a range of over 4,000 miles.

The defense ministry official also said on Friday that neither Russia’s newest Steregushchy class corvettes nor submarines currently in service with the Russian Navy could carry BrahMos missiles due to their hull and capacity specifications.

from: http://en.rian.ru/russia/20080620/111481295.html

Those are most probably a mockup of the under-development hermes-A missile.
It’s two stage anti-tank missile planned to be the next generation Russian airborne AT missile. It suppose to be a radar guided missile with inertial guidance in first stage of it’s path to the target with final “Homing” guidance, giving the missile a max range of 20 Km.A land based system is under development. The land based system dose resemble MLRS system,the system compromise two vehicles , one carries the 24 missiles the other vehicles carries the radar based guidenes system.
http://www.kbptula.ru/eng/multi/hermes.htm

IMHO ,this missile project is the reason behind russian army choosing Mi-28N over Ka-50 as the main Attack army helo ,and also behind the developing of Ka-52. Both Mi-28N and Ka-52 carry MW radars, and two craw members to deal with the extra data provided by the their radars. The missile will provide the russian army in the first time with true multi target engagement ability.It worth noting the missile have 3 Mach max speed!>
http://www.kbptula.ru/eng/multi/hermesa.htm

PhantomII/ most of you comments are correct, The Mi-35 carry short stub wings and they are not a copy of Mi-28 wings.Even though both wings share the two pylon each.

I am not sure these are containers for the HERMES. Could they be an airborne version of the KHRIZANTEMA?

No Yakhonts there, just X-35 Uran in 2 quad launchers up in the superstructure. The next 20380 will have a different loadout – 4 VLS cells for Klub/Yakhont and 12 VLS cells for the short surface to air 9M96 missile.

Do you have a good source for the 9M96 missiles on the 20380s?

Heck, even the cheaper at-15 krizantema have 1000+ mm penetration…..

Speaking of Khrizantema, it was supposed to enter service. Has anyone got confirmation? photos in service?