BREZHNEV,

There is a lot of contradicting information, speculations and rumors about the Russian Navy. We are hearing about plans for aircraft carriers, large destroyers etc. These are hard to confirm at the moment (some of it may be intentional disinformation)…

However one thing is true: Russia’s naval forces are rebuilding thanks to a revived economy.

The stereotype of Russian warships rusting in their ports is no longer valid.

-New classes of warships and submarines are being built/introduced (e.g. Steregushy, Adm. Gorshkov, Severodvinsk, Yury Dolgoruky, St. Petersburg, Astrakhan etc.)

– Units that had their construction suspended are being completed now, such as the second Neustrashymy frigate (Yaroslav Murdy), the Novik frigate (being completed as a training ship) etc.

– Many Russian ships that were retired or placed in reserve are being modernized and brought back to service (including Kirov, Udaloy, Sovremenny and Kara class vessels).

Thanks to hard evidence such as photos from various sources (internet, publications, shipspotters etc.) I can confirm that a lot is happening.

Quite often, I come across fresh photos of warships that have been “written off” by many “respected” sources, yet the ships appear fully operational, under way and with a fresh coat of paint (I call these units “Phantom ships”). I also notice subtle differences, additions and modifications to various units (e.g. new guns, missiles, electronics etc.)

I intend to post photos of these ships on this thread. I am sure you and other Russian navy enthusiast will appreciate them.

As an example, here is the Tarantul class corvette R-60 (hull number 955)who has traded its two rear AK-630 gatling guns for the more modern PALACH gun/missile system. Photo was taken in Sevastopol, July 19th 2007.

Source of photo http://flot.sevastopol.info/

The Black sea fleet is soon to take delivery of the SERNA.

It is an air cavity landing ship capable of transporting 45 tons (tanks) or 90 soldiers at 35 knots.

Really nice:D I always liked the pr.266 ones as my favorite minesweepers…determend by the looks. There is just something there, that almoust defines the word sweeper.
But are that new one a plain sweeper, or does it have minehunting capacity? What has it eaten?

The Vice Admiral Zakharin is a pr.02668 class.

Many differences with the older pr.266 are noticeable. It lost the 2 twin 30mm turrets (in favour of one 6 x 30mm gatling gun), the RBU rocket launchers are also gone. The hull, the mast and minesweeping gear are different. I don’t know if it has minehunting capability.

Here is a photo of the ship during construction

Russia’s Navy must restore presence in Mediterranean – commander

SEVASTOPOL, August 3 (RIA Novosti) – Russia must restore its permanent naval presence in the Mediterranean to ensure the protection of its strategic interests in the region, the Navy commander said Friday.

“The Mediterranean is an important theater of operations for the Russian Black Sea Fleet,” Admiral Vladimir Masorin said, adding that the fleet’s zone of control extended through the Black and Mediterranean seas toward the Atlantic Ocean.

“We must restore a permanent presence of the Russian Navy in this region,” the Navy commander said.

He called for closer cooperation with Ukraine, where the bulk of the Black Sea Fleet is currently based, and Turkey, which is an important regional leader.

Russia is part of the Black Sea Naval Cooperation Task Group (Blackseafor), which also includes Turkey, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Romania and Georgia.

Formally established on Turkey’s initiative in 2001, Blackseafor conducts search and rescue operations, and environmental monitoring, and organizes goodwill visits among Black Sea countries.

In addition, Russia actively participates in the NATO-led antiterrorism operation Active Endeavor in the Mediterranean. The country will send a frigate in September 2007 to join the NATO naval task force in the Eastern Mediterranean, the admiral said.

Masorin also said the presence of the Russian Navy in the region is crucial for the protection of energy supply routes via the Blue Stream gas pipeline and the proposed Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline.

Addressing the controversial issue of the Black Sea Fleet’s base in Sevastopol in Ukraine, the Navy commander said Moscow and Kiev must respect the fundamental agreements on the base lease without any revisions.

Russia and Ukraine signed an agreement in 1997 stipulating that the Black Sea Fleet’s main base in Sevastopol, on the Crimean Peninsula, be leased to Russia for 20 years, with the possibility of extending the term.

The annual rent of about $100 million is deducted from Ukraine’s debt for Russian energy supplies. In addition to the main base, the Black Sea Fleet maintains two airfields and a ship re-supply facility on the Crimean Peninsula.

He also said Ukraine should not worry about Russia’s plans to reinforce its Black Sea Fleet, but should rather look for ways to expand naval cooperation with Moscow.

“The Russian and Ukrainian Navies could successfully cooperate in combat training, naval exercises and international operations,” Masorin said.

As an alternative to the Sevastopol base, which the Black Sea Fleet has to abandon by 2017, Russia has started construction of a naval base in the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk.

“Over 40 billion rubles [over $1.5 billion] have been allocated on the construction of a Black Sea Fleet base in Novorossiisk before 2020 under a federal target program,” Masorin said.

Source: http://en.rian.ru/russia/20070803/70292727.html

Still looking for good images of Provorny, which served at Shtil (SA-N-7) trial ship, IRC with 8 Orekh.

Images of the Provorny are rare. Here are some:

Photo from 1977

1978

Unknown date

1981

The sad end (1992)

The data provided on missile range should be taken with a bucket of salt. Just too many variables.

I recall at least 2 cases where a SAM killed its target beyond its advertised range.

– A SeaDart missile during the Falklands war: the target was an Argentine aircraft (AFAIR a Canberra).

– An S-200 (SA-5) missile tragically downing a Siberian Airlines Tu-154 airliner over the Black Sea a few years ago.

even if Iran could afford to procure Mig-31E’s in large numbers and they worked as advertised (both big ifs). They would more than likely be destroyed on the ground by Cruise Missiles and Stealth Bombers.

Despite the cruise missiles and stealth fighters, during the 1991 gulf war, the Iraqi AF fighters were taking-off and engaging the coalition fighters (at least in the early stages). Later on they had no problem getting up and fleeing into Iran in large numbers. Destroying an air force on the ground is not as simple as it seems. The 1967 success of the Israelis was never repeated in any other conflict.

You are correct that “one” F/A-18 was shot down over Iraq in the first Gulf War. (lucky shot?)

Actualy luck was not with the Iraqis that night… One of their Mig-29s flew into the ground while dogfighting with an F-15. Another Mig-29 pilot shot down another Iraqi fighter…