Nevskoye Design Bureau turned 80

18.04.2011 The Russia's oldest surface ship design organization Nevskoye Design Bureau turns 80. The bureau is a lead developer of aircraft carriers and ocean-going large landing ships, as well as takeoff/landing units for deck-based aviation's training systems.

Historically, Nevskoye bureau is tightly bound to Kirovsky (former Putilovsky) plant. The Central Special Shipbuilding Design Bureau was established in 1931 by the order of Soyuzverf association which controlled all Soviet shipbuilding organizations at that time. Throughout its history, the bureau was renamed three times in 1932, 1937, and 1966. Before the Great Patriotic War over 100 warships were built and delivered to Soviet Navy under the projects developed by the bureau; among them were Kirov class cruisers, Gnevny and Storozhevoy class destroyers, Uragan class escort ships, Tral class minesweepers, etc. In the post-war period the bureau designed projects of Chapayev and Sverdlov class light cruisers, and the project of heavy cruiser Stalingrad. In 1958 the bureau launched the work on crucially new ships with helicopter air group. Project 1123 antisubmarine helicopter-carrying cruisers Moskva and Leningrad were delivered to the Navy in 1967-69.

Designing of aircraft-carrying ships became the bureau's primary activity since 60's. With introduction of Soviet VTOL aircraft program, the bureau was tasked to develop heavy aircraft-carrying cruisers. Four Kiev class carriers with VTOL airplanes and helicopters joined Soviet Navy in 1975-1987. New type aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov with ski-jump aircrafts and helicopters was built in 1979-1990. Admiral Kuznetsov is the biggest warship in Soviet/Russian Navy currently in service.

At present, project of aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov retrofitted for Indian Navy is being implemented; also, the bureau helps India in designing of air-technical facilities.

In 1994-2001 Nevskoye Design Bureau executed serious design work to ensure signing of Russian-Indian intergovernmental agreement; as a result, Russia and India tied the contract in 2004 providing modernization of Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov for Indian Navy. Works on this contract are executed by JSC Sevmash shipyard. According to schedule agreed upon, upgraded carrier INS Vikramaditya is supposed to start sea trials this fall. Three Ivan Rogov class multipurpose landing ships were built for Soviet Navy in 1978-1989 under Project 1174 designed by Nevskoye bureau; those ships had no analogs worldwide at the time. Nowadays, the bureau traditionally continues to work over new-generation landing ships for Russian Navy. Lead ship of Project 11711 Ivan Gren was laid down at Yantar shipyard in 2004 and is expected to join the Navy in 2013. Moreover, the bureau used to engage in development pf special-purpose equipment as well. Even in 60's the bureau designed projects of floating rocket-technical bases and proposed to retrofit surface ships into floating measurement systems used for trials of ballistic missiles and piloted spacecraft. Under the project developed by Nevskoye Design Bureau in 1982-1985, search-and-rescue ship Dickson was redesigned into an experimental ship to test weapons based on new physical principles.

For creation of new hardware and mastering new technologies, Nevskoye Design Bureau was rewarded with the Order of Lenin and the Order of October Revolution; honorable naval flag was also handed over to the organization.

In total, since 1931 till 1990 about 300 ships different in type, class, and purpose were built under 45 projects of Nevskoye Design Bureau at 16 shipyards. Since 70's the bureau holds leading positions in introduction of innovative informational methods into designing process. Since mid-90's the bureau has been implementing advanced computer technologies.