Russian Navy News

04.09.2010 Official call of Turkish warships to Novorossiysk
Task unit of Turkish warships led by Capt Azmi Tosun, 1st Flotilla Commander is sailing towards the Hero City of Novorossiysk; the unit consists of frigates TCG Fatih and TCG Beycoz. The visit program includes military honors to defenders of Novorossiysk in the time of WW2; associated ritual with participation of Russian and Turkish mariners will be held in the second day of the visit.

04.09.2010 Fourth PF task unit escorted the first convoy through Gulf of Aden
Pacific Fleet's (PF) task unit headed by large ASW ship Marshal Shaposhnikov on Apr 7 escorted the first convoy of 15 vessels including one Russian-flagged ship. While sailing through the gulf, each escorted vessel had 5 Russian marines on board.

04.08.2010 Russia to build port facilities for Mistral ships
Russia will have to build port facilities if it decides to purchase a French Mistral helicopter carrier for the Russian Navy. Russian Kamov helicopters (Ka-52, Ka-226) will be based on Mistral ship, if the country decides to go ahead with the purchase.

04.07.2010 Talks on Mistral ship purchase still underway - Russian Defense Ministry
Russia and France have not yet agreed on the purchase of a French helicopter carrier for the Russian Navy. Russia is negotiating the purchase of at least one Mistral-class amphibious assault ship, worth 400-500 million euros and plans to build three more vessels of the same class in partnership with the French naval shipbuilder DCNS.

04.07.2010 Newest SSN Severodvinsk to start trials this year
In 2010 Russian Navy will test new nuclear-powered attack submarine Severodvinsk (Project 855 Yasen). On May 7 the sub is expected to leave covered slipway and start trials, including those in the White Sea.

04.07.2010 Russian veterans of Arctic Convoys to see May 9 in London
Three Russian veterans of Arctic convoys will see Victory Day on May 9 in London among British vets. During World War II northern convoys consisting mainly of British servicemen had been delivering provisions and military equipment to Soviet northern ports via Arctic regions.

04.07.2010 Admiralteyskie Verfi and Baltiysky Zavod may get order on construction of two Mistrals
OJSC Admiralteyskie Verfi and OJSC Baltiysky Zavod shipyards (both in St. Petersburg) may get orders to build two Mistral-type ships. This matter is being presently considered, although other details are unknown.

04.07.2010 Nuc sub repair plant is penalized in Kamchatka
Nuclear submarines repair plant OJSC Northeast Repair Center in Kamchatka was penalized for law violation in the area of nuclear energy use. The plant used, transported, and stored radioactive agents as well as rendered check services of radiation monitoring hardware without license.

04.07.2010 Russia's Black Sea Fleet may lose all warships by 2015
The majority of warships in the Russian Black Sea Fleet have been in service for over 30 years and would not be fit for sea missions by 2015. The only solution for the looming crisis would be the construction of at least a dozen of corvettes.

04.06.2010 Large ASW ship Vice Admiral Kulakov returns to NF after capital upgrade
Large ASW ship Vice Admiral Kulakov (Project 1155) having passed fundamental modernization at Severnaya Verf (St. Petersburg) will be recommissioned into Northern Fleet. In 90's the ship was planned to be dismantled due to underfinancing.

04.06.2010 Frigate Yaroslav Mudry started her first cruise
Frigate Yaroslav Mudry will escort nuclear-powered missile cruiser Petr Veliky to the Mediterranean. Then the ship will be changed by a BSF warship and head home to Baltiysk. Yaroslav Mudry is same type with famous frigate Neustrashimy presently called "pirate-chaser".

04.06.2010 PF naval aviation turned 78
Pacific Fleet (PF) naval aviation turned 78. In the Far East, military aviation first emerged in 1912 at Spasskoye settlement being attached to Siberian aeronautic battalion. Nowadays PF pilots take off in increasing frequency.

04.06.2010 Marshal Shaposhnikov escorts international convoy near Horn of Africa
Pacific Fleet's (PF) large ASW ship Marshal Shaposhnikov on Monday started escorting subsequent convoy of 15 civil vessels through piracy-hazardous regions of Horn of Africa and the Gulf of Aden.

04.06.2010 St Pete shipbuilders claim capability to construct Mistral
Naval shipbuilders in St Petersburg say they would need 34 months to construct two helicopter-carrying assault ships similar to France's Mistral. They propose a joint project in which two other Mistral-type ships are built for Russia in Saint Nazaire in France.

04.05.2010 Sevmash to introduce modular shipbuilding method
Defense shipyard Sevmash (Severodvinsk) will introduce progressive modular shipbuilding method. This method is widely applied worldwide. The shipyard's primary purpose is building nuclear-powered subs for the Navy.

04.05.2010 PF to take part in Russian naval exercise in Indian Ocean
Pacific Fleet's (PF) warships will participate in large-scale naval exercise in northwest part of Indian Ocean in late summer 2010. This is going to be the largest maneuvers of Russian Navy in two recent decades.

04.05.2010 Sailing ship Nadezhda to sail around the Pacific prior to APEC summit
Russian sailing ship Nadezhda will start a cruise around the Pacific Ocean in Dec 2010; the cruise is associated with APEC summit to be held in Vladivostok in 2012. During the cruise, the ship will visit almost all APEC member countries.

04.03.2010 Putin and Chavez visited sailing ship Kruzenshtern at Caracas port
Russian premier Vladimir Putin along with Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez visited Russian sailing ship Kruzenshtern standing at Caracas port La Guaira. Visiting the ship, Chavez offered to Russian premier a student swap in training maritime science.

04.02.2010 Petr Veliky honored legacy of Komsomolets
Sailing through Norwegian Sea, nuclear-powered missile cruiser Petr Veliky stopped to honor legacy of crew of nuclear submarine Komsomolets perished in April 1989 in consequence of large-scale fire.

04.02.2010 Defense ministry repaid wage arrears to military plant in Murmansk
Employees of factory controlled by Northern Fleet Engineer Service stopped a week-long hunger strike when Ministry of Defense completely repaid wage arrears which were almost 14 mln RUR as of March 2010.

04.01.2010 Russian bark Kruzenshtern calls at Venezuelan port
Carrying out a 5-month long transatlantic cruise, Russian drill sailing ship Kruzenshtern called at Venezuelan port La Guaira on Wed. Built in 1926, the bark is rightfully considered a shining sample of Russian drill sailing fleet.

04.01.2010 Admiralteyskie Verfi delivered next Kilo-class sub to foreign orderer
Admiralteyskie Verfi shipyard delivered Project 636 Kilo diesel electric submarine to foreign orderer. Delivery-acceptance certificate was triumphantly signed today. Such diesel electric subs are in great demand at international market.

04.01.2010 Russia launched the first series-built corvette
Launching ceremony of the first series-built corvette Soobrazitelny of Project 20380 was held at Severnaya Verf (St. Petersburg). Previously, neither Soviet nor Russian navies classed corvette as a separate type of warships.

04.01.2010 Russian warships to fight piracy along with NATO and EU
Pacific Fleet (PF) anti-piracy task unit arrived to the Gulf of Aden and led by large ASW ship Marshal Shaposhnikov will cooperate with NATO's 151 Squadron and EU NAVFOR, although Russian ships will act in accordance with national plan.

03.31.2010 Severnaya Verf to launch first series-built corvette Soobrazitelny
Severnaya Verf shipyard (St. Petersburg) will launch the first series-built corvette of Project 20380 Soobrazitelny. Lead ship of this project - Stereguschiy - was commissioned into Baltic Fleet in Oct 2008.

03.31.2010 Russia, Kuwait tied delivery contract of two Murena-type landing boats
Russia and Kuwait tied a delivery contract of two Project 12061E Murena air cushion landing boats. The ship of the project is capable to carry either 2 armored personnel carriers or 2 amphibious tanks or 1 medium tank or 130 fully equipped marines.

03.31.2010 Navy CIC promised to declassify information of Arctic shelf frontiers
Demarcation of Russian continental shelf in Arctic is 80% completed, said Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky, Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief. Upon termination of these works Russian defense ministry will decide what hydrographic information to declassify.

03.31.2010 Russia, Greece to hold joint naval exercise this year
Russian and Greek navies will conduct joint exercise this year. The meeting between Russian and Greek defense ministers Anatoly Serdiukov and Evangelos Venizelos took place in Moscow on Tuesday. 15 activities with participation of Russian and Greek servicemen are scheduled in 2010, including exchange of delegations, mutual visits of ships, and joint naval exercise with warships of the two countries.

03.30.2010 Russian naval pilots to be trained in Ukraine
Northern Fleet's (NF) naval pilots will probably resume training at deck simulator NITKA in Crimea this summer. Nonetheless, the construction of same-type center in Yeisk (Krasnodar region) will be continued.

03.30.2010 French frigate Chevalier Paul visits Severomorsk
French AA frigate Chevalier Paul pays official visit to Northern Fleet's (NF) main base Severomorsk on Tuesday. Once the port call is finished, the French frigate will take part in an exercise along with NF large ASW ship.