Navy Commander proposed to buy foreign gun mounts

10.02.2011 It is not improbable that frigates presently built for Russian Navy would be armed with foreign artillery systems. Direction to analyze such possibility was given by Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral V. Vysotsky during his working visit to JSC Severnaya Verf shipyard on Feb 4, 2011. That was said to the Central Navy Portal by informed source in defense industry.

The issue is replacement of 130-mm gun mount A-192 which is presently regarded as the basic artillery weapon for Project 22350 ships with foreign analogs. The commander proposed 100-mm French gun mount Creusot-Loire Compact and 127-mm Italian gun mount OTO-Melara 127/64LW as candidates for replacement.

Russian 130-mm light naval gun mount A-192M Armat (developed by FSUE Arsenal Design Bureau; manufactured by JSC Arsenal Machinery Plant) is currently at the stage of a trial model. All tests and follow-up development works are on schedule approved by the Navy earlier, and are supposed to finish in 2012. As for performance characteristics, the gun is on a level with foreign analogs.

Replacement of Russian-made artillery with exported analogs will definitely cause at least two far-reaching consequences. First, Russian Navy becomes dependent on a foreign supplier of constituent parts and – which is more weighty – projectiles. Every single shot of such gun mount will literally cost its worth in gold; this will inevitably reduce intensity of fire drills with all that it implies, and increase the risk of being out of ammunition in crisis situation. Second, yet again a half-baked decision of high commanders might seemingly save money and time in the short run, and obviously waste both in the long one.

Aside from mounting foreign artillery on warships being built for Russian Navy, Vysotsky offered to analyze whether use of other exported equipment is possible. In particular, diesel engines, diesel generators, ventilation and conditioning systems.