FUTURE AND PRESENT OF RUSSIAN NAVY. WHAT WAS SHOWN AT 2019 NAVY SHOW

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TASS – some new products and promising developments in the field of domestic [Russian] shipbuilding and naval equipment

The International Navy Show (INS) in St. Petersburg is rightfully one of the three largest world marine exhibitions of military materials. The main topics are shipbuilding, naval armament, combat control, navigation and communication systems, ship power engineering, naval aviation, fleet basing and support infrastructure and advanced technologies. A total of 353 participants, including 28 foreign companies from 19 countries, took part in INS 2019.

In the open areas, at the mooring walls of the sea station and the waters of the Gulf of Finland, one could see all the new things that Russia’s military-industrial complex is proud of.

Petr Kovalev/TASS

There were a total of 17 ships, boats and vessels of the Russian Navy and the Border Service of the Federal Security Service of Russia, among them, the frigate of Project 22350 “Admiral Kasatonov”, the corvette of Project 20380 “Persistent”, the small rocket ships of Project 21631 “Mytishchi” and “Serpukhov”, a small landing hovercraft of Project 12322 “Eugene Kocheshkov” and a few others.

Traditionally, a number of new products for foreign customers are presented at the INS. So, they were introduced the “Rubezh-ME” coastal tactical missile system. The Russian military is interested in them as well. After all, it is known that in the development of this complex, the ideas laid down in another coastal complex, which has been in service for many years and is being successfully used in our army, “Ball”, were further developed.

Coastal missile complex “Rubezh-ME”. IMAGE: Nikolai Novichkov/ТАSS

“Rubezh-ME” was created on a single KAMAZ-6560 mobile all-terrain platform, which houses both the launch module itself with four Kh-35UE cruise missiles, and the radar station for over the horizon detection of surface targets, fire control equipment and combat control equipment. The missile is able to bypass obstacles, the enemy air defence zones. Rubezh-ME will receive an unmanned aerial vehicle as a means of reconnaissance and targeting.

Maquette of the tactical anti-ship missiles KH-35UE. IMAGE: Petr Kovalev/TASS

The range of the complex is 260 km; its locator is either passive or active. It can travel on public roads according to its transport dimensions. You can combine up to eight machines in one division; they exchange information. As the “Ball”, the volley is 32 missiles

Andrei Petrakov
General Director of the Kaluga instrument-making plant “Typhoon”

Incidentally, at the exhibition it became know that by the end of the year, tests of the ground version of the anti-ship missile Kh-35UE intended for arming mobile coastal missile systems will be completed. “This is a completely new product that differs from the previously developed Kh-35E missile in a radical way. It has a new engine, a homing head and a number of other components, this is an absolutely new weapon,” Boris Obnosov, General Director of the Tactical Missile Weapons Corporation, told TASS.

Another interesting new product at the INS is the unmanned underwater device “Alexandrite-ISPUM-E”, designed to equip the ships with mine defence of Project 12700 (code “Alexandrite”). According to the developer, GNPP “Region”, the new integrated mine search and destruction system is designed to combat sea mines at depths of up to 300 m. It can be used in sea waves up to three points. Its speed is about 3-6 m/s depending on the operating mode.

Unmanned underwater vehicle “Alexandrite- ISPUM-E”. IMAGE: Dmitri Fediushko /TASS

The Roselectronics Holding (part of Rostech) presented an integrated communications complex with artificial intelligence. The control system itself adjusts the equipment to work in the required radio network and switches to another type of communication if necessary. The communication system allows for radio communication between surface ships of the Navy of any rank and command posts, other surface ships, submarines or aircraft.

It is noted that in the coming decades, it will become the basis of communication systems of the Navy. To date, it has already been equipped with a number of ships of various projects, as well as contracts for future deliveries.

The Nevsky Design Bureau (part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, USC) presented the large landing ship “Cayman” of the updated Project 11711E with increased displacement and landing capacity.

Model of future large landing ship “Cayman”. IMAGE: Nikolai Novichkov/ТАSS

According to the manufacturer, the displacement of the ship will be about 8000 tons, the maximum length is 150 m, the autonomy is about 120 days and full speed is about 18 knots. The crew of the ship is about 120 people. It will be able to have on board up to two transport and landing or search and rescue helicopters, as well as six to ten assault boats, placed on davits.

At the INS it was possible to see the new generation non-penetrating type periscope “Sail-98” developed by the “JSC Elektropribor” Concern.

Non-penetrating periscope “Sail-98”. IMAGE: Nikolai Novichkov/ТАSS

According to TASS first Deputy General Director Aleksandr Sokolov, the submarines for the Pacific Fleet of Project 636.3 will receive these new periscopes, built at the “Admiralty Shipyards”, with which submariners will be able to conduct round-the-clock surveillance in adverse weather conditions, receive signals from satellite navigation systems, detect radiation of radio equipment of surface ships and measure the distance to the observed objects. The updated version of the periscope has a high-definition TV channel. In addition, the laser range-finder is completely redesigned and the computing system is changed.

But the main highlight of the exhibition, which attracted the attention of absolutely everyone, was the newest nuclear aircraft carrier Project 11430E “Manatee”. The model of the ship was shown in the pavilion at the Nevsky Design Bureau stand.

Model of the nuclear aircraft carrier “Manatee”. IMAGE: Ladislav Karpov /TASS

The displacement of the ship, which will receive a nuclear power plant, will be 80-90 thousand tons, the maximum length will be 350 m, the autonomy will be about 120 days and full-speed will be about 30 knots. The crew will be 2800 people.

The air group will consist of up to 60 aircraft, including heavy and light fighters, naval helicopters and long-range radar detection aircraft. It also will provide for the basing of up to ten drones. It can be equipped with several types of acceleration devices for ship-based aviation actions, including a springboard, two electro-magnetic launching systems and four aerial arrester systems.

According to the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Nikolai Evmenov, the future of aircraft carriers is in the hands of Russia, which will develop their construction on the basis of existing capabilities. “We will build them, but perhaps now is not the time. The time has come to restore the technical readiness of what we have and to lay the groundwork for the future. There will be a nuclear aircraft carrier, of course, but not in the near future,” he said.

Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Admiral Nikolai Evmenov. IMAGE: Petr Kovalev/TASS

Specialists and technical competence for the construction of an aircraft carrier of the dimensions of which we spoke exist. As soon as there will be a signal “On your marks”, right there we will start this work

Aleksei Pakhmanov
Head of United Shipbuilding Corporation

Guests of the show could also see in the waters of the Gulf of Finland the high-speed hydrofoil boat VIP-class “Sagaris”.

Hydrofoil VIP class “Sagaris”. IMAGE: Petr Kovalev/TASS

The boat, which can reach speeds of up to 120 km/h, is a long-awaited continuation of the line of high-speed vessels built according to the projects of the Central Design Bureau for Hydrofoils R.E. Alekseev. It is designed for five passengers and is intended for boating or service and traveling purposes.