Naval Construction Programs 1995

Prepared October 24, 1995.

A recent article by the deputy chairman of the State Committee for the Defense Sectors of Industry noted that the shipbuilding program has fallen seriously behind. He noted that:

Not a single surface vessel has been begun in the last five years.
Of the four ships lying incomplete at various shipyards, work has stopped on all but one (Petr Velikiy).
At current building rates, perhaps one new nuclear submarine will be delivered every three years.
The aircraft carrier building program is effectively dead; it will not be revived without serious overhaul efforts directed at existing Russian shipyards.
The production of guided naval missiles is in jeopardy, with the collapse of the old development-production system.

All of this suggests, as was to be expected, that the formal plans outlined here reflect an overoptimism on the part of the naval planners. Given that the growing debt of the Defense Ministry is beginning to affect operations (see "Current Items"), finding the funds for further building programs could be extremely difficult.

Index:

Submarine Development Programs
Surface Vessel Development Programs
Active shipyards

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Submarine Development Programs

The future of SSN production is centered on the fourth-generation Severodvinsk, which was laid down on 21 Dec 93. Dubbed Project 885, Severodvinsk is the follow-on to the Akula class of multipurpose nuclear attack submarine.
Severodvinsk will pack quite a punch, with six torpedo tubes of both 650mm and 533mm diameters which will be able to fire wake-homing, acoustic, and high-speed torpedoes, along with tube-launched missiles. Estimated magazine capacity is 24-30 weapons. In addition, Severodvinsk will have eight vertical launch tubes for various cruise weapons.
She will be the quietest submarine ever put into service by the Russians, with anechoic and vibration damping hull coatings along with advanced quieting techniques. Some American intelligence officers have indicated that she may be as quiet as Seawolf in certain conditions. In light of the recent news that the Akula II is in fact quieter than a 688I, this may be a distinct possibility. Her combat systems will include a spherical array bow sonar.
To meet the growing deterrence burden placed upon SSBNs by START II, a new class of ballistic missile submarine may enter service to supplement the Typhoons and late-model Deltas. Projected figures put her at about half the displacement of the giant Typhoon, while carrying 20 SLBMs. This submarine may be designated Project 935, and will be built at the Sevmash nuclear submarine construction center at Severodvinsk.
Construction of Oscar II "submarine cruisers" continues; a fourth-generation follow-on SSGN was planned, but reduced defense spending has forced the cancellation of that project. Like all other nuclear submarines, the Project 949A Oscar IIs are being built at the Sevmash yard in Severodvinsk.
Project 971 Akula II class submarines continue to be built at a steady clip, with two delivered in 1994 (bringing the total in-service to 12 or 13) Significant modifications were made to the original Akula design beginning with the eighth unit; two of the modified Akulas may be named Pentera and Puma. New Akulas have been classified as "Akula IIs" and are reportedly quieter than 688Is; there has been a further report of a modified Akula with a lengthened hull that may accommodate VLS tubes.
Kilo class diesel attack submarines continue to be produced, mainly for the export market. Although they were produced at a number of other yards in the past, it appears as though the St. Petersburg Admirality-Sudomekh yard will take primary responsibility for the Project 877 Kilo line. An improved Kilo design (Project 636) has been reportedly offered to export customers on-order. At least one Kilo ordered by the Russian Navy is still unfinished.
There are a number of new diesel submarines that are being developed and offered for export. The names Amur and Parahna have been associated with some of these new designs.

Surface Vessel Development Programs

Number two in the Kuznetsov-class of aircraft carriers, Varyag, appears to have gone to Ukraine, which is somewhat at a loss as to what to do with it. One Ukrainian official was recently quoted as saying that it will be converted to "other uses", whatever those may be. Presently she remains uncompleted at Nikolayev South, formerly Shipyard 444.
The last of the battlecruisers, the Kirov-class Petr Velikiy, continues her lengthy fitting-out program and is currently undergoing builders' trials.
Further production of Sovremennyy-class DDGs is planned. The seventeenth in the class, Besstrashnyy, was launched in mid-1994 at the Northern Shipyard in St. Petersburg. With the production targets somewhere in the mid-twenties, construction of these destroyers will presumably go on for quite a few years yet.
The Udaloy line of DDGs survives in the Project 1155.1 "Udaloy II" form, which trades the Udaloy's SS-N-14s for SS-N-22s and packs a pair of bigger guns. There seem to be conflicting reports as to exactly how many Udaloy IIs there are, a problem compounded by the fact that the first unit seems to have been renamed several times. At any rate, it now appears as though the first unit, Admiral Chebanenko (formerly Admiral Basisty), will be commissioned in 1997 or 1998. While fleet plans called for two Udaloy IIs, the construction of a second Udaloy II has been, for the moment, cancelled.
Project 1154 Neustrashimyy frigates continues at Kaliningrad's Yantar shipyard(?). The second unit, Nepristupnyy, is expected to be completed in 1996 or 1997. The third unit, Tuman, may have been renamed to 300 Let Rossiskomy Flot, if she is indeed delivered in time for the Russian Navy's 300th anniversary.
Construction and modernization of smaller combatants continues. Work is being done on a new export frigate design, named Gepard, at the Zeledonolsk yard. Gepard, also known as Project 11661, sports a steel hull with aluminum superstructure, and stealthy characteristics. She will be able to make a top speed of 26 knots and will be armed with two quad SS-N-25 Harpoonski launchers, an SA-N-4 SAM launcher, a 76mm gun, six 30mm CIWS, four 533mm torpedo tubes, and an RBU-6000 ASW mortar.

Active Naval Shipyards

Sevmash/State Center for Atomic Submarine Construction, Severodvinsk (formerly Shipyard 402)
Severodvinsk is the primary shipyard for the Russian Navy, which is now responsible for all nuclear submarine production, as well as Russian Navy diesel submarines. (Export diesels may be built elsewhere.) It is extremely well-equipped, with large building halls dating back to the Stalin-era. In the past, Severodvinsk was the cradle of Soviet ballistic missile subs, building Yankees, Deltas, and Typhoons. Equipped with special titanium-welding facilities, it also built Alfas, the Papa, and the single ill-fated Mike class, along with Oscars. With the loss of the primary aircraft carrier shipyard to Ukraine, there have been rumors that this huge shipyard may undergo some conversions in order to service Admiral Kuznetsov and perhaps move the aircraft carrier program forward.
A recent press report (in May 1995) noted that even this mammoth facility is not immune to the economic crisis facing the Russian defense industry, however. Heating in Severodvinsk has been off in residences since April, and the shipyard itself was temporarily running in "emergency energy consumption mode."
Admiralty-Sudomekh/United Admiralty (formerly Shipyards 194 and 196), St. Petersburg
Made up of two shipyards sharing adjacent space in St. Petersburg, United Admiralty has been responsible for a number of submarines, including Victor II/IIIs, Alfas, Kilos, and a host of experimental designs. Today, Admiralty-Sudomekh builds export Kilos, and will be the home of the new Project 636 improved Kilo, should it go into series production. Absent export orders, United Admiralty may cease submarine operations.
Yantar/Kaliningrad (formerly Shipyard 820), Kaliningrad
Yantar is a surface vessel center, historically responsible for Krivaks, Alligators, Udaloys, and Ivan Rogovs. Today, the Neustrashimyy-class frigates are being built there.
Baltic Shipyard (formerly Shipyard 189), St. Petersburg
Responsible for nuclear surface vessels, the Baltic shipyard has built nuclear icebreakers, the Whiskey-class submarines, and the SSV-33 space support ships. Today, naval production centers around the fourth and last Kirov-class battlecruiser, Petr Velikiy.
Northern Shipyard (formerly Shipyard 190), St. Petersburg
The Northern Shipyard was called "Zhdanov" for most of its history, until a name change in 1989. Udaloys were once built here; today, Northern continues to build Sovremennyys.
Komsomol'sk (formerly Shipyard 199), on the Amur River (Far East)
Komsomol'sk is primarily a submarine facility, which once built the smaller SSBNs (earlier Yankees and Delta Is), but eventually had to turn over SSBN construction to Severodvinsk because its location (near shallows) prevented the larger vessels from being launched. The Akula SSNs were built here, as were some Victor IIIs and Kilos. President Y'eltsin made a much publicized announcement that Komsomol'sk will be out of the submarine business in 1996.
Krasnoye Sormovo (formerly Shipyard 112), Nizhny Novgorod
Krasnoye Sormovo produced Charlies, Victors, and Tangos; today, it is responsible for Sierra and Kilo production. An inland shipyard, nuclear submarines historically were shipped off to Severodvinsk via waterway for fitting out while the diesel subs went south through the Volga to the Black Sea. Submarines are no longer built here, the yard having phased out of submarine construction in 1993.

Former Soviet shipyards in Ukraine
Nikolayev North (formerly Shipyard 445), Nikolayev
The last of the Slavas remains incomplete here, to be finished and delivered to the Ukrainian Navy as their flagship. Apparently naval construction is to end with the delivery of Vilna Ukraina, for it is reported that Nikolayev North is going to be building floating hotels.
Black Sea/Nikolayev South (formerly Shipyard 444), Nikolayev
Once the heart of the aviation-ship program, Nikolayev South has been responsible for the Moskvas, the Kievs, and the Kuznetsovs. Today only the Varyag remains, last of the Kuznetsov class CVs, her fate undecided. Apparently some civil production has been undertaken in this yard; a decision on Varyag may be required soon in order to make room for merchant construction.
Zaliv/Butoma (formerly Shipyard 532), Kerch, The Crimea
This yard is notable for producing Krivaks. Whether or not Ukraine will continue to build/complete/modernize Krivaks here is unknown.

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