First Look - 10 June 2008

The Russian Navy Will Expand Its Presence on the World Oceans

General-Lieutenant B.Shamanov, Chief of the Combat Readiness Directorate of the General Staff announced, “The Russian Navy will expand its presence in the Atlantic, Pacific and the Northern Latitudes.”

“The Navy has a defined mission during the summer training period – presence not only in the Atlantic, but in the Pacific also. The subsurface forces of the Northern Fleet will increase its activities also,” Shamanov added.


Tu-95 Strategic Bombers Successfully Complete Their Assignment

Two Tu-95 strategic missile carriers successfully completed a flight of “great radius” according to plans to patrol the far reaches of the Arctic region.

A pair of aircraft also dealt with the issue of maximum re-fueling in the air. Having carried out the 20 hour flight, the crews returned to its home base at Engles’.

The planes were escorted by NATO fighters during the patrol.


A Task Group of Baltic Fleet Ships Participate in the Active Phase of BALTOPS-2008.

After a meeting of participants in Gdynia, Poland, a Task Group of Baltic Fleet ships set sail to take part in the active phase of the international maritime exercise BALTOPS-2008. Ships from 13 nations are participating in the exercise. The escort ship “Neustrashimyy” and the large landing ship “Kaliningrad” are representing the Russian Navy. There is a detachment of marines on the landing ship and eight armored vehicles. The escort ship has a Ka-27 embarked, whose crew made 10 training landings during the transit from Baltiysk to Gdynia.

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According to the plan of maneuver, there will be an ASW exercise, searching for and tracking submarines with helicopters. There will also be a gunnex during the active phase against surface and air targets, a maneuvering exercise, a communications exercise, an anti-air exercise, an ASW exercise against a notional enemy submarine, maritime stop and search exercises as well as anti-terrorism exercises.


The Salvage Ship “Geogriy Titov” Returns to Severomorsk.


Sevmash: We Helped Our Collegues

Sevmash workers helped test a project 971 SSN at the Amur Shipyard. A group of engineers specializing in steam pipe fitting, cooling machinery and high pressure air systems returned from a far eastern TDY. “Thanks to your workers, who offered valuable help in testing,” wrote the General Director of OAO Amur Shipyard to the leadership of OAO Sevmash, listing the workers by name. OAO Sevmash built seven project 971 boats between 1984 and 2001….

According to the newspaper “Kommersant”, construction of the project 971 SSN has stretched out to 20 years because of funding deficits at the Amur Shipyard. Workers in Severodvinsk aren’t throwing their brothers under the bus at a difficult moment – the turbines successfully took steam at the facility in Bol’shoy Kamen’. The Sevmash team plans to go back out there soon to participate in dockside trials and testing.

First Look - 08 June 2008

The Black Sea Fleet's main base is still in Sevastopol' for now.

Novorossiysk Prepares to Greet the Black Sea Fleet

Unprecedented constructon has begun in Novorossiysk. The goal of the construction is a base for the Russian Black Sea Fleet. A mole is being constructed right now. It is a unique hydro-technical structure, an analogue of which cannot be found in the world (TR Note: As always with the Russians. Yawn.)

The harbor, designed to protect ships of the Black Sea Fleet will be finished by 2014. It will be a kilometer and a half long. The construction will take place at a depth of 45 meters. General-Major Michael Tashlyk, the commander of Spets-Stroy Russia in the Southern Federal District has declared that no one else in the world has done such construction work at such a depth on such a scale. (TR Note: Again. Yawn.)

The base will be completed by 2020. Forty billion rubles have been allocated for this program. We remind you that the lease on the Black Sea Fleet base in Sevastopol' runs out in 2017.




Fire Drill Conducted on the "Yuri Dolgorukiy"

OAO Sevmash conducted a fire drill on the SSBN Yuri Dolgorukiy. Colonel-General Pavel Plat, the chief military expert for the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) observed the exercise. According to the scenario, a fire broke out in one of the compartments. In addition to civilian firefighters, members of the crew under the command of Kapitan First Rank Konstantin Mit'kin extinguished the "blaze".

It was a high level exercise. At the end of the event, the captain of the Dolgoruki was given an icon of the Holy Mary in the Burning Bush (TR Note: As a theme in the Russian Orthodox art, depiction of the Blessed Virgin in the center of the two four-pointed stars, holding close the Child in clerical robes as the "Great High Priest") on behalf of the leadership of the Russian MES, considered to defend lives against fire and the savior of firefighters.

First Look - 27 May, 2008

Video Report From "Bold Monarch-2008"



A video report from the rescue ship "Georgiy Titov" participating in Bold Monarch-2008. Footage of the rescue vessel AS-34 hooking up with a Polish submarine. Underwater footage of the AS-34 in action. Audio of the underwater communications between the participants. Animation of the plan for the exercise. Please leave requests for a full English transcript in the comments section.

Ukraine rebuffs all Russian pretensions to Sevastopol’

The world must unite in the fight against piracy.
"Coordination of naval fores in the zones where pirates are confirmed to operate will help to partially resolve this problem. Russia's Navy has actively participated in exerciese which have dealt, partially, with the issue of piracy in the last couple of years," [Navy spokesman Igor'] Dygalo said.

He also noted that the Russian Navy was reviving its presence on the world ocean.

"The fact of pirate attacks on Russian and foreign ships confirms the correctness of the course taken by the military decision makers in the Russian Federation and the General Staff of the Navy to renew the presence of Russian warships in all areas of the world ocean, especially in regions of intense fishing and shipping activity."

The Black Sea Fleet ocean-going Minesweeper "Zheleznyakov" departs for exercises with the Turkish Navy.
The goal of "Black Sea Harmony" is to interdict illegal activity, primarily terrorism and proliferation of WMD.

Trawlers suspected of poaching in the Sea of Okhotsk.
The Border Guard Patrol Ship "Antias" and the Krivak III Border Guard Escort Ship "Dzerzhinskiy" stopped two Cambodian fishing trawlers suspected of poaching.

Pacific Fleet Hospital Ship "Irtysh" returns to port after deployment.

First Look

Indians Come to Severodvinsk to Inspect Work on Gorshkov

According to a "Sevmash" press release, a delegation headed by the chief of the purchasing and production directorate of the unified headquarters of the Indian Navy, Vice-Admiral Dilip Deshpande is leading a delegation on a planned ten-day trip to meet with the group of Indian observers and the leadership of FGUP "Sevmash" in Severodvinsk on the progress on the aircraft carrier formerly known as "Gorshkov", now the "Vikramadit'ya". According to the Russians, "It is planned at the negotiations to agree with the Indian side about additional and unacccounted for repair work, equipment conversion and ship testing."

I'm sure the Indians are thrilled about that "additional and unaccounted for work"...


Active Phase of Bold Monarch-2008 Starts Monday

The goals of Bold Monarch-2008, which runs from 23 May to 07 June off of Norway, are to test the joint rescue equipment of the Russian and NATO navies and also exercise cooperative action during rescue operations.

"In the course of the active phase from 26 May to 05 June, with a one day pause, the participants will practice elements of crew rescue from stricken submarines. It is planned to carry out a series of medical support exercises using hyperbaric chambers and television guided underwater equipment on the pause day..."

The Northern Fleet Rescue Ship "Georgiy Titov" and other NATO and NATO partner ships and observers are participating.

An AS-34 Russian underwater rescue device will mate with a NATO submarine for the first time ever during these exercises in the presence of NATO observers on board the submarine.

Also, it is planned that Russian pararescuers will work with their counterparts from Great Britain, Italy and Ukraine for the first time.

Command and control over the NATO submarine will be exercised for the first time by a Russian officer on board the "Titov" using underwater communications channels.


Pacific Fleet Flagship "Varyag" Returns to Action After Long Break

A spokesman for the Pacific Fleet announced that the Slava-class Project 1164 Pacific Ocean Fleet Flagshp and so-called "carrier killer" (roll eyes here) "Varyag" Is carrying out a series of artillery firings on land, surface and air targets. The surface to air missile system will fire on an airborne target as well.

This is the first time at open sea for the "Varyag" as well as the first weapons firing since overhaul. The Pacific Fleet flagship underwent a successful two phase sea trial and is now again in active service. Now in the new year the crew under the command of Captain First Rank Edward Moskalenko awaits deployment and participation in various exercises.

First Look

Bold Monarch-2008: The Northern Fleet rescue ship "German Titov" is participating in the NATO exercise "Bold Monarch-2008" off the coast of Norway from 23 May until 07 June. According to Navy spokesman Igor Dygalo the goal of the exercise is to test joint NATO and Russian Navy rescue systems and to organize cooperation during rescue operations. Rescue ships from Great Britain and the United States will participate as well as submarines from the Netherlands, Poland and Norway. Additionally, the Dutch rescue ship "Mercury", the Polish diving ship "Lex" and the Norweagian vessel "Tir" will participate. The Dutch destroyer "Rotterdam" will play the role of control ship". Minesweepers from Canada and Norway will maintain range security. Around 40 countries will send observers. During the operation the "Titov" will use the AS-34 rescue apparatus to mate with the notional stricken submarine.

Minister of Defense visits Vilyuchinsk: The Minister of Defense Anatoliy Serdyukov met with the Commander in Chief of the Navy and the Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet in the closed military city of Vilyuchinsk Submarine Base on Kamchatka. The goal of the meeting was not released to the press.

Comment: I bet this has to do with the improvements made to the base in the last few years in anticipation of basing the almost ready for sea Yuri Dolgoruky there.

Final plans for "Northern Eagle-2008" have been finalized in Murmansk: The goal of the exercises are to work out the issues of operational cooperation between the Russian, Norwegian and American Navies. Special attention will be paid to habituating Russian, American and Norwegian sailors to joint operations at sea.
Elements of the training will be inspection operations and antiterrorist operations at sea.