On the 20th, for the first time in Russian history, universal landing ships were laid - only two UDC of Project 23900. In addition, two newest multifunctional nuclear submarines of Project 885M, as well as two frigates of Project 22350, were laid. Allegedly, a single day of laying down new ships and submarines was supposed to pass on the 16th: at least, this was reported to TASS by an informed source in the military-industrial complex. However, this changes little. In any case, July 2020 can be considered the starting date of the history of the new Russian fleet, which has fundamentally different capabilities.
UDC project 23900
Characteristics (tentative):
Manufacturer: Zaliv shipyard.
Displacement (full): more than 25,000 tons.
Lenght: 220 meters.
Width: 33 meters.
Crew: 320 people.
Troopers: up to one thousand people, up to 70-75 pieces of equipment.
Armament: one 100-millimeter gun A-190, three anti-aircraft missile and artillery systems "Broadsword", two anti-aircraft missile systems "Pantsir-ME".
Air group: more than 20 Ka-29, Ka-27 or Ka-52K helicopters.
The most important moment can be considered the laying of the universal amphibious assault ships. They will receive the names "Ivan Rogov" and "Mitrofan Moskalenko". Previously, the country (this applies to both the Russian Federation and the Soviet Union) did not have such combat units, although various landing ships, of course, were built in the interests of the fleet.
It is worth saying that the very concept of the UDC originates from the experience of the Vietnam war, when the Pentagon clearly realized that they lacked combat units that would combine the qualities of various landing ships and support ships.
Russia decided to keep up. The country did not receive the French Mistral for obvious reasons, so it had to rely on its own capabilities. Recall that the signing of a contract for the construction of new Russian ships became known in May this year. The amount of the agreement, according to the source, was approximately 100 billion rubles (80 billion, according to other sources). It is believed that the price of two Russian ships is twice the cost of the French Mistral. Given that the country has no experience in creating such ships, this should not be ruled out, although there is an alternative point of view. The first of the ships, according to previously presented data, may enter the fleet in 2027, the second - in 2028.
Multipurpose nuclear submarine of project 885M "Yasen-M"
Characteristics (tentative):
Manufacturer: Northern Machine-Building Enterprise.
Displacement (underwater): 13800 tons (project 885).
Length: 139 meters (project 885).
Width: 13 meters.
Crew: 64 people.
Armament: eight torpedo tubes and ten launchers. The boat can carry Onyx anti-ship missiles, Caliber cruise missiles, torpedoes, mines and portable anti-aircraft missile systems.
The laying of new submarines can be considered the second most important event: given the fact that the fourth-generation strategic submarines of Project 955 do not have adequate cover, the importance of building fourth-generation boats can hardly be overestimated. “The nuclear submarines are named after the cities of military glory: Voronezh and Vladivostok,” said President Vladimir Putin.
Let us remind you that now Russia has in service only one submarine of Project 885 - K-560 Severodvinsk. All subsequent (K-561 "Kazan", K-573 "Novosibirsk", K-571 "Krasnoyarsk", K-564 "Arkhangelsk", "Perm", "Ulyanovsk" and the submarines laid down on July 20) belong to the modernized project "Ash -M ". They are smaller than the lead submarine. Presumably, these boats have not ten torpedo tubes, but eight, and the number of launchers, on the contrary, has increased: there were not eight, but ten.
There are questions about the armament of new submarines (this applies to all Russian boats). It is not entirely clear whether the Navy managed to overcome the notorious "torpedo crisis" and replace the old USET-80 torpedoes with something more advanced. According to some reports, the process is underway. At various times, the media talked about equipping Russian submarines with "Physicist" and "Case" torpedoes. The first should develop a speed of 50 knots and hit targets at a distance of 50 kilometers. For comparison: the range indicator of USET-80 is 18 kilometers, which is significantly less than that of modern Western counterparts.
Even more curious is the issue of arming the Ashes with the Zircon hypersonic missile, which has been talked about very often lately. According to some reports, the rocket will be able to reach speeds of up to Mach 8, and its range will be 400-600 kilometers.
Frigate project 22350
Specifications:
Manufacturer: Severnaya Verf.
Displacement (full): 5400 tons.
Lenght: 135 meters.
Width: 16.4 meters.
Crew: 180-210 people.
Armament: up to sixteen missiles "Onyx" and "Caliber", 130-mm gun A-192M, anti-aircraft artillery, anti-aircraft missiles, anti-submarine weapons and mine-torpedo weapons.
Air group: one Ka-27 helicopter.
Another important event was the laying of two Project 22350 frigates: Admiral Yumashev and Admiral Spiridonov. They will be, respectively, the seventh and eighth ships of Project 22350.
This is one of the key programs of modern Russian shipbuilding. She is seriously "stuck": we recall that the lead ship "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov" was laid down in 2006, and was commissioned only in 2018. In addition to him, the first serial ship, the Admiral of the Fleet Kasatonov, was handed over to the fleet. The third ship, Admiral Golovko, is currently being tested.
It is worth saying that earlier there was information about the modernization of the frigate of project 22350. The displacement of the ship of project 22350M is going to be increased to 7000 tons, and the ammunition load of the Onyx and Caliber missiles is up to 48 units. It is also assumed that Project 22350 frigates and upgraded ships will be able to carry hypersonic Zircons. Undoubtedly, hypersonic weapons can dramatically increase the combat potential of Russian surface ships, but in order for them to turn into a truly formidable force, air cover is needed. And this is clearly not the case.
However, it is worth repeating, the laying of six powerful modern ships at once is a new milestone in the history of the Russian fleet. Their commissioning will significantly strengthen the potential of the Navy.
