In the coming years, as you know, about 20 trillion rubles will be spent on defense needs. Part of this money will go to the needs of the fleet. And, apparently, a considerable part. For example, President of the United Shipbuilding Corporation R. Trotsenko recently boasted that PO Sevmash (Severodvinsk) already has orders until 2022. One cannot but agree with him that such grandiose terms are rare in industry: the total value of all contracts of the enterprise is 280 billion rubles. Interestingly, this is the largest volume of agreements concluded with a legal entity in our country. A worthy cause for pride.
The bulk of orders from the Severodvinsk plant are related to the construction of fourth-generation submarines of projects 885 Yasen and 955 Borey. At the moment, the plans of the Ministry of Defense include the construction of ten boats of the first type and eight of the second. Let us remind you that the number of required "Ashes" was constantly changing - it took three dozen, then only five ships, but in the spring of this year it was decided to stop at ten for now. Although it cannot be argued that after the commissioning of these ten submarines, the construction of new ones will not begin. Some optimism in terms of the feasibility of the planned construction is given by the fact that in the last 7-10 years the pace of construction of the lead ships of both projects has increased significantly: Severodvinsk (pr. 885) was laid back in 1993, and Yuri Dolgoruky (pr. 955) in 96th. It is sometimes said that the duration of construction is caused by the use of radically new materials and technologies. However, this version does not in the least contradict the opinion that for the time being the "embryos" of boats were gathering dust on the stocks due to the lack of normal funding. Nevertheless, in recent years, money has been found, and at the moment three new submarines (Severodvinsk and two Boreas: Yuri Dolgoruky and Alexander Nevsky) are being tested. Two more ships have been laid down and are under construction (Kazan, project 885 and Vladimir Monomakh, project 955).
What happens: weapons
Our near-future submarines also have a number of problems. Previously, they were mainly related to money, and now they are related to various equipment. The most famous and "advertised" snag of the Borey project at the moment is the R-30 Bulava missile. Although the last five test launches of this missile have been successful so far, skepticism about it has not diminished, as well as various jokes. In addition, the media are adding fuel to the fire of public opinion: after the 16th launch in August this year, information appeared that initially it was supposed to take place a week earlier, but it was postponed due to malfunctions on the boat. Representatives of the Ministry of Defense, in turn, soon denied information about the postponement of the launch. So the series of problem-free tests can be considered continued. So far, no special problems have arisen with the Boreyev torpedo armament, in any case, if they did exist, they did not cause a wide public response.
In the same way, the armament of the Yasen boats did not attract the attention of the people. And this is understandable: their main weapons are the Onyx and Caliber anti-ship missiles of various versions and modifications. To date, both families of missiles have been tested, brought into production and are being serially built. And, as you know, successes do not attract attention as much as failures.
What happens: money and not only
Another problem with new submarines is the constantly “sliding” deadlines. For example, when the construction of Severodvinsk received an impetus in the form of normal funding, it was planned to enter the boat into the fleet in 2011. However, for a number of reasons, this solemn event was postponed to the second half of the 12th. "Sevmash" claims that "Borey", in turn, will have to wait until "Bulava" is ready for adoption and serial production. Hopefully, the next half dozen submarines will be launched, tested and commissioned in accordance with plans.
This year, like a submarine out of the ice, two similar stories have surfaced related to boat production and financial flows. In April, a certain Tikhanov was sentenced to a fine due to the fact that his company, which under the contract with Sevmash in 2009, had carried out welding works, did not have the appropriate license. Tikhanov was fined 30 thousand rubles under the article on illegal entrepreneurship. In turn, his company received about two million for the work carried out. On December 8, a similar case became known. Details of it have not yet been announced, it is only known that a certain company led by a certain woman from 2007 to 2009 carried out installation work for 12 million. How will it end - we'll see.
In a similar context, a change in the leadership of Sevmash is sometimes mentioned. Let us remind you that in June the general director of the enterprise N. Kalistratov wrote a statement "of his own free will" and left to work in the legislative bodies of Arkhangelsk. The former head of the Rubin Central Design Bureau A. Dyachkov was appointed to the post of General Director of PO "Sevmash". In the near-naval environment, of course, a version is slowly circulating about the reasons for Kalistratov's resignation associated with his specific activities as general director. However, USC claims that this is only a kind of optimization of the daughter's work in order to improve her work. In addition, in the spring, Deputy Prime Minister S. Ivanov expressed doubts about the advisability of Kalistratov as director of Sevmash.
Perhaps it was these stories with incomprehensible offices without licenses that became the main reason that the Ministry of Defense bargained with shipbuilders in every possible way over the cost of contracts. In any case, the Ministry can be understood: if all sorts of small “sharashkin offices” “graze” around a large manufacturing plant, anything can be expected. From the increase in the cost of contracts to catastrophic consequences for the plant. For example, the Saratov Aviation Plant has already died in this way: at one time a lot of subsidiaries appeared around it, and financial flows in them were distributed in such a way that all profits went to them, and all costs and debts went to the plant itself. Hardly anyone in our country wants a similar fate for Sevmash or any other defense enterprise.
Underwater strategy
I would like to see no problems with financing or signing contracts in the future due to price differences. If this is indeed the case, then another question will become relevant: where will the 18 new boats go? Borei, as carriers of strategic missiles, can be included in
the composition of any of the Russian fleets. The situation is exactly the same with the Ashes, although in the light of recent developments in the field of missile defense systems, such boats may turn out to be more needed in the Northern Fleet. If the United States continues to develop its missile defense, namely its part based on ships with the Aegis system, then over time we should expect the appearance of such ships in the Arctic Ocean. As is known, it is most expedient to "conduct" intercontinental missiles through this region. Accordingly, in the future, to counter the American missile defense system, a certain number of submarines with anti-ship missiles may be needed. The maximum launch range of Onyx or Caliber missiles reaches 300 kilometers, respectively, if necessary, the Aegis will have to be fired from an ice-covered water area. An effective solution to such problems is only possible for submarines.
True, it must be said that the exact plans for the distribution of new boats have not yet been published. There is even an opinion that they do not yet exist at all. It is unlikely that the Ministry of Defense will order equipment without plans for its use, but there is an opinion and this fact must be reconciled. Although no one forbids to challenge it. Where exactly the boats will go to serve, and whose version will ultimately turn out to be correct - we will find out in a few years, by 17-18, when a sufficient number of boats of projects 885 and 955 will not only be launched, but will also complete the tests.
