Not the first article on the topic, obviously not the last. But - in a radically different key. To begin with, I am happy to state the fact that something has broken down in the Ministry of Defense. And it broke for the better.
Let me boldly emphasize my personal opinion that it was the General Staff that finally got through to our managers in the Ministry of Defense. There is simply no other explanation, I thought for a long time, but came up with nothing. There are facts, no explanation. Hence, we begin to assume.
Why do I “blame” the General Staff? It's simple: the place is not the most profitable, rather, on the contrary, but the officers there are very often smart and competent.
What are we talking about? About the Pacific Fleet.
In the light of all the circling around the Kuriles, an outright arms race started by the Japanese, and the Stakhanovist pace of building ships in China, our Pacific Fleet continued to turn into a heap of Soviet scrap metal. Alas, here you can talk about patriotism as much as you like, but there has been absolutely nothing to boast of over the past 15-20 years except for missile submarines.
Even in fact. Two corvettes of project 20380, "Loud" and "Perfect". And two "Boreas", "Nevsky" and "Monomakh". Point. Well, something out there from the boat trifles, the rest is all at the best of the early 90s of the last century. At worst, the 80s.
We are used to looking somewhat one-sidedly at the map of the world, where the European theater of military operations is in the middle. Plus there is Syria, the escalation of the situation by "partners" from NATO of the situation in the Baltic … And here's the result.
We have in the Pacific Ocean a very modest in composition (both qualitatively and quantitatively) grouping of ships. One old missile cruiser "Varyag" and one destroyer "Fast" with three anti-submarine ships against 38 Japanese destroyers …
In general, the potential of the Pacific Fleet's grouping of ships has long been out of the question not only with the combat capabilities of the US and Chinese navies in the Pacific Ocean, but in non-nuclear weapons it is seriously inferior even to Japan.
And now it finally came to light that the situation was critical. And the change began.
It looks peculiar, especially considering that the war in Syria, despite repeated statements about the destruction of all militants, continues, and there seems to be no end. Around Kaliningrad in particular, and in general in the western direction, such an unhealthy revival of NATO forces is observed with the naked eye.
Against this background, the transfer of all shipbuilders to work for the Pacific Fleet looks peculiar. But it's a fact. Kaliningrad, St. Petersburg and Severodvinsk shipbuilders are working in this direction. We are not even talking about our Far Eastern colleagues, everything is clear and understandable with them.
As evidence I will cite the sudden transfer of "Prince Oleg", the newest SSBN, armed with 16 Bulava missiles and already manned by the Northern Fleet's crew, to the Pacific Ocean.
The same is true with the only corvette "Gremyashchiy" so far, which is completing a test program in the Baltic.
He also prepared for the ranks of the Northern Fleet, but with him it turned out the same as with "Prince Oleg". And the "Thundering", which is armed with "Calibers", will have to go to the Pacific Ocean instead of the Northern Fleet (the crew is also formed from the ranks of the Northern Fleet).
By the way, the Pacific Fleet is the only fleet in the Russian Navy so far that does not include a single ship with so well-proven Caliber. Even the Caspian Flotilla has such ships, albeit small ones, but the Pacific Fleet does not.
Tensions began with conventional submarines too. It was decided to transfer six diesel-electric submarines of the "Varshavyanka" class to the Pacific Ocean. True, five boats have yet to be built, but one, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, is already being tested. In the Baltic.
It is somewhat unclear, however, how these boats will be transferred. The path from the Baltic to Vladivostok is rather difficult, through the ice of the Northern Sea Route, through half the world (Atlantic and Indian Ocean).
Move on.
It is not entirely reliable, but there are rumors that all three ships of Project 11711 of the Ivan Gren type will also be sent there. "Vladimir Andreev" and "Vasily Trushin" for sure, with "Pyotr Morgunov" are resolving the issue, so that he can set off on a long voyage even earlier than the first two ships are completed.
Although you yourself know how things are not easy with the Grens.
Now many will have a question: was it not easier to build ships there, in the Far East? In order not to drive across half the world, just go and build?
Yes, there were times when factories in those parts of the world built warships quite easily. And not some boats, but destroyers and nuclear submarines. These were quite serious factories.
But it was a long time ago.
Russian reality today, to my greatest regret, is the poverty and squalor of the once powerful enterprises.
Amur shipyard. The pride of Soviet construction during the Stalin era. Destroyers, submarines (including nuclear ones), leaders. 57 nuclear submarines, 41 diesel-electric submarines, 57 surface combat ships.
But that was then, in the USSR. And in Russia the plant mastered the project 20380 Corvette "Perfect" in 11 (ELEVEN!) Years. With a doubling of the cost of work, of course. After such "shock" work, the plant declared bankruptcy.
But they bought it back, brought it into the USC and gave it a contract for the construction of six more ships. Well, it's unrealistic to drive everything through the Northern Sea Route or across the Indian Ocean.
The second ship, "Loud", was being built at a Stakhanovian pace. "Just something" in five years and three months. Progress, like, there is. The next ships were taken for 4 years, but they have not even been laid down yet.
The reasons for such "shock" work must be dealt with separately, but the fact is that today the shipbuilding of the Far East, to put it mildly, is not capable of anything.
And the shipbuilders of Komsomolsk-on-Amur have been instructed to build "Karakurt". Small rocket ships carrying Caliber missiles. And it looks like hurray, the first two ships have already been laid down.
We are in no hurry to rejoice. The deadline for the completion of the "Karakurt" is set in 2026! Seven years for two RTOs!
I don't want to sound unpatriotic, but … The destroyer Akizuki was laid down at the Mitsubishi shipyards on July 17, 2009.
On October 13, 2010, it was launched, and on March 14, 2012, it was handed over to the Navy. And this is a destroyer with a displacement of 5,000 tons (total 6,800). A little more than a boat with a displacement of 800 tons …
Another example of neighbors can be cited. China. The Chinese began making their first aircraft carrier Shandong (type 001A) in November 2013, and launched in April 2017. In just four and a half years. In 2020, it is going to be surrendered to the PLA Navy. And they will hand over, I have no doubt.
Epithets? So I think that you should just keep silent, realizing your "greatness and power."
However, it seems that we simply do not know something about what is happening in the Far Eastern region. Otherwise, why is Russia, straining so realistically, sends everything it can to the Far East?
What kind of fire is possible there?
It is difficult to say so far, but all this is not without reason.
And I am sure that this is hardly a Russian-Japanese push for the Kuril Islands. They are definitely not worth it, and the Japanese are well aware of this. Yes, they now have a fleet that is one head (or even two) superior to our Pacific Fleet. And even the fact that at a fire pace goes to the Far East, the situation will not radically change.
I do not think that Japan will risk, even with the support of the United States, to start a war for the sake of four islands. Here it is really very simple to solve the problem by arranging a rocket tsunami and just using such a shower to cool the ambitions of the Japanese.
But the battle between China and the United States for the Pacific Ocean … I must say that representatives of the military departments of both countries have already made loud statements.
Apparently, Russia is not going to watch the skirmish between the two titans, but at least take part in the discussion accompanying the division of territories and zones of influence.
And participation in such events, at a minimum, should be supported by a play of muscles. And if China and the United States have something to play with, then we have everything as indicated above. In general, everything is very neglected. And even a little late. But we (in the sense, the military leadership of the country) are forced to make urgent, albeit clearly belated, attempts to change the situation in terms of the ratio of combat potentials in the Pacific Ocean.
Alas, so far these attempts of ours are not impressive to anyone.
Articles have appeared in the Western media more than once, perhaps too bright, but not devoid of logic. Indeed, our fleet is very dependent on shipyards, which are thrown back in their capabilities to the level of the 20-30s of the last century and are capable of producing a very limited number of ships of low tonnage.
What can I say, data on missiles were given. The US Navy is armed with 12,000 offensive missiles. The Chinese navy can place 5,200 missiles on its ships. Russian fleet - 3 300.
There is a nuance here. Nobody says whether the United States has these 12 thousand missiles. And if so, in what condition and of what quality. And it is clear that those in service, for example, the Tridents of the second modification are not like the Caliber. But this nuance is worthy of separate consideration. And with the right assessment, the situation is likely to look less frighteningly sad.
But the fact is that over time, the number of Russian capabilities in terms of missile deployment may decrease even more. This will happen as the old ships are written off, which will be replaced by ships, albeit new ones, but of smaller sizes and, accordingly, capabilities.
It is, however, significant: to ditch the fleet that once roamed the seas and oceans can be literally in a couple of decades of reforms. Reforms that are not inferior in destructiveness to high-power ballistic missiles.
It is alarming that it is possible to destroy it in 20 years, but to restore it … But sometimes you can not restore it at all. Probably everyone can remember the historical examples of the former "Lady of the Seas" Britain and her eternal rival Germany. Not so long ago everything was.
In the meantime, seeing what is happening with our fleet, it is impossible to get rid of the feeling that all this looks very sad. Especially against the background of the recent historical past.
