There are many officer groups on the Odnoklassniki website, in which there is a constant discussion of all sore issues. Here's a message that makes me feel very sad:
More details here:
What is happening with the Russian fleet? Where are the traditions laid down 250 years ago under Admiral F. F. Ushakov? A lot of materials have been written in the media on the state of the Navy. As a rule, these are articles on the ship composition of the fleets, on the balance of forces and assets between the fleets. But let's at least briefly consider the accompanying circumstances.
1 … Frames. I remember a twenty-five-year-old film-dilogy "In the zone of special attention" and "Return move". The patriotic component of these films was so great that the recruits en masse enrolled in the Airborne Forces and the Navy. I remember the inscription made in one of the military schools on the territory of the guarded object by the next sentry: "And I want to sleep - And I feel sorry for the Motherland!" It seems like a simple inscription, however, it says a lot. And they thought (!) About the Motherland.
Nakhimovites have been brought up in the best traditions since childhood. How many Nakhimovites became brilliant officers, how many of them became holders of the highest orders. Even V. S. Pikul, in his nautical novels, showed the need for the transmission of maritime traditions through a fairly long training. It is impossible to train a high-class sailor in 2 years. And a young lieutenant, having studied for 5 years, receives only general concepts about the service. Often, a senior sailor knows more than a green lieutenant. The naval training system, which has developed over the years, from training to academy, received a hole below the waterline and began to sink.
Another quote from the Odnoklassniki website. The question is asked by the wife of a military officer:
Objectively, it is clear that a lot has changed in life. Relationships between countries have changed, technology has changed, new materials, new technologies have appeared, people have changed. Most young people no longer have the former spiritual awe at the sight of a neat Nakhimovite. This means that the training system should be adjusted to the changed conditions, but not be a blind copy of Western systems.
A rhetorical question: Does the Navy have a future with the existing system of training specialists?
2. Lieutenants. The amazing magic begins when, after stomping on the parade ground in the ranks of the newly-minted lieutenants, having walked off at the graduation party, the green lieutenant receives the documents and prepares to leave for the unit. There is a pleasant feeling in my soul - the expectation of a miracle. However, all miracles end upon arrival at the place of service. Repin's painting comes to mind: "We didn't expect it." As always, the personnel officers have confused something and, the place in the crew has not yet been vacated. Ordered to wait. The hostel is not the first freshness. Evening walks in hot places. This is how survival tests begin. Not all of them pass this test.
A rhetorical question: Does the Navy have a future with this entry of young specialists into the ranks?
3 … Further service. Suppose everything worked out, time flew by and recently a young lieutenant is already a grated lieutenant commander. Got a family. But there is no apartment yet. We are waiting, sir. The first child was born. The child has grown up. It's time to go to the kindergarten, but there are no places. Wife would like a job, so that at least skills in the profession are not lost. Where is this job? The town is small. Money allowance does not always come on time. But there is a lot of enthusiasm.
Where do they serve? The most equipped fleet is the Northern. August 15. Murmansk airport. The plane arrives at night. Temperature +4. Snow is falling. But the sailors are full of optimism. Highway Murmansk - St. Petersburg. In the area of Medvezhyegorsk highway repair and exit to the bypass road. Before the congress there is a huge billboard with the inscription: “Comrade! Trust me! There is no through passage!”. Well, here are the places there for especially stubborn people. Polar. Across the lip from Severomorsk. Coldly. But they live. They enjoy even the smallest events in life. They love the sea! This is their joy and sorrow. This is their life! I could help them a little!
But no. None of the “higher ones” visited Vidyaevo for the tenth anniversary of “Kursk”. “She drowned,” and that's it. Details here:
Since January, dismissals for OShM have gone to the Federation Council. They write about this on the Internet. Where should these officers go? They write an appeal to the leaders of the state and post it on the Internet. And a certain Colonel Voronkov, 36 years old, besides a professor, doctor of sciences, an officer of the Arbat District, in the same place in Odnoklassniki gives such officers a characterization - waste material. In connection with this situation, a lot of highly qualified officers from 40 to 50 years old left the fleet. It can be stated that the continuity of naval traditions has been violated.
A rhetorical question: Does the Navy have a future with such an attitude of the highest authorities to the backbone of the fleet, to the most devoted service, to the sea officers?
4 … Change of tasks in theaters of military operations. Leading analysts in the Main Command of the Navy and the General Staff are engaged in a deep analysis of the tasks facing different theaters of operations. Although no, we did. Currently, these same analysts are practically gone. Let's see briefly.
Black Sea Fleet … It makes no sense to discuss the fact that it is impossible to solve new problems with the old structures. We came up with new structures and reassigned the Black Sea Fleet of the North Caucasus Military District! Now the dispatches from Rostov-on-Don are being controlled by the operational activities of the Black Sea Fleet ?! According to all analysts, the Black Sea Fleet loses to the Turkish fleet. Moreover, it is multiple. The ship's composition is old and completely heterogeneous. Just serving. And constant negotiations with the Ukrainian side on Sevastopol. The loss of Sevastopol is tantamount to the loss of the fleet today.
Bf … Some of the bases were lost due to the secession of the Baltic republics. At the same time, the well-established management system was lost. Unfortunately, the BF is also significantly inferior to the NATO group in the Baltic Sea.
In fact, both the Black Sea Fleet and the Baltic Fleet are currently only nominally capable of performing combat functions. Their main task is purely representative - to demonstrate the flag.
SF … Here is the most combat-ready part of the Navy. The ships of the Northern Fleet, if necessary, are able to come to the aid of the Black Sea Fleet and the Baltic Fleet. However, there was a problem of scheduled repair of ships. The Navy is not capable of providing such repairs. And, in connection with this circumstance, it is possible for a number of ships to drop out of the fleet, which will inevitably lead to the transformation of the Northern Fleet into a flotilla.
Pacific Fleet … Here is an excerpt from the statements of the sailors in Odnoklassniki:. And the Pacific Fleet is actually gone. Some kind of incomprehensible structure with an incomprehensible purpose has been formed - the Kamchatka and Primorskaya groupings. And, if the Black Sea Fleet, the Northern Fleet, the Baltic Fleet can somehow interact, then the Pacific Fleet will simply have no one to help!
The oceanic zone is dominated by the US Navy. Since the United States has no inland seas, almost 95% of the Navy is dedicated to the oceanic zone. And what about the Russian Navy? Of the surface ships only "Peter the Great" and "Admiral Kuznetsov" ply the vastness of the world's oceans. And even without proper security and escort! Why? Because it is sold!
Where was the "high" command, when some of the ships were sold for a hat of crackers. Excerpt from the internet:
And the list goes on!
It is well known how Minsk and Novorossiysk sold TAKR! Here are illustrative stories! Even the secret weapons were not removed.
A rhetorical question: Does the Navy have a future if the state of the fleets does not adapt to the modern tasks of all theaters of operations?
5 … You can read about the current state of the ship stock here:
You should pay attention to one controversial point. This is a development in the direction of increasing the importance of NSNF (naval strategic nuclear forces). 2007 is indicative, when about 70% of the funds allocated for the construction of all new ships were sent to the laying of three nuclear submarines of the 955 and 955A series. Moreover, the submarine cruisers of the 955 series are considered one of the most expensive ships. But, attention! The main problem is that the development of the NSNF is not at all supported by the development of the support system. The forces that are needed to cover the cruisers at sea are becoming obsolete at an accelerated pace, and new ones are not visible on the stocks.
When developing tactics and strategies for using NSNF, the need for a systematic consideration of all issues, including support, is completely ignored. The lessons of the 1982 Falklands Crisis have convincingly demonstrated the capabilities of an offensive force when used in combination. But the feeling is that these lessons were not considered. But until the 90s, at all readings of orders in units, orders were necessarily read out, considering certain situations, and in the ordering part, training tasks arising from the experience gained were necessarily set.
There is one more serious problem - the low coefficient of operational stress. As a result, a very expensive cruiser becomes a vulnerable target for the enemy while parked at the base. Well, the Navy, in its current state, cannot provide a longer stay on the base. By the way, KOH was not too high during the Soviet era.
Investing huge funds in the development of NSNF, the developers of military doctrine are actually considering only one, and the least likely scenario of a military conflict - a general nuclear war. Meanwhile, a huge number of peacetime and wartime tasks must be solved by non-nuclear general-purpose forces. That there is only the task of ensuring international security in the Gulf of Aden. And the protection of territorial waters, the shores of Russia, participation in anti-terrorist operations. Here we need completely different forces and means.
Unfortunately, the leadership of the Ministry of Defense carries out actions that are completely inexplicable from the point of view of logic. For how many years the question of transferring the Main Command of the Navy to St. Petersburg has been discussed. A group of honored admirals was forced to write an open letter asking about the advisability of such a transfer. The translation cost was estimated at 40-50 billion rubles. Moreover, the cost of a ship of a serious series is about 2 billion rubles. In the conditions of a ship's deficit, the question arises: "Did anyone calculate the translation program at all?" The next news was the possibility of renaming the High Command into the Department! Can the Department be managed by an effective manager?
A rhetorical question: Does the Navy have a future if the general concept of using the forces and means of the Navy is not developed, with the subsequent placement of orders for the construction of ships of the corresponding classes?
6 … The state of the shipbuilding industry. Unfortunately, with the collapse of the USSR, about 40% of the shipbuilding industry remained in the CIS countries. Cooperative ties were broken and a lot had to be re-created. This left a very serious negative imprint on the entire industry. According to eyewitnesses, the ranks of the leading designers at the Rubin Design Bureau have significantly thinned. Many areas are simply rented out. Underfunding does not allow to work rhythmically at the shipyards of the factories. As a result, launched projects were stuck on the stocks for many years.
Especially big questions are raised by the lack of the possibility of transferring the traditions of working specialties. There is a colossal youth shortage. This is especially true for machine tool workers. Aged workers work on high-precision metal-working machines. And who will replace them is completely unclear.
A rhetorical question: Does the Navy have a future if the shipbuilding industry continues to be in its current state?
Output: The future of the Russian Navy, with all the difficulties that have arisen, may well be. There have already been examples of the revival of the fleet in history. All that is needed is the desire of the authorities, the political will to resolve all rhetorical questions. And people who love the sea, desperately devoted to the maritime profession in Russia have been, are and will be!
