What to expect for naval parade in Saint Petersburg on 29 July 2018

Russia celebrates Navy Day on the last Sunday of July, and last year a new tradition was established with a grand naval parade in Saint Petersburg. Ships from the Baltic, Northern, Mediterranean, and the Pacific fleets and from the Caspian Flotilla take part in the Grand Naval Parade.

In 2017 the parade got a lot of attention, and Vladimir Putin personally took part in the celebrations. Of particular interest was the participation of the Akula-class (Typhoon) submarine Dmitry Donskoy and the battlecruiser Pyotr Velikiy. China also sent a few ships for the parade and a subsequent naval exercise in the Baltic.

Now details are starting to emerge about the program for the 2018 show. The parade will include 41 ships, 25 aircraft, and more than 4,000 troops. Among the more notable participants are an Antey-class submarine (Oscar II class) and the missile cruiser Marshal Ustinov. There will also be a display of the newly commissioned missile corvette Uragan (Karakurt-class) and the frigate Admiral Makarov.

So although we will not see the world’s biggest submarine or battlecruiser this year, there should be plenty of other things to look at when the grand naval parade takes place on 29 July 2018.