Russia seems determined to build new large universal landing ships for the Navy. It is obvious that they really wanted the Mistral-class ships that France in 2015 decided not to deliver.
Navy
Russia reinforces Baltic Fleet with submarine ‘Alrosa’
The submarine Alrosa will soon join the Baltic Fleet. It has a special pumpjet propulsion system, which makes it even more quiet that other Kilo class submarines. At the same time, Russia is retiring an old submarine from service in the Baltic Sea.
Did a Russian frigate track down an Ohio class submarine?
The Russian frigate Admiral Essen tracked down an American Ohio class submarine back in April. That claims a Russian newspaper which puts great pride in the accomplishment. But isn’t it a weird thing to brag about? After all, it does reveal that most of the time you have no clue where the American submarines are.
U.S. approves sale of SM2 missiles to Denmark
The U.S. State Department has approved the sale of SM2 missiles to Denmark. The plan is to use them to increase the capabilities of Denmark’s Iver Huitfeldt class frigates which so far have sailed around with empty Mark 41 launchers.
Video of Navy Day parade in Saint Petersburg, producers missed the flagship
Here is a video of the Navy Day 2018 parade in Saint Petersburg. Unfortunately, the TV producers fail to show the flagship of the parade, the nuclear submarine Orel. It seems they got their submarines mixed up and showed pictures of a Kilo class instead.
Russia builds dedicated training ship for helicopter operations
Russia has decided to build a dedicated ship for helicopter training. This seems like a good choice. Helicopter practice is a huge time drain on operational ships, and Russia’s demand for maritime pilots is growing. It will also come in handy when the Helix helicopter is up for replacement in a few years.
More details about naval parade in Saint Petersburg on 29 July
The Russian military press is full of stories about preparations for the Naval Day Parade. I have collected some of them to give and idea about which units we will see in Saint Petersburg, and which naval movements we can expect in the Baltic Sea in the near future.
Russia receives new intelligence ship Ivan Khurs
The large signals intelligence ship Ivan Khurs has now been delivered to the Russian Navy. Ivan Khurs will join the Black Sea Fleet to replace the smaller ship Liman which sank last year. The commissioning ceremony took place in Saint Petersburg, and Ivan Khurs must be expected to leave the Baltic Sea shortly.
Sweden builds new and larger intelligence vessel
Sweden replaces the intelligence ship Orion with a larger and more modern version. Signals intelligence is an important part of naval operations during peacetime and in the phases of conflict before a war breaks out. The new ship will be ready in 2020.
Article recommendation: The Status Quo Killed 17 US Sailors. The Navy Must Change.
Jon Paris makes a compelling case that the U.S. Navy needs to change its education system and introduce specialized career paths for engineering and operations. This step is well overdue. The idea that one can have the responsibility of either engineering or navigation of a large warship with a one-size-fits-all educational background is just mind boggling.
