Big Plans for the Russian Navy

Over the course of the last few months, Admiral Vladimir Masorin, appointed commander of the Russian Navy in September 2005, has made a number of announcements to formulate an ambitious plan that aims to build the world's second largest fleet by the 2020-2030 time frame. Plans call for new infrastructure for building and basing of both surface vessels and submarines, implementing a fully professional, contracted personnel force, building of new training facilities and, of course, construction of new combat vessels, including aircraft carrier groups for the Pacific and Northern fleets and next generation strategic and multipurpose submarines. Naval development has secured a 25% share of the State Armament Program financing through 2015, granting it equal status to the strategic forces.

A list of specific items announced:

- A new submarine base for the Pacific Fleet's 'Borei' class boats in Vilnuchinsk. This year's budget appropriated 9bn rub. toward this and construction is expected to be completed in 2-3 years (Barents Observer)

- A new base to round up all of the Pacific Fleet's surface vessels in Avachinskaya Bay of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Planned to be completed "in the next few years"

- Construction of a new base for the Black Sea Fleet at Novorossyisk. This project has also received financing (reports range from 12.9bn to 40bn rub.) and is underway, with completion expected by 2012. (RIA News)

- Construction of a domestic "NITKA" training facility for Russian carrier aviation "in the near future" (RIA News)

- Building of a new construction dock in Severodvinsk for construction of large-tonnage vessels, such as aircraft carriers (RIA News)

- Initial construction of new aircraft carriers after 2015, to ultimately operate six carrier groups, three in the Pacific and three in the Northern fleets. The carriers are to be in the 50,000 tonne class and operate approximately 30 fixed-wing and helicopter aircraft. Each fleet is to maintain one group at sea, one in preparation and one in maintenance.

- Expand Russia's presence in the Mediterranean Sea (RIA News)

- Production of up to 8 'Borei' class nuclear ballistic missile submarines. The first of these, the Yuri Dolgorukiy, was launched on April 15th, 2007. The next two are currently under construction. The boats are to be armed with 16 Bulava ICBMs (12 for the Yuri Dolgorukiy) (Defense News)

- Production of an unknown number of "Yasen'" (Project 885) class multipurpose submarines. At least one is now nearing completion.

- Production of various classes of new and upgraded surface combatants

- Entry into service of the RSM-54 "Sineva" ballistic missile system for upgraded Delta-IV ballistic missile submarines on 6/9/07

A 7/31/07 RIA News opinion piece outlines most of the above plans in one article.

As further reading, I highly recommend the "Information Dissemination" blog.

Also, a stratfor analysis on the role of the Black Sea Fleet is available.