The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation has approved a plan to modernize the Navy vessels, strengthening them with means of combating drones
The Russian fleet will be armed against drones. The Ministry of Defense has approved a plan to modernize ships and vessels of the Russian Navy to strengthen their protection from surface and underwater unmanned vehicles, sources told Izvestia in the department. Additional special weapons and electronic warfare equipment will appear on their sides. Several Russian warships have already received new protection systems, including at least one landing ship. Experts note that underwater and surface drones are already becoming a real combat threat to military fleets around the world.
New features
The Russian Defense Ministry has approved a plan to strengthen the protection of ships from surface and underwater unmanned vehicles, sources told Izvestia in the military department. The details of the document are not disclosed, but it is known that additional electronic warfare (EW) stations and special firing points will appear on the ships. Some of them will be equipped with heavy machine guns.
According to the interlocutors of Izvestia, some of the Russian warships and vessels have already undergone appropriate modernization, including at least one landing ship.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Vitaly Timkiv
Image source: iz.ru
The additional protection of the forces of the Russian Navy is relevant both taking into account the experience of conducting a special military operation in Ukraine, and due to the fact that combat drones can be adopted by terrorist organizations, believes the ex-chief of the general staff of the Navy, Admiral Valentin Selivanov.
— Since such weapons have appeared — both reconnaissance drones and shock — it will now be used, including by terrorists, and this is possible anywhere in the world. Our ships sail in the oceans of the world, they can be in the port of any state — to go either to replenish stocks, or on a visit. With this in mind, it is correct that special means of combating drones are planned to be installed on them. Measures must be taken. Our intelligence means should detect the signal that controls this drone and suppress it.
The experience of any armed conflict is useful because new technical solutions appear very quickly, and they need to be implemented, military historian Dmitry Boltenkov told Izvestia.
Destruction of surface drones that attacked the ship "Ivan Khurs"
Image Source: Photo: TASS/Press Service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
— So it was during the Great Patriotic War. It's the same now," the expert explained. — The enemy is inventive. He actively uses aircraft-type drones. He started using surface unmanned boats. In fact, this is the revival of fire-ships from the time of the Battle of Chesma, when they burned the Turkish fleet. Now they are being revived at the level of surface drones. Accordingly, they must be detected and destroyed.
The expert explained that the optimal solution would be to create a protective circuit around each ship, which would combine different means of observation — optical, radar, sonar. The received data should be transmitted to the weapon control posts.
— And large-caliber machine guns effectively show themselves from weapons. In the Black Sea Fleet, all more or less large and valuable ships should definitely be equipped with such systems. Because the enemy is inventive, you can't live the old—fashioned way anymore — you have to adapt," stated Dmitry Boltenkov.
Combat experience
Heavy machine guns proved themselves well during the recent attack on the Russian reconnaissance ship Ivan Khurs, which provided security for the Turkish Stream and Blue Stream gas pipelines in the exclusive economic zone of Turkey. On May 24, he was tried to cause damage by surface drones. All of them were destroyed by fire from standard weapons, the Russian Defense Ministry said at the time.
Destruction of surface drones that attacked the ship "Ivan Khurs"
Image Source: Photo: TASS/Press Service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
According to Izvestia sources, three marine unmanned vehicles were detected by radio and sonar means. The crew took up their regular positions and destroyed the targets with 14.5 mm machine guns. The drones actively maneuvered and tried to get out of the line of fire, but were hit at a safe distance.
Last October, Ukraine launched a massive drone attack on ships of the Black Sea Fleet at the naval base in Sevastopol. Nine unmanned aerial vehicles and seven unmanned surface vehicles participated in it. The Russian Defense Ministry then announced the successful repulse of the attack. According to the ministry, the sea minesweeper Ivan Golubets received minor damage.
Container path
As previously reported by Izvestia, the development of marine modular mobile electronic warfare systems is underway today. They can be easily installed on open deck platforms. The system should reliably protect the naval forces from anti-ship missile strikes.
The patrol ships of the project 22160 of the Vasily Bykov type will be the first to receive the novelty. The new system will be installed in standard 40-foot sea containers, which will make it easy to mount it on the deck of various representatives of the surface forces of the Russian Navy.
Patrol ship "Vasily Bykov" project 22160
Image source: Photo: TASS/Press service of the President of the Russian Federation/Alexey Druzhinin
Patrol ships of project 22160 were developed in the post-Soviet period. The lead ship, Vasily Bykov, was laid down in 2014 and transferred to the fleet in 2018. Besides him, "Dmitry Rogachev", "Pavel Derzhavin" and "Sergey Kotov" are in service today. All of them are assigned to the Black Sea Fleet.
In the coming years, it is expected to complete the construction of the ships "Victor the Great" and "Nikolai Sipyagin", laid down in 2016 and 2018. In the event of the outbreak of hostilities, the ships of project 22160 will participate in operations to defend the coast and coastal bases. They can be used to accompany ship groups and vessels, as well as during search and rescue and anti-piracy operations. They are capable of reaching speeds of up to 25 knots, the crew includes about 80 people.
Roman Kretsul
Alexey Ramm
