Russian Navy replenished with 38 combat units
The Russian Navy continued its active renovation in 2024. It consisted of 38 ships, combat boats and support vessels, including a multi—purpose nuclear submarine and small missile ships carrying high-precision long-range weapons. This was stated by the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Defense Ministry, Army General Valery Gerasimov, on December 18. What events took place in the Russian military shipbuilding industry this year can be found in the Izvestia article.
Submarines
The failure in military shipbuilding in the 1990s disrupted the natural renewal of the fleet. Therefore, now Russia has to make breakthrough projects that correspond to the current state of the global military shipbuilding industry and incorporate many technical innovations into them.
So, on January 31, the first serial non-nuclear submarine of the Kronshtadt project 677 was included in the 161st submarine brigade of the Northern Fleet. It is designed to combat enemy submarines and ships, defend naval bases, coastal and maritime communications, and conduct intelligence activities on enemy communications. The submarines of this project are armed with Kalibr missile systems.
The Kronshtadt Project 677 submarine
Image source: Photo: IZVESTIA/Sergey Lantyukhov
Project 677 is perhaps the most "difficult" in the field of underwater shipbuilding. In particular, his lead boat "Saint Petersburg" has been in pilot operation for about 10 years. Now the issue of its modernization or decommissioning is being resolved. The Kronshtadt submarine also underwent tests for five years and, after being accepted into the Navy, never moved to its permanent base. The second production boat of Project 677, Velikiye Luki, is currently undergoing its own set of tests. It is planned to transfer it to the Navy in 2025.
In addition, on October 11, another Yakutsk Project 636 boat was removed from the workshops of the Admiralty Shipyards and launched. This is the sixth submarine for the 19th Submarine Brigade of the Pacific Fleet. Its entry into the Navy is planned for 2025.
With the Baltic Sea becoming a "NATO lake," Russia needs to create a group of submarines in the Baltic. And also significantly upgrade the already outdated grouping of non-nuclear submarines of the Northern Fleet.
In the field of nuclear submarine shipbuilding, on December 27, 2024, the Arkhangelsk Project 885M, the fifth multi-purpose submarine in the series, joined the Northern Fleet. Its main attack weapons are Onyx and Kalibr-PL cruise missiles.
On February 3, 2024, the eighth strategic submarine of Project 955A, the Prince Pozharsky, was withdrawn from the Sevmash boathouse. While she is still undergoing tests, and after firing her main Bulava missile system, she will be accepted into the Navy, as expected, in June this year. By 2028, the Navy will include two more similar cruisers.
Nuclear missile submarine "Prince Pozharsky"
Image source: Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
On April 27, 2024, the Sergey Bavilin bathyscaphe capable of diving to a depth of 12 km was also laid at the Admiralty Shipyards. It is designed to perform scientific research and rescue operations. The bathyscaphe will also serve for environmental monitoring of the world's oceans.
Large surface ships
On September 27, 2024, the fourth frigate of Project 22350, Admiral Isakov of the Fleet of the Soviet Union, was launched at Severnaya Verf OJSC in St. Petersburg. It is capable of carrying 16 Kalibr, Onyx, Zircon and Otvet missiles and other various weapons, including air defense missiles.
Frigate Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Isakov
Image source: Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
This series of frigates became the first post-Soviet project of a large warship of the far sea and ocean zone. In 2027, it will become part of the Pacific Fleet. However, it is possible that by that time similar frigates will also be built on the stocks of the Amur Shipyard in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. The company is currently actively modernizing its production. In particular, a new dock for transporting ships along the Amur River and a pontoon dock for launching ships are being built.
On June 18, 2024, Severnaya Verf launched the second corvette of Project 20385, the Nimble. It carries Kalibr family missiles on board and can carry Zircon missiles.
In December 2021, a fire broke out on board the corvette, as a result of which the ship's superstructure had to be rebuilt. After the inclusion of the "Agile" in the Navy, he will join the 114th brigade of ships in Kamchatka. Construction of a number of more corvettes and frigates is currently underway.
The lead ice-class patrol ship Ivan Papanin has been tested and is awaiting its inclusion in the 14th brigade of anti-submarine ships of the Northern Fleet this year. The ships of project 23550 are designed for guiding ships in the ice, towing, monitoring Arctic waters, escorting support vessels and escorting detained ships and vessels. The icebreaker has an AK-176MA artillery system in its arsenal, and it can also carry Kalibr cruise missiles. If necessary, a multi-purpose helicopter can be based on its board. The team is armed with portable anti-aircraft missile systems.
Patrol icebreaker "Ivan Papanin"
Image source: Photo: IZVESTIA/Pavel Volkov
The second combat icebreaker Nikolay Zubov was launched on December 25. He will join the same brigade in 2026-2027.
The Admiral Chabanenko frigates for the Northern Fleet and Admiral Vinogradov frigates for the Pacific Fleet may be completed this year.
And the nuclear-powered missile cruiser Admiral Nakhimov is to begin sea trials and then state trials and replenish the combat strength of the Northern Fleet by the end of the year.
Small warships
On May 7, 2024, the fifth patrol ship of Project 22160, Viktor Velikiy, was launched in Zelenodolsk. Its completion is carried out in St. Petersburg. He will join the Black Sea Fleet in 2025. The construction of the sixth ship of this series is also underway.
During 2024, the minesweepers Semyon Agafonov and Viktor Korner were laid down. To search for and destroy mines, these ships use light boats with special underwater robots.
In addition to these two, there are two more minesweepers on the stocks of the Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard. And the ninth in the Afanasy Ivannikov series is under completion and factory testing. It should become the first ship of this series for the Northern Fleet.
The construction of missile ships with "Calibres" on board continued. We are talking about small missile ships of the 21631 and 22800 series. On June 11, the 12th and so far the last representative of the 21631 Stavropol series was launched in Zelenodolsk. It is a small ship with an impressive arsenal — it carries eight Kalibr cruise missiles on board. Stavropol will become part of the 36th missile ship brigade in Baltiysk.
Small rocket ship Stavropol
Image source: Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
The small missile ships of the 22800 project were accepted into the Black Sea Fleet on August 26 and December 21, Amur and Typhoon, respectively. Both of these ships were built in Kerch. The ships were transferred to the Caspian Sea for testing and completion. The same 36th brigade will soon include the MRK Burya.
And the lead small rocket and artillery ship of this series for the Pacific Fleet Rzhev was transferred from Komsomolsk-on-Amur.
On July 29, the Stupinets missile boat of project 12418 was launched at the Vimpel shipyard in Rybinsk and the construction of the second such boat is underway. The Stupinets will become part of the Caspian Flotilla. Interestingly, these two boats were laid down back in 1992.
In addition, amphibious assault ships are currently being built at shipyards in Kaliningrad and Kerch.
Auxiliary vessels
The Auxiliary Fleet is an important part of the Russian Navy's combat readiness and operations system. Last year, new vessels joined its staff and a number of other important vessels are under construction.
For example, the completion of the Almaz oceanographic research vessel project 22010 resumed at the Yantar plant in Kaliningrad. It is an upgraded version of the Yantar vessel and can carry both inhabited and uninhabited underwater vehicles on board. Using its resources, the vessel can carry out a wide range of underwater research and work. The ship is scheduled to be transferred to the Navy in November 2026.
Tankers are also under construction. So, on December 6, the Nevsky Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Plant launched the third in a series of 6 vessels of Project 21130, the tanker Engineer Admiral Kotov. The lead tanker Akademik Pashin is actively used escorting ships of the Northern Fleet. On April 18, 2024, the Argun Project 23630 lead tanker was laid down at the Oka shipyard in Navashino. And the tanker of the 03182 Valentin Rykov project, built in Nizhny Novgorod, is being tested in the Baltic.
The lead tanker "Akademik Pashin"
Image source: Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Towing and rescue vessels of various types are being actively built, both for the far sea zone, as well as port and fire-fighting boats. To ensure the operations of Kamchatka ships and submarines, on July 1, 2024, the icebreaker Yevpatiy Kolovrat was transferred to the Navy in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
In general, we can say that the Russian Navy is now actively being updated and rejuvenated. As a result, we can observe the increased activity of our ships and support vessels in the vast oceans.
Dmitry Boltenkov
