News of the fleet

The US Navy plans to make an important decision to begin development of a new generation nuclear-powered cruise missile (SLCM-N) in fiscal year 2026. The adoption of missiles for the US Navy's Virginia-class submarines is scheduled for 2034, the author of an article in the online publication Interesting Engineering writes.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation announced that on May 7, 2025, a solemn ceremony was held in Baltiysk for the first raising of the Naval flag of the Russian Federation on the Afanasy Ivannikov project 12700 minesweeper (code "Alexandrite") with factory number 529, built for the Navy at JSC Sredne-Nevsky Shipbuilding Plant (SNSZ, part of JSC United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) in St. Petersburg. This is the ninth Project 12700 ship commissioned by the Navy.

It is reported that on May 7, 2025 in Zelenodolsk at JSC Zelenodolsk Plant named after A.M. Gorky (part of JSC Ak Bars Shipbuilding Corporation of the Ak Bars Holding Company Group of companies) A solemn ceremony was held to lay two Project 21980 anti-sabotage boats (code "Grachonok") for the Navy of the Russian Federation with factory numbers 994 and 995. They became the 14th and 15th boats of the 21980 project, which are being built at the Zelenodolsk SSZ.

The mine defense ship of Project 12700 will ensure the exit of naval forces from their bases

The Navy will include the newest Project 12700 minesweeper Afanasy Ivannikov. He will serve in the Northern Fleet. The ship is capable of detecting and neutralizing all types of marine mines. This includes the so-called smart mines, which can be found both in water and in the sea. In the North, he will be engaged in ensuring the withdrawal of ships and submarines to sea, experts say.

The launch of a minesweeper, which is being built as part of the rMCM (robotic Mine Counter Measure) program jointly implemented by Belgium and the Netherlands, took place at the Kership shipyard in Lanester (near Lorient).

Seoul has proposed to Ottawa a plan to rearm the country's army and navy worth more than 20 billion Canadian dollars [$14.6 billion] amid its strained relations with Washington.

Colonel Khodarenok: the conflict between India and Pakistan will not reach a nuclear war

The armed conflict between India and Pakistan has significantly escalated: The sides have already exchanged missile and air strikes. How far this armed confrontation can go, whether New Delhi and Islamabad can switch to using nuclear weapons and what the red powder has to do with it - in the material of the military observer "Gazeta.Ru", retired Colonel Mikhail Khodarenka.

China has started operating an underwater drone with artificial intelligence. The presentation of the Blue Whale, the world's first high—speed unmanned underwater vehicle of a new type, took place in Zhuhai, China. The drone is 11 meters long and weighs more than 10 tons.

Budanov: Ukrainian Armed Forces shot down two Su-30 Flanker fighters using AIM-9 Sidewinder

The Ukrainian military shot down two Su-30 Flanker multirole fighters. This was stated by the head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) of Ukraine Kirill Budanov (included in the list of terrorists and extremists of Rosfinmonitoring). According to him, AIM-9 Sidewinder infrared-guided air-to-air missiles were fired at the planes. The launch was carried out from Magura-7 unmanned boats.

A truly amazing warship was launched in the DPRK a few days ago. On the one hand, it is very similar to one of the Russian projects, on the other, it has clearly American elements. The ship is a real mystery in terms of the weapons systems on board. But its features are not limited to this.

The first boat with a propeller was invented in 1827 by the Austrian engineer Josef Ressel, who was inspired by the ideas of Archimedes. Since then, this method of movement has become indispensable. However, FinX has found an opportunity to do without it by developing a propulsion system based on "biotechnology".

Both likely participants in a full-fledged military conflict possess an impressive number of warheads and their means of delivery

The confrontation between the two nuclear powers, India and Pakistan, has been developing more than rapidly in recent days. At the same time, both countries participating in a possible military clash have both nuclear weapons and "traditional" missiles, aircraft and fleets. Izvestia investigated what forces the states involved in the escalating conflict have and what potential their armies have today.

Britain has officially confirmed its readiness to sell universal amphibious assault ships to a foreign customer. We are talking about the HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark UDC, which began decommissioning in December 2024.

North Korea showed test firing of the newest Choi Hyon frigate, built in about a year, which revealed some of the weapons used in its impressive complex of vertical launchers, and also raised a number of questions for American observers.

The destroyer Choe Hyon (tail number 51) was launched on April 25. The General Directorate of Rocket Engineering of the DPRK, the National Defense Academy and the General Directorate of RE Intelligence and Counteraction have begun testing the power and combat applicability of the weapons system of the multi-purpose destroyer Choe Hyun. The first test was on April 28 and 29.

Iran is preparing to begin sea trials of the new carrier of the IRIS Kurdestan (442) drones. Like its predecessor, the "drone carrier" IRIS Makran (441), Kurdestan is a converted tanker. In this case, it is Tabukan (IMO: 8917467), which was previously engaged in the transportation of crude oil.

Alexander Stepanov, a senior researcher at the Institute of Latin America of the Russian Academy of Sciences, suggested that the Storm Shadow missile carriers - F-16 fighters - could be based in NATO countries bordering Russia.

The Dnieper flotilla was replenished with units of unmanned aerial vehicles. They operate both in conjunction with boats and independently and perform a wide range of tasks, from reconnaissance to strike. Experts note that drones will be indispensable in destroying saboteurs on boats and fortified points on the enemy coast.

The Russian Armed Forces are ready for military challenges from the North Atlantic Alliance, experts say

The NATO bloc is conducting large-scale Griffin Lightning 25 exercises in the Baltic, which will end on June 15. According to Nikolai Patrushev, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation and Chairman of the Maritime Board, they are working out scenarios for seizing the Kaliningrad Region and blocking shipping in the Baltic Sea.

Britain's nuclear deterrent forces are represented by 4 Vanguard-class submarines armed with ICBMs. When these submarines were commissioned in 1993-1999, it was assumed that they would last 25 years. Accordingly, the submarines are already close to wear and tear. Major repairs could solve this problem, at least for a certain period of time, but it is very difficult. So, it took the lead submarine of the Vanguard project 7 years instead of 3, and she returned to service only in 2022.