Black Sea Fleet to Receive 11 New Vessels by End of Year – Russian Navy

The Russian Black Sea Fleet is to receive 11 new ships and service vessels, including two anti-sabotage boats, six service vessels, two diesel-electric submarines and two frigates, Navy Commander Adm. Viktor Chirkov said Thursday.

 

“By the end of the year the Black Sea Fleet will receive two Grachonok-class anti-sabotage boats and six service vessels of different classes. Two Project 636.3 diesel-electric submarines, the ‘Novorossiysk’ and the ‘Rostov-on-Don,’ will join the Black Sea Fleet this year,” Chirkov said.

 

Chirkov also said that by the end of 2014 the Black Sea Fleet is to receive a new Project 1135.6 frigate, the “Admiral Grigorovich,” and in September-October welcome a second ship of the same project, the “Admiral Essen.” Overall, the project entails six ships, with all of them going to the Black Sea Fleet.

 

Earlier, the commander-in-chief announced that in 2017 Russia will start building a new generation of non-nuclear submarines. The submarines are expected to be equipped with an anaerobic system that increases speed and provides submarines with the ability to remain submerged while recharging their batteries instead of having to surface to do so.

 

The Project 636.3 Varshavyanka-class submarines should be constructed by 2016. The third of the six submarines has been scheduled to launch Thursday in St. Petersburg. The submarines are primarily intended for anti-ship and anti-submarine missions in relatively shallow waters.

Third Kilo submarine to arrive in Vietnam in November

VietNamNet Bridge – The third diesel-electricity fueled submarine built by the Admiralty Shipyard in Saint Petersburg for the Vietnam Navy will be delivered to the military port of Cam Ranh in November, according to the Russian news agency Interfax-AVN.

 

According to Interfax-AVN, Vietnamese sailors are practicing with the submarine at sea, which is the second training phase at sea. The first phase training took place from July 1 to 20 in the waters of Hogland Island.

 

“In the first phase, the submarine was in the water for 57 hours," Interfax-AVN said.

 

On August 20 the ship will return to the shipyard and will then return to sea 10 days later. It is expected to be delivered to Vietnam.

 

The fourth submarine in the contract to build six submarines for Vietnam is being tested at sea by the shipyard, while the fifth and the sixth ships are being built. The launch of the sixth ship is scheduled in September next year.

 

Besides building the submarines, Russia will help train Vietnamese sailors and provide equipment and technical supplies.

 

Varshavyanka (Kilo) submarines are the most advanced type in the contemporary world. The length of the vessel is 74 meters, and the width 10 meters. Their deepest submerging level is 300 meters, and they have an underwater speed of up to 37 km/h. The submarine can run automatically for 45 days and nights.

 

The Kilo submarines are equipped with the "Club" missile complex which is capable of projecting power at a distance of 300 km. The unique feature of this submarine is its extremely low noise. Western experts call Varshavyanka submarines the "black holes in the ocean."

 

SAS Charlotte Maxeke refit on hold

The second of the Navvy’s Heroine class submarines, SAS Charlotte Maxeke, will not undergo a refit in the immediate future because the Request for Offer (RfO) was withdrawn by Armscor.

 At the same time the Navy, though its public relations officer, Captain (SAN) Zamo Sithole, said the “refit is scheduled to commence once requisite funding has been identified”.

Charlotte Maxeke was commissioned on March 14, 2007, with the pennant number S102. Her sister underwater craft are SAS Manthatisi (S101) and SAS Queen Modjadji 1 (S103).

 According to Armscor’s operational purchases tender system, Tender ARMD/10/14 for the refit of SA Navy submarine S102 at the Armscor Dockyard in Simon’s town has been withdrawn. The state security acquisition agency’s manager: corporate communication, Barileng Dichabe, said the RfO was not cancelled but withdrawn. “It was issued as a single source to the original equipment manufacturer (Howaldtserke, Deutsche Werft in Kiel),” she said.

 Asked what effect the delay in refitting the second of the Type 209 submarines acquired by the maritime arm of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) as part of the Strategic Defence Procurement Packages (SDPP) would have on the Navy’s underwater capability, Sithole said “to all intents and purposes the Navy will continue to have two submarines in the operational cycle at any time”.

 

He explained: “The SA Navy normally has one submarine in refit and two submarines in the operational cycle, with phases of maintenance, training and operational availability.

“Owing to SAS Charlotte Maxeke preparing to go into refit and SAS Manthatisi completing harbour acceptance trials (HATS) this can be construed as the SA Navy having only one submarine (SAS Queen Modjadji 1) currently in the operational cycle. However as the refit of SAS Charlotte Maxeke has yet to commence, she can still be considered to be in the operational cycle and can still be put to sea following some minor work and training, if required.”

The refit, including a complete battery replacement, of SAS Manthatisi, has been underway since 2007. She was originally targeted to start HATS in May but this was delayed due to problems with supply of certain spare and replacement parts.

“Sea acceptance trials will only commence once the Navy is satisfied all HATS have been completed to rigorous Navy safety standards,” Commander Greyling van den Berg said in June.

“No hard and fast date has been set for her re-commissioning. The date will be determined by progress of the harbour acceptance trials.”

The Navy previously pointed out the re-commissioning of SAS Manthatisi was the first time this has been done to a Type 209 submarine in the Simon’s town dockyard and the experience gained would be put to good use on the other two Heroine class underwater craft.

 According to Sithole the Navy “is still intent” on the Charlotte Maxeke refit.

“It will be done as soon as possible and the refit will be completed within the planned timescales. No changes are foreseen to the Navy business plan for its submarines,” he said.

 

Two new submarines to be laid down for Russian Navy in October

Two new diesel electric submarines will be laid down for the Russian Navy in October, Defense Ministry spokesperson for the Navy Igor Dygalov said on Tuesday.

The submarines, called Kolpino and Veliky Novgorod, and four other Kilo-class (Varshavyanka by Russian classification) craft are to join the Navy by 2016.

 

Dygalo confirmed that the Russian Navy Ensign would be hoisted on the leading submarine of the series, called Novorossiysk, on August 22.

 

The Novorossiysk, the construction of which began in August 2010, is finishing the second stage of sea trials in the Baltic Sea and will arrive at St. Petersburg’s Admiralty Shipyard before the flag raising ceremony.

 

A third Project 636.3 submarine called Stary Oskol will be launched on August 28. Two more submarines of the same series, Krasnodar and Rostov on Don, are still under construction.

Project 636.3 diesel electric submarines being built for the Russian Black Sea Fleet will be tested in deep waters at the North Fleet, Admiralty Shipyard Director-General Alexander Buzakov said earlier.

“The submarines will undergo deep-water trials in northern testing ranges,” Buzakov said.

 

The new submarines will be stationed in Novorossiysk and Sevastopol on the Black Sea.

 

The Black Sea Fleet will get about 30 new warships in the next six years, Navy Commander-in-Chief Viktor Chirkov said.

 

“The Black Sea Fleet will receive six Project 636 submarines by 2016 and the first of the six Project 1135.6 escort ships in 2015. The Fleet will also get six Project 22160 patrol boats for patrolling territorial waters and the 200-mile exclusive economic zone, escorting ships at sea and protecting naval bases and water areas to warn about enemy attacks,” he said.

 

“Six such submarines will be built for the Black Sea Fleet in the next two years,” the commander said.

 

In late June, the Russian Navy was joined by a new-generation mine countermeasures vessel (Project 12700) designed by the Almaz Design Burea and built by the Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard. The vessel is intended for finding and destroying mines near naval bases at safe distances. “Three more such ships will be built shortly,” Chirkov said.

 

The Navy will also acquire four fast-speed Raptor patrol boats complete with the most up-to-date control systems and intended for landing and assault missions.

“The Navy expects to receive more than 50 ships and support vessels before the end of the year,” he said.

 

Chirkov said the Black Sea Fleet was “obsolete beyond reason and we now have the opportunity to stop its aging and upgrade underground and surface forces in order to be able to carry out our missions effectively in the Black and Mediterranean Seas”.

 

The Black Sea Fleet is carrying out an ambitious rearmament program to upgrade its capabilities in Crimea.

 

“The Navy expects to receive more than 50 ships and support vessels before the end of the year,” Chirkov said.

 

Russia Navy to receive new submarine for Black Sea Fleet

Project 636.5 Varshavyanka head diesel-electric submarine Novorossiysk produced for Russian Black Sea Fleet will be handed over to the country’s Navy on August 28, a high-ranking source in the military and industrial sector told ITAR-TASS on Friday.

“A festive St. Andrew naval flag-hoisting ceremony will be held abroad Novorossiysk at the Admiralty Wharfs in the city of St. Petersburg on August 28,” the high-placed military source said.

He recalled that this submarine would be put on trials at Northern Fleet’s deep-water ranges after it is taken into naval service, before being sent to a naval base on the Black Sea coast.

 

Novorossiysk was laid in August 2010. Submarines of this project belong to the third generation developed by St. Petersburg-based Design Bureau of Marine Engineering Rubin and considered to be noise lowest in the world and have a higher combat capability than submarines of previous projects. Varshavyanka project submarines are upgraded fundamentally especially for Russian Navy provided with missile and torpedo weaponry, radioelectronic and hydroacoustic equipment.

Submarines of this project has a surface speed of 20 knots (37 kph), maximum submersion of around 300 metres, can go on autonomous sailing of 45 days, has a crew of 52 and underwater displacement of around four thousand tonnes.

The fifth and sixth submarines are to be laid down in October - November this year, for the 310th anniversary of Admiralty Shipyard. The submarines will be named Veliky Novgorod and Kolpino.

Admiralty Shipyard Director General Aleksandr Buzakov said previously that this year the enterprise should deliver to the Russian Navy three submarines of Project 636.3 - Novorossiysk, Rostov-on-Don and Stary Oskol.

 

Hyundai Heavy Industries launches South Korean Navy submarines

Hyundai Heavy Industries has launched a new 214-class submarine, to be equipped with locally produced cruise missiles, for the South Korean Navy.

A fifth 214-class submarine for the South Korean Navy has been launched by Hyundai Heavy Industries and is expected to become operational in 2016.

The vessel is the Yun Bong Gil Ham, which weighs 1,800 tons, is 214 feet long, and has a top speed of 20 knots. The ship is the fifth 214-class submarine of the country's navy. 

According to the Department of National Defense, the ship features an air independent propulsion system that charges the submarine's storage battery without air, enabling it to stay submerged for two weeks.

Hyundai Heavy Industries will transfer the under-construction submarine to the navy in the second half of next year. Nine months of tests and evaluations will follow, culminating in the vessel gaining operational status, Korean officials said.

The country currently operates 10 209-class and 214-class submarines. The first 209-class vessel, the Jang Bo Go Ham, was taken over from Germany in 1992.

Russia’s Newest Diesel Sub to Continue Barents Sea Trials

A Russian fourth-generation diesel-electric Sankt Peterburg submarine arrived Thursday at a Northern Fleet base to continue sea trials, a spokesman for the Western Military District said.

 

The boat will undergo a series of comprehensive trials, including deep water tests in the Barents Sea, Captain First Rank Vadim Serga said.

 

Construction of the Sankt Peterburg, the lead ship of the Project 677 Lada-class of submarines, began in December 1997. It was introduced into the Navy for trial operations in April 2010.

 

Russian daily Izvestia in November 2011 cited navy commanders saying the navy rejected the craft for service after finding fault with various aspects of the boat, including the sonar, the command and control system, and the torpedo. Construction of the class was frozen pending a major redesign.

 

The navy announced last July that construction of the Lada class was set to resume. It also said work would commence on two further Lada-class craft: Kronshtadt and Sevastopol.

 

The submarine, which carries six 533-mm torpedo launchers and can fire cruise missiles, is designed to defend naval bases, coastal waters and sea communication lines. It can be effectively employed against both surface ships and submarines.

 

Russia reportedly plans to complete four to six Lada-class submarines by 2015 and eventually build up a fleet of eight.

 

 

 

Germans look to sink Swedish sub maker

German industrial conglomerate ThyssenKrupp bought Kockums in 2005 to form part of what is known as ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), a firm which also owns German submarine maker HDW, a direct competitor of Kockums.

A source told The Local that the purchase was aimed at getting rid of Germany’s Swedish submarine rival and that TKMS was jeopardizing Swedish export deals for submarines with the Australian and Singaporean governments.

"The purchase of Kockums wasn't aimed at consolidating the naval industry and creating synergies, but at getting rid of a competitor," a source in Germany with direct knowledge of the situation told The Local.

Kockums and its predecessors have been building ships for the Swedish navy for centuries at the Karlskrona shipyard in southern Sweden that now serves as the base of the company's Swedish operations.

But according to a German naval manufacturing consultant with ties to TKMS, ThyssenKrupp is actively trying to sabotage Kockums export operations to the advantage of Germany’s HDW, a strategy he dubbed "TKMS über alles" and slammed as "suicide".

The Germans' efforts to sink Sweden's submarine industry have been ongoing since at least 2011, according to the source, when TKMS CEO Hans Christoph Atzpodien denied Kockums the opportunity to bid on a project in Singapore for the construction of new submarines, despite the Swedish firm's long-standing relationship in the country.

Earlier this year, the German firm decreed that the Swedish shipbuilder officially change its corporate name to ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, scrapping the Kockums brand name that has been a part of Swedish industry since the early 1800s.

'A raging war is taking place'

In August, during a meeting in Bonn, Germany with officials from Singapore defence agency DSTA held, Atzpodien claimed that Kockums "would no longer be capable of designing and building submarines", according to the source.

"A raging war is taking place between Kockums and TKMS," he said, explaining that the Singapore deal has brought the situation into sharp relief.

Among other things, Atzpodien disparaged Kockums plans for a new A26 class of submarine, claiming the Swedish firm didn't have enough engineers to complete the project, and that it was sure to be plagued with cost overruns and delays.

"Atzpodien has systematically ejected Kockums from the discussions and has barred Kockums from Singapore," the source explained.

TKMS has also complicated Kockums' chances for new contracts in Australia, another country where the Swedish shipbuilder has a strong presence, having designed and built six Collins-class submarines in the 1990s in what was one of the largest export deals ever at the time.

But Kockums found itself left out of a 2012 initial call for proposals from Australia to replace the aging subs with an off the shelf solution, while its German-based competitor and sister company HDW was one of three European firms asked to participate.

Earlier this year, however, Australia and Sweden did ink a deal allowing for Kockums to take part in the project, dubbed SEA 1000, which calls for the building of 12 new submarines.

But in the meantime, TKMS purchased an Australian naval defence firm, Australian Marine Technologies, that "could do the same job as Kockums could have done on its own," the source said.

"TKMS has here again torpedoed all the efforts of Kockums to run this future competition because it has already created its own footprint," the source told The Local.

A Swedish saviour?

The Swedish government, as well as officials with the primary defence procurement agency, the Defence Materiel Administration (FMV), has been made aware of the situation and have become so unhappy they have asked Swedish defence contractor Saab to look into a possible purchase of Kockums, a source within the Swedish defence industry told The Local.

"Discussions are taking place right now," according to the source, who agreed that TKMS is trying to strangle Sweden's ship building industry.

"The only reason TKMS owns Kockums is to stop them from exporting," the Swedish source explained, adding that the Swedish firm "could not exist" without export contracts.

Allan Widman, a Liberal Party (Folkpartiet) MP from Malmö and the party's defence policy spokesman said he is "worried" about Kockum's future in light of the rift with TKMS.

"Submarine building capabilities are essential for our armed forces and our ability to defend ourselves," he told The Local, adding that he had heard a number of "industry rumours" about the discord between TKMS and Kockums.

Adding to his concern is the fact that two years have passed since the Swedish parliament Riksdag approved funding for the development of the A26 submarine for the Swedish navy, but nothing has happened, reportedly due to concerns over ThyssenKrupp's ownership of Kockums.

"I hope Kockums isn't prevented from doing business with other countries. It's not constructive," said Widman, adding he would welcome Swedish ownership for the Karlskrona-based shipbuilder.

"I would have no objection to private Swedish ownership of Kockums," he said when asked about the Saab deal.

However, if the Swedish and German firms can't strike a suitable deal to resolve the situation, Widman said the dispute may require a "political solution".

"This is a matter that's vital to our national security," he said, stressing that he hopes both Germany and Sweden can maintain submarine building capacity.

"In the end, however, it may require a political dialogue between Sweden and Germany to find a suitable solution."

When reached by The Local for comment on the Saab-Kockums negotiations, a Saab spokesman refused to comment.

"We don't speculate on rumours like that," the spokesman said.

A spokesperson with FMV also chose not to comment citing an "ongoing procurement".

A spokesman with Kockums in Sweden also refused to comment on the reported disunity within TKMS, while spokeswoman with TKMS in Germany said the company was "unable to comment on market rumours".

Vietnam buys six submarines

In a meeting with voters of Phu Cu district in Hung Yen province last week, Defense Minister Phung Quang Thanh said that to modernize the army, Vietnam has ordered six submarines.

The security- defense related issues, including modernizing the Vietnam People's Army was mentioned by the Defense Minister in the meeting.

The minister reaffirmed that the military and police forces are well coordinated to ensure stability, security and territorial integrity of the country, including the integrity of the waters and islands.

Related to the disputes in the East Sea, the head of the Defense Ministry confirmed that the army in particular and Vietnam in general will not use force, but through negotiations to find satisfactory solutions.

He said that Vietnam and China are in talks to set up a joint fishing area for fishermen two countries. The two sides have mutual respect to and abide by the principles of the Law of the Sea 1982 and the UN Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), keep the current status quo in the disputed areas while finding long-term solutions that are acceptable to all parties.

He also informed that in the 10 zones in the continental shelf of Vietnam, there are 15 oil rigs performing oil and gas exploration and exploitation, generating income for the country.

General Phung Quang Thanh also said that in an effort to modernize the army for the national defense, the army has purchased a number of weapons and new equipment, including some modern aircraft Su-30’s of Russia and seaplanes.

To protect the waters, he said, Vietnam has also ordered marine missiles, modern ships and six submarines from Russia.

OSI to Supply Newbuild Indonesia Submarine Equipment

OSI Maritime Systems contracted to deliver integrated navigation systems to DSME for Indonesian Navy Type 209 SSK Program submarines.

OSI's contract is with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME), South Korea who will build three Type 209 diesel submarines (SSK) for the Indonesian Navy.

Under the terms of the agreement, OSI will deliver three Integrating Navigation and Tactical Systems, including ECPINS-W Sub software which the manufacturers say is the most advanced navigation software in the world specifically designed for the unique requirements of subsurface navigation.

About OSI
OSI Maritime Systems is a leading provider of integrated navigation and tactical solutions designed for naval and maritime security operations. The company develops and delivers integrated bridge systems for warships, integrated dived navigation systems for submarines and C2 systems for small craft. OSI currently has 16 naval customers from around the world with over 500 warships and submarines operating with its world leading integrated navigation and tactical solutions.