Future of the Russian Navy

In 2005, it was announced that the Russian Navy was planning a class of two to four new aircraft carriers, the production of which could start in 2013–14 for initial service entry in 2017.[6] Jane's said it was not clear whether "this was a funded programme". In mid-2007, the new Navy chief announced plans to reform the country's naval forces and build a blue-water navy with the world's second largest fleet of aircraft carriers, aiming to create 6 aircraft carrier strike groups in the next 20 years.[7]

Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev stated in 2008 that Russia intended to build nuclear aircraft carriers in the next decade. However Russia currently does not have a yard capable of building aircraft carriers. All previous Soviet aircraft carriers were built in what was then known as the Nikolayev South Shipyard (Shipyard 444) at Nikolayev in what is now Ukraine. On August 2, 2010, Vladimir Vysotskiy stressed their importance: "If, for example, we do not have an aircraft carrier in the North, the combat capability of the Northern Fleet's guided-missile submarines will be reduced to zero after Day One because the submarines' principal adversary is aviation."[8]

Speaking in Saint Petersburg on June 30, 2011, the head of United Shipbuilding Corporation, a Russian state holding company, said his company expected to begin design work for a new carrier in 2016, with a goal of beginning construction in 2018 and having the carrier achieve initial operational capability by 2023.[9] Several months later, on 3 November 2011 the Russian newspaper Izvestiya reported the naval building plan now included (first) the construction of a new shipyard capable of building large hull ships, after which Moscow will build four nuclear-powered aircraft carriers by 2023. The spokesperson said one carrier would be assigned to the Russian Navy's Northern Fleet at Murmansk, and the second would be stationed with the Pacific Fleet at Vladivostok.[10]

In February 2015, Russian media said that the Krylov State Research Center in St. Petersburg was on its way towards developing another aircraft carrier. The design was under conceptual testing in Krylov’s laboratory.[11] There was no announcement of what shipyard would be able to build the carrier. One super-carrier project has been code-named Project 23000E or "Shtorm".[12] As of 2020, the project had not yet been approved and, given the financial costs, it was unclear whether it would be made a priority over other elements of Russian naval modernization.[13]

In 2014 it was reported that the specification had been signed off for a new anti-air destroyer. Twelve ships of the 10,000 tonne Lider-class are planned to enter service, split between the Northern and Pacific Fleets. Undecided whether versions will use nuclear or conventional power but they will carry the ABM-capable S-500 SAM and Kalibr (SS-N-30) and (SS-N-27) cruise missiles.[14] The Lider-class destroyer concept is a project of JSC Severnoye. In May 2015, Jane's reported that the Krylov State Research Center has also developed the Project 23560 destroyer design concept.

Initial reporting said that these ships would enter service in 2023-2025. In January 2018 however it was reported that detailed design phase will start after 2020 and construction in 2025.[15] On April 18, 2020 Russian newspaper Interfax reported that the Severnoye Design Bureau had suspended development on the Lider.[16] However, in June Alexei Rakhmanov, head of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, reported that the Lider project was still moving forward.[17]

An initial order of six Project 22350 Admiral Gorshkov-class frigate are under construction for the Russian Navy. As of 2020, the Severnaya Verf Shipyard in Saint Petersburg had received orders for ten units, with up to 15 planned.[18] The first of the class, Admiral Gorshkov was laid down in 2006, launched on 29 October 2010 and originally planned to be delivered by 2012.[19] The second unit has been launched, the third and fourth are under construction. As of June 2017 the Admiral Gorshkov, lead ship of class, was undergoing trials with delivery to the fleet expected by year's end. In 2019 the Admiral Gorshkov completed a circumnavigation of the globe on its maiden voyage. The second unit Admiral Kasatonov was commissioned with the Northern Fleet in July 2020. A further development of this class is the Project 22350M, the so-called "Super Gorshkov" class variant, on which design work was underway as of 2020.[20]

In addition, six Admiral Grigorovich-class frigates were ordered and under construction at Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad, with the first laid down on 18 December 2010 and scheduled for delivery by 2013. Three of these frigates serve in the Black Sea Fleet, with at least two of the remainder having been sold to India. [21][22][23][24] The lead ship, the Admiral Grigorovich, was commissioned on 11 March 2016. The second and third units, Admiral Essen and Admiral Makarov have been delivered and are operational with the Black Sea Fleet.

Jane's Defence Weekly and NavyRecognition.com claimed in March and January 2015 respectively that the Project 20385 (Gremyashchiy), Project 21631 (Buyan-M), Project 22350 (Admiral Gorshkov), and Project 11356Р/М (Admiral Grigorovich) class corvettes and frigates were dependent on German and Ukrainian engines.[25] Projects 20385 and 21631 used German diesel engines, while the 22350 and 11356M used Ukrainian-assembled turbines.[26] Given the sanctions and standoff over the War in Ukraine, these components were not available from 2015. As a result, two more Steregushchiy class corvettes, the seventh and eighth of the class, were laid down in February 2015. The Steregushchiy class uses Russian-built Kolomna engines. Similarly, the power plant in units of the Gorshkov-class (following on the first two) were adapted to use a CODAG diesel and gas turbine engine of Russian manufacture (UEC-Saturn).[27] In November 2020 it was announced that United Engine Corporation had initiated delivery of the DGTA M55R diesel-gas power plant which would be installed on frigates of the 22350-class beginning with Admiral Isakov.[28]

With respect to corvettes/large patrol ships, as of 2020 six separate classes were in production to replace Soviet-era vessels. They ranged in size from the small 500-ton Buyan-class (Project 21630) up to the 3,400-ton Project 20386 corvette/light frigate. The first of the 2,500-ton Gremyashchiy-class (Project 20385) entered service in December of 2020.[29] Corvette classes in production as of 2020 include:

Buyan class corvette

• Project 21630 Buyan-class corvette - Buyan-M (Project 21631-variant - 950 tons)
• Project 22800 Karakurt-class corvette (800-860 tons)
• Project 22160 Bykov-class corvette/offshore patrol ship (1,700 tons)
• Project 20380 Steregushchiy-class corvette (2,200 tons)
• Project 20385 Gremyashchiy-class corvette (2,500 tons)
• Project 20386 Derzkiy-class corvette/light frigate (3,400 tons)

The first of an unknown number of new Ivan Gren-class landing ship class of amphibious ships was laid down in 2004 and was launched in May 2012. The ship was to be delivered to the Navy in 2013. The Ivan Gren was delivered to the Navy in June 2018.[49] In 2010 it was announced that work on a second unit had begun.[50] The second ship, Petr Morgunov, was commissioned in 2020 with further enlarged vessels of the class under construction.

Russian officials negotiated a purchase of four Mistral-class amphibious assault ships. On 24 May 2010, the Russian Defense Minister said that Russia was in pre-contract discussions with Spain, the Netherlands, and France on purchasing four Mistral-class ships. It was planned to have one ship built abroad, two with the participation of Russian shipbuilders, and at least one built in Russia. The Minister also said that the first ships of this type would be based in the Northern and Pacific Fleets.[51] On December 24, 2010, Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev announced France as the winner of a tender to build four Mistral-class ships for Russia.[52] As the MISTRAL project continued it was plagued with controversy with arguments that the ships are not required, that Russian ship builders could have built a similar vessel and that they cost too much. In January 2013, Russian Deputy Prime Minister for the Defence Industry Dmitriy Rogozin was critical about the purchase of French helicopter carriers Mistral. The contracts signed in 2011 had been also criticized by first deputy head of the Military-Industrial Commission Ivan Kharchenko, who blamed former Defence Minister Anatoliy Serdyukov. "It is very strange that we, given our climate, are purchasing ships to transport troops that do not work at temperatures below seven degrees," Rogozin said at a general meeting of the Academy of Military Sciences on Saturday 26 January 2013.[53]

On 18 May 2013 it was announced that the second Mistral-class helicopter carrier would be named Sevastopol and join Russia's Black Sea Fleet in 2017. It was speculated that it would be based in the Novorossiysk naval base which Spetsstroy, the strategic infrastructure builder, was to complete by that time. Other sources reported that both of the first two Mistral-class helicopter carriers, the Vladivostok and the Sevastopol would be assigned to the Pacific Fleet in 2014 and 2015 respectively after their completion in France. In Vladivostok, Berth 33 was being renovated for them.

On 3 September 2014, French President announced that due to Russia's "recent actions in Ukraine", the two ships would not be delivered.[54] In November 2014, François Hollande placed a hold on the delivery of the first Mistral to Russia in view of the conflict in east Ukraine. Hollande set two conditions for delivery: the observation of a ceasefire in Ukraine and a political agreement between Moscow and Kyiv.[55] On 5 August 2015 it was announced that France was to pay back Russia's partial payments and keep the two ships initially produced for Russia.[56][57]

In June 2015, during the «ARMY-2015» military-technical forum, Russia unveiled two designs for its future amphibious assault ships. The heavier "Lavina" variant with displacement of 24,000 tons, designed by Krylov State Research Center and equivalent more or less to a Mistral-class and a smaller "Priboy" variant, designed by Nevskoe Design Bureau with 14,000 tons displacement. During 2016-2017, both the heavier and lighter variant proposed for the Russian Navy started to publicly appear under a common name "Priboy".

In June 2017, the construction of two future amphibious assault ships for the Russian Navy was included in the Russia's new state armament programme for 2018-2025.[58] The cost for one ship is to be about 40 billion RUB ($675 million).[59]

In January 2018, it was reported the construction of the ships would take place at the Severnaya Verf in Saint Petersburg.[60] However, in July 2020 two units of the class were laid down at the Zalyv Shipbuilding yard in Crimea. The design called for a ship of more than 30,000 tons with the delivery of both units anticipated in the latter 2020s.[61]