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The modernization rate of the Russian Navy is steadily growing, Navy Commander Admiral Vladimir Korolev said in an interview with Krasnaya Zvezda on December 26th. Furthermore, he stressed that in 2018 the scale of the tasks performed by the Navy has significantly increased.
He said that maritime training is still at the heart of the practical training for future Navy officers. Each year, more than 1,000 cadets take part in navigational trips on training ships.
More importantly, he said that Russian Navy would keep its presence in international waters in 2019 against the background of “sharp increase in the intensity of operative and combat preparations by US and NATO near the borders of the Russian Federation, the deployment of sea-based missile shield elements, non-nuclear systems of high-precision weaponry and military infrastructure in sea waters adjacent to the Russian territory.”
The Russian Navy commander said the Russian military presence next year would “allow to rule out all threats from coming from seas and oceans.”
At present, “about 100 warships and other vessels of the Russian Navy” are performing their duties in seas.
According to him, the aim of the Navy Command in 2019 would be the creation of qualitatively new capabilities which are balanced in terms of composition and combat capabilities, which with the other branches of the Russian Armed Forces can provide strategic nuclear and non-nuclear deterrence and protect Russia’s national interests on the high seas.
The priority areas for the modernization and development of the Navy are as follows:
- Improving and maintaining a high-level of naval strategic nuclear forces in terms of strategic missile submarine units;
- The modernization of the general-purpose naval forces, in order to enhance them with strategic conventional deterrence;
- Reaching the necessary level of combat potential and readiness of the Navy through the development and construction of multi-purpose nuclear and conventional submarines, multi-purpose ships to carry out tasks in both territorial waters and the high seas, naval aircraft;
- Develop and construct weapons, military and special equipment for the coastal troops;
According to Korolev, in the short term, effort will be put to further enhance the combat prowess of Russian submarines by improving their stealth, countermeasures and self-defense capabilities.
Furthermore, in 2019 strategic missile submarines will be at the heart of the grouping of the Russian naval forces. Prospective submarines from the general-purpose forces of the Navy will be multi-purpose carriers capable of solving a wide range of tasks in any region of the World Ocean.
Furthermore, the development of nuclear-powered submarine cruisers armed with cruise missiles and multi-purpose submarines continues.
One of the priority areas over which work will continue in 2019 is activities in cooperation with military-industrial enterprises to create non-nuclear submarines with an air-independent reactor, as well as the serial construction of diesel-electric submarines.
Speaking about the development of the surface component of the Navy, the commander-in-chief told that in 2019 along with the already deployed construction of small missile and patrol ships, the Navy would continue to commission warships of the frigate and large landing ship classes.
He praised the use of small rocket ships by the Black Sea and Baltic fleets and the Caspian flotilla in operations against terrorists in Syria, which showed their combat readiness for in a real combat situation.
New fighting vehicles for the Russian naval infantry will be designed and enter service in the mid-term.
“In the midterm perspective, we plan to create and introduce into service a family of combat vehicles for the naval infantry of the Russian Navy, designed to deliver naval infantry units to battle locations, destroy (strike) the adversary’s armored objects and personnel, render fire support to assault forces during all stages of their combat operations,” Korolev said.
He said the new vehicles will operate “in any latitudes and climatic conditions, including Arctic ones.”
Earlier, media reported citing a presentation of Rostec`s Uralvagonzavod (UVZ) research-and-manufacturing corporation, that the new vehicle would weigh about 35 tonnes and will travel at the speed of up to 75 kmph on land and 37 kmph on sea. It will have a crew of three and a passenger capacity of ten.
In the very short term, Korolov said that the Navy is focused on placement of new generation coastal missile defense systems such as the Bal and Bastion.
He reiterated that all of these directions of development and improvement are aimed at deterrence and protection of Russia’s national interest and borders.
