Royal Norwegistani Navy officer pøøh-pøøhs Russia's naval modernization program

[Barrister]

This looks like a good thread for this bit of news:

Russian officials: Nope, we can't finish fixing the carrier Kuznetsov
Dry-dock repairs may take a year or more; others aren't large enough for carrier.
SEAN GALLAGHER - 11/9/2018, 10:45 AM

MURMANSK, RUSSIA - Russian aircraft carrier <em>Admiral Kuznetsov</em> at the PD-50 floating dry dock of Shipyard 82.
Enlarge / MURMANSK, RUSSIA - Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov at the PD-50 floating dry dock of Shipyard 82.
Lev Fedoseyev / TASS via Getty Images
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Russian officials have now acknowledged that the October 29 accident involving Russia's only aircraft carrier and largest floating dry dock has made continuing the refit of the ship impossible. The dry dock, the PD-50, was the only one available capable of accommodating the 55,000 ton Admiral Kuznetsov. As a result, the completion of the refit of the ship is now delayed indefinitely.

The PD-50, built by a Swedish shipyard in 1980 for the Soviet Union, sank in an uncontrolled "launch" of the Kuznetsov and came to rest on the sloping bottom of the harbor at Murmansk. Two cranes collapsed during the sinking, with one crashing onto the Kuznetsov and leaving a large gash in its hull. And recovering and repairing the PD-50 could take as long as a year.

"We have alternatives actually for all the ships except for Admiral Kuznetsov," United Ship-Building Corporation Chief Executive Alexei Rakhmanov told TASS. But the loss of the PD-50 dock "creates certain inconveniences" for future repairs on large capital ships, he acknowledged." We hope that the issue of the docking of first-rank ships will be resolved in the near future. We are also preparing several alternatives, about which we will report to the Industry and Trade Ministry," Rakhmanov said.

The Kuznetsov and its sister ship—which eventually became China's first aircraft carrier—were built at the Black Sea Shipyard in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, which also built the nuclear cruiser Kirov. (The Kuznetsov was designated as an "aircraft-carrying cruiser" as a workaround to restrictions of the Montreux Convention, which prohibits Russia from sending aircraft carriers over 15,000 tons through the Turkish Straits.) Understandably, getting help from Ukraine may not be an option for Russia. But the other options—including towing the Kuznetsov to a foreign shipyard with the capacity to dry-dock the 1,001-foot (305 meter) vessel—are equally iffy.

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/11/russian-officials-nope-we-cant-finish-fixing-the-carrier-kuznetsov/

[Tonitrus]

The PD-50, built by a Swedish shipyard in 1980 for the Soviet Union,

Wait a sec...they hadn't learned their lesson from the ball bearings? 

[Berkut]

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/10/russias-only-aircraft-carrier-damaged-as-its-floating-dry-dock-sinks/

Original story of the accident.

Why would anyone join the Russian Navy? What a mess.

"Replacement of the failing components of the ship's propulsion system and other critical systems—including the ship's plumbing, which lacks weatherproofing and is shut down in cold weather to prevent freezing—was already anticipated to take up most of the $400 million budgeted for the Kuznetsov's modernization after the Russian Navy's original upgrade budget was halved by the Defense Ministry, according to Interfax."

Well sure. Why would you want to having plumbing that works in cold weather in the Russian Navy???

[Malthus]

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/10/russias-only-aircraft-carrier-damaged-as-its-floating-dry-dock-sinks/

Original story of the accident.

Why would anyone join the Russian Navy? What a mess.

"Replacement of the failing components of the ship's propulsion system and other critical systems—including the ship's plumbing, which lacks weatherproofing and is shut down in cold weather to prevent freezing—was already anticipated to take up most of the $400 million budgeted for the Kuznetsov's modernization after the Russian Navy's original upgrade budget was halved by the Defense Ministry, according to Interfax."

Well sure. Why would you want to having plumbing that works in cold weather in the Russian Navy???

Solution is simple - when weather gets cold, stop pissing and shitting. 

[Tonitrus]

Well, obviously the Kuznetsov should have been retired some time ago (and probably never built in the first place...the USSR didn't, and Russia still doesn't need an CVN).

[Threviel]

Well, obviously the Kuznetsov should have been retired some time ago (and probably never built in the first place...the USSR didn't, and Russia still doesn't need an CVN).

It's not a CVN. And not even a CV, it's an airplane equipped missile cruiser.

[Barrister]

Although that's apparently just a matter of semantics so that it can sail through the Bosphorus.

[celedhring]

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/10/russias-only-aircraft-carrier-damaged-as-its-floating-dry-dock-sinks/

Original story of the accident.

Why would anyone join the Russian Navy? What a mess.

"Replacement of the failing components of the ship's propulsion system and other critical systems—including the ship's plumbing, which lacks weatherproofing and is shut down in cold weather to prevent freezing—was already anticipated to take up most of the $400 million budgeted for the Kuznetsov's modernization after the Russian Navy's original upgrade budget was halved by the Defense Ministry, according to Interfax."

Well sure. Why would you want to having plumbing that works in cold weather in the Russian Navy???

Well, seems coherent with the Russian "fuck the people that have to actually run these things" design tradition.

[mongers]

Although that's apparently just a matter of semantics so that it can sail through the Bosphorus.

IIRC that's also a one time transit stipulation, it can never re-enter the Black Sea. 

[The Brain]

It went Black and never came back?

[Barrister]

Another bump with Admiral Kuznetsov news...

Russia's only carrier, damaged in shipyard accident, now on fire
A dozen injured, others reported missing in electrical fire aboard ship damaged by sinking dock.
SEAN GALLAGHER - 12/12/2019, 8:13 AM

MURMANSK, RUSSIA - DECEMBER 12, 2019: A fire has broken out aboard the Project 11435 aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov of the Russian Northern Fleet. Admiral Kuznetsov is the only aircraft carrier of the Russian Navy. Lev Fedoseyev/TASS

The Admiral Kuznetsov, Russia's only aircraft carrier, caught fire today during repairs in Murmansk. While officials of the shipyard said that no shipyard workers were injured, Russia's TASS news service reports that at least 12 people (likely Kuznetsov sailors) were injured, some critically. In addition, three people, possibly including the third-rank captain in charge of the ship's repairs, are unaccounted for.

The Kuznetsov has had a long string of bad luck, experiencing fires at sea, oil spills, and landing deck accidents—including a snapped arresting wire that caused a landing Sukhoi Su-33 fighter to roll off the end of the deck and into the ocean. Its boilers belched black smoke during the ship's transit to Syria in 2016, and it had to be towed back home after breaking down during its return in 2017. Then last year, as it was undergoing repairs in a floating drydock in Murmansk's Shipyard 82, the drydock sank and a crane on the drydock slammed into the Kuznetsov, leaving a gash in the ship's hull. It looked like completion of repairs might be put off indefinitely because repair of the drydock would take over a year, and the budget for repairs had been slashed.

The fire was caused when sparks from welding work near one of the ship's electrical distribution compartments set a cable on fire. The fire spread through the wiring throughout compartments of the lower deck of the ship, eventually involving 120 square meters (1,300 square feet) of the ship's spaces.

In total, 12 victims were delivered to hospitals, 10 of them were saved during the fire. One is assessed as serious, and one suffered a head injury. Most received poisoning from combustion products, according to a report from TASS.

Shipboard firefighting, even in port, is a grim and hellish undertaking. Lack of ventilation, darkness, and the toxic smoke released by burning electrical wiring, oil, paint, and equipment make fighting fires aboard a ship particularly difficult, requiring frequent relief of those fighting the fires due to the stress and limits on breathing apparatuses. Those who have served in any navy afloat can attest to how terrifying even the thought of a mass conflagration aboard a ship is, even when pier-side.

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2019/12/russias-only-carrier-damaged-in-shipyard-accident-now-on-fire/

[Malthus]

Doesn't look like the Russians need an enemy to destroy their navy.

[HVC]

It also appears they don't need a navy. All the need is FB to knock America to its knees 😛

[garbon]

It also appears they don't need a navy. All the need is FB to knock America to its knees 😛

Is America on its knees?

[The Brain]

It also appears they don't need a navy. All the need is FB to knock America to its knees 😛

Is America on its knees?

Putin isn't extremely tall.