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CSIS: Russian Navy to reintroduce sea denial strategy
August 15, 2016
TASS - Russian News Agency
Russia's Defense Technologies Newswire
(MOSCOW) - Russia`s Navy is going to reintroduce the sea denial strategy developed in the late 1980s, according to the specialists of the US Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
"Russia has begun to re-establish a sea denial strategy, using a layered defense approach through increased operations of surface ships and submarines in the North Atlantic and moving steadily closer to Russia`s territorial waters through the Barents, Arctic and Baltic Seas. This is reflected in the estimate that Russia has increased its submarine patrols by 50% in the past year alone," the specialists of CSIS said in the "Undersea Warfare in Northern Europe" report issued by the center. "The sea denial goals of the Russian Navy are the same as their Soviet predecessors and include protection of vital military installations and assets - notably, the large complex of bases on the Kola Peninsula that house the Northern Fleet, the largest of Russia`s four naval fleets," they emphasized.
The authors of the document pointed out that Russia`s Ministry of Defense (MoD) has been paying a special attention to the development of the underwater warfare capabilities of the national Navy despite harsh economic conditions and fiscal constraints. "Moscow has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the development and maintenance of its submarine-based strategic deterrence and has emphasized non-nuclear submarine capabilities, certain surface warfare capabilities, and long-range anti-ship missiles (ASM) over battle carrier groups, for example," they said. The specialists also highly estimated the combat capabilities of the Russian Navy`s underwater force. "Russian submarines are greatly believed to be very capable vessels when properly maintained," the authors of the report noted.
The Russian Navy`s submarine force is to maintain a credible naval deterrence with a high level of combat readiness and to protect the ability of the relevant underwater task forces to conduct retaliatory nuclear strikes. To this end, "Russia is already in process of modernizing its nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) forces and replacing, albeit slowly, its oldest Cold War-era attack submarine fleet. Targeted investments in overhauling older submarines leverage the technical excellence of the late Soviet submarine designs while offsetting their deficiencies in combat weapon systems through more modern upgrades," the specialists of the CSIS center emphasized.
The underwater warfare has been one of the most prominent elements of nuclear deterrence system developed by Russia. Hence, the nuclear-powered submarines armed with sea-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) have become the pivotal component of the Russian Navy`s underwater force. At the same time, Moscow pays a special attention to the development, overhaul and upgrade of the nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSN). "Submarine warfare has long been a key element to Russia`s sea denial strategy, embodied most evidently by Russia`s emphasis on the guided missile submarines. Unlike there US equivalents, the Russian variants are designed to attack surface naval group formations with long-range anti-ship cruise missiles," the CSIS` specialists pointed out. It is noteworthy that the Russian defense industry has developed the unified cruise missiles that can use the same launch tubes to attack both land and naval surface targets. The aforementioned weaponry is designated as Kalibr-PL (Submarine Warfare, Podvodnie Lodki) or Kalibr-NK (Surface Combatants, Nadvodnie Korabli), NATO reporting name: SS-N-27 Sizzler. The Kalibr subsonic cruise missile system is comprised of two types of missiles, namely anti-ship 3M-54 and land-attack 3M-14. The Russian MoD keeps in secret most of the technical specifications of Kalibr. The 3M-54 anti-ship and 3M-14 land-attack missiles are known to have a maximum range of 500 km and 2,000-2,500 km, respectively. According to several Russian defense analysts, it is enough to maintain the sea-based deterrence strategy of the national Navy.
Russia is intensifying its efforts in the area of submarine force re-equipment, introducing new underwater combatants and upgrading the previously developed ones. The Russian MoD is paying special attention to the development and delivery of the SSNs, SSBNs, and diesel-electric submarines (SSK). "The Russian Navy is emerging from its post-Cold War malaise. The efforts (of the service) prioritized the Russian SSBN fleet. These SSBNs, in addition to a relatively small number of modernized diesel and nuclear-powered attack submarines, make up the core offensive capability of the Russian Navy," the specialists of the CSIS center pointed out. They added that the service operates one class of SSKs, five classes of SSNs, and three classes of SSBNs with the Northern Fleet having the strongest submarine force.
Moscow has gained success not only in maintaining of underwater component, but also in developing of anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities, the authors of the report said. "Russia maintains a host of anti-submarine warfare capabilities ranging from dedicated surface warships to long-range, fixed-wing aircraft, almost all of which were inherited from the Soviet Navy. Nevertheless, it is important to acknowledge that any nation operating submarines near Russian territory will have to consider Russian ASW capabilities into their risk calculus," they pointed out. It should be noted that the Russian MoD has contributed a lot to the development of the Naval Aviation since 2008. The arm has been receiving the newest Sukhoi Su-30SM (Flanker-H) multirole fighter jets, being able to fire Kh-31A (AS-17 Krypton) and Kh-35 (AS-20 Kayak) ASMs, as well as Kh-31P (AS-17 Krypton) anti-radiation missiles (ARM). The aforementioned aircraft will significantly increase the inshore combat capabilities of the Navy. Hence, the service is being rapidly re-equipped with modern military hardware, Russian analysts suppose.
August 15, 2016
TASS - Russian News Agency
Russia's Defense Technologies Newswire
(MOSCOW) - Russia`s Navy is going to reintroduce the sea denial strategy developed in the late 1980s, according to the specialists of the US Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
"Russia has begun to re-establish a sea denial strategy, using a layered defense approach through increased operations of surface ships and submarines in the North Atlantic and moving steadily closer to Russia`s territorial waters through the Barents, Arctic and Baltic Seas. This is reflected in the estimate that Russia has increased its submarine patrols by 50% in the past year alone," the specialists of CSIS said in the "Undersea Warfare in Northern Europe" report issued by the center. "The sea denial goals of the Russian Navy are the same as their Soviet predecessors and include protection of vital military installations and assets - notably, the large complex of bases on the Kola Peninsula that house the Northern Fleet, the largest of Russia`s four naval fleets," they emphasized.
The authors of the document pointed out that Russia`s Ministry of Defense (MoD) has been paying a special attention to the development of the underwater warfare capabilities of the national Navy despite harsh economic conditions and fiscal constraints. "Moscow has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the development and maintenance of its submarine-based strategic deterrence and has emphasized non-nuclear submarine capabilities, certain surface warfare capabilities, and long-range anti-ship missiles (ASM) over battle carrier groups, for example," they said. The specialists also highly estimated the combat capabilities of the Russian Navy`s underwater force. "Russian submarines are greatly believed to be very capable vessels when properly maintained," the authors of the report noted.
The Russian Navy`s submarine force is to maintain a credible naval deterrence with a high level of combat readiness and to protect the ability of the relevant underwater task forces to conduct retaliatory nuclear strikes. To this end, "Russia is already in process of modernizing its nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) forces and replacing, albeit slowly, its oldest Cold War-era attack submarine fleet. Targeted investments in overhauling older submarines leverage the technical excellence of the late Soviet submarine designs while offsetting their deficiencies in combat weapon systems through more modern upgrades," the specialists of the CSIS center emphasized.
The underwater warfare has been one of the most prominent elements of nuclear deterrence system developed by Russia. Hence, the nuclear-powered submarines armed with sea-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) have become the pivotal component of the Russian Navy`s underwater force. At the same time, Moscow pays a special attention to the development, overhaul and upgrade of the nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSN). "Submarine warfare has long been a key element to Russia`s sea denial strategy, embodied most evidently by Russia`s emphasis on the guided missile submarines. Unlike there US equivalents, the Russian variants are designed to attack surface naval group formations with long-range anti-ship cruise missiles," the CSIS` specialists pointed out. It is noteworthy that the Russian defense industry has developed the unified cruise missiles that can use the same launch tubes to attack both land and naval surface targets. The aforementioned weaponry is designated as Kalibr-PL (Submarine Warfare, Podvodnie Lodki) or Kalibr-NK (Surface Combatants, Nadvodnie Korabli), NATO reporting name: SS-N-27 Sizzler. The Kalibr subsonic cruise missile system is comprised of two types of missiles, namely anti-ship 3M-54 and land-attack 3M-14. The Russian MoD keeps in secret most of the technical specifications of Kalibr. The 3M-54 anti-ship and 3M-14 land-attack missiles are known to have a maximum range of 500 km and 2,000-2,500 km, respectively. According to several Russian defense analysts, it is enough to maintain the sea-based deterrence strategy of the national Navy.
Russia is intensifying its efforts in the area of submarine force re-equipment, introducing new underwater combatants and upgrading the previously developed ones. The Russian MoD is paying special attention to the development and delivery of the SSNs, SSBNs, and diesel-electric submarines (SSK). "The Russian Navy is emerging from its post-Cold War malaise. The efforts (of the service) prioritized the Russian SSBN fleet. These SSBNs, in addition to a relatively small number of modernized diesel and nuclear-powered attack submarines, make up the core offensive capability of the Russian Navy," the specialists of the CSIS center pointed out. They added that the service operates one class of SSKs, five classes of SSNs, and three classes of SSBNs with the Northern Fleet having the strongest submarine force.
Moscow has gained success not only in maintaining of underwater component, but also in developing of anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities, the authors of the report said. "Russia maintains a host of anti-submarine warfare capabilities ranging from dedicated surface warships to long-range, fixed-wing aircraft, almost all of which were inherited from the Soviet Navy. Nevertheless, it is important to acknowledge that any nation operating submarines near Russian territory will have to consider Russian ASW capabilities into their risk calculus," they pointed out. It should be noted that the Russian MoD has contributed a lot to the development of the Naval Aviation since 2008. The arm has been receiving the newest Sukhoi Su-30SM (Flanker-H) multirole fighter jets, being able to fire Kh-31A (AS-17 Krypton) and Kh-35 (AS-20 Kayak) ASMs, as well as Kh-31P (AS-17 Krypton) anti-radiation missiles (ARM). The aforementioned aircraft will significantly increase the inshore combat capabilities of the Navy. Hence, the service is being rapidly re-equipped with modern military hardware, Russian analysts suppose.