Future of the Russian Navy

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Russian Navy tried to maintain Cold War force structures while suffering severely with insufficient maintenance and a lack of funding. However, improvements in the Russian economy over the last decade have seen a significant rise in defence expenditure and an increase in the numbers of ships under construction with a focus on blue-water vessels.

An extensive rearmament program is being implemented since 2011, with the Russian Defense Ministry expected to procure 100 warships by 2020. The purchase of 20 submarines, 35 corvettes and 15 frigates is planned. The nature of the other 30 ships is as yet unknown. The Black Sea Fleet will receive 18 new surface ships and submarines, including Kilo-class submarines, Admiral Gorshkov-class frigates, and Ivan Gren-class landing ships. There are also plans to lay down Project 21631 small missile boats and Steregushchy class corvettes. This state arms program also provides funds for the purchase of two Mistral class assault ships. Furthermore, older vessels such as the Kirov class battlecruisers will also undergo overhauls and modernisation to bring them back into active service after spending over a decade laid up in reserve.

Future aircraft carriers
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. 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.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev stated in 2008 that Russia intended to build nuclear aircraft carriers in the next decade. However Russia currently does not have a facility capable of building aircraft carriers. On August 2, 2010, Vladimir Vysotsky 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".

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. 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.

54 new destroyers, frigates and corvettes
The first destroyer class vessel to be built since the cold war is the Project 21956 multi-purpose destroyer. It represents the fourth generation of Russian surface warships developed by the Severnoye Design Bureau. According to Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky work on the new destroyer class will start in 2012. The class is expected to replace the older Sovremenny class. The ships primary roles will include anti-submarine and anti-aircraft warfare as well as the traditional anti-surface warfare role of Russian destroyers. The ship's design includes radar cross section (RCS) reduction features as part of a growing trend in new warship types of the Russian Navy. The first of the class is expected to be completed and delivered by 2016construction of 30 corvettes, 20 frigates and six destroyers. By displacement, ability to operate in rough seas and duration of autonomous operations these ships are no match for in-service cruisers. In all, the navy is expected to receive 54 new warships of various classes by 2020.

At least 6 Admiral Gorshkov-class frigates are to be constructed for the Russian Navy. The Northern Wharf Shipyard has thus far announced having received orders for six units. The first of the class, Admiral Gorshkov was laid down in 2006, launched on 29 October 2010 and planned to be delivered by 2012.

Furthermore, eight Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate have been ordered, with the first laid down on 18 December 2010 and expected to be delivered by 2013. These frigates will all serve in the Black Sea Fleet.

Submarines
The State Arms Program 2011–2020 is expected to build and deliver up to 24 submarines (both nuclear and conventional) to the Russian Navy.


 * Borei SSBN

Three new boats of the Borei class ballistic missile submarines are now under construction, but the first has been under construction since 1996 its completion was expected in 2008. The lead boat, Yuriy Dolgorukiy, was launched in April 2007, began sea trials in June 2009 and was commissioned as a part of the Northern Fleet in 2012. The second boat of the class, the Aleksandr Nevskiy is currently on schedule to be delivered to the Pacific Fleet in 2012  The third of class is named Vladimir Monomakh. The fourth unit is scheduled to be laid down in 2010. The mainstay of the SSBN force, the Delta IVs, joined the fleet during 1985–91. While the service life of an SSBN normally is twenty to twenty-five years, without maintenance, it may be as short as ten to fifteen years. On schedule, the Russian Navy finally accepted its first new Borei class SSBN (Yury Dolgoruky) for service last December 30. Thus, it appears that the newly commissioned Yuriy Dolgorukiy will be the first Russian SSBN in many years to make a long range cruise. The Russians will probably not announce this until it’s all over, lest something go wrong at sea. A second Borei is undergoing sea trials and is expected to enter service next year. A third Borei class boat is just beginning sea trials this month.In recent years there have been only about ten nuclear submarine patrols a year, each lasting three months at most and usually a lot less. Most have not gone far from Russian waters and some were by recently built SSNs (nuclear attack subs) or SSGNs (SSNs equipped with cruise missiles) and not by SSBNs.

Ten Yasen class nuclear attack submarines are to be delivered to the Russian Navy. With its keel laid down on 21 December 1993, the first boat of such class was slated for launch in 1998 but was delayed due to problems in financing the project. In 1996 work on the submarine appeared to have stopped completely. Some reports suggested that as of 1999 the submarine was less than 10 percent completed. In 2003, the project received additional funding and the work of finishing the submarine continued. In 2004 it was reported that the work on the submarine was moving forward, but due to the priority given to the new Borei-class submarine, Severodvinsk, the lead unit of the Yasen class would not be ready before 2010. In July 2006 the deputy chairman of the Military-Industrial Commission, Vladislav Putilin, stated that two Yasen-class submarines were to join the Russian Navy before 2015. On 24 July 2009 the work on a second Yasen submarine, named Kazan, was started. On 26 July the Russian navy command announced that one multipurpose submarine would be laid down every year, not necessarily of this class, starting in 2011. The launch of the first boat of this class and the beginning of sea trials was reported in September 2011.
 * Yasen SSN'''

On November 9, 2011 Russia signed a contract for four additional Yasen class submarines to be delivered by 2016.

Following on from the success of the Kilo class submarines, the Russian Navy has ordered at least three more Improved Kilo-class submarines. The first was laid down in August 2010 at the Admiralty Shipyard and expected to be commissioned by 2013.
 * Kilo SS

On 18 May 2013 Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Viktor Chirkov announced that the Russian Navy would get the first air-independent propulsion system for Project 677 Lada-class submarines by 2016-2017. He stated that the Central Design Bureau Rubin is now at work on the propulsion system which is expected by 2015-2016 but the first three Lada-class submarines will have classic diesel-electric propulsion.
 * Lada SS

Landing ships
Six Ivan Gren-class landing ships are expected to be constructed. The first was laid down in 2004 and was launched in May 2012. The ship will be deliverd to the Navy in 2013.

Amphibious assault ships
Russian officials have been negotiating 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. On December 24, 2010, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced France as the winner of a tender to build four Mistral-class ships for Russia. As the MISTRAL project continues it has been 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 has been 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.

On 18 May 2013 it was announced that the second Mistral-class helicopter carrier will be named Sevastopol and join Russia's Black Sea Fleet in 2017. It is expected to be based in the Novorossiysk naval base which Spetsstroy, the strategic infrastructure builder, is to complete by that time. It was expected 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 is being renovated for them. However, the geopolitical situation in the Mediterranean has demanded a boost to Russian naval forces in the Mediterranean, where work is now in progress to set up an operational formation. In order for it to function, it will require a significant number of new ships of various classes. The helicopter carrier Sevastopol is expected to become the flagship of the Russian Navy's operational formation in the Mediterranean by 2017 until which the duty will held by the Black Sea Fleet's Slava-class cruiser Moskva.

Corvettes

 * Gepard-class corvette
 * Steregushchiy-class corvette
 * Gremyashchy-class corvette
 * Buyan-class corvette
 * Buyan-M-class corvette

Mine-countermeasure vessels
At least four Alexandrit class minesweepers are planned. The first of the class has been ordered and is expected to be launched sometime in 2012.