Posted on 04/28/2009 10:20:35 AM PDT by pobeda1945
ISTANBUL, April 28 (RIA Novosti) - Russia will finish drafting plans for a new aircraft carrier for its Navy by 2012, a deputy defense minister for procurements said on Tuesday.
"We are planning to resolve all the issues in 2010-2011, and after that we will make a final decision. At this point it is necessary to determine all technical specifications of the ship and the means of achieving them. Simultaneously, we have to decide on the strategic uses of aircraft carriers in the future," Vladimir Popovkin said.
So far the Russian Navy only has one aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, built in 1985, with a displacement of 55,000 metric tons, a crew of 1,500, and capability to carry more than 50 aircraft.
Vice Adm. Anatoly Shlemov, the head of defense contracts at the United Shipbuilding Corporation, said in February that Russia's new-generation aircraft carrier would most likely be nuclear-powered, and have a displacement of up to 60,000 metric tons.
He added that the new carrier would serve as a seaborne platform for new-generation fixed- and rotary-winged aircraft, in particular a fifth-generation fighter set to replace the Su-33 multirole fighter aircraft currently in service, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).
Shlemov said that unlike in the past, the new aircraft carrier would not be armed with cruise missiles, which were not part of its "job description."
He also said that at least three such carriers were to be built, for the Northern and Pacific Fleets.
Shlemov offered no timeline on the project, saying it was not as yet clear which shipyard would get the contract.
The new carrier has an estimated price tag of $4 billion.
With Obambi at the helm of the world’s most powerful armed forces, I’d definitely take this opportunity to play catchup since we know Zero intends to eviscerate the military.
The Chinese, the North Koreans, Iran, the Russians would be stupid not to try to pull closer.
Pure braggadoccio.
Putin has let his country’s military and defense industries rot.
With gas and oil down there is no way in hell he can make this happen.
Russia wants some carriers to control the Arctic ocean and the oil below it. Russia also wants to control the Northwest Passage. Canada certainly won’t be a signicant competitor for control in the Arctic, and the US won’t have the stamina to keep a substantial force up there between the Bering Strait and Greenland.
Armed with a single MA-2 .50 caliber Browning, this much feared naval vessel carries up to 30 rounds of armor piercing ammunition. It is the first in an entirely new naval architecture being pushed on the Pentagon by the defense minded Obama Administration as a cost-saving measure. If you look closely, you can see the heavy-duty seat restraint which prevents the pilot/gunner – Kamakazi Kowalski – from leaping from the vessel prior to engaging the enemy. The 12 V trolling motor – which lacks a reverse function -- propels this sophisticated craft forward at a top speed of 4 knots. Reverse travel – at approximately 35 knots -- is achieved by firing the Browning.
The no-bid contract to build 200 of these fearsome warships was recently awarded to Obama-Soros-Emanuel Shipbuilding and Stormdoor Manufacturing (formerly General Dynamics) and will be administered by trusted Obama associate and Chief-of-Staff Rahm Emanuel who commented that, at $12 million each, they are a bargain. They will be constructed exclusively at the company’s facility in Kenya with major subcomponent production (rivets and miscellaneous fasteners) at the company’s Harlem and Skokie plants. Delivery is expected to begin in 2024 (or as soon as the subcontractor's funds are safely in the contractor's Swiss account).
With the era of the hypersonic cruise missile not far off, they may regret sinking the rubles into 20th century tech like carriers. Think of all the resources that go into carrier battle groups. I think the future is going to be UAVs, orbital platforms, missile barges, subs, and possibly ICCMs (intercontinental cruise missiles). Hell, a good sized missile barge gives you all the munitions without the airframes or personnel.
You are quite correct. Add small nuclear warheads to those cruise missiles and the entire battle group is sunk. For any nation to put enormous sums in such vulnerable "baskets" is asking for trouble, or asking for some enterprising opponent to have the bragging rights of sinking a major carrier. If one or two carriers is all a country has, they won't risk them in really bad waters. Even the US would, sorry to say, turn tail if Iran, for instance, sunk one of our battle groups with a nuclear tipped cruise missile (unless we had a Thatcher or Reagan in charge).
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More simple still is the use of ICBMs to take out a carrier. China has invested in anti ship ballistic technology. How hard would it be to take out a Chinese carrier with a Minuteman? 400 kilotons makes up for a lot of error. If they are moving fast you just have to lead em a little... ;)
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