Posted on 11/09/2018 8:44:28 AM PST by Krosan
Following the sinking of one of the world’s largest dry docks on October 29 in a shipyard in the far northwest part of Russia, officials have finally admitted that they are unable to continue work on Russia’s sole aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, for the time being. While Russia’s shipbuilding industry is reportedly looking into alternatives, no timely and viable solution to continue retrofitting work on the Russian Navy’s flagship has emerged to date.
“We have alternatives actually for all the ships except for [the aircraft carrier] Admiral Kuznetsov. Our enterprises are in operation, [including] the Nerpa [Ship Repair Factory],” the head of Russia’s United Ship-Building Corporation (USC), Alexei Rakhmanov, is quoted as saying on November 7 by TASS news agency. “After all, we can perform certain docking works in Severodvinsk, not far from Murmansk. We don’t feel any special problems in this regard.”
However, the Russian shipbuilding industry does not possess a large enough facility to accommodate the carrier and it will take at least six to 12 months to recover the sunken floating dry dock. According to open source information, Russia would require international support for any such complex recovery operation as it does not possess the equipment to lift the massive drydock from the seabed on its own.
While work in the ship’s interior can continue, absent a large floating dry dock, it is unlikely that Russia will be able to keep up with the current overhaul schedule, as all work on the ship’s bilge had to cease. Initially, the the carrier was to return to active duty within the next two years. Shorty after the incident, there were reports that Severodvinsk shipyard possesses another floating dock, PD-1, that could be used to continue work on the carrier. However, following an evaluation, it was determined that the facility would not be able to accommodate a warship the size of the Admiral Kuznetsov.
The Swedish-made PD-50 drydock reportedly sank when the Admiral Kuznetsov was being pulled out after the failure of a pump system on the night of October 29. As a result of the sinking, a crane fell on the carrier’s deck leaving a hole above the waterline that measures 4 by 5 meters. The accident also injured four workers. The Russian government has set up a commission to investigate the sinking. After the conclusion of the investigation, the commission is set to offer its recommendation whether to recover the PD-50 or look for alternative ways to complete work on the carrier.
The Admiral Kuznetsov was commissioned in 1990 and last underwent a two-year refit between 1996 and 1998. The Russian Navy’s 55,000-ton flagship has never been deployed for longer than six months and famously had to be followed by an oceangoing tug boat during all of its sea voyages due to the carrier’s poor reliability and questionable performance during a recent deployment to Syria in 2016.
Sucks to be them
Poles won’t do it of course as the whole purpose of this ship is to attack Poland. Well ... not the whole. Finland has docks big enough to repair this ship, whose whole purpose is to invade Finland. No matter how nicely the Russians ask I put my money on the Finns saying no.
All they have is nukes.
I’ma give an answer and it is a cheer for Ronald Reagan.
Before he crushed the communism it was 450 million. Nowadays the Russians want to be the evil emipire and whartnot and they are only 150 million. 3rd of what once was and I say with pure heart - Reagan won.
Whoa. Big hole. That's gonna make the DCA real cranky.
(DCA is Damage Control Assistant. Navy joke). Touchy business. Floating drydocks are, after all, designed to sink, just not quite that far. The drydock is lying on its side in 160 feet of water, so diving it won't be straightforward and raising it may be impossible. And they can't retrofit the carrier without it because they've been chopping the boilers out to replace them. Some details HERE. The concern is that the cost of the operation may make both drydock and carrier irrecoverable.
Perhaps the Bremerton Naval Shipyard, Washington would be a good alternative ...
Thanks, that was an informative article. No good options here Ivan, get the pos ship out of the way, then raise the pos dry dock and cry . What an expensive snafu, terminally fubar.
Its winter there and the water is really cold - not to mention the ice, and to make matters worse the dock which is in 40 feet of water is teetering on the edge of a 100 foot drop off ... So it will take a long time (like summer when the ice melts) if the dock has not slid too deep as to be unsalvageable - electrical systems wiring pumps etc if not damaged not will be totaled.
I guess you’re right. South Korea could likely handle it. Comes down to who you trust I guess. That sucks for Russia.
Good post.
The dry dock can be refloated in time.
The problem is that the only crane that can lift new boilers into place is laying across the flight deck and the Russians don’t have the ability to lift it off and repair it.
At this time it looks cheaper to write the whole shebang off, the dry dock, crane and aircraft carrier hull and simply build all new when they can afford it.
Pingpong balls
the gas or air needs to be contained
I’ve made oxyacetlyene box bombs that were crowd-pleasers back in the eighties.
At least the floating garbage fire is out.
The flight deck would make a great setting for a miniature golf course.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.