Posted on 11/09/2018 8:44:28 AM PST by Krosan
Following the sinking of one of the worlds 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 Russias sole aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, for the time being. While Russias shipbuilding industry is reportedly looking into alternatives, no timely and viable solution to continue retrofitting work on the Russian Navys 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 Russias 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 dont 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 ships 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 ships 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 carriers 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 Navys 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 carriers poor reliability and questionable performance during a recent deployment to Syria in 2016.
What movie is that?
Hunt for Red October (I think) and the actor pictured is Richard Jordan.
Reading this, and the replies made me think of the Commando/Royal Navy raid on St. Nazaire during WWII. Point being that dry docks that can service the largest ships become a strategic asset. The Brits went to a lot of trouble to take out the Normandie dry dock at St. Nazaire, because it was the only facility that could handle the Tirpitz and its destruction basically took Tirpitz out of the war. Five Victoria Crosses were awarded, including one on a recommendation of a German officer.
Jeremy Clarkson did a special on it and I believe it can be found on YouTube.
Yes, it was Hunt for Red October ...
I love Jeremy Clarkson because he is a funny guy, but I am a bit wary of learning from him in topics I don’t know about already.
It’s because he likes to make jokes and he always bends the facts around to the goal of his joke fitting in perfectly. If you already know the facts then you can appreciate the joke, but right now I am worried about learning something that he just pulled out of the thin air to make his joke work.
FWiW the raid he describe was the real deal. Did you know that his father-in-law won the VC?
I didn’t know that. I just know him from the Top Gear and from his book “And Another Thing”, that I gave up reading half way in because the disregard of facts over joke making opportunities was getting on my nerves.
Check out his program on ‘The Greatest Raid’ on YouTube. I think you’ll be impressed.
Note: this topic is from . Thanks Krosan.
Following the sinking of one of the worlds 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 Russias sole aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, for the time being. While Russias shipbuilding industry is reportedly looking into alternatives, no timely and viable solution to continue retrofitting work on the Russian Navys flagship has emerged to date... 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... Initially, the the carrier was to return to active duty within the next two years... The Admiral Kuznetsov was commissioned in 1990 and last underwent a two-year refit between 1996 and 1998. The Russian Navys 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 carriers poor reliability and questionable performance during a recent deployment to Syria in 2016.
Like any country, they have to go to war with the navy they have, or in this case, don't.
This is obviously a capitalist plot, the haves vs the have-nots, the, and, oh, **** it. Imagine how much better life could be if the Neosoviet Untion would stop playing at being a great power, and then let people run their own lives and own businesses (instead of rounding them up by decree, jailing them by decree, confiscating all they own by decree...).
BTW, screw international support for the ****ing Putin navy. My guess is there *will be* a Russian solution to this, and it will probably take the form of building a huge cofferdam, using a large number of pumps to pump out the sea, and the ship etc, then welding all the holes shut, then letting the water back in. Historically, when they intercourse things up, particularly with their attempts at playing naval power, they don't want help or even a chance at foreign scrutiny.
The US defense budget is larger than the miltary budgets of the ten next-biggest miliitary budgets, combined. We have the largest economy in the world, not because we spend a lot on defense -- we are able to spend appropriately on defense (one of the few things the federal gubmint spends money on that it is supposed to spend money on) BECAUSE we have the largest economy. If you want to see how fast that can change, yield to the Demagogic Party "resistance" (rioting, obstruction of justice, perjury, and other illegal acts) and takeover.
Happy Thanksgiving, all! Thanksgiving should be a worldwide holiday, IMHO, but it's understandable that it isn't given the sheer number of countries that are despotates. BTW, thanks United Nations. Thanks Obama. Thanks Kerry. Thanks Carter. Thanks thousands of dead Demagogic Party members and supporters who still vote in elections.
[Thanks thousands of dead Demagogic Party members and supporters who still vote in elections.]
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.