My how times have changed.
Posted on 04/23/2003 6:35:41 AM PDT by ex-Texan
New Russian Sub Joins Fleet: Claimed to be the World's Fastest and Most Awesome
The silent service hails a new warrior
Super-silent Gepard, awesome new flagship of Russia's submarine fleet, ceremonially took to northern waters of the White Sea under navy colours today (Tuesday) at a ceremony going some way to easing the wounds of the Kursk disaster and restoring marine service morale. It has been hailed as Russia-s first nuclear-powered submarine of the 21st century.
Head-of-state Vladimir Putin met the crew and sent the missile-armed, torpedo-carrying boat - named Cheetah in English - into service after successful sea and weapons trials under the blue and white Russian fleet flag of St. Andrew. The ceremony, at Severodvinsk in the Arkhangelsk region where the vessel was built, was attended by Russian Navy Fleet Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov and the chief of the Russian General Staff, Anatoly Kvashnin, RIA Novosti news agency said.
Navy officers have already applauded the boost to pride that comes with the new vessel. Commander-in-chief Kuroyedov is on record as calling it symbolic for the lost boat to be replaced by a new submarine, noting that Russia was advancing to building a new fleet which will be a tribute to the sailors who died on Kursk.
The 110-metre-long craft is the last in a fleet of 14 Bars series submarines to be constructed. It displaces up to 12,770 tonnes, dives to a maximum depth of 600 metres and makes a top speed below the waves of 35 knots.
Gepard is served by a 63-strong crew and has an armament potential of 24 nuclear-tipped Granit cruise missiles with a range of up to 3,000 kilometres. It also carries a Strela anti-aircraft weapons system. Though much smaller than the wrecked Kursk, Gepard is viewed as the most formidable ship in the Russian Navy. Construction began in 1991.
Western naval observers say the submarine-s arrival is an important step forward. U.S. experts believe Gepard may move as fast and as quietly as America's best fully-operational boats of the Los Angeles class, and have the capacity to dive deeper and harness more firepower, according to a report on the U.S. ABCNews international website.
The new boat is named to honour a World War 1 Russian submarine. As a comparison, its forerunner moved at 8.5 knots and submerged to a maximum depth of 50 metres. It's arsenal was two cannon, a machine-gun and 12 torpedoes.
An official act transferring and commissioning the new boat was signed at the Sevmashpredpriyatiye industrial plant at Severodvinsk yesterday.
My how times have changed.
P-3 fodder.
It is not how quiet you build them. It is how much money you spend to keep them quiet.
Maybe they confused him with Tarzan's chimp.
From a technical standpoint, the new Russian sub (looks like an advanced Akula-class) looks impressive. But there are some fundamental weaknesses in the Russian sub fleet, including crew training and the sub fleet's operational schedule. These days, Russian subs--even the attack boats--spend a lot more time at the dock than underway. That translates into less time at sea, and less time for crew training. The Gepard may be technically advanced, but it is no match for a late-model Los Angeles-class SSN/SSGN, with a much better trained crew.
Overall conditions in the Russian sub fleet remain dismal, despite the addition of this new boat. Two indications: the Russian sub threat to our fleet has decreased so dramatically that all of the carrier-based S-3 Viking sub hunters have been converted to tanker and electronic combat missions. Additionally, the number of Russian sub hulls has declined to the point that their Pacific fleet may no longer have an operational SSBN--a ballistic missile boat--by 1995.
Alabama State Flag
Maybe they spelled it that way because it only kinda looks like him, except the sub has eyebrows...
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