The Russian Navy will dispose of all the nuclear submarines of type 671РТМ Shchuka. The reason is excess noise they produce. Some options of modernisation offered appeared to be unsuitable. Neither of them eliminated the principal defect, noiseness. Besides, in whole, the modernisation cost is almost the same as the construction cost. Obsolete Shchuka submarines will have been disposed by 2015.
On 18 April, Yantar Shipyard (part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation) will hold a keel-laying ceremony of the forth vessel of the frigates built for the Russian Navy. The ship was named the Admiral Butakov. As per two contracts signed with the Russian Ministry of Defence, Yantar Shipyard will build six corvettes/frigates of type 11356 designed by the Severnoye Design Bureau (Northern Design Bureau). The lead ship of this series, the Admiral Grigorovich frigate, was laid by the shipyard on 18 December 2010; the second ship, the Admiral Essen, on 8 July 2011; the third ship, the Admiral Makarov, on 29 February 2012. Now, their hulls are being formed. Yantar Shipyard is to deliver six Russian frigates to the Navy in 2014 to 2016.
The Far Eastern Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Centre will launch two boom-laying and waste oil disposal vessels. Solemn event is scheduled for 26 April 2013. Multi-purpose ships are built by Zvezda Far Eastern Shipyard (the town of Bolshoi Kamen) and ordered by Neftepromleasing for Rosnefteflot. The designer is RICOCHET Design Group. These multi-purpose ships are intended for transporting and laying booms, shipping different cargoes with total weight up to 10 tons as well as for receiving bilge waters with further delivery of oil products to coastal and buoyancy tanks.
On 17 April, the Trikand (Bow) frigate completed state sea acceptance trials. The ship was built for the Indian Navy by Yantar Shipyard, as reports the shipyard press office. The last of the three frigates commenced to pass state trials on 4 April in the base of Baltiysk. Since 8 April, the ship regularly sailed to sea ranges of the Baltic Fleet where all systems and mechanisms, including weapons, were tested.
In the Khabarovsk Territory, only 20 per cent facilities of shipbuilding companies are used. Today, shipyards are building eight vessels, as reports AmurMedia News Agency. Since 2013, in Russia there is a shipbuilding support programme meant for 17 years. According to the programme, the field should be developed under three clusters: Northwestern, Southern and Far Eastern. One of the main problems in shipbuilding is acute shortage of workers. Also, significant wear and lack of ship handling facilities, docks, slipways and other waterworks add to the poor quality of shipbuilding.
Today, eight ships are being constructed in the Khabarovsk Territory.
Moscow Shipbuilding and Shiprepair Yard launched the Volgar cargo-and-passenger ship. The designer is Zelenodolsk Design Bureau. The boat will bear the name of the first chief and founder of this bureau A.V. Kukhanovich. By the end of June, the Volgar will have been delivered to the customer.
Specifications:
Russian River Registry class: + "О 0.2 А" (lake boat, wave height 0.2 m, automatic)
Length: 32.24 m
Length on designed waterline: 29.9 m
Beam: 5.9 m
Draught: 0.7 m
Full displacement: 90 t
Speed: 8 kt
Cruise range: 310 miles
Endurance: half a day
Crew/passenger capacity: 2 / 65 in number
