One of Russia’s Strategic Subs, RFS ‘Kareliya’ is back in service……

The ‘RFS Kareliya’ (K-18) has finished Russia’s new three-stage testing program for its modernized ‘Delta-4′ submarines. The ‘Karelia’ carried out the ’program of sea trials’ in the White Sea this Autumn untill now and has apparently completed the program. The submarine is now moored at the ‘Sevmash’ shipyard in Severodvinsk and awaits some last adjustments and a new painting (read more).

The ‘RFS Kareliya’ or ‘RFS Karelia’ is one of seven submarines of the ‘Delta-4′ class and is one of five of them to be modernized. Russia apparently is ’updating’ or modernizing all of its ‘Delta-4′ strategic submarines which all carry the ‘Sineva’ SLBM’s. (read more…)

The ‘RFS Karelia’ being back into active service by the beginning of 2010 obviously means a lot for the Russian Navy but also for Russia’s nuclear deterrent in general, since the last ‘Bulava’ test again ended up in another ‘fail’, since the ‘Yuri Dolgoruky’, the first ‘Borey’, will not carry the ‘Bulava’ missile and also since the ’Sevmash’ shipyard confirmed the freezing of the construction of the ‘Borey’ class submarines (the fourth) (read more).

With the new ’Borey’ class submarine and the new ’Bulava’ missille match probably being delayed, probably being prolonged and probably being  put off entirely, the combination of Russia’s new strategic submarine and Russia’s new submarine launched ballistic missile are now in real danger. The possibility of terminating the ‘Bulava’ and changing the ‘Borey’ submarines into…… nowadays seems very close!

Just like so many other active RF ships and submarines you can also find images of the ‘RFS Karelia’ in the ’Photo Gallery’ of the ‘Dutchintell’ weblog, which is currently under construction, but take a look on the ‘RFS Karelia’ in the ‘Photo Gallery’ of ‘Dutchintell’;

RFS ‘Karelia’

K-18

Class: ‘Delta-4′(‘Delfin’)

Project: 667 BDRM

More…

This week (12 November 2009) the ‘Karelia’ sailed out for the first time since October 2004. The submarine was modernized at the Zvedzdochka shipyard in Severodvinsk. The modernization of the ‘Delta-4′ submarines prolongs their life with about ten years. Read more…

Images of RFS ‘Karelia’; 001   002   003   004

For more (images) on the current Russian navy take a look at the ’Photo Gallery’ of the ‘Dutchintell’ weblog. It is currently under construction, but when it is all finished it will be updated on a regular base.(FLH).

Another Year over……

A little more than a week and then it is Christmas and that also means that another year is almost over. Actually last year was ‘Dutchintell’ its first year as a weblog. A year that is almost over now. And what have we done? And what will we be doing now that a new year has almost begun?

Oh yes and sure, we had (our) fun and we are very grateful and we hope next year will also be a good one. We hope to have more time to post and to be more up to date. We also hope to finish our huge ’Photo Gallery’ and maybe start working on our ‘Video Gallery’.

And next to all that we really have to work loads and loads more on our ‘The Kursk File’ and we also and really have to spend more time on the ‘The Second Cold War’ part of our weblog and next to all that we also have to keep putting loads of energy and effort into being a good-looking weblog as well, because that also is very important, also next year.

Christmas 2008 we kicked off this weblog, didn’t know what to expect, didn’t know exactly what to do, found out it all was too much and finally changed for the better after several months; a ‘Russian weblog’. Now its almost Christmas 2009 and a full year has passed by. Another year is almost over and a new one has almost begun. Yes, a new year has almost begun…!

We, at ‘Dutchintell’ wish you

and your loved ones,

whether old or young;

God’s Blessing,

a very Merry Christmas

and a Happy New Year!

“So this is Christmas

And what have you done

Another Year over

and a new One just begun

And so this is Christmas

I hope You have Fun

The Near and the Dear One

The Old and the Young

A very Merry Christmas

And a Happy New Year

Let’s Hope it a Good One

Without any Fear!

…………………”

John Lennon

(FLH-2009)

The ‘Kursk’ Memorial Dishonoured.

In Murmansk vandals have molested the memorial for submariners who have died in peace-time. The unknown vandals have dishonoured the memorial by stealing the letters that made up the inscription ”To the submariners who died in peace-time“.

The memorial for submariners who have died in peace-time mainly consists of a part of the conning tower or sail of the Russian submarine ‘Kursk’ that went down in the Barents Sea during exercises and taking all its crew’s lives. Read more…

The molestation of the so-called ‘Kursk’ memorial comes nine months after some Russian journalists found the part of the ‘Kursk’ its sail in a scrap yard somewhere in Murmansk.  Read more… Apparently the Russian Navy had sold the ‘Kursk’ its sail to a scrap yard, just for the money and now some vandals stole metal letters from the memorial, again to make money.

After the sorrowful find of the ‘Kursk’ its sail back in March 2009, the Murmansk Oblast Governor Dmitry Dmitriyenko personally took responsibility for the ‘Kursk’ its sail being used in this beautiful and very important memorial for all submariners who have died but in particular for all 118 men who died on board the ‘Kursk’. (FLH)

SLBM ‘Bulava’ test number 13!

Russia’s Ministry of Defense (via its press service) confirmed that a failed test launch of a ‘Bulava’ SLBM caused the strange shaped lights in the sky above the Northern part of Norway, now three days ago.

Quite some Norwegian citizens witnessed the strange shaped lights in the sky above the Northern part of Norway and they also took images and video’s of the strange and spiral shaped lights in the skies on Wednesday around eight o’clock in the morning.

Some Russian media already reported about the strange ’sightings’ in the skies above Northern Norway. Later some Russian media also linked the strange shaped lights in the skies above Northern Norway to a new ‘Bulava’ test launch from the White Sea area. (also see)

And then Russia’s Ministry of Defense its press service comes up with a confirmation and some more information on the test launch itself. The press service of the Ministry of Defense also revealed that the motor in the third stage of the missile malfunctioned. This ‘Bulava’ test launch was the thirteenth in a row and the seventh to fail.

This time again the new ‘Bulava’ missile was launched from the Russian submarine ‘Dmitry Donskoy’ which is a ‘Typhoon’-class/’Akula’-class submarine that nowadays only acts as a testbed for the new Russian SLBM. The other two ‘Typhoons’ or ‘Akula’ submarines nowadays act as a limited SLBM deterrent; not fully armed, not fully deployed, etc.

This 13th ‘Bulava’ test launch took place while ’Dmitry Donskoy’ was submerged. The first two stages of the missile functioned as they should but a technical malfunction occurred during the third stage, this according to the Russian Ministry of Defense its press service.

According to sources at the Severodvinsk shipyards, where this ‘Typhoon’/'Akula’-class submarine is home based, the ‘Dmitry Donskoy’ left Severodvinsk on Monday. The final test launch was on Wednesday a little before eight o’clock in the morning (07.44 - 07.49 hours).

RFS ‘Dmitry Donskoy’ acts as the Russian Navy test bed for the ‘Bulava’ missille and sailed out for a ‘Bulava’ test launch prior to this one on the 15th of June this year.

‘Russia Today’ also reported about the strange spiral shaped lights that were seen in the skies above Northern Norway and also made the link to a new ‘Bulava’ missile test launch;

The ‘Bulava’ (in Russian: ‘Булава’) or SS-NX-30 is Russia’s new developed SLBM; a submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM). The ‘Bulava’ was developed for and ment to be Russia’s new SLBM carried on Russia’s new developed ‘Borey’-class submarine which is Russia’s new SSBN or strategic submarine (SSBN).

However Russia’s first ‘Borey’-class submarine was delayed  and is still performing sea trials after sea trials and awaits its final seaworthiness and also awaits its new SLBM’s; ‘Bulava’ or ‘Sineva’?

The ‘Bulava’ is an advanced intercontinental missile that is equiped with evasive maneuvering, mid-course countermeasures and decoys and a fully shielded warhead.

Back in 1998 Russia decided to develop a new SLBM after several failed launches of the ‘Bark’ missille. In 2004 the first test was not a success because an engine exploded however the second test that year, a so-called pop-up test, was a success.

Then in 2005 two test launches from the ‘Dmitry Donskoy’, one surfaced, one submerged, were a success. But problems reappeared in 2006 as three tests failed because of malfunctions in the first and third stage of the rocket.

In 2007 and 2008 three test launches were successfully performed from a submerged and a subsurface position. The last and third test launch in 2008 also ended up in another malfunction in the third stage of the missile.

And now the two test launches in 2009, one in June and one in December, are both a failure.

Last Thursday, one day after the failed ‘Bulava’ test launch, the Russian Strategic Rocket Forces successfully launch a ‘Topol-M’ which is ‘Bulava’ its land based version. (FLH)

Russia and NATO in the Reset Mode.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is in Brussels for the first formal NATO-Russia Council meeting since the war between Georgia and Russia(South Ossetia and Abkhazia) in August last year.

Back in June this year Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the former NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer already announced that Russia and NATO would resume military-to-military contact (read more).

Now there is this first formal meeting between the two, as ‘Russia Today’ reports (read more).

During the NATO-Russia Council meeting in Brussels the focus will be on three ’documents’

- a road map for the development of relations between Russia and NATO.

- an instruction to ambassadors to carry out the first joint analysis of security threats.

- a plan for upgrading the efficiency of the Council.

This first formal meeting between NATO and Russia’s is held after one and a half year of frozen contacts between the two, this after the Russian war in Georgia. Back then Russia’s Foreign Minister aired a complete different tone towards the US, NATO and ’the West’;

(FLH).

‘Google Earth’ shows Updates on Shipyards in Severodvinsk.

The ‘Google Earth’ images on the Russian shipyards in Severodvinsk on the White Sea we showed before and in our Photo Gallery were taken the 24th of September 2007, like in this image; 004.

But ‘Google Earth’ has now updated the Severodvinsk satellite images. The update is new and so all added information by visitors and others is still old. The new update was taken on the 14th of September this year (2009), this according to ‘Google Earth’.

In the new update on Severodvinsk we can see that the new Indian aircraft carrier (INS ‘Vikramaditya’) has been moved (see this image: 001). But we can also see submarines that weren’t there in the images of September 2007.

The ‘Akula’ or ‘Typhoon’ submarines are also in a new spot in the ‘Belomorsk’ harbour in Severodvinsk, as the image left shows.

Other images are also different from what was shown before of September 2007 and as we have shown in several posts. We can now see other submarines in the two shipyards but also other ships that were moved, compared to this new updated satellite images of Severodvinsk.

The new images ’Google Earth’ now shows on Severodvinsk  are of lesser quality and are therefor also not that clear and bright as we got used to. For instance ‘Mironova Heights’, Russia’s huge nuclear storage near Severodvinsk, has also ‘changed’ when compared to what we showed in a former post on the shipyards of Severodvinsk. 

Take a look at the image left and take a look of what we showed earlier this year, please compare and take a look at the following image of ‘Mironava Heights’; 009.

The other ‘Typhoon’ (‘Akula’) that was moored close to the ‘Sevmash’ shipyard has also disappeared in the new September 2009 images on ‘Google Earth’. In order to compare all these images please see our ‘Photo Gallery’. 

We, of course, will now start searching for more images, more changes in the satellite images on Severodvinsk. Please help us find more of these changes.(FLH).

The ‘Photo Gallery’ of the ‘Dutchintell’ weblog is under construction.

Currently, we at ’Dutchintell’, are working very hard to reconstruct and improve the ‘Photo Gallery’ of our weblog. So the ‘Photo Gallery’ is under construction. We, at ‘Dutchintell’, do all this next to our normal and daily jobs and so we can not be fast and furious all the time. So please be patient.

We are currently working on a real ’photo-image-abc’ on Russia, the Russian forces and the Russian Navy in particular. Currently also, we are working on a complete and ‘high-quality-image-gallery’ on the Russian Navy Fleet; a complete ’ABC’ on the entire and current Russian Navy Fleet (Ship-Name-Class-Number).

Finally, when it’s all ready, finished, completed and eventually compiled to a real ‘Photo Gallery’, the new ’Dutchintell Photo Gallery’ will consist of; a real ‘ABC’ of numerous images on Russia in general, numerous images on the Russian military forces in general, numerous satellite images on Russia, numerous images, yes a real ‘abc’, of Russian ships and submarines, etc. etc.

And perhaps, in the near future, there’s much more to come…………!  (FLH).

Quick Other(s) Russian News (Links).

1)      Russia to start Construction of the 4th ‘Borey’-class Submarine in December (As earlier reported by ‘Dutchintell’).

2)      New Fighter Jets for Russia’s Aircraft Carrier ‘Admiral Kuznetsov’.

3)      Russia finally gets and tests its own Satellite or Precision-Guided Bombs.

4)      Missile Shield could go Arctic: BarentsObserver.

5)      Russia to dismantle 191 Submarines by 2010!!

(FLH).

Medvedev: a strong Russian Navy in 10 Years!

During a meeting with about 20 military personnel who took part in the ‘Zapad-2009′ execersises, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that Russia will recreate a powerful navy in the next ten years. As Supreme Commander-in-Chief President Medvedev visited the exercises just yesterday. ‘Zapad-2009′ was held together with forces from Belarus from the 18th of September untill today.

Medvedev also said, “We are facing the most large-scale task, to reestablish the Navy, as a significant number of our ships – both surface and submarines – are serving their last years now.”, “This does not mean they can’t operate, but nevertheless new ships should be put into operation. And we have a stock of submarines and ships.”

Medevedev was stating all this, especially the remark about hav ing ships and submarines in stock, just days after Deputy Minister of Defense Vladimir Popovkin, during an interview, stated that in particular the nuclear powered cruisers are subject to reconstruction programmes, which are now being developped (see our post below).

Medvedev concluded by saying “I am convinced we will be able to reestablish our Navy in the next decade at levels that our state will require. And we need a strong Navy” (read more).

The ‘Zapad-2009′ exercises ended today, more info here. The other large-scale exercise in which quiet some Russian forces, including 16 Navy vessels, took part, ’Ladoga-2009′, also ended today. For more information on the strategic exercise ’Ladoga-2009′ take a look here and watch a video here. For more images on the Russian Navy see the ‘Dutchintell’ Photo Gallery.(FLH).

Old ‘Kirov’ cruisers back in service?

Could it be that the Russian Navy soon will operate another nuclear ’Kirov’-class cruiser, or perhaps two, or three? Is Russia going to rebuilt those old, rusting laid-up ‘Kirovs’?

Will the ’Pyotr Veliky’ (099) – Russia’s one and only nuclear ’Kirov’-class cruiser in service - soon be accompanied by its old ’sisters’; ‘Admiral Ushakov’, ‘Admiral Lasarev’ and ‘Admiral Nakhimov’ (image below)?

NB: For more photo’s and images, also on the ‘Kirov’-class cruisers, see our ‘Photo-Gallery’, which is currently under construction, but still worth visiting.

During an interview with ‘Ekho Moskva’ Russia’s Deputy Minister of Defense, Vladimir Popovkin, said that in particular the nuclear powered cruisers are subject to reconstruction programs, which are now being developed (Read more: ‘BarentsObserver’).

Russia’s Navy now only operates one ‘Kirov’: the ‘Pyotr Veliky’, the Northern Fleet flagship (image left). The other three ‘Kirov’-class cruisers have been laid-up since the Soviet Union fell apart.

The three in-active ‘Kirov’-class cruisers are in a very bad shape after being laid-up for almost 20 years. Restoring or rebuilding these huge warships will not only be expensive but will also take a great effort for the Russian shipyards.

Next to this ‘mothball-plan’, Russia also has a hand full of other ‘mothball-plans’ and also has plans to built new ships and submarines. All and all, the Russians shipyards, in theory, but also in real life, have loads of work to do, and all this while these shipyards are way behind in planning, are way behind in being up to date, are way behind in being effecient, are way behind in being ‘modern’, etc. etc.

So, is this just another hoax, some kind of Russian ‘blabla’ or again Russian Navy rethoric? Well, maybe, we just don’t know, but let’s not forget that this is the Russians talking! One never knows what to expect! (FLH).