El Snorkel – The Russian media Paluba.media publishes the first images of the interior of the balistic missile submarine Bulova “Generalissimo Suvorov” (In Spanish)

(Thanks to Alain)

CSIS – The impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine has been felt in the Arctic. The region’s primary diplomatic venue is paused, and military tensions are increasing. When Sweden and Finland join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), every Arctic country save Russia will be a member of the U.S.-led alliance. The war has not diminished Russia’s core economic and security interests in the region, but it has had some impact on its military readiness there in the short term, especially in terms of ground capabilities, if not at sea or in the air. In addition, there are some preliminary indications that sanctions and export controls may diminish Russia’s ability to deploy precision munitions to the Arctic to a degree. At the same time, Russia’s use of hybrid tactics in the region seems to be increasing in both frequency and severity. The United States and NATO will need to take stock of these developments in a region they have not historically prioritized as they begin to implement their new, respective strategies.

RUSI – Russian moves to operationalise the Zircon hypersonic missile represent an important development, but the significance – especially in terms of the current conflict – should not be overstated.

War Zone – A report in the Russian media claims that the first production examples of the country’s Poseidon nuclear-powered, nuclear-tipped, ultra-long-endurance torpedoes have been built. These will initially be provided to the Russian Navy’s shadowy Project 09852 Belgorod, the world’s longest submarine — but, at this stage, it’s unclear if the torpedoes actually have their nuclear warheads fitted.

US Naval War College Review – Both France after the Franco-Prussian War and post-Soviet Russia found themselves squeezed in multipolar worlds, with poor economies and loss of industrial power. Alongside Admiral Gorshkov’s continuing influence, modern Russian naval thinking has evolved toward an emphasis on smaller surface units with advanced capabilities—similar to the Jeune École concept—with implications for Western naval planning.

Naval News – This morning Russian Navy ships and submarines left their base at Novorossiysk, in the Black Sea, en-masse. This is highly unusual and may indicate ongoing operations.

War Zone – If true, Admiral Gorshkov’s deployment armed with Zircon hypersonic missiles is significant, but questions remain about this new capability.

Barents Observer – Seven Russian nuclear-powered icebreakers are in the first days of January crushing ice along the western sector of the Northern Sea Route and the outlets of the rivers Ob and Yenisei.

Naval News – On December 29, 2022, the Russian Navy commissioned three new vessels (Project 955A Borey-A class submarine Generalissimus Suvorov, Project 12700 Alexandrit-class MCM ship Anatoliy Shlemov, Project 21631 Buyan-M class Grad). 

News 24 – Fourteen days after the sanctioned Russian cargo ship, Lady R, docked at the Simon’s Town naval port in South Africa for three days, the government has not yet provided an explanation. The visit is being labeled as suspicious for illegal arms transfers. (In French)

(Thanks to Alain)

SeaNews – December 8 the port of Vladivostok in the Russian Far East saw the arrival of PD-100, the largest floating dock in Russia and one of the largest of the kind in the world.

(Thanks to Alain)

Scramble – Russia’s ‘Doomsday’ plane, the Ilyushin Il-80VKP (Il-86VzPU), NATO code Maxdome, is the airborne command post of the Russian President in the event of a nuclear attack, also called the Flying Kremlin. Recently, the Il-80VKP has been tested with an updated system which maintains regular communication with submerged nuclear submarines. For such a task, the aircraft has been updated with a new ultra-long wave communication complex which can set up a connection with an extended submersible communication antenna towed by the submarine.

(Thanks to Alain)

CSIS – Overshadowed by the invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s recent and rapid militarization of a group of islands claimed by Japan has flown largely under the radar. Taken by Russia at the end of World War Two, Kunashiri, Etorofu, Shikotan, and the Habomai islands of the Kuril Island chain, which Japan claims as its “Northern Territories,” have  complicated relations between the two states for decades.

BMPD – It is reported that on November 26, 2022, the frigate “Admiral Golovko” (serial number 923) of project 22350, built for the Russian Navy by PJSC “Shipbuilding Plant” Severnaya Verf has entered sea trials.

(Thanks to Alain)

Wired – Satellite monitors discovered two vessels with their trackers turned off in the area of the pipeline prior to the suspected sabotage in September.

War On the Rocks – Russia’s naval strategy in the Black Sea cannot be divorced from its wider military objectives. A major defeat of Russia’s forces on Ukrainian territory is likely to force the Kremlin into its Black Sea bastion, from where it can seek to use its relative naval strength to maintain a military status quo, lock in a frozen conflict or buy enough time to rearm for future attacks on Ukraine. Russia still feels as though it has some degree of strategic depth in the Black Sea.

USNI News – The Russian Navy still outnumbers and outguns the Ukrainians in the northern Black Sea. Despite the dominance on paper, the Russian Navy is on its back foot after several successful attacks from the smaller Ukrainian forces.

ferra.ru – The ship Askold, armed with Caliber missiles and the marine version of the Pantsir complex, will complete sea trials in December and will start the state tests in early 2023. (In Russian)

(Thanks to Alain)

USNI News – Russia has continued to use long-range cruise missiles fired from ships in the Black Sea to hit civilian targets in Ukraine over the last several weeks

El Snorkel – Apparently NATO countries are taking positions to be ready, if necessary, to be able to deny the use of the eastern Mediterranean to the Russian fleet. (In Spanish)

(Thanks to Alain)

Naval News – Media hype claims that a unique Russian submarine, the Belgorod, has ‘vanished’. This may be exaggerated. Naval News can share images of the submarine operating on the surface in the Arctic.

War Zone – EU and other officials say the available evidence increasingly points to deliberate acts causing ruptures in two Baltic Sea gas pipelines.

Naval News – The changing tide of the Ukraine War appear to have led the Russian Navy to ‘regroup’ its forces in the Black Sea. Early during the invasion they loitered boldly close to Odessa. Now the Black Sea Fleet barely sails out of sight of Crimea for fear of Harpoon missiles. Its submarines too have recently shifted their base further from the shadow of Ukrainian attack.

Naval News – Nuclear submarines are the most powerful, and most survivable, assets in the Russian Navy. Against the backdrop of dramatic naval losses in the war in Ukraine, they are the ace up the sleeve. Now a nuclear submarine appears to be playing cat and mouse with NATO forces in the Mediterranean.

Naval News – Russia is prevented from moving its warships from the Mediterrean to the Black Sea because Turkey closed the Bosporus to warships. The narrow straits control access. Yet Russia has been able to transport advanced weapons systems, such as S-300 missiles, through the straits to support the war in Ukraine.