– Naval News – The Russian Navy appears to have deployed marine mammals in Syria during the civil war two years ago.

– Naval News – The Russian Navy’s Black Sea Fleet can now deploy its submarines to the Mediterranean. This is despite an international treaty which many thought would prevent it. The Montreux Convention, agreed in 1936, prohibits submarines from passing through the Bosporus Strait, which connects the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. There are exceptions in the treaty for special cases for Black Sea nations: delivery of new submarines to the Black Sea, and exits for repairs. Russia is now routinely using these clauses to reestablish a permanent submarine presence in the Mediterranean. This is changing the balance of power there.

– USNI Proceedings – The United States must decide on a response to Russia’s new port-killing nuclear-tipped unmanned underwater vehicle.

– Forbes – The last thing a naval mine expects is to be shot by an underwater robot holding a pistol.

(Thanks to Alain)

– Forbes – A Russian submarine passed through Turkey on Tuesday in a maneuver that appears to stretch the terms of the longstanding Montreux Convention, a treaty that limits the movement of naval vessels between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. The Russian Navy has made similar moves before, using a clause in the terms to conduct combat operations in the Mediterranean. It is becoming a pattern. If these moves go unchecked it could change the balance of power in the region, making Russia more powerful in the Mediterranean.

– BMPD – On June 12, 2020, in Severodvinsk, the Northern Machine-Building Enterprise Production Association JSC (part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation JSC – USC) hosted the ceremony of hoisting the Russian Navy’s flag on the strategic nuclear-powered submarine missile cruiser K-549 “ Prince Vladimir ” project 09552 (955A; code” Borey-A “).(In Russian)

(Thanks to Alain)

– Naval News – Fifteen new warships and supply vessels will operate in the Far East by the end of 2020.

– Naval News – The ‘Petr Morginov’ big amphibious assault ship of project 11711 built by Yantar Shipyard began the final stage of running trials.

– BMPD – The Project 22350 frigate class moves forward…

(Thanks to Alain)

– BMPD – the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation signed a contract with the Zaliv shipyard in Kerch for the construction of the first two Russian universal landing ships.

(Thanks to Alain)

– National Interest – The head of the Russian Navy announced that the Baltic Fleet will be bolstered by the addition of six new warships, which will be armed with Kaliber cruise missiles.

– Naval News – The Black Sea fleet is actively developing into a self-sufficient and balanced force.

– Naval News – The Russian Navy’s Baltic fleet will receive a series of six Karakurt-class corvettes of project 22800.

– War Zone – The Russian Navy’s newest ballistic missile submarine, the Project 955A Borei-A class Knyaz Vladimir, has headed out for its “final” sea trials, indicating that it could finally enter service in the near future. The boat was originally set to formally join Russia’s Northern Fleet back in 2017, but that schedule repeatedly slipped due to technical issues.

– BMPD – The Russian Advanced Research Foundation said that on May 8, 2020, at 22 hours 34 minutes Moscow time, the Russian autonomous uninhabited underwater vehicle Vityaz plunged to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. The Vityaz sensors recorded a depth of 10,028 meters. During this dive, a pennant was delivered to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War. (In Russian)

(Thanks to Alain)

– Tass – The second submarine to serve as a basic carrier of Russia’s Poseidon nuclear-capable underwater drones will be floated out approximately in late June.

(Thanks to Alain)

– Naval News – The Russian Navy is reinforcing its naval group in the Mediterranean Sea. Two new submarines with Kalibr cruise missiles joined it. Other warships are to arrive. The Mediterranean group is reinforced on the background of the escalating civil war in Libya and the tanker war in the Gulf.

– Naval News – When the Marine Nationale’s latest submarine, Suffren (Q284) conducted its first test dives it grabbed headlines. What went largely unnoticed by the world was that a Russian ship had been loitering in the area. RFS Akademik Pashin (IMO: 9778193) is a Project 23130 replenishment tanker.

– Breaking Defense – Two Russian companies announced an agreement today to build the world’s most powerful nuclear icebreaker, the first step in a bold new Arctic strategy Moscow hopes will bring riches and drive open lucrative new shipping routes.

– Naval News – The navigation and oceanography department of the Russian Defense Ministry will receive a dozen new hydrographic boats and vessels by 2021. Each Russian Navy fleet will be reinforced with them.

– War Zone – Russia’s Severnoye Design Bureau has stopped development entirely of its Project 23560 destroyers, also known as the Lider class, and the Project 22350M frigate, an expanded derivative of the Project 22350 Admiral Gorshkov class. The company has said these ships are among its most promising future offerings and the halting of the two programs has raised questions about its long-term financial stability.

– Barents Observer – The 96 meter long special-purpose ship “Akademik Aleksandrov” has been formally incorporated in Russia’s Northern Fleet.

– National Interest – An annual Russian naval estimate reveals Moscow’s continuing shipbuilding dilemmas, as well as a contrast to China’s naval development prowess.

– Barents Observer – A civilian who went onboard the Russian cruise-missile carrier “Orel” had met with a man who tested positive to the coronavirus.

– War Zone – The Russian Navy has reportedly looked into reviving this tactic, but for cruise-missile armed submarines.