– Free Beacon – Russian attack submarine sailed in Gulf of Mexico undetected for weeks, U.S. officials say.

The Pentagon denies the story.

– US Naval Institute Proceedings – Russia’s warship construction may be on the rise again, but the Russian naval mission of the 21st century appears markedly evolved from the Soviet naval mission of the 20th century.

– Daily Telegraph – Russia is preparing to send two amphibious assault ships to the Syrian port of Tartus. The move is seen as an attempt to ensure the safety of Russian nationals stationed at the strategic naval base Moscow operates on Syria’s Mediterranean coast.

– Wired – Driving through the cavernous entrance carved into the heavy rock of the mountain was pure James Bond, but the base that unfolded inside was a hard-hitting mix of superspy fantasy and the coarse reality of the Cold War world in which it played a key part.

– UPI – Test launches for the submarine-based Bulava missile, a Russian weapon with a history of failures, are scheduled for the fall, the sub builder says.

– English Russia – A photo essay looking inside the factory where the Kilo-class submarines are built and overhauled.

– Russian Navy – Russian sub had nukes aboard during fire – A Russian sub had nuclear-tipped missiles and other weapons aboard when it caught fire in dry dock during December repairs in the arctic.

– The Economist – The Syrian port of Tartus is Russia’s only military base outside the old Soviet Union. Moreover, Russia is the Syrian regime’s only big-power friend. So the arrival there of the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft-carrier and a few other warships earlier this month brought a warm welcome from Bashar Assad’s defence minister, General Dawood Rajiha, who praised Russia’s “honourable” support for his government.

– Defense Technology – The testing of Russia’s new submarine-launched R-30 Bulava ICBM (SS-NX-30) intercontinental ballistic missile has come to an end.

– BBC – The huge fire that engulfed the Russian Delta-IV class nuclear ballistic missle submarine Yekaterinburg, undergoing repairs in the northern Murmansk region has been put out

– Xinhua – An aircraft carrier combat group of Russia’s Northern Fleet on Tuesday started patrol missions in the Northeast Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea, the fleet’s spokesman said.

– Defense Technology International – The delivery of the first Yasen class (project 885) multirole attack nuclear powered submarine Severodvinsk to the Russian Navy has slipped for the end of 2012.

– DEBKAfile – The Syrian crisis aassumed a big power dimension this week with the build-up of rival United States and Russia naval air carrier armadas in Syrian waters. The USS George H.W. Bush arrived Wednesday, Nov. 23, in the wake of the three Russian warships anchored earlier opposite Tartus which established a command post in the Syrian port. They will be augmented by Russia’s only air carrier the Admiral Kuznetsov, which is due in mid-week.

– Defense Technology International – Just two days after the ICBM crash in Plesetsk, another new Russian missile has made a successful test launch. On September 29, Delta IV class Tula submarine of the Russian Northern Fleet fired a ballistic missile called Lainer (Liner) from the Barents Sea.

– Defense Technology International – On Sept. 12, the first multirole attack nuclear-powered submarine, Severodvinsk, of the Yasen class (Project 885) sailed off for factory trials, reported Sevmash shipyard, where it was built. Severodvinsk’s construction lasted 17 years and the sub was officially launched in June 2010.

– Defense Technology International – Using attack helicopters from the sea appears to be in vogue, again.

– Virginian Pilot – The Russians are coming! Well, actually, they’ve been here for a couple of weeks. And we invited them.

– RIA Novosti – Russia resumed tests of its troubled Bulava submarine-launched ballistic missile,and the launch – 15th in the Bulava’s history – was successful “by all parameters.”

– Defense Technology International – The Russian defense export agency Rosoboronexport finally signed the contract with the French military naval systems company for two Mistral-class BPC helicopter landing docks.

– Defense Technology International – The Russian Defense Ministry purchased 12 new surface ships from Severnaya Verf shipyard in St. Petersburg. The new order includes 4 project 22350 frigates and 8 project 20385 corvettes and is placed in the framework of the new procurement program through 2020.

– New York Times – Since a low-key Christmas Eve announcement of a French sale of assault ships to Russia, high-level government deal makers have boasted about the multimillion-euro deal like it was a soccer game triumph…But critics – particularly among Russia’s neighbors including Georgia, Estonia and Lithuania – are raising alarms that France may have pioneered the way for other Western countries to sell Russia whatever they have to offer, from high-technology military equipment to rights for oil pipelines.

– Washington Post – After a long hesitation and arduous negotiations, Russia has decided to buy at least two of France’s advanced Mistral-class amphibious warships in an unprecedented military deal between Moscow and the West.

– Defense Technology International – The Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk has launched the second Borei-class (Project 955) SSBN, Alexander Nevsky.

– Guardian – President Dmitry Medvedev says Russia is looking to restore its naval power but will not say where the bases may be.

– Associated Press – The Russian Navy on Friday successfully test fired its Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile. The launch was conducted from a submarine in the White Sea, near the border with Finland. The missile reportedly hit a target on the Kamchatka Peninsula, some 6,000 kilometers (3,400 miles) to the east. It marks the second successful firing in a month, further boosting the nation’s weapons program that had become accustomed to embarrassing failures.