MURMANSK, RUSSIA - Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov at the PD-50 floating dry dock of Shipyard 82. Lev Fedoseyev / TASS
David Axe, War Is Boring: Dry-Dock Sinking Could Accelerate the Russian Navy’s Decline
New, smaller ships could replace bigger, old ones
The sinking of the Russian navy’s biggest dry dock could spell trouble, and change, for the world’s third-biggest navy.
PD-50, a huge floating dry dock at the 82nd Repair Shipyard in Roslyakovo, Russia, accidentally sank on Oct. 29, 2018 after an electrical malfunction resulting in pumps overfilling the dock’s ballast tanks.
Four shipyard workers were hurt.
Admiral Kuznetsov, Russia’s sole aircraft carrier, was aboard PD-50 at the time of the sinking. The carrier remained afloat but suffered damage from a collapsing crane.
It could take years for the Kremlin to make up for PD-50’s loss. In the meantime, the Russian fleet will lack a floating repair facility for the 60,000-ton-displacement Kuznetsov and potentially other large warships of Cold War-vintage.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: As to the question .... when will the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov be repaired to re-enter service? Apparently it is going to take a long time .... Russian officials: Nope, we can’t finish fixing the carrier Kuznetsov (Ars Technica).
6 comments:
If Russia want to make big boat it have to make big shipyard.
The Chinese will offer to help for just a little more, discounted oil.
The loss of an obsolete aircraft carrier is not a big loss. The loss of the dry dock can be a problem. With that said smaller ships are going to be the future of Naval warfare. They are likely less expensive, more can be made at a faster pace, and they will likely be much faster than the bigger ships.
For example, such ships will be better able to counter the swarming techniques that will likely be employed by Iranian speedboats in any conflict with Iran than the current inventory of US Naval vessels. "Aircraft carries" should be changed to "floating death trap." This is essentially what they are unfortunately.
I'm sure the Chinese will be happy to "help." After all Russia's "problem" is an "opportunity" for someone. Those offering to help will get something in return and they will have the opportunity to forge good working relations with a major world power. This is a win/win all the way around for whomever is willing and able to offer their services to the Russians here.
The US or Europe should offer help. It'd be a grand gesture and could go a long way. But it must be done without making Russia look bad.
Anon (1:19PM)
I agree. We should offer to help. The upside potential of the grand gesture is huge while any downsides are minimal to non existent. I don't think we have to be concerned with making them look bad as they would never agree to anything that would make them look bad.
Unfortunately there are at least a couple of issues that will need to be overcome. 1.)Certain interests in the United States are consumed by anti-Russian hysteria. 2.)There are trust issues that need to be overcome. They don't trust us and we don't trust them. There are very good reasons for the mistrust.
Comrade, good plan. Lets work on details and exchange numbers. We can then also maybe drink hot tea out of tiny glasses together and sing songs of glorious motherland? :D
Post a Comment