Surface Forces: Saving The Slavas

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November 16, 2010: With its fleet of Cold War era warships falling apart, Russia realizes it cannot built enough replacement ships quickly enough. So some of these older ships will be refurbished. The largest of these are the Slava class cruisers. Three entered service in the 1980s, and a fourth was launched in 1990, but soon had construction halted. The uncompleted ship is in Ukraine, but  is now going to be completed, for service in the Russian navy.

These 11,500 ton ships each carry a crew of 485, two 130mm cannon, sixteen P-500 anti-ship missiles, 64 S-300PMU long range anti-aircraft missiles, 48 short range OSA-M anti-aircraft missiles, six 30mm anti-missile autocannon, two launchers for rocket powered depth charges, ten 533mm (21 inch) torpedo tubes and a helicopter.

The planned refurbishment will upgrade the engines and other mechanical components, as well as missiles and electronics. It will probably take most of the decade to complete the work, including the completion of the fourth ship. Currently, one of these cruisers (the Varyag) serves as the flagship of the Pacific Fleet.

 

 

 

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