Vladimir Putin took part, via videoconference, inaceremony forraising theRussian navy flag onthenew vessels delivered totheNavy andtolaunch thenuclear-powered cruise missile submarine Imperator Aleksandr III, according to the Kremlin website.
During theevent, shipyards inSeverodvinsk, Baltiysk andVladivostok handed over totheNavy thenuclear-powered cruise submarine Generalissimus Suvorov, thesmall-size missile ship Grad andthesea minesweeper Anatoly Shlemov, respectively.
Generalissimus Suvorov andImperator Aleksandr III are thesixth andseventh missile carriers oftheBorei-Afamily, capable ofcarrying Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles.
“Iwould like tocongratulate all theNavy men andshipbuilders ofRussia onthis significant, milestone event forthefleet, andthank theteams ofSevmash, Zelenodolsk andSredne-Nevsky Shipyards fortheir hard work, forthetimely andhigh-quality execution oftasks. Thedesigners, engineers andworkers ofthese enterprises have once again proved their great professionalism inpractice,” said the President.
Vladimir Putin especially noted thecontribution that theenterprises oftheUnited Shipbuilding Corporation– theRubin Design Bureau andtheSevmash plant– made tothecreation ofthenuclear submarine fleet. “Thelatest nuclear missile carriers that are being designed andbuilt there have no analogues intheworld inmany respects. Thenew submarines andsurface ships are equipped with advanced navigation, communications andhydroacoustic systems, high-precision weapons androbotic systems,” he said.
TheGeneralissimus Suvorov is armed with Bulava ballistic missiles, which significantly increase thecapability ofthe country’s naval nuclear forces. Vladimir Putin emphasized that four more such submarines will be built aspart ofthecurrent state armament programme, which will ensure Russia’s security fordecades tocome.
TheGrad small-size rocket ship is also anew generation project, reminded he President adding that vessels ofthis class have shown high efficiency incarrying out combat missions inSyria andhave proven themselves well inthecourse ofthespecial military operation.
Sea minesweepers, such asAnatoly Shlemov, also belong tothenew generation. This project is considered one ofthemost successful Russian developments insurface shipbuilding. Inthefuture, it is planned tobuild ten more vessels ofthis class.
“Istress that we will increase thespeed andvolume ofbuilding vessels ofdifferent types, equip them with themost advanced weapons andprovide operational andcombat training toour navy men, including based ontheexperience gained during thespecial military operation. Inshort, we will do everything necessary toreliably protect thesecurity ofRussia andour national interests intheWorld Ocean,” said Vladimir Putin.
United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC OJSC) is the largest shipbuilding company in Russia. It was set up in 2007 with 100% federal ownership. The holding comprises about 40 companies and organizations (major shipbuilding and shiprepairing companies as well as leading design bureaus). Currently, USC consolidates about 80% of the domestic shipbuilding complex. The Russian market is the main focus of the state corporation though it also exports its products to 20 countries worldwide.
