RUSSIAN VESSEL TOWS SUBMARINE

[u-5075]

http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/n ... 2309.shtml

GEORGIA: RUSSIAN VESSEL TOWS SUBMARINE FROM ABKHAZIA’S COAST
11/23/09

A Russian submarine that sent a distress signal off the Black Sea coast of the breakaway region of Abkhazia has been hauled to safety in the Russian port of Novorossiysk.

The Alrosa, reportedly the only operative diesel-electric submarine in Russia’s Black Sea fleet, broke down early on November 21 as it was preparing to participate in military exercises off Abkhazia, where Russia has deployed thousands of troops. The submarine’s 52-men crew managed to bring the vessel to the surface about 150 kilometers from the Abkhaz capital, Sukhumi, the Russian daily Kommersant reported.

Russian military officials described the sub’s problem as minor, but added that the vessel could not make it to its home port, Sevastopol, on Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. It was towed to the nearer port of Novorossiysk on November 23, according to the RIA Novosti news agency. Made in 1988, the sub had a role in a 1997 Jackie Chan film, the Kommersant daily reported.

[bill harris]

Re: RUSSIAN VESSEL TOWS SUBMARINE

Wondering what type of Russian diesel sub it was (a Kilo), I dug up this follow-up article:

http://en.rian.ru/mlitary_news/20091123/156944882.html

--Bill

[u-5075]

Re: RUSSIAN VESSEL TOWS SUBMARINE

Here's some more background info. Click onto the url below to be able to access the links for more info
through this article

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htsub/ ... 91125.aspx

The Last Kilo Limps Home
November 25, 2009: The Russian Black Sea Fleet suffered a major blow when its only operational submarine, a 19 year old Kilo class boat, broke down at sea on November 21st and limped back to port on partial power. The only other sub in the fleet, a 29 year old Tango class boat, it undergoing repairs (and appears likely to continue doing so for some time.) During the Cold War, the Black Sea Fleet had thirty or more submarines.
The Black Sea Fleet is a pretty ragtag outfit, equipped with Cold War leftovers (the Kilo class sub was the youngest major ship it has). Most of the fifteen major surface ships are in need of repair, or not able to leave port at all. Some of the twenty minesweepers and missile equipped patrol boats date from the 1990s, but for the most part, the Black Sea Fleet is a rest home for Cold War relics.

The government recently ordered the navy to concentrate on building new ships for the Black and Baltic Seas, instead of planning a high seas aircraft carrier fleet. The Black Sea fleet has been continually declining since the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. That decline was the result of new countries (like Ukraine and Georgia) inheriting old Soviet ships and bases. That was the dissolution deal. Whatever Soviet weapons or bases were normally were, belonged to one of the 14 new nations. Most of Russia’s high seas ships were based in northern Russia (the Northern fleet, based next to Finland and Norway) or the Far East (the Pacific fleet, based north of China and North Korea). But the Baltic and Black Sea fleets were largely based in ports that were now part of a foreign nation. Russia negotiated a lease on their large naval base in Sevastopol, but that lease expires in eight years, and is not going to be renewed. So Russia is building a new base to the west, on the Russian Black Sea coast.

For over a century, Russia had four fleets (Northern, Pacific, Baltic and Black Sea). The latter two were virtually destroyed by the dissolution. But now Russia is having political problems (largely caused by Russia) with Georgia and Ukraine, and could really use some additional (and modern) naval power. To a lesser extent, the same situation applies in the Baltic (where Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania harbored, and often built, many of the Soviet ships of the Baltic fleet.) Poland, while not part of the Soviet Union, was a major naval ally, as was East Germany. Thus the Baltic fleet is a fraction of what it once was, and needs rebuilding.

[u-5075]

Re: RUSSIAN VESSEL TOWS SUBMARINE

http://english.pravda.ru/russia/politic ... ubmarine-0

Minor Malfunction on Board Alrosa Submarine Used to Undermine Russia’s Image

Front page / Russia / Politics
24.11.2009 Source: Pravda.Ru

Pages: 1

What is happening on board the Alrosa submarine of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet? The information about it is still contradictory. The Alrosa is the only operating sub of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation.

Media outlets continue to publish different pieces of information about the events happening on bard the submarine, whereas officials refuse to release any statements on the matter.

Ukraine ’s UNIAN news agency reported that the crew of the submarine transmitted the SOS signal at about 8:00 a.m. of November 21 when the cruiser was about 150 kilometers far from the coast of the city of Sukhumi.

The news about a malfunction on board the diesel-powered submarine appeared at night of November 21. The reports came from Ukraine. Spokespeople for Russia’s Defense Ministry and the General Headquarters of the Russian Navy neither confirmed nor rejected the information. As a result, the report about the technical breakdown on board the sub was dubbed “informational sabotage.”

It was later said that the Ukrainian media were distributing false information to undermine Russia’s reputation and support anti-Russian sentiments in Ukraine. The reports followed Viktor Yushchenko’s public address to his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev, in which he accused Russia of economic blackmail against Ukraine and said that Russia was seeking unfair gas contracts with his country.

Another version said that the information about Alrosa arrived to Ukraine from Georgian journalists, who in their turn were also interested in undermining Russia’s international reputation.

Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency later released a news story quoting an anonymous official for the command of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. The official confirmed the malfunction that occurred in Alrosa’s engine. The unnamed official also said that there was no danger for the crew of the submarine, but the cruiser was forced to turn back to its base.

The Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper wrote that the command of the Black Sea Fleet refused to comment the situation. Moreover, it was later said that the submarine had not transmitted any signals. However, it was reported on Saturday night that the submarine was indeed coming back to the base due to force majeure. News agencies reported with reference to unnamed sources and anonymous officials that the Alrosa was on a scheduled trip, but had to stop its operations at sea because of technical malfunctions.

Ukraine ’s UNIAN – the agency that launched the controversy – added more fuel to the fire the next day. The agency said that the submarine sent out an SOS on November 21, when the cruiser was 150 kilometers far from the coast of Sukhumi. The crew reportedly asked for help, but did not specify what was happening on the sub. It was only clear that the crew could not handle the problem alone.

The information from Russian news agencies was completely different. There were no official comments made, but an official with the General Headquarters of the Russian Navy told Interfax that Alrosa had not sent the SOS signal.

The Alrosa submarine is a diesel-electric powered 877B Project submarine. The sub is 76.2 meters long and 9.9 meters wide. The sub is armed with 18 torpedoes and Igla anti-aircraft systems.

Arguments and Facts
Lev Pukhlykh


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