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Navy to Receive 36 Warships This Year

ST. PETERSBURG — The Navy will receive 36 warships in 2013, an unprecedented number in Russia's history, the Navy's Deputy Commander-in-Chief Vice Admiral Alexander Fedotenkov, said Sunday.

"This year, 36 combat ships, fast attack crafts and support vessels will join the Russian Navy. This has never happened before," Fedotenkov said at the International Naval Show in St. Petersburg.

Russian Navy warships are now performing missions in all areas of the World Ocean, with over 60 combat ships currently at sea, he said.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said in March that the Navy would receive eight nuclear-powered strategic submarines, 16 multirole submarines and 54 warships of various classes by 2020 as a result of the implementation of the state rearmament program.

The eight strategic missile boats include three Borei- and five Borei-A-class vessels armed with Bulava ballistic missiles, which are to become the mainstay of the Navy's strategic nuclear deterrent, replacing their aging predecessors.

The 16 multi-purpose submarines include eight Granei-class nuclear-powered attack submarines and improved Kilo- and Lada-class diesel-electric boats.

Sevmash, the country's largest ship-building complex, on Friday confirmed previously announced plans to deliver three nuclear-powered submarines to the Navy by the end of this year.

In addition to submarines, the navy will receive Admiral Gorshkov-class frigates and Steregushchy-class corvettes, Buyan-class corvettes and Ivan Gren-Class large landing ships.

President Vladimir Putin said last year that the procurement of new warships and submarines for the Navy would be a priority over the next decade. The government has allocated five trillion rubles ($166 billion), or a quarter of the entire armament procurement budget to 2020, for this purpose.

Russia and Italy have decided to update and improve their joint next-generation diesel submarine project, a Russian naval design bureau said Friday.

The S-1000, a 1,000-ton diesel submarine, is a joint project begun in 2004 by Russian submarine builder Rubin and Italy's Fincantieri and first presented in October 2006.

In its proposed configuration, the S-1000 is of "little interest" for potential clients, Andrei Baranov, deputy head of the Rubin Central Design Bureau, said, adding that a decision had been made to improve the project and target specific countries that need a submarine fleet.

The submarine was originally designed for anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare, reconnaissance missions, and transportation of up to 12 troops. It is 56.2 meters long, has a top speed of 14 knots and is equipped with a new fuel cell-powered Air Independent Propulsion system developed by the Italian firm.

Although its exterior will stay as designed, there will be considerable changes to "what's inside" the submarine, Baranov said, adding that the target regions for selling submarine would remain the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

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