07-30-2024, 01:14 PM
https://www.yahoo.com/news/ukraine-says-...31294.html
No kidding? Seriously, the four remaining operational submarines are indeed the primary Russian naval threat remaining in the Black Sea. They almost certainly will not be used in the Sea of Azov. It is too shallow in most places to provide safety by submerging. The entrance is also tricky and insecure.
At the start of the war Russia had six Kilos available in the Black Sea. One of them was frightfully obsolete and unusable in a conflict. Subsequently another was seriously damaged by Ukraine while in dry dock. Probably not salvageable with what is available in the Black Sea support facilities. This leaves four Kilos, of which only three are Kalibr capable improved Kilo-class vessels. The fourth has been overhauled but not upgraded to fire Kalibr missiles. It is however quite capable of torpedoing anything that needs it. These boats will remain a problem for quite a while until Ukraine sinks them. Mining the entry to the home port where the live is the best way to do that.
The good news is that these submarines do require extensive maintenance. Eventually they will require an overhaul, which takes lots of time in dry dock. Today the preferred place to get that done would be the Admiralty Shipyard in St. Petersburg. There are other shipyards that can in theory do the work, but that isn't the "normal" pattern. None of them have access to the Black Sea. Eventually the Kilos will be dangerous to operate. That will not be tomorrow, but since none of these boats have had a major overhaul in three years, some of them must be getting close!
These boats are important in that they can fire missiles into Ukraine from the south. That complicates Ukraine's defense because it can't rely on a limited approach angle. Russia will drive these boats into the ground doing this. They don't much care about the risks. Once one doesn't return that may change.
No kidding? Seriously, the four remaining operational submarines are indeed the primary Russian naval threat remaining in the Black Sea. They almost certainly will not be used in the Sea of Azov. It is too shallow in most places to provide safety by submerging. The entrance is also tricky and insecure.
At the start of the war Russia had six Kilos available in the Black Sea. One of them was frightfully obsolete and unusable in a conflict. Subsequently another was seriously damaged by Ukraine while in dry dock. Probably not salvageable with what is available in the Black Sea support facilities. This leaves four Kilos, of which only three are Kalibr capable improved Kilo-class vessels. The fourth has been overhauled but not upgraded to fire Kalibr missiles. It is however quite capable of torpedoing anything that needs it. These boats will remain a problem for quite a while until Ukraine sinks them. Mining the entry to the home port where the live is the best way to do that.
The good news is that these submarines do require extensive maintenance. Eventually they will require an overhaul, which takes lots of time in dry dock. Today the preferred place to get that done would be the Admiralty Shipyard in St. Petersburg. There are other shipyards that can in theory do the work, but that isn't the "normal" pattern. None of them have access to the Black Sea. Eventually the Kilos will be dangerous to operate. That will not be tomorrow, but since none of these boats have had a major overhaul in three years, some of them must be getting close!
These boats are important in that they can fire missiles into Ukraine from the south. That complicates Ukraine's defense because it can't rely on a limited approach angle. Russia will drive these boats into the ground doing this. They don't much care about the risks. Once one doesn't return that may change.