Russia creates holdings of surface and underwater shipbuilding: they will build dozens of warships

Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Sergey Ivanov said that in Russia it is planned to build dozens of warships in the coming years, including placing orders at the North Verf shipbuilding enterprise. "There is a program of weapons, in which it is planned to build dozens of surface ships for nine years," he told reporters in St. Petersburg on Tuesday.

“First of all, these are frigates, corvettes, intelligence, rescue and auxiliary vessels,” he said.

At the same time, Sergei Ivanov emphasized that "there are no problems in financing the state defense system now, there have been no delays in financing over the past two to three years at the ELECRS of the military-industrial complex, the problem of the efficiency of expenditure of funds," Interfax reports.

Vice Prime Minister - Minister of Defense said that by September 2006, Russia will begin to operate two panther underwater rescue vehicles. He noted that the devices "are already actually purchased, the funds are paid, the preparation of our crews that will work for them is underway." According to Ivanov, two devices will be based on the territory of the Leningrad Region and "if necessary, since they are airmobile, will be transferred to those areas where their use will be required."

"You remember the situation in the Pacific Fleet, when we took advantage of the services of the English rescuers to save our crew (bathyscaphe). Then it was a decision to purchase more modern rescue equipment - the Panther apparatus," he said.

Sergei Ivanov also said that in Russia a "modern large rescue ship was laid in Russia, which is equipped with all the most modern - property, equipment and so on." We are talking about the ship "Igor Belousov", which was laid in the fall of 2005 at the St. Petersburg enterprise "Admiralty shipyards", ITAR-TASS reports.

Sergei Ivanov said that more than 30 military facilities have already been built in Novorossiysk for the future base of the Black Sea Fleet. "The program for the development of infrastructure in Novorossiysk for the future base of the Black Sea Fleet is stably financed within two years," he said.

“More than 1 billion rubles are allocated to this program annually. More than 30 military facilities have already been built,” Ivanov emphasized. "The fleet is not only a wall for the berth of ships. It is an airfield, and arsenals, and another infrastructure. The fleet has naval aviation and marine infantry," the deputy prime minister said.

At the same time, Ivanov noted that since the collapse of the former USSR, some of the warships still have no base, RIA Novosti notes.

"Rumors about the transfer of the Black Sea Fleet to the Syrian port of Tartus are a weighty journalistic cranberry," Ivanov told reporters after the Marine Collegium.

In addition, the holdings of surface and underwater shipbuilding will be created in Russia. According to Ivanov, "it is not fundamental - whether private or state enterprises will be included in these holdings, it is important - how efficiently they will work." The minister spoke out for the mandatory separation of holdings, which will engage in the construction of underwater and surface ships. "It is also extremely important to take into account the geography of Russia, preserving what already exists, and not forgetting about the technology, so as not to reduce everything to one geographical center."

Sergei Ivanov emphasized that this concept has been prepared, but has not yet been considered various authorities, including the military-industrial commission. “This is the matter of the future, while I am not ready to talk about the structure of the holding,” the minister said.