Zarvan
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2011
- Messages
- 54,463
- Reaction score
- 87
- Country
- Location
466 views|Jul 10, 2020,08:00am EDT
Powerful Russian Submarine Seen Entering Baltic Sea
H I SuttonContributor
Aerospace & Defense
I cover the changing world of underwater warfare.
An Oscar-II class cruise missile submarine has been observed entering the Baltic early on July 9. Russia normally only deploys diesel-electric submarines to the area. While these are potent, and can carry a few long range cruise missiles, the arrival of the OSCAR-II is a massive increase in Russian Navy firepower. So when one turns up it gets noticed by NATO and the Baltic States.
The upgraded Oscar-II cruise missile submarine can[+]
H I SUTTON
Its arrival was monitored by Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) analysts. These used snippets of publicly accessible information to piece together the bigger picture. As it passed under the Great Belt Bridge which spans the entrance of the Baltic, it had to do so on the surface. So it was briefly visible on the public webcams on the bridge. OSINT analysts shared the information and identified the submarine.
The submarine is believed to be Orel (K-266), which is expected to appear at the Navy’s Day parade in St. Petersburg on July 26. There is often more to it than just a parade however. The submarine may participate in training exercises with other units, and is seen as a show force in the Baltic. Already the Russian Ministry of Defense has shown naval vessels practicing an amphibious operation ahead of the parade.
Orel is significant because it has reportedly been upgraded to carry new missiles. This means that P-800 Oniks missiles have replaced the original P-700 Granit anti-ship missiles. The Oniks is supersonic and can engage both warships and land targets. The upgrade should also make it possible for the 3M14K Kalibr land-attack cruise missiles to be loaded. These are roughly equivalent to the U.S. Navy’s Tomahawk cruise missile. Both of these new weapons are smaller than the Granites, so the overall load is increased from 24 weapons to 72.
Both types of cruise missile have been combat tested in Syria. While early war shots may have had limited success, the operational experience will have been invaluable for the Russian Navy. The missiles can be expected to perform better in future operations.
There is also a possibility that the upgraded submarines will carry the 3M22 Zircon anti-ship missile in the future. This is a new hypersonic weapon which has been reported to travel at 8 times the speed of sound (Mach 8). The trade-off is range, so the Zircon is expected to be much shorter ranged than either the Oniks and Kalibr. Kalibr, being the slowest, will have the longest range.
Whether the upgrade actually included the new weapons has not been confirmed. But if it is true then it will only add to neighboring countries’ unease. And even the original Granite missiles represent an incredible amount of firepower in the context of the Baltic. No other country in the Baltic has cruise missile equipped submarines.
It is not the first time in recent years that Russia has deployed powerfully armed nuclear submarines to the Baltic for the annual Navy Day parade. In 2017 the Typhoon class submarine Dmitry Donskoy, the largest submarine in the world, visited for the parade. Then in 2018 it was the turn of Orel, and last year her Oscar-II class sistership Smolensk.
To get into the Baltic the vessels have to pass either between Denmark and Sweden, or go through the Great Belt waterway in Denmark. Orel took the Great Belt route. If Russian vessels sail through Danish waters individually, then they do not have to report their passage to Denmark. If three or more ships are sailing together however then they would do.
All the same the movements are often monitored by Danish warships or aircraft. Orel was photographed by a Danish C-130 Hercules and shared in a press release today. So Orel’s arrival isn’t in itself a surprise, but it will all the same make local Navies watch very closely.
Get the best of Forbes to your inbox with the latest insights from experts across the globe.
Follow me on Twitter. Check out my website or some of my other work here.
H I Sutton
Using OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) to get to the stories first. Author of several books on Submarines, Special Forces and Narco subs. I mostly write about submarines
…Read More
https://www.forbes.com/sites/hisutt...ing-baltic-sea/amp/?__twitter_impression=true
Powerful Russian Submarine Seen Entering Baltic Sea
H I SuttonContributor
Aerospace & Defense
I cover the changing world of underwater warfare.
An Oscar-II class cruise missile submarine has been observed entering the Baltic early on July 9. Russia normally only deploys diesel-electric submarines to the area. While these are potent, and can carry a few long range cruise missiles, the arrival of the OSCAR-II is a massive increase in Russian Navy firepower. So when one turns up it gets noticed by NATO and the Baltic States.
The upgraded Oscar-II cruise missile submarine can[+]
H I SUTTON
Its arrival was monitored by Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) analysts. These used snippets of publicly accessible information to piece together the bigger picture. As it passed under the Great Belt Bridge which spans the entrance of the Baltic, it had to do so on the surface. So it was briefly visible on the public webcams on the bridge. OSINT analysts shared the information and identified the submarine.
The submarine is believed to be Orel (K-266), which is expected to appear at the Navy’s Day parade in St. Petersburg on July 26. There is often more to it than just a parade however. The submarine may participate in training exercises with other units, and is seen as a show force in the Baltic. Already the Russian Ministry of Defense has shown naval vessels practicing an amphibious operation ahead of the parade.
Orel is significant because it has reportedly been upgraded to carry new missiles. This means that P-800 Oniks missiles have replaced the original P-700 Granit anti-ship missiles. The Oniks is supersonic and can engage both warships and land targets. The upgrade should also make it possible for the 3M14K Kalibr land-attack cruise missiles to be loaded. These are roughly equivalent to the U.S. Navy’s Tomahawk cruise missile. Both of these new weapons are smaller than the Granites, so the overall load is increased from 24 weapons to 72.
Both types of cruise missile have been combat tested in Syria. While early war shots may have had limited success, the operational experience will have been invaluable for the Russian Navy. The missiles can be expected to perform better in future operations.
There is also a possibility that the upgraded submarines will carry the 3M22 Zircon anti-ship missile in the future. This is a new hypersonic weapon which has been reported to travel at 8 times the speed of sound (Mach 8). The trade-off is range, so the Zircon is expected to be much shorter ranged than either the Oniks and Kalibr. Kalibr, being the slowest, will have the longest range.
Whether the upgrade actually included the new weapons has not been confirmed. But if it is true then it will only add to neighboring countries’ unease. And even the original Granite missiles represent an incredible amount of firepower in the context of the Baltic. No other country in the Baltic has cruise missile equipped submarines.
It is not the first time in recent years that Russia has deployed powerfully armed nuclear submarines to the Baltic for the annual Navy Day parade. In 2017 the Typhoon class submarine Dmitry Donskoy, the largest submarine in the world, visited for the parade. Then in 2018 it was the turn of Orel, and last year her Oscar-II class sistership Smolensk.
To get into the Baltic the vessels have to pass either between Denmark and Sweden, or go through the Great Belt waterway in Denmark. Orel took the Great Belt route. If Russian vessels sail through Danish waters individually, then they do not have to report their passage to Denmark. If three or more ships are sailing together however then they would do.
All the same the movements are often monitored by Danish warships or aircraft. Orel was photographed by a Danish C-130 Hercules and shared in a press release today. So Orel’s arrival isn’t in itself a surprise, but it will all the same make local Navies watch very closely.
Get the best of Forbes to your inbox with the latest insights from experts across the globe.
Follow me on Twitter. Check out my website or some of my other work here.
H I Sutton
Using OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) to get to the stories first. Author of several books on Submarines, Special Forces and Narco subs. I mostly write about submarines
…Read More
https://www.forbes.com/sites/hisutt...ing-baltic-sea/amp/?__twitter_impression=true
