News Story: Russian cruiser Varyag conducts training shootings at Far East

Varyag (Image: Wiki Commons)

VLADIVOSTOK, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Guided missile cruiser Varyag has conducted training shootings near Russia's Far East city of Vladivostok, the fleet press service reported on Monday.

According to the fleet's combat training plan, the ship successfully performed a set of shootings on land targets and a towed navy shield, and simulated enemy ship and air attack systems using the automatic weapon system AK-130 and AK-630, the spokesman of the Pacific Fleet Vladimir Matveev said.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Russian paper evaluates PLA Navy's future carrier fleet

Chinese Navy Carrier Liaoning

The increased activity of the PLA Navy over the past year is a sign that China is starting to work towards the goal of force projection, Moscow-based newspaper the Military-Industrial Courier reported on Aug. 5.

Without an overseas military base network or a fleet of aircraft carriers like the United States, force projection is nigh-on impossible. China is unlikely to have this capability in the medium term. But Beijing is actively developing its carrier force and is researching how carriers can be used in battle.

Analyzing China's current ability to engage in standard carrier fleet missions is an interesting proposition. First, one needs to analyze China's first and only active aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, and other ships that could potentially form the carrier fleet, for which China will likely employ its most advanced ocean vessels.

After China obtained the hulk of the Soviet-era Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier Varyag from Ukraine, the country refitted the vessel using home-grown technology including electronics, weapons systems, air defense supression systems and power system, finally commissioning it as the Liaoning in 2012.

Read the full story at Want China Times

Editorial: Is China Eyeing These Advanced French Amphibious Assault Ships?

By Shannon Tiezzi

China could be looking to purchase the two French Mistral ships that were originally built for Russia.

In 2014, France determined that it would avert plans to sell two of its Mistral-class amphibious assault ships that were originally bound for sale to Russia. The decision was spurred, in part, by pressure from French allies, including the United States, who saw a sale of a complex naval asset to Russia in the wake of its support of anti-government Ukrainian rebels as inappropriate. The deal between France and Russia had originally been concluded in 2011, and was canceled last year, leaving the French with two Mistrals in hand, miffed at the lack of an eager customer. The Franco-Russian agreement for the Mistral sale reached a final price of $1.37 billion euros for the two ships.

Two weeks ago, reports emerged in the Taiwan-based China Times, citing Duowei News, that China may be the latest customer for the French Mistral vessels. The report further noted that China’s People’s Liberation Army’s microblog noted a French task force visit to France. The French had sent two warships, including the Dixmude, the final Mistral-class ship built for the French navy. The French naval task force also comprised the Aconit, a La Fayette-class frigate. The report further noted that this visit marked the first time that a French Mistral docked at a Chinese port. All of this activity takes place amid the political difficulty of putting together a sale given the European Union’s still-in-place arms embargo against China–a retaliatory move for Beijing’s suppression of the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.

Read the full story at The Diplomat

News Story: Pacific Fleet Took Part in INDRA-2012 Joint Exercise

Having completed the visit to Indian port of Mumbai, Pacific Fleet (PF) task unit held the INDRA-2012 exercise in the Arabian Sea along with Indian colleagues. Russia was represented by destroyer Marshall Shaposhnikov, seagoing tanker Irkut and rescue tug Alatau; India delegated frigate INS Tabar and destroyer INS Mysore, PF press secretary Capt 1 Rank Roman Martov told PrimaMedia. 

Russian and Indian naval mariners held joint communication and maneuvering drills. Such common training activities help naval mariners to understand special signals exchanged in piracy-hazardous regions. 

Naval aircraft were also involved in the exercise. Ka-27 helicopter took off Marshall Shaposhnikov and landed on the deck of Indian destroyer INS Mysore. The exercise continued with joint gun firing drill. 

Read the full story at RusNavy