The Russian Navy can deploy only 45 out of 270 ships

The Russian fleet is on the verge of a sharp decline the number of ships and combat capabilities, thanks to major industrial defects that existed for decades in the production processes.

"Peter the Great" is a nuclear cruiser

Today, the Russian fleet has about 270 warships, including surface ships, amphibious ships, submarines and auxiliary devices. Out of 270 vessels, only 125 or so are in working condition. And of those 125, only about 45 ocean surface ships or submarines that are in good condition are suitable for rapid deployment.

In the course of the next few years, most of the still Soviet courts will be written off, as they are too outdated to operate safely and economically.

Horenburg, a Harvard analyst, says that the Russian shipbuilding industry could build somewhere between half and 70 percent of the ships that Moscow wants by 2020. "The earliest that Russia can build this new aircraft carrier is by 2027, while the new destroyers are still on the drawing board, the first one is unlikely to be put into operation within 10 years."

The US Navy has approximately 290 warships. To a large extent, all of them are well and carefully preserved, quickly deployable, ocean vessels.

China plans to increase its fleet by 351 vessels by 2020, as the Chinese continue to develop their military capabilities to achieve global goals.

"Kuznetsov" is a transport aircraft carrier

When Moscow moved to seize Crimea in March, the US Navy immediately sent his new warship, the George HW Bush aircraft carrier, to the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea in order to reassure the governments of NATO countries. Battle group "Bush" included no less than 60 high-tech military aircraft and several of the modern Arla Burke destroyers of the Washington class, armed with missiles and weapons for combating aircraft, submarines and other vessels.

In response, the Kremlin sent Kuznetsov. The aging carrier—much smaller than the Bush—carried about a dozen Sukhoi fighters. His six escorts included just one ship with powerful weapons, the Soviet nuclear cruiser Peter the Great. The other five vessels included one small amphibious assault ship plus three support tankers and a tugboat.

The tug came on a serious basis. In several cases, when Kuznetsov leaves the port, it often breaks quickly. In 2009, a short circuit led to a fire, as a result of which one sailor died in a fire on board a rusting vessel.

"Kuznetsov" shadowed "Bush" in the Mediterranean Sea for several weeks, and then returned home to Northern Russia across the English Channel in early May.

"Kuznetsov" does not have a large supply of remaining years. Its boilers are “defective,” according to the trade publication Defense Industry Daily. However, if it goes to the dock for dismantling, Moscow would not be able to find anything to replace it. The only shipyard where all Soviet carriers were built now belongs to Ukraine. It is located in the immediate vicinity of Crimea, and the Russian troops did not manage to capture it.

Based on: nextbigfuture.com