Author Description

This publication, The Russian Navy - A Historic Transition, is intended to provide the reader with a basic introduction to the Russian Navy and an appreciation of current developments that will shape Russia's navy and its operations in the 21st century.Because the U.S. Navy operates worldwide and the Russian Navy is an advanced, globally capable force, its history, capabilities, missions, and role within the Russian state and armed forces should be clearly understood. The new technologically advanced Russian Navy, increasingly armed with the KALIBR family of weapons, will be able to more capably defend the maritime approaches to the Russian Federation and exert significant influence in adjacent seas. This multi-purpose force will be the forward-layered defense of Russia and its maritime exclusive economic zone and will be able to promote Russian diplomatic interests, advance maritime science, combat piracy, and provide humanitarian assistance.On the basis of currently available data it is projected that the Russian Navy will retain its core missions. Although the national defense mission of the strategic and general purpose navy has remained, today's fiscal realities require that the decreased number of major naval platforms be multi-mission capable and armed with the latest capabilities in weapons; sensors; and command, control, communications, computer, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems. Russia has begun, and over the next decade will make large strides in fielding a 21st century navy capable of a dependable national defense, an impressive but limited presence in more distant global areas of interest, manned by a new generation of post-Soviet officers and enlisted personnel. The research, technical development, and production enabling the achievement of these goals have and will continue to be accompanied by a robust program of naval arms sales to other countries. The quantity and quality of the ships, submarines, and armaments sold wi