The Navy and Russia's security.

The Navy command has always had and will continue to have great respect for the Russian Academy of Military Sciences and its administration, appreciating its special role in developing domestic military thought. We are also highly appreciative of the Academy's Navy Department, which ever since its foundation has been headed by Fleet Adm. Ivan Matveevich Kapitanets, an authoritative and respected naval leader. The Navy Department's experience shows that the Academy Presidium and its president did absolutely the right thing in not confining themselves to the creation of a naval department at the Academy of Military Sciences. The tapping of scientists and researchers from all, including civilian, structures in all spheres of Russia's naval and maritime activity enables the Academy to attain a nationwide as well as systemic, scientific level of dealing with the Navy's outstanding problems. Furthermore, the Navy Department's performance has been recognized by, among other things, the Distinguished Naval Service medal that the Naval College under the RF Government awarded Adm. I.M. Kapitanets.

Indeed, many of the objectives set to the Navy Department upon its establishment have not only been attained, but the Department has made an important contribution to implementing the country's national naval policy, specifically:

* first, the Naval College was established under the RF Government as a permanent coordinating body in the field of Russia's maritime and naval activity designed to facilitate the implementation of the provisions and requirements of the Russian Naval Doctrine. It was recently decided that the Naval College will now work under the direct supervision of a deputy prime minister of the Russian Federation--RF Defense Minister Sergei Borisovich Ivanov;

* second, the Navy Department conducts systemic analysis of the status and evolution of Russia's naval activity, as well as naval activity in the world as a whole, whose results are submitted to the president of the Russian Federation on a yearly basis, and are taken into account in the preparation of his state of the nation addresses to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. It was in accordance with the Navy Department's decision that the first almanac on Russia's maritime and naval activity was published. Scientists from the Navy Department of the Russian Academy of Military Sciences took an active part in its preparation;

* third, following the approval by the Academy of Military Sciences and its president, the Navy Department prepared a military theoretical work entitled Naval Science, and measures are being implemented to grant the naval science an official status.

It is important to note that the Russian president, the Russian prime minister, and the Russian defense minister regularly visit the country's maritime regions, giving them a very high priority, on a par with the Navy. This greatly helps Navy and Fleet commanders to effectively deal with outstanding problems.

Today, the Navy and the defense industry are implementing a wide ranging program to build corvette class surface warships and putting in place an appropriate infrastructure for them. In all, it is planned to build about 20 such battleships. The work has also begun on the construction of a series of new-generation landing craft. Design work is nearing completing on a frigate class lead battle ship--the Admiral Gorshkov--whose construction will begin in early February 2006 at the St. Petersburg shipyard.

The new types and classes of battleships that are currently under construction are designed to have great versatility and possess high operational effectiveness in performing naval tasks, as well as the capability to operate both independently and as part of combined units and flotillas. Priority in designing these ships and in developing new models of arms and military equipment was given to missile complexes with vertical and interoperable launching systems; a significant breakthrough was made toward the transition to multifunctional information systems using fixed site antenna arrays; and new generation EW, surface and submarine illumination, and combat information command and control systems have been introduced. Onboard air complexes have also been modernized. On the whole, the reliability, security, and operational and maintenance capabilities of the fleets have been upgraded considerably. The situation, however, does not stand still, and future warships will be using even more sophisticated and advanced weapons and technical systems.

While battleships are being built, the auxiliary fleet is not forgotten either. Right now, three different types of support vessels are undergoing state tests and will soon be adopted for service in the Navy: a small hydrographic survey vessel, a physical field monitoring vessel, and a lift vessel--a hazardous-cargo loader. Before the end of the year, the Admiralteyskiye verfi shipyard will begin construction of a new rescue vessel project, the Igor Belousov. Practically the entire range of Navy lead ships and vessels for operations in near and distant maritime areas are being built, and it is planned to begin their series production in the future, in line with the country's shipbuilding programs.

Our new missile carrying nuclear powered submarines the Yuriy Dolgorukiy and the Alexander Nevskiy are to become part of the Northern and Pacific Fleets, respectively, designed to strengthen and boost the nuclear capability of their naval strategic nuclear forces. Furthermore, work is in progress on the construction of a new-generation lead multirole nuclear powered submarine. It is expected to go into service in the Northern Fleet a little later than we would like it to, but still in the foreseeable future. A new diesel submarine, the St. Petersburg, is undergoing builders' tests and sea going trials.

So there is good cause to say that the crisis in the Russian shipbuilding industry has to a very large extent been overcome, and the Navy's vessel fleet is being modernized. The state has accomplished the long awaited transition to a long term force organization and development policy for the Russian Federation Navy as the country's only viable foundation for its defense in maritime areas and for ensuring its interests in the world oceans. There is every reason to say that this policy will be successfully implemented. At the same time, some serious problems remain.

Now a few words about our aircraft carrying fleet. In line with the Naval Doctrine of the Russian Federation, in the period until 2020, the Russian Navy is to deter the threat or use of force against the Russian Federation; protect and defend the sovereignty of the Russian Federation that extends outside its land borders to maritime areas within its territorial waters; protect Russia's sovereign rights in the exclusive economic zone and on the continental shelf; and ensure freedom of action for Russian vessels and elements of maritime economic activity in the high seas. The Navy creates and maintains conditions for the safe and secure operation of Russian economic entities; ensures Russia's naval presence in the world oceans; ensures the demonstration of the flag and military force; makes visits and calls at foreign ports; and participates, with the naval forces of friendly countries, in military, peacekeeping, and humanitarian operations in the interests of the Russian Federation. There is no need to prove to naval or military experts that the aforementioned tasks can be fulfilled the most effectively in remote strategic operationally and economically important parts of the world oceans only with the use of aircraft carriers. Today, this is an axiom that is generally recognized and accepted by all maritime powers, which is borne out by the constant expansion of the "club" of countries that possess an aircraft carrying capability.

Russia has expended considerable effort in building a national aircraft carrier fleet. Huge financial and intellectual resources were spent, and the state finally began to receive military, political and economic dividends on this investment. So it is high time that all sorts of "experts" who have little knowledge of the Navy's interests and its pressing problems, stop claiming that Russia does not need aircraft carriers. These allegations are belied by the more than 70 year long experience in the combat employment of aircraft carriers in World War II and the numerous postwar local conflicts and standoffs in various parts of the world. The majority of the world's viable and robust navies have learned from this experience, specifically that aircraft carriers are an indispensable element of a naval force, especially the naval force of such a great maritime power as Russia.

Russia is not a poor state, and it can well afford to maintain an aircraft carrying fleet.

Complaints that some "specialists" make about the need to "save" on building the fleet at the expense of aircraft carriers for our Navy are absolutely groundless and absurd. The results of extensive operational, tactical, and military-economic studies conducted in the 1970s and the 1980s are well known in the naval and military circles of the Defense Ministry and the defense industry. There is ample evidence showing that in the absence of aircraft carriers, for example, in a "standard" naval operation, losses in personnel and materiel can exceed the cost of an aircraft carrier as well as all warships lost in an operation, many times over. So, in accordance with the well-known cost-effectiveness principle, the need and expediency of aircraft carriers may not be questioned. It is time to stop all debate on this issue. It is another matter, of course, that the country's economic, production and technical capability to build aircraft carriers and maintain an aircraft carrying fleet is a problem outside the Navy's jurisdiction.

Today, Russia's only aircraft carrying cruiser, the Admiral Kuznetsov, is being increasingly assigned ocean going missions, while the skills of its crew, aircraft pilots, staffs and support forces are constantly growing. I believe that in the foreseeable future, the cruiser will be ready to take part both in multinational exercises and in peacekeeping operations.

The most important naval operation in 2005 was the cruise made by the aircraft carrying flotilla of the Northern Fleet, led by the Admiral Kuznetsov heavy aircraft carrying cruiser, and a group of Baltic Fleet battleships. After a long hiatus, the practice of command and staff bilateral exercises with the employment of battleships and vessels from the two fleets representing the opposing sides was restored.

Last year, just as during the "golden age" of our Navy, one of the most important tasks for the Navy was to support Russia's foreign policy activities and demonstrate naval presence (Russia's naval flag) in strategically and operationally important parts of the world with the making of calls and business visits at foreign ports. It is noteworthy that during the past few years, the effort to fulfill these task has intensified considerably. Whereas in 2000, our ships made a mere 20 visits and calls, in 2005 the Navy's ships and vessels made 45 visits and calls at 36 ports in 24 states.

The Navy still has very many problems to deal with. They are well known to the command and naval officials. These problems must be addressed without delay. It is obvious, however, that not everything is so simple and considerable effort needs to be deployed to overcome the difficulties that are facing the Navy. No matter what clever, well thought through ideas and proposals could be made at any conferences or meetings, regardless of their status, their successful implementation will hinge on the degree to which they become part of state programs--or rather, the degree to which the executive authorities, the decision makers can understand these ideas, appreciate their importance and translate them into reality. From this perspective, it is difficult to overestimate the efforts of the Academy of Military Sciences, naval specialists, and especially all participants in the present conference.

Today, as at all times, the naval power of our state should be aimed to ensure the constant strengthening of its defense capability in the interest of the country's sustained economic development. We need to give our unflagging attention to pooling the efforts of the state in developing all components of Russia's naval power. This is our duty to Motherland whose fate is in our hands.

In the 21st century, the organizational development of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the Navy as their essential component should be based on a sound scientific foundation.

Adm. V.V. MASORIN

Commander in chief, the RF Navy