On Monday, Vladimir Putin had a meeting with senior Defense Ministry officials and defense industry top executives, focused on the current state and development prospects of the Russian Navy, presidential web page reports.
As the President pointed out, “Nowadays, advanced ships armed with powerful state-of-the-art missiles that have improved characteristics in terms of accuracy and destruction range come into service with the Navy. This effective armament can radically change the situation on the theatres of operations and neutralize any aggressive actions against Russia. A Russian naval task group is permanently deployed in the eastern Mediterranean off the Syrian coast. This year, Russian naval ships successfully pursued objectives assigned to them in the Arctic, Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans, including in order to protect shipping and oppose piracy in the South China Sea, in the area of the Gulf of Aden, the Strait of Malacca, the Singapore Strait, and in the Caribbean. A total of 111 cruises have been performed, involving 70 surface ships and 27 support ships, as well as 15 multi-purpose submarines.”
As he stressed, “It is necessary to expand the Navy’s combat capabilities in the next few years. This largely depends on the scheduled adoption of upgraded frigates and submarines that can launch Zircon hypersonic missiles, as well as destroyers and multirole amphibious warfare ships.”
“Naval research and development projects are a driving force in scientific aspects and economic sectors all over the world. And we need to see to it that advanced military technologies and innovations facilitate the manufacture of popular civilian goods, and that defense industry companies and shipyards expand their range and production volumes,” he added.