Despite occasional boasts about building aircraft carriers, the Russians are successfully downsizing their ships for what Russia can afford:
The Russian navy, because of budget cuts, has suspended or canceled work on many new subs and large surface ships. That enables the Navy to apply all its procurement efforts to obtaining smaller ships on budget and on time. Not only are the smaller ships cheaper but they can be built quickly and are easier to monitor for quality control. The shipyards producing these smaller ships know they are fortunate because so many other years have had construction contracts canceled or suspended.
Russia has also completed their land-based coastal defense rebuilding program. But "these coastal defense systems rely on other target data from aircraft, ships, satellites or land-based radars." The ships need to be numerous and coastal rather than large multi-capability blue water capital ships.
Getting rid of a blue water fleet eliminates one source of Russian weakness:
Russia needs SSBNs for a survivable nuclear deterrent; coastal vessels and SSNs to secure SSBN bastions in the Sea of Okhosk and the Barents Sea; other coastal vessels to protect their coasts from enemy navies in the Sea of Japan, Barents Sea, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, and Caspian Sea; perhaps a few larger ships for show-the-flag operations; and a solid determination not to waste resources on more than that which are more needed for air and ground power to defend their long border.
Truly, it has astounded me that Russia persisted in wanting a blue water fleet. I wanted them to waste money on that! Sadly in regard to letting Russia commit strategic stupidity, it was as if God himself reached down to Earth to save Russia from that mistake.
If only Russia would stop pretending China is a friend. Then Russia might stop threatening NATO to alienate this powerful alliance and get their weaknesses down to a manageable level.
So close to sanity! Sooo close.
