Overview
- Putin signed off on “The Strategy for the Development of the Russian Navy up to 2050” in late May.
- Kremlin aide Nikolai Patrushev said the plan aims to rebuild maritime capabilities eroded by recent conflict losses.
- Russia’s navy holds the world’s third-largest fleet after China and the U.S., but Ukraine war engagements have cost several notable vessels.
- The current inventory includes 79 submarines (14 nuclear-powered ballistic missile carriers) and 222 surface ships, anchored by the Northern Fleet in Severomorsk.
- Beijing’s naval forces are projected to swell to 460 ships by 2030, challenging Russia’s aspirations for parity.