Future of the Russian Navy Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union , the Russian Navy tried to maintain Cold War force structures while suffering severely with insufficient maintenance and a lack of funding . However , improvements in the Russian economy over the last decade have seen a significant rise in defence expenditure and an increase in the numbers of ships under construction with a focus on blue - water vessels . An extensive rearmament program is being implemented since 2011 , with the Russian Defense Ministry expected to procure 100 warships by 2020 . The purchase of 20 submarines , 35 corvettes and 15 frigates is planned . The nature of the other 30 ships is as yet unknown . The Black Sea Fleet will receive 18 new surface ships and submarines , including s , s , and s . There are also plans to lay down Project 21631 small missile boats and " Steregushchy " class corvettes . This state arms program also provides funds for the purchase of two " Mistral " class assault ships . Furthermore , older vessels such as the " Kirov " class battlecruisers will also undergo overhauls and modernisation to bring them back into active service after spending over a decade laid up in reserve . Major surface combatants . Future aircraft carriers . In 2005 , it was announced that the Russian Navy was planning a class of two to four new aircraft carrier s , the production of which could start in 2013 – 14 for initial service entry in 2017 . Jane ' s said it was not clear whether " this was a funded programme " . In mid - 2007 , the new Navy chief announced plans to reform the country ' s naval forces and build a blue - water navy with the world ' s second largest fleet of aircraft carriers , aiming to create 6 aircraft carrier strike groups in the next 20 years . Russian President Dmitry Medvedev stated in 2008 that Russia intended to build nuclear aircraft carrier s in the next decade . However Russia currently does not have a facility capable of building aircraft carriers . On August 2 , 2010 , Vladimir Vysotsky stressed their importance : " If , for example , we do not have an aircraft carrier in the North , the combat capability of the Northern Fleet ' s guided - missile submarines will be reduced to zero after Day One because the submarines ' principal adversary is aviation " . Speaking in Saint Petersburg on June 30 , 2011 , the head of United Shipbuilding Corporation , a Russian state holding company , said his company expected to begin design work for a new carrier in 2016 , with a goal of beginning construction in 2018 and having the carrier achieve initial operational capability by 2023 . Several months later , on 3 November 2011 the Russian newspaper " Izvestiya " reported the naval building plan now included ( first ) the construction of a new shipyard capable of building large hull ships , after which Moscow will build four nuclear - powered aircraft carriers by 2023 . The spokesperson said one carrier would be assigned to the Russian Navy ' s Northern Fleet at Murmansk , and the second would be stationed with the Pacific Fleet at Vladivostok . 54 new destroyers , frigates and corvettes . The first destroyer class vessel to be built since the cold war is the Project 21956 multi - purpose destroyer . It represents the fourth generation of Russian surface warships developed by the Severnoye Design Bureau . According to Russian Navy Commander - in - Chief Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky work on the new destroyer class will start in 2012 . The class is expected to replace the older " Sovremenny " class . The ships primary roles will include anti - submarine and anti - aircraft warfare as well as the traditional anti - surface warfare role of Russian destroyers . The ship ' s design includes radar cross section ( RCS ) reduction features as part of a growing trend in new warship types of the Russian Navy . The first of the class is expected to be completed and delivered by 2016construction of 30 corvettes , 20 frigates and six destroyers . By displacement , ability to operate in rough seas and duration of autonomous operations these ships are no match for in - service cruisers . In all , the navy is expected to receive 54 new warships of various classes by 2020 . At least 6 " Admiral Gorshkov " - class frigates are to be constructed for the Russian Navy . The Northern Wharf Shipyard has thus far announced having received orders for six units . The first of the class , " Admiral Gorshkov " was laid down in 2006 , launched on 29 October 2010 and planned to be delivered by 2012 . Furthermore , eight " Admiral Grigorovich " - class frigate have been ordered , with the first laid down on 18 December 2010 and expected to be delivered by 2013 . These frigates will all serve in the Black Sea Fleet . Submarines . The State Arms Program 2011 – 2020 is expected to build and deliver up to 24 submarines ( both nuclear and conventional ) to the Russian Navy . Three new boats of the " Borei " class ballistic missile submarines are now under construction , but the first has been under construction since 1996 its completion was expected in 2008 . The lead boat , " Yuriy Dolgorukiy " , was launched in April 2007 , began sea trials in June 2009 and was commissioned as a part of the Northern Fleet in 2012 . The second boat of the class , the " Aleksandr Nevskiy " is currently on schedule to be delivered to the Pacific Fleet in 2012 The third of class is named " Vladimir Monomakh " . The fourth unit is scheduled to be laid down in 2010 . The mainstay of the SSBN force , the Delta IVs , joined the fleet during 1985 – 91 . While the service life of an SSBN normally is twenty to twenty - five years , without maintenance , it may be as short as ten to fifteen years . On schedule , the Russian Navy finally accepted its first new Borei class SSBN ( Yury Dolgoruky ) for service last December 30 . Thus , it appears that the newly commissioned " Yuriy Dolgorukiy " will be the first Russian SSBN in many years to make a long range cruise . The Russians will probably not announce this until it ’ s all over , lest something go wrong at sea . A second Borei is undergoing sea trials and is expected to enter service next year . A third Borei class boat is just beginning sea trials this month . In recent years there have been only about ten nuclear submarine patrols a year , each lasting three months at most and usually a lot less . Most have not gone far from Russian waters and some were by recently built SSNs ( nuclear attack subs ) or SSGNs ( SSNs equipped with cruise missiles ) and not by SSBNs . < cn > Ten " Yasen " class nuclear attack submarines are to be delivered to the Russian Navy . With its keel laid down on 21 December 1993 , the first boat of such class was slated for launch in 1998 but was delayed due to problems in financing the project . In 1996 work on the submarine appeared to have stopped completely . Some reports suggested that as of 1999 the submarine was less than 10 percent completed . In 2003 , the project received additional funding and the work of finishing the submarine continued . In 2004 it was reported that the work on the submarine was moving forward , but due to the priority given to the new , " Severodvinsk " , the lead unit of the " Yasen " class would not be ready before 2010 . In July 2006 the deputy chairman of the Military - Industrial Commission , Vladislav Putilin , stated that two " Yasen " - class submarines were to join the Russian Navy before 2015 . On 24 July 2009 the work on a second Yasen submarine , named " Kazan " , was started . On 26 July the Russian navy command announced that one multipurpose submarine would be laid down every year , not necessarily of this class , starting in 2011 . The launch of the first boat of this class and the beginning of sea trials was reported in September 2011 . On November 9 , 2011 Russia signed a contract for four additional " Yasen " class submarines to be delivered by 2016 . Following on from the success of the Kilo class submarines , the Russian Navy has ordered at least three more s . The first was laid down in August 2010 at the Admiralty Shipyard and expected to be commissioned by 2013 . On 18 May 2013 Russian Navy Commander - in - Chief Admiral Viktor Chirkov announced that the Russian Navy would get the first air - independent propulsion system for Project 677 Lada - class submarines by 2016 - 2017 . He stated that the Central Design Bureau Rubin is now at work on the propulsion system which is expected by 2015 - 2016 but the first three Lada - class submarines will have classic diesel - electric propulsion . Amphibious vessels . Landing ships . Six s are expected to be constructed . The first was laid down in 2004 and was launched in May 2012 . The ship will be deliverd to the Navy in 2013 . Amphibious assault ships . Russian officials have been negotiating a purchase of four s . On 24 May 2010 , the Russian Defense Minister said that Russia was in pre - contract discussions with Spain , the Netherlands , and France on purchasing four " Mistral " - class ships . It was planned to have one ship built abroad , two with the participation of Russian shipbuilders , and at least one built in Russia . The Minister also said that the first ships of this type would be based in the Northern and Pacific Fleets . On December 24 , 2010 , Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced France as the winner of a tender to build four " Mistral " - class ships for Russia . As the MISTRAL project continues it has been plagued with controversy with arguments that the ships are not required , that Russian ship builders could have built a similar vessel and that they cost too much . In January 2013 , Russian Deputy Prime Minister for the Defence Industry Dmitriy Rogozin has been critical about the purchase of French helicopter carriers Mistral . The contracts signed in 2011 had been also criticized by first deputy head of the Military - Industrial Commission Ivan Kharchenko , who blamed former Defence Minister Anatoliy Serdyukov . " It is very strange that we , given our climate , are purchasing ships to transport troops that do not work at temperatures below seven degrees , " Rogozin said at a general meeting of the Academy of Military Sciences on Saturday 26 January 2013 . On 18 May 2013 it was announced that the second Mistral - class helicopter carrier will be named " Sevastopol " and join Russia ' s Black Sea Fleet in 2017 . It is expected to be based in the Novorossiysk naval base which Spetsstroy , the strategic infrastructure builder , is to complete by that time . It was expected that both of the first two Mistral - class helicopter carriers , the " Vladivostok " and the " Sevastopol " would be assigned to the Pacific Fleet in 2014 and 2015 respectively after their completion in France . In Vladivostok , Berth 33 is being renovated for them . However , the geopolitical situation in the Mediterranean has demanded a boost to Russian naval forces in the Mediterranean , where work is now in progress to set up an operational formation . In order for it to function , it will require a significant number of new ships of various classes . The helicopter carrier Sevastopol is expected to become the flagship of the Russian Navy ' s operational formation in the Mediterranean by 2017 until which the duty will held by the Black Sea Fleet ' s Slava - class cruiser Moskva . Minor surface combatants . Mine - countermeasure vessels . At least four Alexandrit class minesweeper s are planned . The first of the class has been ordered and is expected to be launched sometime in 2012 .