Project 23560E Leader destroyer - Program
The Defense Ministry considered upgraded frigates of project 22350M as the main green-water warships. They have a displacement of 8000 tons and are powered by Russian-made M70 turbines and M-90FRU boosters. It is easier to build and improve the frigates rather than create a gigantic nuclear missile warship such as Lider. The ministry approved the project in 2013. The Severnoe bureau produced the rough design in 2013-2016. Media reports said the Defense Ministry approved it. Optimistic reports claimed the lead warship would be laid in 2019. The annual 2019 statement of Severnoe Design Bureau appeared in public. The statement said “the customer suspended the planned work (for 2017-2019) of project 23560 after the rough design was completed in 2016.”
As of January 2015 the military-industrial commission was calculated on the creation of a new destroyer to replace the units of the conventionally powered project 956 Sovremenny [7,900 tons] and Project 1155 Udaloy [8,400 tons], which remain the main ocean warships Russia. It is meant to replace the Sovremennyy-class destroyers, the main anti-surface warships of the Russian Navy, as well as the Project 1164 Slava-class cruisers [11,000 tons] and the Udaloy class anti-submarine destroyers.
The new Project 23560E Leader destroyer, at 17,500 tons, would be significantly larger than the conventionally powered ships it would replace, although significatly smaller than the Project 1144 Orlan/Kirov battlecruiser [25,000 tons]. As of 1990 the Soviet navy included a total of 11 Project 956 Sovremenny, 11 Project 1155 Udaloy, and 3 Project 1164 Slava-class cruisers. By the year 2020, it can be projected that the Russian Navy would include total of 2 Project 956 Sovremenny, 1 Project 1155 Udaloy, and 3 Project 1164 Slava-class cruisers.
In June 2012, the director of OSK (holding Russian shipbuilding) stated at the Economic Forum in St. Petersburg that Russia would hold the first copy on the future destroyer in 2016, a total of 6 units to be built. The timing seems for the moment compliance with these statements.
As of mid-2014, there were conflicting data from all points of the compass. The approximate price of the new Navy destroyer was said to be $2,500,000,000. In the medium term (15-20 years) there were to be 14-16 of the new destroyers — ie an average of 4 ship to any of the fleets of the Russian Navy.
Although the construction site had not yet been officially decided, it seems that this would be the shipyard North (St. Petersburg). It was expected in 2014 that over the next 2 to 3 years, the office develops technical documentation of the ship, working on the appearance and armament.
The new generation destroyer should also complete missions Russian Mistrals escort and beyond the protection of the future Russian battle group formed around the next nuclear aircraft carrier, the project had not been submitted yet. According to a retired Russian admiral interviewed by the newspaper Izvestia, the Navy would need at least three units. However, it is estimated that a total of nine units deployed fleets between the North and the Pacific would be ideal, with five other units in the Baltic Sea. According to him, the first units should primarily be sent in Pacific.
It was reported in October 2014 that the Russian navy planned to order 12 Leader destroyers: six for the Northern Fleet and six for the Pacific Fleet. The lead ship was expected to be ready in 2023-25. It was not yet clear how many of the destroyers would be nuclear or gas turbine powered. The project comprised part of Russia's naval development program until 2050, and the ships were expected to replace Sovremennyy class or Udaloy class destroyers.
As of January 2015 the military-industrial commission was calculated on the creation of a new destroyer about 2018, and the first destroyer can be built no earlier than 2023-2025. The new destroyers are to replace the units of the conventionally powered project 956 Sovremenny [7,900 tons] and Project 1155 Udaloy [8,400 tons], which remain the main ocean warships Russia.
As for the Leader destroyer, its construction could begin in 2019 - such statement was made by Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Admiral Viktor Chirkov in late June 2015. Chirkov in late June 2015 told TASS that the Navy planned to get 12 destroyers of the new class.
A shipbuilding industry source told TASS on 02 July 2015 that the Navy has said that a prospective aircraft carrier will be built no earlier than in 2030. As for the Leader destroyer, its construction could begin in 2019.
As of mid-2016, Russia's Ministry of Defense was reviewing the design and could sign the ship building contract in the near future. "Presently, a preliminary design of Project 23560 Leader is under consideration at the Russian Ministry of Defense," Igor Ponomarev, vice president of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), told RIA Novosti in early June 2016. After the project is given the green light, "we will develop a technical design of the ship and prepare the documents to build the ship in the timeframe set by the ministry." No specific date hds been provided on when the agreement will be signed or when the Leader-class will enter production, but the ships design could be finalized this year. The ocean-going Leader-class destroyer had been in development by the Severnoye Design Bureau, the country's leading company designing surface ships, since 2010.
This destroyer project may reflect a desire to surpass the American DDG-1000 "Zumwalt". But the very expensive "Zumwalt" failed to become a new type of destroyer of the US Navy. Zumwalt slowly built only three ships, with a full displacement of 14,000 tons. Instead it was decided to resume the construction of conventional and reliable "Arleigh Burke".
Work on building a cutting-edge Lider-class destroyer for the Russian Navy may begin in 2020, Navy Deputy Commander-in-Chief for Armament Viktor Bursuk said on 20 June 2018. "A preliminary design [of the destroyer] has been made. Following its results, we are now making the necessary decision and work on its technical design will begin shortly and the construction will start after 2020," Bursuk said. The project of the destroyer codenamed Lider is being worked out at the Severnoye Design Bureau in St. Petersburg. As Vice-President of the United Shipbuilding Corporation for Military Shipbuilding Igor Ponomaryov said earlier, Russia’s Defense Ministry has already approved the warship’s conceptual design. The future destroyer will displace from 10,000 to 15,000 tonnes. According to Bursuk, the Lider will get a nuclear-powered propulsion plant.
The president of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (OIC) Alexei Rakhmanov told Tass 05 July 2018 that "Initially, Russian shipbuilding enterprises did not think to create such heavy and large ships, and now any of the existing shipyards needs modernization in order to build the "Leader". We are reconstructing the Northern shipyard, where there will be a berth for giant ships. We are able to calculate the load on the slab, make the heavier launch dock, so that it can withstand 40 thousand tons of weight. However, it is economically inefficient to build such structures for the sake of one "steamer". So the questions about the place of construction still remain."
Krylov State Research Center (KGNTS) presented conceptual models of perspective ships at the Army 2018 in Augut 2018. One of them is the destroyer Shkval of the distant sea zone of Project 23560E with a displacement of 15 to 18 thousand tons, capable of fighting all types of surface, submarine, land and air targets with the help of a large arsenal of missile weapons. This 200-meter giant accelerates to 32 knots, and the gas-turbine power plant provides autonomy for navigation up to 90 days. According to KGNC employees, only foreign delegations are interested in this project. The Ministry of Defense of Russia likes the project, but no concrete decisions have been taken on it yet.
Engineering design of the newest Russian destroyer codenamed Leader was to begin in 2019-2020. It is planned to complete this work by 2022, Russian Navy’s Deputy Commander Vice Admiral Viktor Bursuk told Mil.Press Today in July 2018. Mil.Press Today reported in February 2019 that the dates for commencement of substantive work on the ship had not been defined yet. The project designer, Severnoye Design Bureau, will kick it off sometime in the middle of the current state arms procurement program, thus construction period of the destroyer was rescheduled again.
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