Putin thinks big on naval investment
The Signal | No. 05.2025
Welcome to The Signal, your monthly maritime newsletter, written and edited by Dr Emma Salisbury.
You will have noticed that ‘The Signal’ has a new home – The Broadside, your source for the best maritime writing and analysis from the Sea Power Laboratory at the Council on Geostrategy. I am personally honoured to be Editor of this exciting project – if you have some maritime thoughts which you’d like to write about, please do take a look at our submission guidelines and pitch me!
Thoughts from your correspondent
Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, has unveiled a far-reaching development strategy for the Russian Navy, setting his sights firmly on the year 2050. Announced in the historic maritime city of St. Petersburg – a symbolic nod to Russia’s naval legacy – the plan promises a significant expansion and technological leap for the fleet, with a hefty ₽8.4 trillion (around £75 billion) earmarked over the next ten years. This is a serious financial commitment which underscores the Kremlin’s maritime priorities – and one for North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) navies to keep a close eye on.
While the strategy maintains the long-standing role of the Russian Navy in safeguarding national security and asserting its presence on the world’s oceans, it also embraces a bold technological vision: hypersonic missiles, uncrewed systems and advanced digital integration. In Putin’s words, the Russian Navy must be prepared to tackle ‘the entire range of tasks set for them now and in the future’, which includes navigating a rapidly shifting technological environment characterised by robotisation and digital warfare.
Putin emphasised that this is not a new journey but a continuation (and amplification) of efforts already underway. From Kaliningrad in the west to Vladivostok in the far east, Russia’s shipyards are humming with activity, churning out both surface ships and submarines. In the past five years alone, Russia has built 49 ships of various classes. And between 2020 and 2024, it commissioned four Borei-A class strategic submarines and four Yasen-M class multipurpose submarines – no small feat in such a tight window.
A particularly eye-catching development is the new multipurpose submarine Perm, which comes armed with Zircon cruise missiles. These missiles may be capable of hypersonic speeds and can reach targets over 1,000 kilometres away. Putin didn’t hold back on his praise for Zircon, which is clearly a centrepiece of his modernisation narrative.
Of course, it’s not just about building flashy submarines. A major focus of the strategy is the systemic integration of emerging technologies, such as uncrewed aerial systems, marine robotics and a new generation of communication, radar and navigation tools. These technologies won’t operate in isolation, but will be connected through a unified reconnaissance and strike network, supported by Russia’s satellite constellation. It’s an ambitious attempt to create a digitally connected, high-speed and heavily automated navy.
But this strategy doesn’t stop at the ships and their systems. Putin also zeroed in on the importance of bolstering domestic industries which support naval construction, such as machine-tool manufacturing and instrument making. He called for a comprehensive review of these sectors to ensure they’re up to the task and urged full implementation of previous directives on shipbuilding. There was also a particular emphasis on using Russian-made components, not least due to ongoing sanctions.
This naval overhaul isn’t happening in a vacuum. The president linked the development strategy directly to Russia’s broader state armament programme, ensuring that naval priorities are baked into future defence planning. Reflecting on recent military experiences – particularly those gained during Russia’s ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine – Putin highlighted the importance of updating naval training programmes to reflect the realities of modern warfare.
Russia’s naval development plan is an interesting one, as it is as much about projecting future power as it is about navigating today’s global uncertainties. Whether or not all of these ambitions come to fruition – and this is definitely not guaranteed – one thing is clear: the Kremlin is thinking big and long-term about its place on the high seas.
Tracking the deployments of the Royal Navy
Key movements:
The Carrier Strike Group 2025 deployment Operation HIGHMAST is underway, with a route through the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean to the Indo-Pacific. Led by the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, the group also includes HMS Dauntless, a Type 45 class destroyer, HMS Richmond, a Type 23 class frigate, an Astute-class submarine, and RFA Tidespring, an auxiliary, as well as two squadrons of F-35B Lightning II Joint Combat Aircraft, Wildcat helicopters and drones. Importantly, the group is joined from the start by HNoMS Roald Amundsen, a Norwegian frigate, and HNoMS Maud, a tanker. For more on the deployment, see my article from earlier this week.
HMS Dauntless took part in Exercise Sharpshooter off the coast of Wales, in advance of her deployment with Operation HIGHMAST. The exercise involved the ship shooting down waves of Banshee, Hammerhead and virtual drone attacks in a scenario intended to test her weaponry, radars and sensors. A similar exercise, Talon Strike, was completed by the Wildcat helicopters of 815 Naval Air Squadron. Testing against these kinds of scenarios is vital in preparing ships and air assets to tackle modern threats, such as that presented by the Houthis in the Red Sea.
HMS Somerset has returned home to Plymouth after an intensive deployment tracking Russian ships in British waters. Since December 2024, the frigate has completed six missions monitoring Russian vessels passing through the English Channel and the North Sea on their way from Syria to Russia’s Baltic ports, sailing 18,000 nautical miles in the process. She also took part in exercises with NATO allies off the coast of Norway. BZ to all of the crew – time for some well-earned leave!
Maritime news from allies and adversaries
United States (US): The US Navy has commissioned USS Iowa, its 24th Virginia class fast attack submarine, in a ceremony at the base in Groton, Connecticut. A particular shoutout to Adm. Daryl Caudle, the US Fleet Forces commander, who delightfully described Groton, the home of American submarine production, as ‘the nation’s centre of gravity for the steely-eyed killers of the deep’.
People’s Republic of China (PRC): The People’s Liberation Army has carried out a joint military exercise, Strait Thunder 2025A, in the middle and southern areas of the Taiwan Strait. The drills included the Shandong Carrier Strike Group and a series of other naval and air assets. A PRC spokesman confirmed that the exercise was intended as a deterrent to Taiwanese independence, using the phrasing of ‘anti-secession combat capabilities’.
Japan: The Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force is testing a railgun on its testbed ship JS Asuka. Once they are ready for deployment, they will likely be used on ships to intercept incoming anti-ship missiles as part of a layered air defence network, and on land in a similar artillery role to a howitzer – as well as fulfilling the core function of looking incredibly cool.
Denmark: The new Fleet Plan for the Royal Danish Navy has been unveiled, with a short-term track to strengthen certain key capabilities quickly, and a long-term track for new major surface combatants. Along with recent announcements on new sea mines and boosting Arctic capability, this heralds a strong showing from the Danes on naval investment.
Greece: The Minister of National Defence has announced a 12-year Long-Term Defence Armaments Plan for the Greek military, which includes the acquisition of new frigates, submarines and patrol vessels, as well as multiple upgrade programmes for the existing fleet.
Naval technology news
HMS Richmond has become the first of the Type 23 class frigates to receive the integrated Link 16 Crypto Modernised system, significantly improving her ability to share tactical situational awareness with other platforms. This capability has been provided to HMS Richmond ahead of schedule to support her mission as part of the Carrier Strike Group 2025 deployment to the Indo-Pacific.
The Ministry of Defence is one step closer to replacing the Crowsnest airborne early warning system which protects the Royal Navy’s carrier strike groups. The department has issued a Request for Information notice to ‘understand the capacity and capability of the industrial base to support this capability requirement’ – contracts will likely be confirmed in early 2027 for commissioning of the new systems in 2030-2035.
Who deserves a mention
Anybody who follows me on social media knows that I have a terrible sense of humour and particularly love a naval joke. In that spirit, my BZ this month goes to the team at Naval News for the best April Fool’s article, announcing not only that the next US Navy Ford class carrier will be renamed the USS Musk, but also heralding the disposal of the USS Constitution. Whether anyone in the current Pentagon leadership has a sense of humour about this is unconfirmed, but perhaps someone in the Signal chat could let me know.
I tried once, so as to make the dead print more lifelike, using different kinds of type – big Roman block letters for the ‘fist-shaking’, large italics for the cajoling, small italics for the facts, and ordinary print for the fool. The printer’s price was ruinous, and the effect ludicrous. But I made this compromise and he agreed to it – whenever the following words occurred they were to be printed in large capitals: ‘Fool’, ‘Ass’, ‘Congenital idiot’.
– Adm. Jacky Fisher, preface to his autobiography Memories, 1919.
A reading list on maritime matters
FDI Parts 1-5 by Robin Häggblom aka Corporal Frisk – a journey through France’s next-generation FDI (Frégate de défense et d’intervention) frigates through the lens of the Finnish defence analyst’s voyage for sea trials on the Amiral Ronarc’h. These ships are rather beautiful, too – although I will forever designate them with the technical term of ‘pointy boi’.
RFA Proteus begins operations as seabed warfare threats increase in Navy Lookout – a deep dive (if you’ll pardon the pun) into how RFA Proteus enhances British seabed warfare capabilities.
Frozen Out: Why the UK Must Step Up in the Arctic by Anthony Heron for RUSI – a cogent argument for more British attention on the High North.
Planning for War at Sea: 400 Years of Great Power Competition edited by Evan Wilson and Paul Kennedy – a recommendation for a book which recently arrived at my door, covering four centuries of naval planning and – inevitably – naval failure.
Maritime Leaders’ Programme
The Sea Power Laboratory is much more than news, reviews and written articles. Last week, we hosted our first Maritime Leaders’ Programme event at the Army & Navy Club in London. Over 40 selected leaders from the navy, civil service, academia and industry gathered to focus on the ideas behind policy development and delivery in Whitehall. Chaired by Sea Power Laboratory Associate Director Kevin Rowlands, the delegates were treated to insightful perspectives from Baroness Gisela Stuart, a former MP and minister, and from James Waller, a career civil servant with experience across a range of departments. Our next session in June will focus on maritime business and industry.
Dr Emma Salisbury is the Editor of The Broadside, Sea Power Research Fellow at the Council on Geostrategy and Associate Fellow at the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre.
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