MOSCOW. May 13 (Interfax-AVN) - Construction of a new main base for the Black Sea Fleet in the vicinity of the Solyonye lakes near Anapa is inexpedient, Admiral Vladimir Masorin, Russian Navy chief-of-staff, told Interfax-Military News Agency on Friday.
"The calculations of project institutes made a few years ago prove inexpedience of building a base for the fleet near the Solyonye lakes, as it will require too much work and too much funds," said Masorin, who is a former commander of the Black Sea Fleet.
He was asked to comment on the letter sent to President Vladimir Putin by another former commander of the fleet, Admiral Eduard Baltin. The letter suggests building the fleet's main base in the above-mentioned area.
Implementation of the federal purpose-oriented program of the fleet's accommodation in the Krasnodar territory is among the main goals for the fleet, Masorin stressed. "Proceeding from the current state of affairs, the stationing of our forces and assets in Sevastopol and Novorossiysk is quite enough," he said.
Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Kuroyedov earlier told Interfax-AVN that two bases of the Black Sea Fleet will be established on the Black Sea coast near Novorossiysk before 2017.
"We want to create a base in Novorossiysk before 2011 and another base, probably further to the south, before 2017. The budget of the first stage, covering the period before 2011, is set at six billion rubles ($213.71 million)," Kuroyedov said.
"The construction of a naval base is very expensive, as a berth alone costs about 150 million rubles ($5.34 million)," he stressed.
"A state federal program is being drafted for Novorossiysk, and it will be funded from the state budget," Kuroyedov noted.
"The Defense Ministry will get 900 million rubles ($32.06 million) this year for speeding up construction of the base, and we must invest them in specific work. Berth accommodation is not enough there, we also need to create support, control and situation coverage system. This is a comprehensive development plan for the Novorossiysk naval base," he said.
At present, a brigade guarding the sea district and marine and aviation units of the Black Sea Fleet is stationed in Novorossiysk. However, there are just two pears to moor ships. During gales and storms, the vessels have to set out to open sea in order not to be smashed against the mooring wall. There are not enough malls and wave breakers at the Novorossiysk port.
Financing for the Novorossiysk base will be disbursed starting from 2005, Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said earlier. "A base for ships in the Black Sea Fleet will be set up over the next few years in the zone of the so-called geo port, part of the Novorossiysk port, in keeping with the program for construction on Russia's Black Sea coast and in the Krasnodar territory. The financing will be disbursed starting from 2005," Ivanov said.
"We are not going to withdraw our main Black Sea Fleet naval base from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk. The Black Sea Fleet's main base has been, is, and will remain in Sevastopol," he said.
"A base will be set up for the ships that were withdrawn to the Krasnodar territory. Some of them, unfortunately, are still tied to rocks," he said. "Now the state has forces, means and financial resources to set up a proper base in Novorossiysk," he said.