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VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (AFP) — Twenty people were killed and 22 injured in an accident on a Russian nuclear submarine in the Sea of Japan, the navy said on Sunday.
The Russian navy was conducting sea trials with an Akula class attack submarine when the accident occurred. The sub was one of two Akulas that was to have been leased/sold to India. Its keel had been laid down in 1991, and then it languished unfinished until recently. I don't know what is more shocking, that this one of the most advanced (yet noisy) subs would be sold to another country, or that India potentially would be operating two of them. The story seems to speak to the still poor shape of Russia's navy and that country's desperate need for money, despite what Vladimir Putin would have the world believe.
Indeed.
What I saw of Russian (Soviet) military equipment when I was there was that in many cases the designs were good, even very good. The problem lies in the CONSTRUCTION and MAINTENANCE of their equipment. The Russians excel at "middle tech" solutions to many of their issues.
But, when you look at the work force, and the Socialist/Communist work practices, the "workers" are anything BUT effective. There are still extreme problems with drugs and alcohol, absenteeism, tardiness, and a deeply ingrained socialist slow-go work "ethic" that eventually all leads to very low quality (sub-standard) or even "Russian Sub Standard" (if you all will allow me to coin the pun-term) equipment. And so THAT is why the Russian Navy has such horrid non-combat disasters.
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