The Ural: Her fate in T2K

[Targan]

The Soviet communications ship SSV-33 was unique, and its electronics were pretty much the Soviet Union's state-of-the-art at the end of the 1980s. I admit I haven't gone through all the Soviet naval OOBs that have been posted here and there on these forums to see what others have done with her. I can't help but imagine what a treasure trove the ship would be if it didn't end up on the bottom of some deep part of the Pacific Ocean.

Monster Machines: How Russia Built A Ship Too Big To Set Sail
(http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2014/02/how-russia-built-a-ship-too-big-to-set-sail/)

[StainlessSteelCynic]

Interesting ship, nice find Targan.
Given the problems with the size the ship, for T2k, it might very well have been stuck in port much as it was in real life. With its electronics suite it may very well have been able to detect incoming threats and vector other forces to intercept them.
So I'm basically saying, it might just have survived relatively intact in some remote Soviet naval base.


Some more webpages: -
http://www.military-today.com/navy/ural.htm
http://themaritimeblog.com/a-russian-spy-ship-turned-ghost-ship/
http://redbannernorthernfleet.blogspot.com.au/2008/10/death-of-super-spy.html

[Olefin]

by the way speaking of post apocalyptic scenarios she was the ship that was used in World War Z as a communication ship to relay info on how to fight zombies and how to survive - its the chapter where they mention the last broadcast from Buenos Aires was a spanish lullaby

[stormlion1]

well there was a war so good money it got out of port to do its job. But it most likely sailed far enough to find a quiet cove where it sat out and did its job hoping no one would find it and sink it. Its most likely sitting, at anchor in some port or cove rusting away.

[kato13]

Another pic from my deviant art downloads. See below.

Original link
http://www.deviantart.com/art/Soviet-Ural-command-ship-202286662

[Olefin]

would be an interesting adventure - to find her and get at her still working electronics equipment - either in a bid to salvage the ship and get her underway for the US (or France for instance if you are playing French characters or the UK for UK ones) or just to get the equipment - and her crew was pretty sizeable -so could be quite a force defending her whereever she ended up

[raketenjagdpanzer]

A ship like that would be a prime target. Rusting away, yes. In a port? No. About a mile down on the floor of the Atlantic? Yes.

[Olefin]

Actually my bet would be either she is abandoned somewhere in the Soviet Far East off the Pacific or Arctic coasts - or in a Pacific island somewhere.

If its the north she would be abandoned and no one still alive on her most likely - but in warmer waters she could be the focus of a community a la Satellite Down

especially if her nuclear power plant is still working - you could see her providing electricity to the community

and 950 plus crew makes for a very formidable defending force for her even if most of them only had sidearms

[Targan]

A ship like that would be a prime target. Rusting away, yes. In a port? No. About a mile down on the floor of the Atlantic? Yes.

Pacific, but yeah, prime target, as you say. That's what I'm afraid of. Still, a little conceit to have it intact and it would make for an excellent adventure hook.

If its the north she would be abandoned and no one still alive on her most likely - but in warmer waters she could be the focus of a community a la Satellite Down, especially if her nuclear power plant is still working - you could see her providing electricity to the community. And 950 plus crew makes for a very formidable defending force for her even if most of them only had sidearms

Absolutely. A pair of 171 MWt reactors is quite a lot of power late in the Twilight War.

[Olefin]

agreed Targan as to how much power she could put out - all by itself it would be one of the biggest power generating stations left on the planet

and carrying a trained crew that rivals many of the remaining divisions for size

could easily see her having taken over a small Pacific island with that kind of manpower - one big enough to feed the crew but not so big that her crew couldnt handle it

damn - love this thread - lots of great ideas for an adventure I can see around this ship

[rcaf_777]

Maybe she would be archor in the port of Kalingrad where she could be put to use to help look for naval and air activity in the Baltic Sea

[Olefin]

In real life she was based in the Pacific - considering the timeline I dont see her being transferred to the Atlantic and gettign to the Baltic before doing so would have been suicidal (i.e. after the US and the UK and Germans were at war with the Soviets)

[kato13]

I cannot see the ship ever moving to the Atlantic. Against NATO forces this ship would be heavily countered by AEGIS systems, but against the Chinese it would be an unmatched advantage.

So you have the inertia of a ship that rarely moved, plus the fact that the shooting war with China started first. Add to that the extreme vulnerability of moving this ship outside of friendly air-cover during a shooting war, I just cannot see it.

I do see it being a target for the Chinese during 95/96 and Nato soon after. There are all sorts of options for keeping it alive, removing it, or having it damaged to any degree you wish.

[mikeo80]

I would think that if the Ural was deployed, once the US is in a shooting war with Russia, there would be an American attack sub, a carrier group, heck even an Iowa class BB sent to put this thing DOWN.....HARD....

My $0.02

Mike

[stormlion1]

Actually what might be interesting if the Russians deployed the Ural from the Pacific down into the Indian Ocean in a attempt to have it work with their Atlantic Fleet. It shows up after everything is over and makes its way up into European waters in an attempt to make contact with their high command or operating by itself along the African coastline. Possibly raiding for supplies and news of what's happening.

[Raellus]

I saw mention of this a couple of days ago but didn't get a chance to post it; couldn't find the original article but this one serves-

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/28/russia-spy-ship-docks-havana-cuba

I wonder if she'll depart soon considering recent developments in the Crimea.

[Schone23666]

There was a Russian warship recently spotted docked in Cuba. I don't think it was the Ural, but I believe they did mention it was outfitted with various ELINT gear, could be wrong...

[stormlion1]

This little spy ship showing up in Cuba just before the troops move into the Crimea cannot be a coincidence.