The French Navy has the second largest and most combat-ready aircraft carrier in Europe, the Charles de Gaulle. The total displacement of the ship is 42 thousand tons, up to 40 aircraft, the ship is equipped with a nuclear power plant. Nuclear submarines of the "Triumfan" type have great strike capabilities, the fleet has four such submarines in total.
 |
The Triumfans carry M4S ballistic missiles with a range of 6,000 km. In the short term, they will be replaced by M51 missiles with a range of more than 10,000 km. In addition, there are six Ryubi-class multi-purpose nuclear submarines. In total, according to data from open sources, the French fleet has 98 warships and auxiliary vessels.
5. UK
Once Great Britain bore the proud title of "Mistress of the Seas", the fleet of this country was the largest and most powerful in the world. Now Her Majesty's Navy is only a pale shadow of its former power. |
HMS Queen Elizabeth. Photo: i.imgur.com |
Today, there is not a single aircraft carrier in the Royal Navy. Two, the Queen Elizabeth class, are under construction and due to enter the fleet in 2016 and 2018. The most interesting thing is that the British did not have enough funds for such important ships as aircraft carriers, so the designers had to abandon side armor and armored bulkheads. Today, according to data from open sources, the British Navy has 77 ships.
 |
The most formidable units of the fleet are four Vanguard-class SSBNs armed with Trident-2 D5 ballistic missiles, each of which could be equipped with fourteen warheads of 100 kT each. Wanting to save money, the British military bought only 58 of these missiles, which was enough for only three boats - 16 each. Theoretically, each Vanguard can carry up to 64 missiles, but this is uneconomical.
 |
In addition to them, destroyers of the Daring class, submarines of the Trafalgar class and the latest Estute class represent an impressive force.
4. China
The Chinese fleet is one of the largest, with 495 ships of various classes. The largest ship is the Liaoning aircraft carrier with a displacement of 59,500 tons (the former Soviet aircraft carrier Varyag, which was sold to China by Ukraine for the price of scrap metal). |
Also in the fleet there are strategic missile carriers - nuclear submarines of project 094 "Jin". The submarines are capable of carrying 12 Juilang-2 (JL-2) ballistic missiles with a range of 8,000-12,000 km.
 |
There are also many "fresh" ships, for example, destroyers of the 051C type, the Lanzhou type, the Sovremenny type, and the Jiangkai-class frigates.
3. Japan
In the Japanese navy, all capital ships are classified as destroyers, so real destroyers include aircraft carriers (two Hyuuga-class ships and two Shirane-class ships), cruisers, and frigates. For example, two Atago-class destroyers can boast a cruising displacement of 10,000 tons. |
But these are not the largest ships - this year the fleet will include a 27,000-ton Izumo-class helicopter carrier, and another one will be produced in 2017. In addition to helicopters, F-35B fighters can be based on Izumo.
 |
The Japanese submarine fleet, despite the absence of nuclear submarines, is considered the strongest in the world. It has five Soryu-class submarines, eleven Oyashio-class and one Harusio-class.
 |
Now the Japan Maritime Self - Defense Force has approximately 124 ships . Experts note that the Japanese fleet has a balanced ship composition and is a combat system thought out to the smallest detail.
2. Russia
The Russian fleet has 280 ships. The most formidable are the heavy cruisers of project 1144 "Orlan" with a displacement of 25,860 tons, there are only three of them, but firepower these ships are simply amazing. No wonder NATO classifies these cruisers as battleships.Three other cruisers are not inferior to them in armament - project 1164 "Atlant", with a displacement of 11,380 tons. But the largest aircraft carrier is the Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov, with a displacement of 61,390 tons. This ship is not only well protected by air defense systems, but also armored. Rolled steel is used as armor, and anti-torpedo three-layer protection 4.5 m wide can withstand 400 kg of TNT charge.
However, the fleet itself is being actively modernized: it is planned that by 2020 the Navy Russian Federation will receive about 54 modern combat surface ships, 16 multi-purpose submarines and 8 strategic missile submarines of the Borey project.
1. USA
The US Navy has the largest fleet in the world, with 275 ships, including 10 Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, no country has such an impressive force. It is in the Navy that the military power of the United States is mainly based. |
Soon the Nimitz should be supplemented by even more advanced ships - aircraft carriers of the Gerald R. Ford type with a displacement of more than 100,000 tons.
The US submarine fleet is no less impressive: 14 Ohio-class nuclear submarines, each carrying 24 Trident-2 ballistic missiles. Three of the most advanced submarines of the Sea Wolf type, the price of which was exorbitant for the United States, so it was decided to abandon the construction of a large series. Instead, cheaper Virginia-class submarines are being built, while there are only 10 of them in the fleet.
 |
In addition, 41 Los Angeles-class submarines remain in the Navy. The US Navy has a gigantic military power, which today is unlikely to be challenged by anyone.
The photo shows the US Navy Carrier Strike Group, on this moment it is the most efficient in the world, after nuclear weapons, a tool of intimidation. Once, while still the US Secretary of Defense, Leon Edward Panetta, said: "Any fifth grader knows that the US AUG cannot be destroyed by any of the existing powers of the world"
Wait! But what about Russia! Personally, I have always and everywhere been told that the Russian army can deal with the US Navy - somehow, but it can. More advanced in this matter stated: well, with the whole fleet, maybe not, it’s even possible that we won’t overcome an aircraft carrier formation, but we can definitely send one AUG to the bottom. Well, very few still agreed with the Americans in their bravado.
By the way, a photo of a part of an aircraft carrier formation:
Let's look into this issue (it's interesting, really).
I must say right away that I will not overload the post with numbers and transfers, it will be possible to get all the data and performance characteristics from different sources. I won't go into detail either. Those. I count on some erudition of visitors in this matter, the rest, if something is not clear in the names or terms, can freely draw definitions through a search engine.
Begin:
A typical US AUG is a grouping consisting of:
Flagship aircraft carrier groupings with a nuclear power plant of the Nimitz (or Enterprise) type with a carrier-based aviation regiment based on it (60-80 aircraft). As usual, an aircraft carrier, as well as a grouping carrier-based aviation regiment, are separate military units of naval aviation and are under the command of naval aviation officers with the rank of captain of the first rank (U.S. Naval aviation Captain).
The air defense division of the grouping is 1-2 KR URO of the Ticonderoga type. The basic armament complex of the missile cruiser division includes the Standard (SM-2, SM-3) SAM launcher and the sea-based Tomahawk missile launcher. ). Each of the cruisers of the division is under the command of a US Navy officer with the rank of captain of the first rank (U.S. Navy Captain).
PLO division of the grouping - 3-4 EM URO of the Arleigh Burke type with depth charges and torpedoes to combat submarines, as well as (part of the ships) with Tomahawk missile launchers on board. The PLO division commander is a Navy officer with the rank of captain of the first rank (U.S. Navy Captain), while each of the destroyers of the division is under the command of a US Navy officer with the rank of captain of the second rank (U.S. Navy Сommander).
Division of multi-purpose submarines - 1-2 submarines of the Los Angeles type with torpedo armament and Tomahawk cruise missiles (launched through TA boats) on board with the tasks of both anti-aircraft grouping and strikes against coastal (surface) targets.
Supply Vessel Division - 1-2 Supply transports, ammunition transports, tankers, other auxiliary ships
FMS Naval Aviation - up to 60 aircraft of the US Navy aviation, combined into strike AE, AE AWACS, AE PLO, AE MTS, etc. The FMS of the Navy is a separate military unit of the US Navy aviation. The Naval Aviation Administration, as well as the AVMA, is under the command of a Navy aviation officer in the rank of captain of the first rank or a USMC aviation officer in the rank of colonel (USMC Сolonel).
For reference:
So what can we oppose to such an impressive power. Unfortunately, Russia does not have the resources to compete with the United States on an equal footing in the number of ships. In terms of aircraft carriers, the advantage of the United States is overwhelming, now the American has 10 aircraft carriers, we have one aircraft-carrying cruiser, Admiral Kuznetsov, which can be qualified as a light aircraft carrier, but, unfortunately, actually without aircraft. There are ten Su-33s in service out of the planned twenty-five, which they already want to replace with the MiG-29K. In 2013, two MiGs were added to the existing dryers. As for escort ships, the situation is also not the best.
Many will now say, why are there aircraft carriers, Russia has a lot of other things to destroy the AUG. I agree that in a situation of total superiority in ships, an asymmetric response is needed. So what is he?
The Russian armed forces see it in missile weapons, namely in anti-ship missiles. Those. in the effective delivery of a conventional or nuclear charge directly to the AUG ships.
First, I propose to familiarize yourself with the RCC carriers:
1. Project 1164 missile cruiser:
2. Submarine project 949A "Antey"
3. Heavy missile cruiser project 1144
4. Heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser project 1143.5
Please note that on the deck of the Kuznetsov there are all the aircraft that are available, although according to the plan it should look no less full than the American aircraft carriers, although it is smaller - let's compare:
There are also small missile ships, aviation and coastal missile systems.
Since the US AUG has a serious missile defense and air defense system, and naturally a powerful aviation fist, the main characteristics for combating it and defeating it are the detection distance and a possible attack.
In order to hit the composition of the AUG: aviation, ships or submarines must ensure the timely detection of an aircraft carrier group, classify it, get close to the missile strike distance, while maintaining combat capability, and launch missiles that, having overcome air defense and electronic warfare, must destroy the ships in the composition AUG.
Consider the option of attacking the AUG by surface ships of the Russian Navy in the oceans:
Unfortunately, the capabilities of Russian ships in terms of detection are actually limited by the limits of the radio horizon; the helicopters on board the ships are of little use for solving this problem due to the small number of these machines and the small radius of action. They can be effectively used only in the interests of issuing target designation of missile weapons, but before that, you still need to detect the enemy.
Of course, when missile cruisers were created, i.e. under the Soviet navy, their activities were to be carried out with the support of the naval intelligence system in the ocean theater. It relied on a developed system of radio-technical intelligence, which was based on ground centers located not only on the territory of the USSR, but also in other states. There was also effective space-based maritime reconnaissance, which made it possible to detect and track the ship formations of a potential enemy, and to issue target designation to missile weapons practically throughout the entire territory of the World Ocean. Russia does not have all this at the current time. In 2006, they began to reanimate the system, but the end is still very, very far away.
Therefore, the AUG will see our ships long before it itself is detected. The grouping constantly provides air control to a depth of 800 km with the help of Grumman_E-2_Hawkeye AWACS aircraft, we will be attacked by 48 aircraft, of which 25 will carry the HARPUN anti-aircraft missile system, and almost 8 pieces of Boeing_EA-18_Growler will provide electronic warfare.
The most powerful navies, ground forces and air forces of the world. Everywhere appear types of the armed forces of the United States, China and Russia.
According to the magazine, the United States, China, Russia, Great Britain and Japan have the strongest navies. As the author of the article points out Kyle Mizokami, Russia ranks third because the basis of its current Navy is still Soviet ships, and the construction of new ones and their adoption into service is rather slow.
The list of the best ground forces includes the United States, China, India, Russia and the United Kingdom. The publication predictably considers the strongest American SV with a population of 535 thousand people. The infantry of the People's Liberation Army of China, in turn, boasts a strength of 1.6 million troops. Indian ground forces with 1.12 million troops are sandwiched between traditional competitors- Pakistan and China, they have to constantly prove their ability to protect long territorial borders. Ground troops The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are currently receiving new modern weapons - they are quite well equipped and fully mechanized, and most importantly, they have solid combat experience. The number of the RF SV reaches 285 thousand people - half of the US army, the article says. The author of the material also emphasizes that the armament Russian army the Armata universal combat platform will soon arrive, which will be able to perform the functions of a tank, infantry fighting vehicle and artillery.
The National Interest included only four countries in the ranking of the best air forces on the planet - the USA, Russia, China and Japan. At the same time, Mizokami added to the list not only the US Air Force, but also the aviation of the fleet and the Marine Corps. The US Air Force has 5.6 thousand aircraft, and the Navy has a fleet of 3.7 thousand aircraft.
According to NI, Russia's Aerospace Forces include 1,500 combat aircraft and 400 military helicopters. Despite the fact that the fleet has enough old MiG-29s, Su-27s and MiG-31s, Russian aviation has entered a period of steady modernization. One example is the Su-35, which combines best qualities. In addition, the Russian military is currently working on the fifth-generation T-50 fighter and the new PAK-DA strategic bomber.
- The NI rating of the strongest fleets in the world suggests that in China in Lately programs to create and update the Navy were rapidly implemented, which are currently assessed as forces capable of conducting operations far from their shores and resisting the United States, - says military expert, head of the department of Eurasian integration and development of the SCO of the Institute of CIS Countries Vladimir Evseev. - Yes, indeed - new submarines and surface ships - destroyers and frigates - are being built in series. The Chinese submarine fleet is generally the largest in the world - it includes more than 70 diesel and nuclear submarines.
However, the Russian Navy has superiority in submarines in terms of long-range anti-ship missiles and the sophistication of submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) that can hit any part of the globe. By the way, according to this indicator, the American Trident-2 D5 SLBMs with a maximum firing range with a full load of 7800 km, which are equipped with British Vanguard-type SSBNs, are superior to Chinese missiles. In addition, the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning (the Soviet Varyag) can hardly be called a full-fledged combat unit - based on a combination of factors, it can only effectively perform tasks in coastal areas. And for the British Navy, two aircraft carriers of the Queen Elizabeth type are still being built.
- Here I would still put Russia in second place - in terms of combat and technical indicators, if possible, information support. In my opinion, only the United States and Russia can now fight in real time. In addition, China lags behind Russia in precision weapons. Yes, the PLA Ground Forces are armed with missiles that can be equipped with both nuclear and conventional warheads, but the accuracy of domestic weapons systems is an order of magnitude higher.
The size of the army is an important indicator, but far from being the main one, it is compensated by the use of tactical nuclear weapons (TNW), of which the Russian army has quite a lot. In addition, let's pay attention to the effectiveness of the combat use of forces and means, the ability to conduct combat operations in different conditions, as well as the availability of combat experience. In this regard, for example, the Chinese and Indians are inferior to the same British.
According to the Air Force rating, I probably agree with the expert of the American edition. Still, the PLA Air Force, despite a huge leap forward, has problems with engine building, with transport aircraft, tankers, and also with strategic aviation, because the Chinese "strategists" H-6 are a copy of the Soviet Tu-16. Japan's position in this "air" rating is controversial: their Air Force is technically well equipped, but in terms of numbers they can hardly claim fourth place.
"Strategist" PLA Air Force Xian HY-6 (Photo: ru.wikipedia.org)
- Without taking into account nuclear weapons, the list of countries by the strength of the Navy is correct, - believes military historian Alexander Shirokorad. - But in general, in terms of the number of pennants, China has the largest fleet, which has a lot of small ships in combat. As for the ground forces, in terms of their numbers, firepower and tactical nuclear weapons, Russia is in second place.
But there is a concept Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy as "the spirit in the troops." According to this indicator, I would put the Japanese, Chinese and Israelis ahead, and only then the Russians (by the way, the largest army in the world - the Chinese - mostly still consists of contract soldiers, and with a big competition for a place). The morale of the Americans, despite great amount the conflicts in which the US has been involved all these years leaves much to be desired. They are accustomed to the fact that locals are fighting at the forefront, as was the case in Afghanistan, as well as to complete superiority over the enemy in the sky and on the ground - in artillery. Of course, the United States has motivated and strong special forces units, but this is not enough in combined arms combat. True, the States have the National Guard - the current reserve of the US Armed Forces, which is also involved in foreign operations.
- In my opinion, in the ranking of the Navy, the United States should take the first place without question, the second - China, the third - Japan, the fourth - South Korea and the fifth - Russia, - believes Deputy Director of the Institute for Political and Military Analysis Alexander Khramchikhin. - I take into account the fleet as such, the naval component of the strategic nuclear forces is a separate story.
Formally Russian fleet can even be put in second place, but due to the geographical position of the country, our Navy is scattered across several theaters of military operations (theater of operations), which are not interconnected at all. Between European fleets, it is theoretically possible to cross the inland waterways of ships of small displacement, and that is just theoretically. By the way, the Indian Navy can even argue with the fleet of South Korea (the most powerful surface non-aircraft carriers are just South Korean destroyers), but the UK is not even in the top ten. The British Navy has long ceased to rule the seas. British military capabilities as a whole have been significantly reduced in recent years. But, in principle, this is a normal state, which fits into the pan-European trend of general and complete disarmament.
"SP": - In terms of ground forces, the UK's fifth place in the NI ranking also looks stretched, if you do not take separate special forces units ...
- I think that today the British ground forces are not even in the top thirty of the strongest. In the first place here is the United States, the second and third are shared by Russia and China, and the fourth should be India. I would give the fifth and sixth places to South Korea and the DPRK, and the seventh to Israel. The ground forces of the North Atlantic Alliance are generally a mythical thing in which only American and Turkish troops are real.
As for the Air Force, the second or third is again shared by the Russian Federation and China (in terms of the number of combat aircraft of the PLA Air Force they are second, but in quality they are third), and the fourth is India. And here Japan is unclear: the basis of its fleet is the F-15, and, probably, it can only be placed at the end of the top ten. India, despite some of the obsolete aircraft and their decommissioning, has a huge air force, which in terms of numbers probably surpasses even the Russian Aerospace Forces.
F-15 fighter jets (Photo: Zuma/TASS)
I note that North and South Korea should be in the top ten in all types of armed forces. Of course, the DPRK has a rather specific fleet - "mosquito", however, it cannot be called weak.
The American aircraft carrier "Harry Truman" is approaching the Mediterranean Sea, and with it another dozen and a half formidable warships. In other words, the US is getting a new, even more powerful tool for delivering strikes against Syria. What could - at least theoretically - oppose this to Russia and its Navy?
The intensity of passions around Trump's second missile attack on Syria has practically subsided, the tension has subsided, and with a sober look, two indisputable facts become clearly visible:
1) the missile strike was a shot in the air to remind the world that the West, led by the United States, is strong and united, that it has everything under control;
In addition, carrier-based aircraft can also be used in the next "retaliation strike". Despite the lack of accurate data on the presence of JASSM-ER long-range cruise missiles (about 1000 km) in the ammunition of the Nimitz-type aircraft carriers and in the "working" ammunition of the F / A-18E / F, this possibility should be borne in mind. In this case, three Truman attack squadrons (the fourth provides air cover for the AUG) with 36 Super Hornets can fire at least 72, maximum 144 missiles in one sortie against any target in Syria, being outside the Syrian air defense coverage area.
Russian Navy: "passive"
Unfortunately, the geopolitical crisis has found the Russian Navy in a situation where two of its most powerful surface ships cannot be used to perform combat missions in distant waters. “Admiral Kuznetsov” de facto went into medium repair with modernization back in October last year, and “Peter the Great”, apparently, has already exhausted its operational resource (does not go to sea for about seven months) and also needs to be repaired. In 2016, our sluggish shipbuilding industry performed a real miracle, restoring the technical readiness of both cruisers and ensuring not only a brilliant demonstration, but also the use of their military force during the Syrian campaign, However, this time miracles are not to be expected.. That is why in the future we should have two permanent operational squadrons capable of arriving in any hot spot of the world ocean within one to two weeks.
A certain consolation is the fact that in the Syrian theater of operations Russia has own "unsinkable aircraft carrier": Khmeimim airbase, located just 2.5 km from the Mediterranean coast. In connection with the approach of the American armada, it makes sense to relocate all the MiG-29K (UB) that are in a state of airworthiness there (out of 23 vehicles in the 100th separate shipborne fighter aviation regiment based in Severomorsk-3).
A separate sore subject is the Moskva Guards missile cruiser, which for many years played the role of a “rapid reaction cruiser” in the Mediterranean direction. At the end of 2012, the ship already participated in the confrontation off the coast of Syria with the AUG, led by Dwight Eisenhower. In relation to Russia, the United States did not behave as aggressively then as it does now, and the confrontation ended quite happily (which in no way detracts from the courage shown by our military sailors, who, in fact, found themselves face to face with the superior forces of a potential enemy, whose intentions they knew nothing) . Be "Moscow" now on the go, it would take her only three days to cover Tartus, Khmeimim and all of Syria. In this context, two years and three months, during which the warship vital to Russia is in a non-combat-ready state, can be equated to a crime against the state.
Russian Navy: asset
Despite the fact that the forces of the Russian Navy and the US Navy are incommensurable, we have someone to send to the Syrian theater. At best, in order to cool hotheads, at worst, to die as heroes at the end of world history.
First of all, about those who are already in place (and can somehow resist American aggression). These are diesel-electric submarines. Black Sea Fleet (never been in the Black Sea) "Veliky Novgorod" and "Kolpino" and TFR (frigates) of the Black Sea Fleet "Admiral Grigorovich" and "Admiral Essen". Both those and others are carriers of anti-ship missiles (ASM) 3M54 of the Caliber complex with supersonic speed in the final leg of the flight. There is no one else to send from Sevastopol - someone has just returned from the BS, someone is not on the move, someone will be completely useless in the SPM (small missile ships and missile boats of the near sea zone, etc.). Article 12 of the Montreux Convention (only for repairs) prevents four new boats from passing through the straits - by and large, it all depends on Erdogan's goodwill, but he is unlikely to want to quarrel with NATO.
It can be said that on April 14, the ships of the operational formation of the Russian Navy in the Mediterranean Sea completed their task, since enemy ships launched from their area of responsibility only nine missiles out of 69(thirteen%). The Americans preferred to shoot "from around the corner" - from where ours were not.
In the north, a missile cruiser of the same type as the Moskva is completing a course of combat training (handing over course tasks) after a dock repair "Marshal Ustinov", one of our trump cards ("aircraft carrier killer" with the most powerful anti-ship complex "Volcano"). On the move and, apparently, two BODs are also combat-ready: "Severomorsk" and "Vice-Admiral Kulakov". These three combat units would have made an excellent naval strike group (KUG), which, if it had left Severomorsk at the same time as the Truman AUG, would have arrived at the theater before it.
The Baltic Fleet, which has already sent the Yaroslav the Wise TFR to the Mediterranean, could also strengthen the operational connection with a pair of corvettes. Despite the fact that these ships are armed with modest subsonic anti-ship missiles of the Uran complex (an analogue of the Harpoon), in the tracking mode at a range of direct radar visibility, both the Uran, and the air defense system, and 100-mm gun mounts will be useful. It is unfortunate that the terrible melee weapon - the destroyer "Persistent" with four 130-mm automatic cannons and supersonic anti-ship missiles of the "Moskit" complex - will be out of repair only in the fall. Finally, the new Admiral Makarov TFR, which was handed over to the Navy at the very end of last year, is still in the Baltic.
In turn, not as soon as we would like (up to 20 days), the KUG may be brought up from the Far East as part of another missile cruiser (Varyag) and two BODs (to choose from: Admiral Vinogradov, Admiral Panteleev ”, “Admiral Tributs”). All ships are on the move and, judging by the high activity at the combat training ranges in March, they are fully combat-ready. Depending on the circumstances, the Pacific KUG can operate in the Red Sea, and in the Persian Gulf, and in the eastern part of the NPM.
Regarding submarine forces (in addition to two diesel-electric submarines in Tartus), one can only assume that they are in the Mediterranean Sea. Despite the criticality of the situation with the nuclear multi-purpose component, the Northern Fleet has several combat-ready boats, including the latest Severodvinsk, Gepard, Pskov, and Obninsk. Confidence is not so great in relation to Nizhny Novgorod, even less in relation to Panther. In addition, from the north it is possible (and even necessary) to send one of the three anti-aircraft cruisers to the NPM: "Orel", "Voronezh" or "Smolensk".
As a result, about the same number of NK and submarines of the Russian Navy could theoretically be used against 16 warships of the US Navy.
Even taking into account the much higher combat potential of the American grouping, the balance of power does not seem entirely hopeless. This is due to two circumstances.
Firstly, the anti-ship capabilities of the armada are most likely limited by the outdated Harpoon anti-ship missiles., the massive use of which is hardly possible, and the mass production of new LRASM anti-ship missiles (inconspicuous, long-range, but again subsonic) is just beginning. Secondly, the tracking regime worked out during the years of the previous Cold War, when Soviet ships relentlessly followed enemy ships, ready, in fact, for sea hand-to-hand combat using all available weapons, does not leave the Americans a chance to get out of the battle unharmed. They remember it, they know it and, most likely, will refrain from sudden movements.
In conclusion, it makes sense to outline one more real way in which the Navy can help the motherland in a threatened period. Namely: withdraw all guided missile submarines strategic purpose, which, no doubt, will be noticed by enemy reconnaissance.
Empty moorings in Gadzhiyevo and Vilyuchinsk on satellite images should have a sobering effect on the instigators of the conflict.
On the whole, let's hope that reason will prevail– and we, having passed the optional and unfortunate period of confrontation with our American colleagues, will sooner or later come to cooperation for the benefit of each other and all of humanity.
The tense situation off the coast of Syria and the approaching aircraft carrier strike group of the US Navy make it increasingly necessary to discuss the question: “And if clashes suddenly break out, what can Russian forces do. Colleagues from the business newspaper "Vzglyad" interviewed experts on this matter. Realnoe Vremya offers this publication to the readers' attention.
The carrier strike group (AUG) led by the aircraft carrier "Harry Truman" began its movement to Syria. Options for how the Syrian air defense will deal with hundreds of cruise missiles fired by this AUG are being seriously discussed. But does Russia (if necessary, of course) have at least a minimal chance of destroying the American aircraft carrier itself? And if so, what is needed for this?
An American strike on Syria is, fortunately, only a hypothetical possibility so far. But not only the question of how to save our ships stationed in Syria is not idle. Residents and experts involuntarily ask themselves: does Russia have the military and technical capabilities to counter such a formidable weapon as an American aircraft carrier strike group? After all, it is she who should become the main instrument of the military suppression of Syria, and it is possible that Russia will have to directly oppose this squadron.
“You can’t do it with one ship, one submarine to organize hostilities. It is imperative to create a grouping of diverse forces - submarines, naval aviation, surface ships. Joint efforts can solve this problem - disabling an aircraft carrier," Admiral Vladimir Komoyedov, former commander of the Black Sea Fleet (1998-2002), emphasized in a commentary to the Vzglyad newspaper. Theoretically, it is possible to hit an enemy ship without having such a grouping, but the probability is extremely small. “It is possible by chance - from a submarine, a rocket from the shore, from an airplane. Theoretically, one missile is enough, especially our supersonic anti-ship missiles. But for a serious organization of military operations at sea, I emphasize, a grouping is necessary, ”says Komoyedov.
“Theoretically, one missile is enough, especially our supersonic anti-ship missiles. But for a serious organization of military operations at sea, I emphasize, a grouping is necessary, ”says Komoyedov. Photo ruspekh.ru
Now about 15 Russian warships and support vessels are operating in the Mediterranean Sea. They are part of the permanent task force - the Mediterranean squadron of the Black Sea Fleet. The main striking force is the patrol frigate ships Admiral Grigorovich and Admiral Essen, equipped with missile systems"Caliber-NK". Diesel-electric submarines of the Varshavyanka project and nuclear submarines of the Shchuka-B project are equipped with the Caliber-PL complex. As their combat means, "Caliber" can use both missiles for firing at ground targets and anti-ship missiles. It is known, in particular, that the complex, standing on the Admiral Essen, is equipped with anti-ship missiles with a range of up to 300 kilometers.
We should also mention the coastal defense complexes deployed in Syria: the Bal, equipped with X-35 Uran anti-ship missiles, with a firing range of 120 kilometers, and the Bastion with Yakhont missiles - up to 300 kilometers.
At sea, the task is more difficult. The Zircon hypersonic missile currently being developed can also be considered effective means of destruction, and the Granit winged anti-ship missiles (effective firing range up to 700 km) are still effective from available funds. "Granites" are equipped with surface ships - in particular, the missile cruiser "Moskva" and the nuclear missile cruiser "Peter the Great". These ships are not now in the Mediterranean Sea, but it is necessary to remember them in such a purely speculative analysis, because the Granit is still the most powerful anti-ship missile in service with the Russian Navy.
Is this enough to effectively neutralize the AUG of the Americans and their allies? According to Admiral Komoyedov, absolutely not enough. An aircraft carrier always walks next to escort ships, and such groups include up to a dozen escort ships. These can be cruisers, destroyers, frigates, without fail - multi-purpose submarines and airborne early warning aircraft (AWACS) of the Hawkeye type. All these ships are equipped with hundreds of launchers for both anti-aircraft and anti-ship and strike missiles, not to mention the main strike force of such an AUG - aircraft carrier-based aircraft.
"Granites" are equipped with surface ships - in particular, the missile cruiser "Moskva" and the nuclear missile cruiser "Peter the Great". Photo fb.ru
Admiral Komoyedov points out: “Each US aircraft carrier strike group has a defense depth of 1,500 kilometers. And we have a range of launching missiles from surface ships and submarines against aircraft carriers - within 300-500 km.
In other words, an American aircraft carrier group is capable of detecting any surface ship at a distance of 1,500 kilometers (or even more - thanks to AWACS aircraft) and almost immediately destroy the enemy at a completely safe distance for itself. At the very least, Russian surface ships do not pose a real threat to American aircraft carriers - they simply will not be allowed to reach the distance necessary to launch missiles.
So the question is complex, sums up Admiral Komoedov. Although, he adds, not hopeless. Methods for the destruction of American AUGs were actively worked out by the Soviet military many years ago. “At one time, entire naval operations were planned to defeat the AUG. A huge squad stood out, especially in the Atlantic: these are maneuverable groups of submarines, and aviation, and surface ships, ”Komoedov points out.
In the USSR, stakes were placed on two instruments of struggle. Firstly, these are the sea-based anti-ship missiles already mentioned, the same "Granites". Secondly, air-launched cruise missiles, which were equipped with Tu-16 bombers, and then Tu-22M3 bombers. There was a whole class of naval missile-carrying aviation (MRA), which, however, was abolished in 2012.
Theoretically, today the function of the MRA should be performed by long-range aircraft. But in Soviet time Naval missile-carrying aviation had up to 500 vehicles, and the long-range aviation of the Russian Federation currently has only 139 aircraft in service (according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies IISS). Russian military expert Alexei Leonkov in his comments gave an even more modest estimate - 60-65 vehicles. How many of these vehicles are actually combat-ready is unknown. It remains to add that work on surface targets is only one of the tasks of long-range aviation, and not a priority, in contrast to the specialized MPA.
Can the Russian Navy, based on its current capabilities, withstand the American aircraft carrier group? Source of the newspaper "Vzglyad", close to the leadership Naval Aviation The Russian Federation, like Admiral Komoyedov, believes that this case is extremely complicated.
Alexey Leonkov estimates the long-range aviation of the Russian Federation at the moment at 60-65 aircraft. Photo jpggazeta.ru
The greatest chance to complete the task of destroying an aircraft carrier is only for Antey-class nuclear submarines equipped with Granites (and, possibly, Zircons in the future). But here it is necessary to fulfill a whole range of conditions. First, the submarines must go to sea and approach the deployment area unnoticed, not intercepted by enemy hunter boats. This is an extremely difficult task. Secondly, there must be several submarines in order to provide the required number of missiles in a salvo. Thirdly, these submarines need to approach the target at a salvo distance - about 700 kilometers. And finally, most importantly, you need to have accurate information about the location of targets at the time of missile launch. In other words, attack submarines need external target designation, otherwise the missiles will miss the target.
Now, according to a source of the newspaper "Vzglyad", close to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, there is a gap in this critical area. However, it seems that in recent years the most important shortcoming of our Navy - the lack of target designation systems - is beginning to improve. For these purposes, in the summer of 2017, Kamov began the creation of a sea-based unmanned helicopter based on the Ka-27. A year before, another model began to be used - the Ka-35 ground target radar reconnaissance helicopter complex. Previously, our Armed Forces had nothing similar - and, we note, this machine has already been tested in Syria.
But, as Sergei Denisentsev, an expert at the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (AST), noted in a commentary to the Vzglyad newspaper earlier, a “stronger solution” would be to create an aircraft similar to the American Hawkeye or its Soviet analogue Yak-44, which never was embodied. The creation of vehicles responsible for target designation will make our strike anti-ship forces "sighted" and, therefore, capable of solving the specified task.
It could also be assumed that Russian submarines are capable of providing target designation tasks with A-50U and Tu-204R aircraft, which are designed specifically for these purposes and are currently operating in Syria.
However, do not forget that these machines will be the first and main goal American fighter aircraft at the first sign of a real attack on the AUG.
Thus, it is worth frankly admitting: theoretically, Russia has a chance to hit an American aircraft carrier, but the likelihood of such an attack being successful is extremely low.
"Sight"
Mikhail Moshkin
Loading...