Russia will receive a unique light aircraft carrier. Projects of light aircraft carriers of the USSR

In the foreseeable future, the Russian Navy will have at its disposal an experimental floating airfield. new ship will be half the size of conventional aircraft carriers, while it will be able to accommodate the same number of aircraft and helicopters.

Specialists of the Krylovsky State scientific center. They presented their concept at the Army-2018 forum.

"This aircraft carrier is different in that it has the same quality composition of the air wing as on a heavy aircraft carrier. These are heavy Su-33 fighters, light MiG-29K fighters, multi-purpose and rescue helicopters, 4 radar patrol aircraft, in total - 46 aircraft devices," Interfax-AVN reports the words of the head of the center, Vladimir Nikitin.

For comparison, on the heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser "Admiral Kuznetsov" with a displacement of 60 thousand tons, the project provides for the placement of 50 aircraft and helicopters, but in reality there have always been much fewer of them.

Most likely, the new ship will already accommodate new generation aircraft, created on the basis of the Su-35. At the same time, light fighters will probably remain in the same version - the MiG-29K, since this aircraft "is worked out and is being mass-produced." "Such a nomenclature ensures the high-quality performance of any tasks," Nikitin emphasized.

The uniqueness of a promising aircraft carrier lies in the fact that, while losing to heavy aircraft carriers in terms of absolute physical parameters, it has the same capacity. The original layout of the hull made it possible to make a huge deck, which will comfortably accommodate all aircraft.

"The hull of a light aircraft carrier is smaller in absolute dimensions, that is, it has a length of 260 m instead of 300 m, like that of a heavy aircraft carrier. The displacement is 44,000 tons instead of 90,000 tons, that is, the gain is doubled in terms of the hull. Its cost can be several hundred billion rubles, that is, almost two times less than that of a full-sized one,” said the head of the Krylov Center.

The characteristics of the ship are amazing. The light aircraft carrier will be capable of carrying 600 tons of aviation ammunition, and up to 2,000 tons of jet fuel. The aircraft carrier is supposed to be equipped with a gas turbine main power plant of four M-90FR turbines with a total design capacity of 81 MW. The cruising range will be 8 thousand miles, autonomy - 60 days. The aircraft carrier will receive powerful anti-aircraft, anti-torpedo and anti-submarine protection.

It is possible that orders for a unique ship will come not only from the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. According to Rossiyskaya Gazeta, foreigners, in particular the French, became interested in the presented project.

For 15 years after the adoption of the aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi, the command of the Italian Navy considered various projects for a new aircraft carrier. And it was decided to build a larger warship with advanced capabilities.
Light aircraft carrier C550 "Cavour" of the Italian Navy was laid down on July 17, 2001 at the shipyard in Riva Trigoso of Fincantieri Corporation and was launched on July 20, 2004, and officially transferred to the Navy on March 27, 2007.
In early 2009, the aircraft carrier Cavour became the flagship of the Italian fleet and was assigned to the new Mar Grande base in Taranto.

The ship is named after one of the most prominent statesmen of Italy in the 19th century - Minister Cavour, who did a lot to unify the country, and in 1861 decided to organize the Royal Navy.
The aircraft carrier "Cavour" is designed for 16-20 Harrier or F-35B fighters, or 18 EH101, NH 90 or SH-3D helicopters. The aircraft carrier is 244 meters long and 39 meters wide. It is capable of taking on board 1210 military personnel, more than 27 thousand tons of cargo.

The upper deck has fore and aft platforms for aircraft parking for 4 and 8 units, respectively. The take-off area for aircraft has a size of 184 x 14.2 m and is equipped with a 12° ramp. Behind it are sites for the simultaneous takeoff of 6 EH-101 or 4 CH-47. Takeoff and landing are provided with sea waves up to 6 points, the maximum intensity of flights can reach 60 sorties per day.
A hangar for aircraft with dimensions of 134x21x7.2 m. There are six lifts for climbing to the flight deck: two for aircraft(capacity 30 tons), two for ammunition (capacity 15 tons) and two service (capacity 7 tons).

The light aircraft carrier "Cavour" can simultaneously be used as a universal landing ship, for which it is equipped with premises for 400 marines and 60 armored vehicles unloaded under its own power.
If necessary, wheeled or tracked vehicles weighing up to 60 tons can be placed in the hangar deck. To move it, the ship is equipped with aft and side ramps with a maximum carrying capacity of 60 tons. In addition, the ship can carry 4 LCVP landing craft.

The electronic equipment of the Cavour aircraft carrier includes:
- multifunctional radar with a phased antenna array;
- a three-coordinate radar for detecting long-range air targets;
- radar for detecting air and surface targets of short and medium range;
- 2 x fire control radar 76-mm gun mounts;
- aviation control radar, navigation radar;
- GAS for navigation and mine detection;
- infrared lighting system;
— infrared system of circular review;
- a system for landing aircraft on the deck.

There are also two jamming launchers and two anti-torpedo protection systems of the SLAT type.
The light aircraft carrier Cavour can sail autonomously for 18 days and travel 7,000 nautical miles. For example, he is able to reach the Persian Gulf, while using only half of his fuel. His maximum speed is 28 knots.

The main characteristics of the aircraft carrier "Cavour":
Displacement, t: standard - 27,910, full - more than 35,000;
Length, m: 244;
Width, m: 39;
Draft, m: 8.7:
Engines: 4 LM2500 gas turbine engines;
Power: 118,000 hp With. (86.8 MW);
Travel speed, knots: 30 (55.56 km/h);
Cruising range, miles: 7000 at a speed of 16 knots;
Crew, people: 528, including 203 - the flight and technical staff of the air group (in addition to them, a headquarters of up to 145 people can be placed on the ship);
Armament: 2 x 76-mm Super Rapid guns, 3 x 25-mm OTO Melara guns, 4 x 8 Silver A43 UVP (Aster-15 SAM);
Aviation group: 20-24 aircraft (AV-8B "Harrier-2" and F-35B) and helicopter (EN-101, NH-90 or SH-3D)

Wars have always been the "locomotive of progress"! A funny paradox - all the scientific potential was used to create means of their own destruction, which ultimately contributed to a giant leap in the development of mankind.

Introduction

Sometimes a person invented another type of weapon, which he could use tactically and strategically competently only years later. For example, this was the case with a tank, an airplane, a submarine and ... with an aircraft carrier.

Someone believes that the "history of aircraft carriers" began with the legendary flight of Eugene Ely, when he landed on the USS Pennsylvania. And someone - from the day when "ArcRoyal" took part in the Dardanelles operation. And although there were only seaplanes on board, historians consider this ship the first aircraft carrier in the world to take part in hostilities.

In any case, mankind received a completely new military tool, which he really had to use in decades.

Excursion into history

At the very beginning of its appearance, aircraft carriers were not actively used. After all, the combat potential of the aircraft as the main carrier of weapons has not yet been fully disclosed. First World War seemed to have buried the still fragile child forever. And although between the two world wars this class of ships continued to develop, none of the states even thought about giving the palm to the aircraft-carrying ship at sea. The ball was ruled battleships and battlecruisers. Having powerful artillery, the caliber of which could exceed 400 mm, they were the most powerful means of destruction.

During the Second World War, such giants as Bismarck and Richelieu, Yamato and Iowa were launched.

The first wake-up calls for battleships were November 1940 and December 1941. In the first case, an attack by British carrier-based aircraft on the Italian battle fleet allowed Britain to seize the initiative in the Mediterranean. In the second, a devastating Japanese air raid on Pearl Harbor completely destroyed the American battle fleet. After the end of the Battle of Midway in June 1942, it became clear that only aircraft carriers could provide dominance on the high seas.

The final nail in the coffin of battleships was hammered on April 7, 1945, when US carrier-based aircraft simply tore to pieces the largest battleship in history, the Yamato. Two hundred aircraft in two hours inflicted mortal wounds on the "pride of the Japanese fleet." Having received hits from 10 torpedoes and 13 bombs, the battleship took over 3,000 sailors to the bottom with her.

Eugene Ely takes off from the deck of the USS Pennsylvania on January 18, 1911

During the Second World War, aircraft carriers developed rapidly, performing the widest range of tasks. Separate classes of aircraft carriers appeared: heavy, light, escort, auxiliary, training, etc.

The escort aircraft carrier was intended for anti-aircraft and anti-submarine defense of convoys and reconnaissance. It had a displacement of up to 24,000 tons and a speed of up to 20 knots (37 km/h). Armament: 25-30 aircraft, up to 50 anti-aircraft guns. Crew up to 1000 people. Most of the escort aircraft carriers were converted from transport ships that did not have armor.

The light aircraft carrier was intended for air defense of formations of warships, convoys, landing units, the destruction of enemy ships (vessels) at sea, and air support for amphibious assaults. It had a displacement of up to 20,000 tons and a speed of up to 32 knots (59 km/h). Armament: up to 50 aircraft, about 70 anti-aircraft guns. Crew up to 1400 people.

The heavy aircraft carrier was intended to defeat (destroy) formations of enemy warships, transports and landing craft, to gain air supremacy in the combat area. It had a displacement of up to 55,000 tons and a speed of up to 33 knots (61 km/h). Armament: up to 100 aircraft, up to 12 guns of up to 200 mm caliber and up to 120 small-caliber anti-aircraft guns. Crew up to 4000 people.

During the war, 194 aircraft carriers were built, a significant part of which were converted from previously laid down battleships, cruisers and transport ships. Almost one in five was sunk.

In the post-war period, most maritime powers began to massively write off their warships, getting rid of battleships, aircraft carriers and cruisers. Great Britain finally lost the status of a great maritime power, and Japan could not even dream of its former greatness. Only the Americans had a powerful aircraft carrier fleet, they were in no hurry to destroy it. Moreover, strategists at the Pentagon continued to actively develop this type of ship.

The entry into service in 1961 of the aircraft carrier Enterprise with a nuclear power plant opened new era in the development of aircraft carriers. At that time, it was the largest surface ship in the entire history of the fleet with practically unlimited cruising autonomy. This year can be safely considered the year of the birth of the nuclear carrier fleet USA.

Aircraft carrier "Enterprise" with a nuclear power plant

Over the past seventy years, aircraft carriers have actively participated in many local wars. These are the wars in Korea and Vietnam, the Falklands crisis, Operation Desert Storm, the bombing of Belgrade, etc.

The aircraft carrier has evolved and become a universal combat platform, deadly for a potential enemy. The presence on board of various types of aircraft allows the aircraft carrier to perform many combat missions. This is the search for and destruction of enemy aircraft, submarines and ships, the landing of troops on the coast and the infliction of missile and bomb strikes against coastal targets and in depth. Before the advent of strategic nuclear submarines, even bombers with nuclear weapons were deployed on aircraft carriers. Aircraft carriers were an integral tool in the US strategy to destroy the USSR.

ship structure

A modern aircraft carrier is, in my opinion, the most complex type of weaponry today.

Aircraft carriers are the largest and most technically sophisticated warships in the history of mankind. To imagine the grandiosity and uniqueness of such a "technical monster", let's give a few figures (the Nimitz aircraft carrier is taken as an example):

- the construction of an aircraft carrier takes 60,000 tons of steel and 1360 tons of filler materials;
more than 4000 rooms on the ship for various purposes;
- a nuclear power plant of two water-cooled reactors of the A4W / A1G type drives four steam turbines with a total capacity of 280,000 hp;
- the mass of the propeller (there are four of them on the ship) is almost 3 tons, and each of the two anchors is 30 tons;
- flight deck area 18,200 sq. m;
- the ship has four steam catapults weighing 180 tons, allowing for a trouble-free take-off of combat aircraft, the weight of which reaches 40-43 tons, with an acceleration speed of up to 300 km / h;
- the total mass of ammunition 2000 tons;
- crew of 6000 people (including staff, maintenance of the air wing and marching headquarters).
The creation of such a ship requires huge financial and labor costs.

The cost of the US Navy aircraft carrier "George Bush" (the last in the Nimitz-class series) is estimated at 6.5 billion dollars (at 2009 prices), and the French Charles de Gaulle - 3.3 billion (at 2001 prices). year). The new aircraft carrier Gerald Ford will cost US taxpayers $14 billion, while the Queen Elizabeth will cost British taxpayers £6.5 billion. And this is without the cost of an air wing.

The lead aircraft carrier, as a rule, takes 6-7 years to build. This is the optimal period, provided that the shipbuilder receives the final approved project documentation and has extensive experience in building such ships.

The last condition is very important. For example, Northrop Grumman, founded in 1886, is one of the largest shipbuilding companies in the United States and one of two (General Dynamics) companies that build nuclear-powered ships. The first aircraft carrier CV-4 "Ranger" was built at this shipyard in 1934. In total, the shipyard built 30 aircraft carriers, including all 11 US nuclear aircraft carriers, starting with CVN-65 Enterprise in 1961.

Advantages and disadvantages

The main obvious advantages of aircraft carriers are high combat potential, versatility and high mobility.

High combat potential expressed in a large and varied number of weapons. AUGs are capable of striking in depth: on sea targets - up to 1000 km, on coastal targets up to 1600 km.

The versatility of the ship lies in the ability of an aircraft carrier to perform a wide range of tasks. We list the main ones: the destruction of enemy ship groupings in maritime theaters of military operations; inflicting strikes on objects located on the sea coast and in the depths of enemy territory; air cover and support for landing forces and ground forces operating in the coastal zone; gaining and maintaining air superiority in the area of ​​operation; providing air defense for ships, landing troops, large convoys at the sea crossing, blockade of the enemy's coast; air tactical reconnaissance; landing on the coast.

Carrier mobility lies in the ability to deploy a large air group in the shortest possible time. The ability to make daily throws of 1000 km is impressive.

The obvious minus of an aircraft carrier is its low degree of secrecy.. The exclusivity of this ship is not only its blessing, but also its curse. When delivering missile and torpedo strikes, an aircraft carrier will always be a priority target for the enemy. The times when an aircraft carrier performed a solo voyage have sunk into oblivion forever, it must always be guarded by escort ships.

The versatility of the aircraft carrier also has a negative side.. On board are thousands of tons of fuel and ammunition. In fact, this is a powder keg traveling at a speed of 30 knots. And although experts say that the damage control system is very reliable on modern aircraft-carrying ships, it will be possible to verify this only in the event of real hostilities.

Aircraft carrier accident rate

The accident on the strike aircraft carrier USS Forrestal (CV-59), which occurred in the Gulf of Tonkin in 1967, is the largest accident in the US Navy in the last 50 years. According to the official conclusion, the fire started after a spontaneous launch of an unguided rocket under the influence of an accidental voltage surge in the circuits of one of the aircraft standing on the deck. Result: the 17th fire, which engulfed six decks of the ship, the detonation of nine aerial bombs on the flight deck, 134 people died (161 were injured). The ship and its aircraft completely lost their combat effectiveness, 21 burnt aircraft were thrown overboard (not counting aircraft damaged by fire).

Approximately 70 miles from Honolulu, during the preparation of one of the fighter-bombers for a sortie, the warhead of an unguided rocket projectile suspended under its wing exploded. The explosion occurred due to overheating of the warhead of the rocket, caused by a sufficiently long exposure to the jet stream of the engine of another aircraft that was on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier and was also preparing to take off.

Within just 20 minutes, 18 powerful explosions occurred on the flight deck of the nuclear-powered ship, including detonating eight 500-pound (227 kg) aerial bombs. Later there was another series of explosions. In total, as a result of the accident, 28 people were killed, 343 people from the crew and shipborne wing of the Enterprise and the destroyers Benjamin Stoddert and Rogers were injured, 15 combat aircraft were completely destroyed. It is not worth talking about the various equipment that was destroyed. The combat service of the aircraft carrier in the Vietnam area had to be postponed.

Above are the iconic accidents. There were more than a hundred smaller ones. For example, on the Nimitz aircraft carrier:

— 1981. The landing plane crashed into a poorly parked helicopter on the deck of an aircraft carrier. Fire. Explosions. Result: 18 aircraft destroyed, 14 dead and 39 wounded.

— 1988. The attack aircraft jammed the electric launch of a high-speed artillery gun. The tanker plane caught fire. Losses: 8 units of aircraft.

— 1991. Aircraft crash during landing. The burning car, abandoned by the crew, caught on the arrester and froze in the middle of the deck. But her engines roared in afterburner mode. If not for the actions of a brave technician (who turned off the engines), the situation would have gotten out of hand.

There were accidents in the Navy and in the USSR ...

The anti-submarine cruiser Moskva is an aircraft carrier, more precisely, a helicopter carrier. As a result of a short circuit on the switchboard of the diesel generator, a fire broke out, which was extinguished for 6 hours. Three people were killed and 26 people were injured.

The aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov was also on fire. One example is on January 6, 2009, when an aircraft carrier was at the head of a group of Northern Fleet ships in the southeastern Mediterranean. There was a fire in the engine room. The fire was extinguished for two hours. One sailor died.

Summing up, I want to draw your attention to the fact that these are just a few examples of accidents that occurred in peacetime. In combat conditions, the accident rate increases significantly.

Defense AUG

To date, the most effective tool destruction of aircraft carriers are: anti-ship cruise missile and torpedo. And the main carriers of these means of destruction are ships, submarines and aviation.

For the effective defense of the aircraft carrier, a group of ships is created. This group, including an aircraft carrier, is called an aircraft carrier strike group (AUG). The composition of the AUG, as a rule, includes cruisers, destroyers, frigates, multi-purpose submarines and supply vessels. Their number depends on the number of aircraft carriers of the group and the group's mobility requirements. Of course, this significantly diverts resources, but a naval group assembled into a single fist has a very high combat potential.

AUG ships create defense lines that provide anti-missile, anti-aircraft and anti-submarine protection. Thus, a multi-level defense system is emerging, which is quite difficult to overcome. Do not forget that the air wing of an aircraft carrier is the main striking power of the AUG and also provides all types of its (group) defense!

Against cruise missiles, which will launch air attack weapons, submarines and surface ships of the enemy, the defense forces of the ship group create a deep layered defense up to 700 km deep. For the most full use combat capabilities of air defense systems provides for their multi-level construction by zones - three air defense zones are formed:

- distant(aircraft early warning radar (AWACS), radar patrol ships (RLD), combat air patrol fighter aircraft, medium-range anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM) of security ships);

- medium(ships and helicopters of short-range radar, aircraft electronic warfare(EW), air defense ships using air defense systems, electronic warfare equipment of ships of the main forces and air defense);

- close(SAM, artillery and electronic warfare of all ships).

Anti-submarine defense is organized to search for and destroy submarines. The depth of such defense today reaches 600 km. The ship group in this case also has the widest range of opportunities to search for and destroy enemy submarines. The anti-submarine protection of the AUG is carried out by anti-submarine aircraft by patrolling, making shuttle flights from the center of the AUG and back in the direction of the probable appearance of the enemy.

In addition to aircraft, anti-submarine protection is provided by submarines that are part of the AUG and equipped with hydroacoustic stations (GAS). The AUG close-guard forces include helicopters and surface ships. Their main task is to prevent a torpedo attack from enemy submarines. GAS surface ships are used in active mode. Surface ships are positioned in such a way as to create a continuous ring of hydroacoustic observation. Helicopters are also used, which use a lowered sonar, a magnetic detector and radio sonar buoys to detect enemy submarines.

In 1983, a new warship entered the ocean. At the stern, a huge banner fluttered in the wind: “Stand by, Admiral Gorshkov: “Aegis” at sea!” (Watch out, Admiral Gorshkov! Aegis at sea!). This is how he started his service. missile cruiser USS Ticonderoga (CG-47). And so the combat service of the ship's multifunctional combat information and control system Aegis combat system began. This is an integrated network of shipborne environment lighting, weapons and controls. The system allows you to receive and process information from sensors of other ships and aircraft of the formation and issue target designations to their launchers. talking plain language, is an electronic think tank.

Thus, the AUG has a system that provides the collective defense of ships, allowing you to intercept almost all modern facilities air attack, including ballistic missiles. The Aegis system simultaneously detects and accompanies up to 300 targets and directs up to 18 missiles at the most dangerous of them. Car-based fighters and AWACS aircraft can also be involved in repelling an attack. The decision to hit targets can be made automatically.

Fight against AUG

American admirals consider their carrier formations to be invulnerable. In part they are right. With such a multi-level and universal defense, you can really feel completely safe. It is possible to destroy the AUG only with a massive missile salvo. At one time in the USSR, it was calculated that in order to guarantee the destruction of the AUG, it is necessary to use 70-100 anti-ship missiles in one strike. The cruise missile must have a warhead of 500 kg and a flight speed exceeding the speed of sound by 2.5 times. Such missiles today are P-700 ("Granit") and P-1000 ("Volcano") / P-500 ("Basalt").

To deliver such a strike, it is necessary to approach the AUG at the launch range of its missiles. And this is where the problems begin. AUG reconnaissance equipment makes it possible to detect the enemy several hundred kilometers before the point of a missile attack. Let me remind you that the main factor that influenced the victory of the Americans at the Battle of Midway Atoll was that they were ahead of the enemy in deployment.

The enemy of the AUG has no choice but to break through to the launch point with a fight. And it is also necessary to issue target designation to submarines, to synchronize the launch of cruise missiles with other carriers. In general, the AUG is in a deliberately winning situation. A breakthrough in the defense of the AUG will be associated with major losses. There is another way: striking the AUG with cruise missiles (torpedoes) with a special warhead (SBC). But this will only be done as a last resort.

What do we have?

In the Soviet Union, aircraft carriers began to be built only in the 1960s. These are anti-submarine cruisers of project 1123, i.e. full-fledged helicopter carriers. Two buildings were built: "Moscow" and "Leningrad". In the 1970s, the construction of aircraft-carrying cruisers pr. 1143 began. Kyiv, Minsk, Novorossiysk and Baku entered service. And in 1991 it entered service (Project 1143.5). The main difference between our aircraft-carrying cruisers, project 1143, and western-built aircraft carriers is the presence on board the complex of cruise missiles "Basalt" and "Granit".

It's hard to say by the right way our designers went or along a dead end branch. Then (as now) our shipbuilding industry could not build such giants as the Enterprise. There was only one plant in Nikolaev, therefore, not a very large (relative to American aircraft carriers) displacement. And why do we need such giants? The admirals of the USSR did not plan to fight the United States at sea. Then there was a policy of containment. The main tasks that were assigned to our aircraft carriers were defensive. Our aircraft carriers left the Black Sea as "anti-submarine cruisers" (which was partly true).

Were our aircraft carriers much inferior to the American ones? In the 1970s, definitely not. These ships had a lot of advanced technology. As a matter of fact, we went our own way in everything. The P-500 cruise missile with a range of 550 km was then a very formidable weapon. And US carrier-based aviation was not so technically advanced as to be guaranteed to destroy our cruisers before approaching the cruise missile launch point.

Was it a dead end path of development? I think yes. The ship is the most complex combat mechanism. And trying to create "something universal" can lead to a "monstrous hybrid." A striking example today is the heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov. With a total displacement of 65,000 tons, having carrier-based aircraft not exceeding 30 aircraft is a clear dead end. And when was the last time this cruiser fired missiles? A long time ago. Because he doesn't shoot anymore. Can't technically. Lost material.

Will we build or not?

To try to figure it out, I will take a neutral position between opponents and allies of the construction of aircraft carriers.

Do we plan to control the largest trade routes? No.

Are we planning to implement a blockade of any coastal state? No.

Or maybe we have to capture the X archipelago? No. But it is "no" today. And who knows what will happen tomorrow?

Aircraft carriers are a very expensive toy. They are very expensive to build and maintain. There is absolutely nothing to complain about. But the fleet itself is “very expensive”. And it's not necessary to build monsters like "Gerald Ford", whose daily maintenance costs 7 million dollars. The Soviet Union understood this.

Aircraft carriers, like the rest Navy, - this is an extra costly item and a hole in the budget! How do you calculate dividends? In Norway in the late 1930s, too, thought so. They said they were following a policy of neutrality. Their military budget was practically zero, which Hitler took advantage of in 1940.

Aircraft carriers are cardboard ships. They heat up very easily. Possibly, but who checked it? Only real combat operations show the effectiveness of weapons. The Second World War showed a fairly high survivability of aircraft carriers.

Aircraft carriers are explosive ships. Accidents happen frequently. Right. But all ships burn and explode. As practice shows, most accidents occur due to the elementary sloppiness of the personnel. The problem is not with hardware, but with people.

We will melt all enemy aircraft carriers with cruise missiles. We have a complex "Bastion"! The Bastion complex is a coastal missile system. It is designed to protect the coast. The range of cruise missiles in the region of 300 km. An aircraft carrier would never risk coming so close to shore. In general, the farther the AUG is from the coast, the more secure the aircraft carrier will be. Today we do not have cruise missiles capable of destroying an aircraft carrier at long range.

This debate seems to go on forever. Opponents and supporters of aircraft carriers are on opposite sides of the barricades. Some argue that aircraft carriers are expensive and obsolete weapons. Others that it is the most powerful tool of warfare at sea.

The Indian Navy aircraft carrier Vikrant has been under construction since 2006.

My subjective opinion is the following:

There is no need to hurry with the construction of a new aircraft carrier. News design work? Yes. Mortgage urgently? No. The Navy has big problems with ships of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th ranks. The Coast Guard also needs to be updated. It is now paramount for us to close our inland seas for the "adversary". And so, step by step, go out into the seas and oceans. I repeat, step by step.

What is the point of straining shipbuilding capacities with the “construction of the century” when our ships and boats are now in line for repairs and modernization? It is necessary to carry out (and it is now underway) the renewal of shipbuilding capacities and the increase in workforce (and this is the biggest problem today). You can't build today. But this does not mean that it is not necessary to build "tomorrow". To do this, it is extremely important for us not to lose the last half-dead aircraft carrier in order to preserve flight personnel and experience in operating this complex equipment. It is necessary to extend the life of the TAKR "Admiral Kuznetsov" to the maximum by performing its deep modernization.

Nobody put so much effort into the appearance of aircraft carriers in our fleet as Admiral Gorshkov. But there is an opinion that by the end of his career, he came to the conclusion that aircraft carriers had no prospects due to their great vulnerability. He proposed the use of "marine airfield platforms" based on vessels with a small waterline area, proposed at one time by an inventor from Canada, Frederick Creed.

Very logical. Cheap and practical. The Chinese also realized that there is a partial replacement for aircraft carriers, and began to build "unsinkable aircraft carriers." The appearance of artificial islands in the South China Sea today is very annoying to Japan and the United States.

In defense of aircraft carriers, I would like to cite one indisputable fact. To date, 12 countries have aircraft carriers in their fleet. Many of them not only do not refuse these ships, but also continue to build them. And if we add to this number of countries the owners of universal landing ships(and this is the same, to some extent, aircraft carriers), then the question arises ... So is it worth burying aircraft carriers?

Finally, I want to say that the fleet must be balanced. Therefore, aircraft carriers will always find a place in it. The ideal option for us would be a ship with a displacement of up to 50,000 tons with a nuclear power plant. But, as they say, everything has its time.

Personally, I really want these handsome men to please us with power only in parades and never fight each other.

Literature:
- Shunkov V.N. aircraft carriers and naval aviation. - Minsk, Publisher: Potpourri, 2003
- Belavin N.I. Aircraft carriers. - Moscow, Publisher: "Patriot", 1990
- Katorin Y. Aircraft carriers. - Moscow, Publisher: Galeya Print, 2010

Light aircraft carrier "Invincible"

After the end of the Second World War, the mighty British Navy began to gradually decline. The collapse of the colonial empire reduced the need for large naval forces, NATO membership made it possible to share the burden of responsibility for many military-political decisions with partners, and far from brilliant financial position countries were motivated to cut spending.

In the late 1960s it became obvious that British carrier-based aviation was becoming obsolete and rapidly losing its former power, and after the Bulwark and Ark Royal aircraft carriers were withdrawn from the fleet in 1979, not a single ship of this class remained in the fleet. Only survived former aircraft carrier"Hermes", in 1977 reclassified as an anti-submarine helicopter carrier.

However, in 1973, construction began on a fundamentally new aircraft carrier, designed to bring to life latest trends development of military thought. The fact is that in 1969, the Harrier GR.1 multi-purpose vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, developed by British Aerospace, was adopted by British aviation. They could take off from very small areas, and the spacious decks were perfect for this. The sailors appreciated the advantages of the new machine, and in 1975 the decision was made to equip the fleet with its naval version - the Sea Harrier FRS.1. The first prototype of the attack fighter was flown in the summer of 1978, and in March 1978 deliveries of production vehicles began.

At this time, the construction of new unusual ships, specially built as carriers of VTOL aircraft, was in full swing. The contract for the construction of the Invincible (R-05 "Invicible"), the lead in a series of light aircraft carriers, was signed in April 1973, and it was laid down at the Vickers shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness on July 20, 1973. By the way, for purely political reasons, light aircraft carriers until 1980 were classified as helicopter carrier cruisers: the Laborites in power demonstrated with all their might that they opposed the construction of aircraft carriers. The Invincible was launched on May 8, 1975, the ship officially entered service on July 11, 1980. It had the following characteristics: standard displacement - 16,000 tons, total displacement - 19,810 tons, length - 206.6 m, width - 31.9 m, draft - 7.9 m. Gas turbine power plant, four turbines with a total capacity of 112,000 hp. The ship had two propellers. The highest speed is 28 knots, the cruising range is 7000 miles. Crew - 1000 people (as of April 1982 - 725 crew members of the ship and 365 people in the air group). Initially, the armament consisted of one Sea Dart anti-aircraft missile launcher, but, given the experience of the Falklands War, it was rearmed with two 20 mm anti-aircraft guns, and then three 30 mm Goalkeeper guns were added to them.

"Invincible"

In March 1982, the Argentines—propaganda called them laborers who had arrived to scrap old whaling ships—raised the national flag on the South Atlantic island of South Georgia. This was followed by a landing on this island and the Falkland Archipelago landing force, to which the British garrisons, small in number and not having heavy equipment, could not offer serious resistance. But the Conservative government, led by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, refused to recognize the seizure of the islands and decided to restore United Kingdom sovereignty over them by force. Submarines, surface ships, as well as numerous auxiliary and transport ships with troops and a variety of cargo on board. The basis of the 317th operational formation was the light aircraft carriers Invincible and Hermes (which became the carrier of VTOL aircraft in 1981).

The Invincible, commanded by Captain J.J. Black entered the conflict zone on April 25, 1982. At that time, eight Sea Harrier aircraft from the 801 squadron and 11 Sea King helicopters of the 820 squadron were based on it. Both aircraft carriers with escort ships during the period of hostilities tried to maneuver at the limit of the range of Argentine aviation.

On the very first day of the air-sea battle that began - May 1, the Argentines suffered serious losses without achieving any success. The pilots of the 801st squadron chalked up the Mirage fighter and the Canberra bomber, they damaged three more aircraft (one of them was mistakenly finished off by Argentine anti-aircraft gunners). Own losses - one slightly damaged "Sea Harrier". In total, during the conflict, the fighters operating from the Invincible shot down eight enemy aircraft (for example, on May 21, three Dagger fighter-bombers and the Pukara attack aircraft), and one helicopter was “filled up” together with the pilots of the 800th based on Hermes squadrons. Own losses amounted to four VTOL aircraft, with only one "Sea Harrier" was the victim of Argentine anti-aircraft fire, and three - accidents. And this is not surprising: in southern hemisphere autumn was coming to an end, we had to operate in a difficult meteorological situation, with low clouds and disgusting visibility.

The actions of the British aircraft carriers made such an impression on the Argentine command that it decided that the sinking or serious damage to one of them could lead to the cessation of the entire operation! Naturally, the Argentine aircraft made attempts to attack such important targets. The pilots claimed to have scored two bomb hits on the Invincible during the May 30th attack, but there is no reliable evidence of this.

On May 17-20, four Sea Harriers from the 809 squadron were delivered to the Invincible for the 801 squadron, and the composition of the helicopter group was also replenished. The fighting actually ended after the surrender of the Argentine troops on the islands on June 14, the British victory was complete and unconditional. After the fighting ended, the carrier returned to Portsmouth on 19 October 1982.

In subsequent years, the ship made a lot long hikes, participated in various exercises and operations of both Royal Navy and NATO. Invincible also had a chance to fight: in 1995, its aircraft participated in strikes against the positions of the Bosnian Serbs, in 1998 they operated over southern Iraq, in 1999 against Yugoslavia. However, during large-scale operations, the importance of a relatively small air group (18 Sea Harrier GR.7 / 9 and four helicopters) turned out to be far from being as significant as during the Falklands War. The next cuts in defense spending and gradual obsolescence forced the command to withdraw the ship into reserve in August 2005.

"Invincible" was laid up for six years, weapons and some of the equipment were dismantled on it. The ship served as a source of spare parts for the sister Illustrious and Ark Royal. Only in March 2011, he was taken in tow to Turkey, where in the city of Aliaga, not far from Izmir, there is an enterprise for cutting ships into metal. In the same month, the Ark Royal was expelled from the fleet, and the Illustrious service should end in 2014.

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Somewhere in the friend feed I saw echoes of a mossy already holivar about the prospects for light aircraft carriers with an emphasis on "UDC without docking camera". As far as I understand, then everything calmed down due to the lack of the opportunity to test the results of thought experiments in practice. Last year's campaign "Kuzi" in the Mediterranean is not suitable for the role of confirmation or refutation due to well-known reasons. But then, suddenly, the Americans themselves were about to throw firewood into the firebox of the discussion that had subsided.

For me personally, the topic is of purely academic interest, but it may be of interest to someone. One problem - the text is bare at all, without pictures. For some reason, they haven’t managed to draw any renders or computer animations yet, although there seemed to be enough time. So readers will have to endure many bookcuffs, and as the only illustration, let it be the first one that comes across, which is more or less suitable:

Link F-35B "Lightning-2" over UDC "America" ​​© Photo: Andy Wolfe / US Navy

The question of the final choice of the number of ships in the series of nuclear aircraft carriers (AVMA) of the Ford type, which are planned to be built for the US Navy, currently remains open. This is largely due to the prohibitively high cost of building and operating each new ship, and therefore, the entire program is subject to sharp criticism. There are debates in Congress, the Department of Defense and the US Navy, up to proposals to develop a cheaper light aircraft carrier LAC(Light Aircraft Carrier) to replace or in addition to the heavy ones, which include all ships of this class, with a displacement of more than 70 thousand tons.

It is claimed that LAC will be able to solve tasks that do not require the full use of the capabilities of a heavy aircraft carrier and its air group (protection of a given area, air support for low-intensity operations, reinforcement of amphibious assault and cruiser-destroyer groups, escort operations, force projection and demonstration of military presence). In everyday conditions, this will save the precious resource of heavy aircraft carriers for its use in wartime. In the event of war, light aircraft carriers can also be attached to reinforce carrier strike groups of heavy aircraft carriers.

In principle, this corresponds to the concept of "Distributed strike potential" (Distributed Lethality - DL), which since 2017 has been officially integral part doctrine of the use of the surface fleet of the US Navy. According to its provisions, the use of a larger number of ship groups should increase the operational availability of surface forces.

The notorious Senator John McCain, Chairman of the Defense Committee of the Upper House of the US Congress, turned out to be a big supporter of the new approach. In January 2017, in his special report, he stated that over the next five years, the US Navy should begin the transition from the purchase of universal landing ships (UDC) to the construction of light aircraft carriers as a supplement to the existing heavy ones. In his opinion, the transfer of the first such ship to the fleet should take place no later than the mid-2030s.

In the same January 2017, in the report "Restoring American Seapower" (Restoring American Seapower) Research Institute of the Center for Budget and strategic analysis(Center for Budgetary and Strategic Analysis) recommended building light aircraft carriers with a displacement of 40-60 thousand tons with a conventional power plant. Its main characteristics will be almost half the corresponding characteristics of the Nimitz / Ford AVMA type (displacement 100/110 thousand tons, length 330/340 m, 80 aircraft, including 48 strike aircraft) and approximately correspond to the characteristics of the French nuclear aircraft carrier Charles de Gol" (43 thousand tons, 283 m, 28-40 aircraft) or the new English "Queen Elizabeth" (65 thousand tons, 283 m, up to 36 F-35), which, by the way, at home no one considers light.

The specified parameters also correspond to the American UDC, which in the course of recent conflicts has actually been repeatedly used in the role of light aircraft carriers due to armament with vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft AV-8B "Harrier". After they are removed from service, it is planned to use the F-35В Lightning-2 VTOL aircraft for similar purposes. Consequently, the new UDC of the "Amerika" type (45 thousand tons, 257 m, 20 aircraft) can be considered as the basis for the development of a light aircraft carrier project, if the decision to create it is nevertheless made.

In addition, it is obvious that other concepts will be considered. So, in June 2017, someone Bradley MARTIN (Bradley Martin) in collaboration with Michael MAKMEHONOM (Michael E. McMahon) under the brand name of the RAND Corporation published a report "Future Aircraft Carrier Options" (Future Aircraft Carrier), which analyzes four possible alternatives Options continuation of the construction of AVMA type "Ford", including:

1) the same Ford aircraft carrier, but with cheaper and more economical systems;

2) a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier with a displacement of 70,000 tons with an air group similar in composition to an ABMA air wing of the Ford type;

3) variant based on the project UDC type "America";

4) a purely light aircraft carrier with a displacement of about 20 thousand tons with an air group of ten VTOL aircraft.

Supporters of the concept of light aircraft carriers believe that they will be much cheaper than heavy ones. In particular, in the long term, the cost of purchasing new aircraft carriers of the Ford type is estimated at $ 11.4 billion per ship, while the new UDC of the America type costs "only" 3.4 billion, and the cost of the one developed on its light aircraft carrier base supposedly should not exceed $5 billion.

However, the perfection of such calculations is reasonably disputed. If light aircraft carriers go in addition to heavy , and not instead of them, then this will require a corresponding reduction, if not a stop to the UDC construction program. The procurement items of the military budget are already extremely overloaded, so funds for the construction of new large warships can only be obtained by cutting other programs. But the command of the Marine Corps has been complaining for several years in a row that the number of ships of the amphibious assault forces in the combat composition of the fleet already now does not ensure the fulfillment of the entire range of tasks facing the corps.

If light aircraft carriers are instead of heavy , this will definitely lead to a decrease in the striking power of the fleet. In particular, a light aircraft carrier based on the UDC project of the "America" ​​type, due to its short flight deck, will be capable of carrying only VTOL aircraft. This will lead to a decrease in the range of his air group in comparison with the aircraft of the classical take-off and landing scheme. Also, a weighty argument of the opponents of the concept is that at present there are no VTOL AWACS and electronic warfare, similar to the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye and F / A-18G Growler, without which it is considered unthinkable to fight.

In the medium term, these shortcomings can be partially eliminated by making changes to the design of the UDC type "America" ​​with an extension of its flight deck, the installation of a bow ramp and launch catapults, or the development of a completely new ship with a displacement of 60-70 thousand tons. But this, in turn, will lead to a significant increase in the cost of the project, which, at least, casts doubt on the economic advantages new program compared to the continued construction of heavy aircraft carriers.

Thus, according to calculations in the RAND report, the construction of an aircraft carrier with a displacement of 70 thousand tons will be only 25% less than the cost of building a Ford-type AVMA, but it will be significantly inferior to the latter in combat effectiveness, providing 50% fewer sorties per day. Also, a light aircraft carrier has less autonomy, cruising range and survivability. The latter factors are particularly relevant for the last two of the four alternatives in the report.

In conclusion, RAND specialists conclude that a light aircraft carrier with a displacement of 20,000 tons can only be used in crisis situations of low intensity or to escort a heavy aircraft carrier as part of the AUG. Based on this, it is recommended to continue the construction of the AVMA series of the Ford type, not excluding, if necessary, the development for them of a nuclear reactor that is less expensive to manufacture and operate.

In the US Navy itself, they are not particularly happy about the possible prospects. According to the command, only the use of heavy aircraft carriers provides a combination of high offensive (strike) capabilities, the required pace of operations and long-term participation in military conflicts of medium and high intensity. Realizing that such high matters are of little concern to politicians, fears are expressed that the number of nuclear aircraft carriers in the combat strength of the US Navy will have to be reduced to 6-9 units only in order to release personnel for the formation of crews of new ships and the acquisition of flight and technical personnel for air groups of light aircraft carriers.

Be that as it may, but in the same June 2017, the US Congressional Budget Office (CBO) amended the draft military budget for 2018, providing for the allocation of $ 30 million for the development of the initial concept of a light aircraft carrier. As part of the final decision on their construction for the US Navy, the Senate plans to consider the most important technological issues substantiating the operational and economic feasibility of such a decision. The old aircraft carrier and deck ship McCain rubs his hands happily - now he will show them all there!

And finally, I would like to draw the attention of colleagues