The United States is called the hegemon of the oceans - this status is provided to them by aircraft carrier strike groups. All the great powers are developing a system to counter them, but counteraction is not equal to an alternative, much less a challenge. However, such a challenge could be the Russian nuclear submarine aircraft carrier. And this idea is not as paradoxical as it seems at first glance.
In the Main Headquarters of the Russian Navy, portraits of great Russian naval commanders are hung on the walls. These people opened for our country such territories as the Cook Islands, the Marshall Islands, French Polynesia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Hawaii, Truk and much more. Now these resorts belong to the USA, France or the British Commonwealth, but they could and even wanted to become part of Russia.
But Alexander I refused to accept him as a subject. Alexander II. Alexander III did not want to borrow. The Russian emperors avoided contact with such territories for one simple reason: Russia did not have and still does not have a really powerful navy that could, if necessary, blockade any country in the world in any corner of the globe, as the Americans can do.
The experience of world wars has shown that the Black Sea and Baltic fleets are easily blocked not even by cruisers or battleships, but by ordinary boats. that without a powerful fleet it is extremely difficult to help overseas allies. However, Russia is still building mainly frigates, corvettes, combat boats, assault boats, auxiliary vessels, that is, ships for swimming in shallow water. At the exit - .
To dominate the world, you need space. It is necessary to have at least one classic aircraft carrier strike group in a combat campaign in each sea-ocean - or something that could replace it. One of the most ambitious and breakthrough projects in this sense can be considered the idea of an underwater nuclear aircraft carrier.
Rodents for Uncle Sam
The first to think about submarine aircraft carriers were in samurai Japan. In 1932, the I-2 submarine of the J-1M project was launched from the stocks, inside which there was a sealed hangar for the Caspar U-1 reconnaissance aircraft.
Despite a number of failures and difficulties associated with this know-how, Japanese sailors came to the conclusion that the submarine aircraft carrier was not such an absurd idea. By 1935, the improved submarine I-6 had been completed. However, the military was extremely displeased that the plane had to be launched all the time with a special crane.
Before the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese Navy received three advanced reconnaissance boats at once - I-9, I-10 and I-11. It was the I-9 submarine that eventually launched the plane into the sky to film the results of the attack on the American base. And on September 9, 1942, an even more advanced Project B1 submarine struck the first blow directly on US territory: a Yokosuka E14Y plane dropped several incendiary bombs on a forest in Oregon, but the Americans were saved by luck and rainy weather - the fire did not flare up.
British submarine HMS M2, 1933 (photo: The Air and Sea Co) |
The crown of Japanese thought was the I-400 boat, about 120 meters long. The submarine carried 20 torpedoes and four aircraft armed with two 250-kilogram bombs. The Japanese even wanted to dump special containers with rodents infected with cholera and anthrax into the United States. Did not work out. But the I-400 series submarines have become the largest submarines in the world.
At the end of the war, naval samurai possessed dozens of aircraft-carrying submarines of various classes and modifications. This submarine fleet could deliver over fifty aircraft with biological or chemical weapons to the US coast. And then history would have gone in a completely different direction.
The American military was shocked when they realized what a disaster had bypassed their prosperous continent. And the conclusions were exhaustive.
In March 1946, in full accordance with the agreements reached before, Moscow demanded that Soviet specialists be given access to Japanese submarine aircraft carriers. After that, the Americans simply drowned all the Japanese submarines. This is another fateful turn of history that never happened: if the Soviet Union had received samurai technology in those years, the hegemony of the United States and Britain in the oceans would have come to an end sooner or later.
Germany, England and France also tried to create submarine aircraft carriers, but they did not advance further than experimental models with a small reconnaissance aircraft. After a series of failures, the Europeans spit on the ambitious project and took up the surface fleet.
Deadly Russian"Pheasant"
Today, rumors are actively circulating on the Internet that Russia is also creating a nuclear submarine aircraft carrier. At the same time, the messages are illustrated by a picture of a huge submarine with an airfield on its back, where modern fighters are preparing to launch.
Critics have already poured on this project - every kingston of a nuclear submarine was ridiculed. But the question is, where does the information come from that the submarine aircraft carrier will look like this? It is clear that the backbone airfield simply will not allow the submarine to either swim under water or float to the surface. It's just an artist's fantasy.
The airfield should be streamlined, under the hull of the boat itself. Instead of the designer's takeoff fighters, the sailors are likely to use attack drones. vertical takeoff tailsitter type, that is aircraft capable of taking off and landing in a vertical position. It is reliably known that such an apparatus is already for the Russian Ministry of Defense, and its name is “Pheasant”.
After taking off from the launch pad, this machine gains altitude, speed and then switches to the usual level flight mode. At the same time, the Pheasant can carry on board not only reconnaissance equipment, but also strike systems. Its estimated speed is 350-400 kilometers per hour, flight range is two thousand kilometers.
A nuclear submarine can have several dozen of these machines on board - a lot will fit right upright. The same applies to ammunition for the weapons of the "Pheasant".
By firing these machines from missile silos or launching a flock from the surface, the nuclear submarine aircraft carrier quickly retreats to the place of the intended assembly. Meanwhile, a swarm of drones suddenly attack an American group of ships, a naval base, or rush to strike deep into the continent for 500 kilometers. After that, the remnants of the detachment can return to the assembly point for repairs, maintenance and replenishment of ammunition.
The Russian military will not have to spend money on expensive training and no less expensive maintenance of naval aviation pilots. Moreover, the cost of the Pheasant is much less than a modern fighter, and the loss of a drone will not be perceived by anyone as a tragedy.
But the main advantages of a nuclear submarine aircraft carrier are its secrecy and the sudden appearance of combat drones over the enemy. Any American aircraft carrier with a group of ships is like a graveyard orchestra, heard a mile away. And tracking a nuclear submarine is almost impossible. It can appear almost anywhere off the coast of the United States and strike.
From the East to the West coast of the United States, on average, about 4,500 kilometers. Two submarine aircraft carriers will be able to attack the continent from different sides to its entire depth. That is, in fact, there will be no place left where the population of America would feel completely safe.
If such a project can be implemented, Russia will become the most powerful maritime power.
But the classic aircraft carriers.
There are many cases when, in a training battle, such ships were hit with impunity by submarines of various classes. The Americans were successfully "drowned" by the Swedes, Canadians, French, British and even Czechs and Chileans.
According to experts, in a modern war, any aircraft carrier will live no more than two hours, and pilots, taking off from their floating airfield, can look for an alternate landing site in advance.
And the day is not far off when US aircraft carriers will remind not of the formidable and deadly weapons, but of the elusive Joe from the joke - who needs him?
The first submarine nuclear aircraft carrier of Project 941-bis will be built in Russia, according to Internet rumors...
The point is not in rumors - whether an underwater aircraft carrier will be built or not, but in an idea that could only be born in Russia. For the Anglo-Saxons, the very idea of taking off and landing on the deck of an aircraft carrier that floats under water contradicts the logic of the English language.
Project 941bis ATAVKRP was created under the leadership of a group of senior officers of the fleet and the KGB of the USSR. In 1991, they did not want to break the oath, given country which has ceased to exist. They, like many thinking people, hoped that this was a temporary insanity and the country would be restored.
However, it was clear that the oligarchy would not give up its positions just like that and, moreover, would certainly call for help from its Western friends. Based on this, it was necessary to create an armed formation that, at the right time, could take the side of the supporters of the reconstruction of the country. It would be nice to have a certain reserve of the general rate as part of the destroyer division and a couple of SSBNs.
The unprecedented level of corruption and betrayal in the highest echelons of power and leadership of the Navy did not leave hope that at least one ship would not go under the knife or be plundered. In addition, the total control on the part of NATO within the framework of observations under the program of joint threat reduction did not allow to “hide” or mothball a single combat-ready ship, not to mention the connection.
The only solution was to create something new. The main problem of such construction was money and secrecy. Moreover, secrecy had to be brought to new level- it was necessary to hide the construction site not only from strangers, but also from our own.
The idea of the possibility of building an underwater aircraft carrier was based on the Rubinovsky project of transport submarines based on pr 941. The main customer of the TPL was Norilsk Nickel.
To finance the 941bis project, new Russian customers were found who liked the idea of carrying used cars from Japan to Europe. part of the country year-round Sevmor by.
A small group of designers from Rubin finalized the TPL project, using the developments of projects 621 (amphibious transport submarine cruiser), 717 (amphibious transport submarine, minelayer), 748 and 664. The designers worked in two groups: one thought that it was creating an underwater ro-ro ship for new Russians, and only the second, very small, knew about the real purpose of the project.
The hull structures of the TK-210, which were allegedly previously dismantled, were taken as a basis. Upon completion of the construction of the civilian part of the cruiser, he moved under the ice to Far East, as part of the "sea trials". Even in the middle of the transition, the customer was told that there were serious omissions in the project and that the boat could not be operated as it was. Needs a long term renovation. Due to the fact that the life expectancy of the new Russians at that time was short, there was simply no one to make claims.
The Americans somehow languidly watched the Zvezda at that time, and the cruiser was put there for armament and the installation of a flight deck. There, disassembled at low speed, under the guise of a color-met, a steam throwing device was brought from the Crimea, or, more simply, a catapult.
By 1995, the cruiser was ready. The air wing was selected from the Far East squadrons, Sushki were simply bought.
The building attracted attention. And no means of disguise and misinformation could prevent the leakage of information. The only salvation for secrecy was going to sea. The crew was selected exclusively from volunteers, and the vast majority of them did not know about the existence of the “Soviet Union” until the moment they boarded.
November 18, 1995 at 00:00 local time, the heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser submarine "Soviet Union" gave up the moorings and went on combat duty, the length of which, as it is now clear, is life ....
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As always, the model is made according to authentic drawings, all millimeters are adjusted, and all rivets are counted.
Hidden confrontation of steel giants - nuclear submarines with the completion of " cold war' didn't stop. On the contrary, both in the United States and in Russian Federation began to appreciate the capabilities of the submarine fleet more. This is especially true for multi-purpose submarines equipped with cruise missiles. Special hopes are placed on such submarines in Russia - along with strategic missile submarines, multi-purpose submarines will have to perform the most difficult tasks to deter any, even the most serious, aggression at sea and, if necessary, strike back at surface and underwater targets, as well as destroy enemy targets on land. Threat assessment No matter how much experts discuss the protection of aircraft carriers and consider escort ships from the carrier strike group, invariably, any dispute in the professional community comes to the question of how such forces can be neutralized if necessary. Is it a joke - a ship, 70 aircraft with missiles, and a dozen auxiliary vessels, including an escort from missile weapons- a serious force that you can’t take for fear. The attention to missile weapons that the Russian design bureau and the Ministry of Defense pay from year to year in the construction and design of submarines has long been noted by foreign colleagues. Realizing that the submarine, recently commissioned, armed with cruise missiles and unique torpedoes, could turn a huge ship into a sieve, the Americans began to noticeably worry. For almost 30 years, the command of the US Navy did not make harsh statements about the danger of Russian submarines. 
However, the long-term silence was broken by Harry Harris, Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Command. Harris said that the program of modernization and construction of new submarines poses a serious danger to the Pacific region and "signals the seriousness with which Moscow views this region." Experts note that the "recognition" of successes in rearmament and modernization Russian fleet testifies to the fact that the command of the Navy considers every modernized and even more so new submarine dangerous, and third-generation submarines fade into the background at the mere mention of Russian nuclear submarines of the fourth project. four yards
In fairness, it should be noted that the Americans approached the formation and maintenance of their own submarine fleet thoroughly. In addition to the strategic missile submarines of the Ohio type, multipurpose nuclear submarines of the Virginia type have been built and put into operation. True, the Americans decided to build new multi-purpose submarines for a reason. At a certain stage of the naval confrontation, after weighing all the pros and cons, and simultaneously evaluating the data on the Soviet Project 971 nuclear submarines, the US military issued technical task for the development of a multi-purpose nuclear submarine.
The specialists of the Electric Boat company and dozens of specialized companies developed a project for a multi-purpose nuclear submarine with advanced equipment and weapons, called the Seawolf (eng. Seawolf, “sea wolf”). Everything in the Sivulf design was subordinated to one goal: to detect the enemy and not be detected, much less destroyed. In order to ensure the secrecy of the submarine while moving, the developers went for such non-standard solutions as the rejection of the traditional propeller. Instead, a water jet was used, originally developed for the British Trafalgar submarines, and the hull was made using a special sound-absorbing coating. 
A hydroacoustic complex, surveillance equipment and a total ammunition load of 50 torpedoes and missiles were supposed to turn the Seawulf into a real master of the depths, but the dream of military engineers was not destined to come true. The culprit, as usual, was money. Research work, the study of materials, the development of electronics and other systems cost the US military department exactly one billion dollars. Almost another four and a half billion (4.3 to be exact) had to be paid for each submarine built. Having recalculated the costs of building, maintaining, repairing and modernizing, the US military decided to limit itself to only three submarines, and on this the issue of mass production of the Seawolf was closed. Virginia vs. Ash
In terms of the amount of money spent on construction and maintenance, the Virginia-class submarine that was put into service instead of the Seawolf turned out to be significantly cheaper, but this submarine did not succeed in becoming a relatively inexpensive ship. The recently launched USS Illinois cost the US Navy nearly three billion dollars ($2.7 to be exact). Similar to the submarines of the previous generation, the tasks of the Virginia multi-purpose nuclear submarine included all the same activities - the fight against enemy submarines, coastal operations (meaning the destruction of objects on land) and, if necessary, the landing of landing units. One of important aspects the study of multi-purpose submarines (and submarines in general) is armament. And just here the most interesting begins - a comparison of the capabilities of the American "Virginia" and the Russian "Ash" as the main competitors. The first versions of the Virginia (Block I and Block II series) are armed with 12 Tomahawk cruise missiles, and from the Block III version, the submarine is equipped with a revolver-type launcher of 6 cruise missiles each. 
Despite the fact that the main competitor of Virginia, the Russian multi-purpose nuclear submarine of project 885 Yasen, due to well-known political and economic reasons, entered service much later, the level of solutions regarding the power plant, weapons, on-board electronics and controls is such that for sure, after studying some of the parameters, gray-haired generals will be added to the headquarters of the US Navy. Perhaps we should start with the main thing - the Yasen's armament consists mostly of cruise missiles, of which as many as thirty-two can be accommodated in the submarine's hull. In order to understand whether this is a lot or a little, one should turn to the practical side of the issue - combat (albeit hypothetical) shooting.
“If we take into account the number of missiles and compare this figure with the number of ships in the aircraft carrier strike group, then it can be determined by calculations that one Yasen SSGN with a salvo of 32 anti-ship missiles can hit an AUG of three aircraft carriers. True, such a salvo has not yet been worked out in order to test it in practice, ”military expert Alexei Leonkov notes in an interview with the Zvezda TV channel. Of course, a grouping always (if necessary) works on the AUG and a single operation of a nuclear submarine for a dozen ships is unlikely, but as the experts explain, there is a technical possibility to carry out such an “event”. Many of those who watched the world-famous video of the firing of Caliber missiles by the Caspian flotilla for one and a half thousand kilometers do not even suspect that a Russian submarine can also use similar missile weapons. "Ash" can launch anti-submarine torpedo missiles 91RE1 "Caliber", which are capable of destroying submarines of any displacement. 
Experts immediately note that the American Virginia also has similar weapons, while omitting one important circumstance - the speed characteristics of Tomahawks fired from torpedo tubes and anti-submarine Calibers differ significantly. “The first stage of the 91RE1 torpedo ensures its movement under water, then it emerges from under the water and climbs at a speed of 2-2.5 M due to the operation of the second stage. The missile flies along a controlled trajectory towards the detected target. Hitting a target at a distance of 40-50 km occurs almost instantly,” explains Alexey Leonkov. But that's not all. Yasen launchers can be equipped with X-101 cruise missiles with a range of more than five thousand kilometers. Considering that the tests of these missiles from aircraft carriers were successful, we can conclude that there are practically no obstacles to equipping a submarine with such weapons. The number of launchers, as well as the characteristics of the rocket, also suggest that the issue of destroying any, even a well-protected enemy, can be solved "from the neighboring sea" without appearing on the horizon. In addition, according to the developers, the design of the launch silos of the Project 885 Yasen submarine is such that they can be loaded with any sea-based cruise missiles in service with the Navy. Transition boats or technology hunters Wins "Ash" from "Virginia" and differently important indicator: the maximum diving depth is 488 meters for an American submarine versus 600 for a Russian submarine. And although the key characteristics of the American and Russian boats, such as speed, the exact number of crew, forces and means of detection, and other data will not be available to the public for a long time (and most likely never at all), it should be understood that Ash and Virginia » are not at the top of technological progress. The thing is that from the very moment when the active construction of submarines and their use began, work and research aimed at detecting submarines started at the same time. Experts note that this is why such a thing as an “acceptable noise level” for modern submarines simply ceased to exist - each next generation of nuclear submarines, whether they are "strategists" with nuclear missiles "behind their backs" or naval fighters like the "Ash" should be inaudible to the enemy's hydroacoustics. Hundreds of dissertations have been written on the part of reducing the noise of a submarine, and the specialized research institutes have probably been struggling for several years over the layout of equipment inside the hull. A breakthrough solution, according to experts, could be the rejection of the use of turbines in nuclear submarines and their exclusion as a source of noise on board with a passing transition to electric motors. The “electrical” circuit, as experts explain, will solve several problems at once. 
First, it will be possible to reduce the noise level and in fact make the huge submarine inaudible to modern sonar stations. Secondly, it will be possible to “play” with the space inside the submarine itself and place other mechanisms and devices in the vacated space. The Americans are already actively working in this direction - in particular, the Block V version of Virginia-class submarines is being developed precisely with an electric drive of the main shaft, without the use of turbines and compressors. However, according to experts, there are certain difficulties in the implementation of this program that American engineers cannot yet overcome. Both Ash and Virginia in this sense are laboratories for testing new technologies, and it would be completely fair to think about refusing to build " Ash" and focus on more technologically advanced nuclear submarines. But here, as they say, there is a peculiarity. “On average, new project requires a minimum of 7-8 years to develop. And we need to put something into service now, ”said military expert Viktor Murakhovsky in an interview with the Zvezda TV channel website. Then there is pure mathematics. Or rather, the economy.
Considering the opinion of experts that the cost of production of the lead submarine of project 885 "Ash" is at least half the production of American multi-purpose nuclear submarines, and the price of production of all subsequent submarines of project 885M with improved characteristics will decrease by another third, we can conclude that the Russian Navy will receive only modern multi-purpose nuclear submarines, but it will also spend much less money on it than the American "colleagues". A huge help in this case will be the list of technical solutions already implemented in Yasen and planned for use in the construction of fifth-generation multi-purpose nuclear submarines. According to CEO St. Petersburg Marine Engineering Bureau "Malachite" Vladimir Dorofeev, it was the work on the project 885 "Ash" that largely determined the appearance of the fifth generation submarines, the production of which is scheduled after 2020. Despite the fact that the Russian Navy has only one Project 885 submarine at its disposal, one can clearly observe the nervousness of the American military. The task that the US military will have to solve after the entire series of project 885 submarines enters service will be formulated approximately as follows: “Calculate how many ships can be destroyed by one submarine of project 885, if in the planned series of six (and according to other sources, eight ) submarines each carry 32 missiles. Judging by the level of attention paid to the latest submarines, if we compare the range of weapons used on Project 885 submarines and add to this the level of cooperation completely lost several decades ago and restored, then the Ash is not only a component of the non-nuclear deterrence of a potential adversary, but also demonstrates the readiness of the industry to create not just test ships, but to build warships that are ready to perform the assigned tasks immediately after the tests. Apparently, it was no coincidence that American experts dubbed the submarines
The Ministry of Defense called the new British aircraft carrier "a convenient large-sized sea target", hinting at its defenselessness against Russian strike weapons. Russia does have missiles designed just to destroy such ships. But the Ministry of Defense should have known why they are all powerless against aircraft carriers - both American and even British.
The official representative of the Ministry of Defense, Major General Igor Konashenkov, could not pass by the statement of the head of the British military department Michael Fallon that Russia would look at new aircraft carrier"Queen Elizabeth" with envy. The words of the British Konashenkov were exalted, and also accused him of ignorance of naval science.
“With aircraft carriers and in general with maritime affairs, it is necessary to contact“ you ”
Of course, you can't deny Fallon's impudence, and it is logical that his caustic statements caused irritation in the Russian Ministry of Defense. In a desire to show off his newest ship, the Briton allowed himself to speak not only about the envy of Russia, but also about the dilapidated aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov.
Probably, the Russian military department really should not have left such audacity without any reaction at all. Konashenkov logically hinted to Fallon that external beauty is far from being the main characteristic of a warship, and also reproached him for not understanding the differences between the “airplane”, which is essentially the Queen Elizabeth, and aircraft carrier cruiser like "Admiral Kuznetsov".
At the same time, having entered into a polemic with the British, the representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense also went too far. He stated that "the British aircraft carrier is a 'handy large sea target'. And here Konashenkov is not quite right. It is the aircraft carrier strike groups that have long caused and still cause the greatest headache for military specialists not only in the USSR and Russia, but throughout the world.
Don't underestimate "Queen Elizabeth"
“Any aircraft carrier is the most protected part of a grouping of ships at sea,” Mikhail Nenashev, head of the All-Russian Fleet Support Movement, told the VZGLYAD newspaper. An aircraft carrier can be a springboard for attacking not only sea and ocean targets, but also entire countries, this is the most serious type of weapon, the source explained.
“Any aircraft carrier has a whole range of anti-aircraft, anti-missile, anti-submarine defense, means electronic warfare, cyber defense," the expert added.
“The strongest thing at sea is the unity of aviation and directly sea power,” Admiral Vladimir Komoyedov, former commander of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy, told the VZGLYAD newspaper.
Aircraft carriers are always surrounded by escort ships, which also provide him with reliable protection. The main striking power of such a ship is its air wing. Due to this, the radius of destruction of such ships is very large. For example, for modern American models, it can reach up to 1.2 thousand km, but they also want to increase this figure to 2–2.5 thousand km through the use of refueling drones.
The British, of course, are not Americans, and the Queen Elizabeth is not the most modern US Navy aircraft carrier, the Gerald Ford. However, even the aircraft carrier of the United Kingdom has a radius of destruction of no less than 700-1000 km. And this means that in order to disable such a target, it is necessary to strike from a greater distance, because getting closer means being immediately destroyed yourself. In this regard, Konashenkov's words that it is better for a British ship not to demonstrate its "beauty" closer than a few hundred miles from its "distant relative" look, to put it mildly, strange.Russia lacks long-range anti-ship weapons
“Any aircraft carrier - take, for example, 11 US nuclear aircraft carriers - if it goes out in battle order, then its defense depth is 1.5 thousand km. Let him (Konashenkov - approx. VIEW) study the performance characteristics of our missiles and see that they will be in the active defense zone, ”said Vladimir Komoyedov.
Indeed, striking an aircraft carrier from distances exceeding its radius of destruction faces serious difficulties. Russia has high-precision Kalibr missiles with a range of more than 2,000 km and Kh-101 with a range of more than 4,000 km, but they are designed to fire at stationary ground targets and are not suitable for combating extremely mobile AUGs. The main anti-ship missile remains the Granit, which was put into service in the 1980s. The Admiral Kuznetsov is also armed with these missiles, as Igor Konashenkov also spoke about.
Here are just 12 launchers missile system"Granite" is unlikely to be enough to disable an entire aircraft carrier. In addition, the range of this missile is a little over 600 km.
As for other anti-ship weapons, Russia has more than 60 Tu-22M3 supersonic long-range missile carriers that can be equipped with anti-ship missiles. However, if in the USSR some of them were at the disposal of the Naval Aviation of the Navy, then by 2011 they were all transferred to the Air Force. Do not forget about such a tool to combat aircraft carriers as submarines. The Russian Federation has at its disposal six SSGNs (nuclear submarine with cruise missiles) of the Antey project, which are also equipped with Granites.
The missile must first be aimed at the target
But here another - and extremely important - nuance emerges. It's not enough just to launch a rocket. It must first be aimed at the target, which, in turn, must be detected. And this should be done before entering the zone of destruction of the aircraft carrier. In other words, the military needs not only a "fist" (strike means) - that is, missiles. "Eyes" are also necessary - means of guidance and target designation, without which a "fist" of any power is nothing more than an expensive toy.
To combat aircraft carrier groups in the USSR, for this purpose, in the 1960s, the reconnaissance-target designator aircraft Tu-95RTs was developed with aviation complex"Success" (now decommissioned a long time ago). However, to combat the AUG and it was not enough. In this regard, in the 1980s, the Legenda marine space reconnaissance and target designation system (MCRC) (of more than 40 satellites) was put into service, which made it possible to detect and direct strike weapons at surface targets anywhere in the World Ocean. However, it finally ceased to exist in 2007.
Yes, a number of steps have been taken recently in Russia to correct this situation. In particular, a new Ka-35 radar patrol helicopter was recently put into service, the detection range of which has significantly increased compared to its predecessor, the Ka-31.
However, the problem with early warning helicopters (AWACS) is that their altitude ceiling is very limited, which reduces visibility and increases vulnerability. In addition, a new Russian Tu-214R AWACS aircraft capable of detecting targets at a distance of more than 400 km was spotted over Syria last year. But it is designed to work on ground, and not on surface targets. Accordingly, neither the Ka-35 nor the Tu-214R can be opposed, for example, to the E-2D Hawkeye AWACS aircraft, which are based on US aircraft carriers.
More encouraging is the information that the newest ICRC Liana is being developed in Russia to replace the Legend. There is very little information about her so far, and most of them are classified. However, it is known that, compared with its predecessor, it has increased resolution, detection efficiency, service life, and also the ability to catch information transmitted by the enemy through various channels (including closed ones). The Ministry of Defense says that Liana is planned to be put into service next year, but so far only four satellites have been launched.
Don't be fooled by hats
Thus, the Russian armed forces simply do not have (or have only a rudimentary degree of) systems capable of directing strike weapons at targets such as aircraft carriers. Not to mention the need to update and increase the range of the anti-ship missiles themselves. In view of all this statement by the official representative of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation about what an easy target the British aircraft carrier is, they look, to put it mildly, unconvincing.
And this is even though the Queen Elizabeth can hardly be called a model of aircraft carrier power. Here it is more like our good old "Admiral Kuznetsov". It is not equipped with a catapult for launching aircraft and nuclear power plant, and also has a not too large air wing - 40 aircraft (24 F-35B fighters) and helicopters. If we talk about modern US nuclear aircraft carriers with an air wing numbering under 70-90 units, then Russia has practically nothing to fight with them.
“The Atlantic, where Great Britain stands and not far from the United States, is their zone of dominance, both in the air, both on water and under water. Unfortunately, we don't even have anything to grab on to. Therefore, we need to somehow calm down,” Vladimir Komoyedov emphasized.
Mikhail Nenashev, on the contrary, believes that in general Russia has something to oppose to the British fleet. However, this does not mean that you need to engage in capping. “There is no need for our country to take part in competitions based on ridiculous statements. We must respond with dignity or ignore the provocations, the stupidity of the British minister,” the interlocutor emphasized. “All these competitions from the press services - all this only serves to escalate tension, and among professionals it doesn’t even cause an ironic smirk, but just a shrug,” he added.
Vladimir Komoyedov pointed out that such questions should be handled very carefully. “With aircraft carriers and in general with maritime affairs, it is necessary to address“ you ”. You need to have a deep knowledge of naval affairs in order to make any statement,” he said.
Submarine aircraft carriers are special combat vessels designed for underwater relocation of aviation forces to other parts of the globe for reconnaissance and attacking operations. The design of this type of ships began a little over a century ago. Nowadays, the construction or use of such ships is not relevant. However, who knows where our imagination and technological progress will lead us. Therefore, it is impossible to exclude such a turn of events that the maritime powers will again take up the project of an aircraft carrier submarine.
History of creation
The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were a clear leap in naval technology. The integration of the surface fleet with aviation did not stop there. Many powers of that time wanted to combine aviation with the submarine fleet, as a result, the first submarines appeared with the ability to carry aircraft on board. True, these "aircraft" were not the aircraft that we see today. At first they were hydroplanes, then with the improvement of technology they turned into autogyro kites, seaplanes and airplanes.
The first analogues of submarine aircraft carriers appeared in the first quarter of the last century in Imperial Germany. In the pre-war period, the Germans were looking for leverage in the war that was about to begin. Obsessed with expanding the boundaries of his empire, William II paid Special attention naval forces because the presence of Great Britain in the ranks of the enemy could lead to disastrous results if nothing is done in this aspect.
The first submarine aircraft carrier (if, of course, it can be called such) was a conventional U-12 submarine, on board of which an air transport lifting / lowering crane and special mounts for the Friedriksrafen hydroplane were attached.
Thus, in 1915, the first launch of a seaplane was carried out, carried by a submarine for reconnaissance of the British coast. However, the submarine could only carry a seaplane in the surface position, which forced the engineers to build a special hangar for aircraft. As a result, in the 1917th submarine U-12, a hangar was completed. The first aircraft taken to the hangar was the Brandenburg reconnaissance seaplane of the FF-29 class. However, due to the defeat and the harsh terms of the Versailles Agreement, Germany abandoned this project.
Submarine aircraft carriers between "I" - "II" World
After the First World War, a number of countries became interested in the idea of \u200b\u200b"submarine aircraft carriers": Great Britain, France, the United States, the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. America again plunged into the Monroe Doctrine, as a result, did not begin to pay special efforts in the development of this topic (the topic did not advance further than tests on the S-1 submarine). In the newly formed USSR, the first project of an "aircraft carrier submarine" was proposed only in 1935. The project of S. Bazilevsky included submarine cruisers, battleships and aircraft carriers, which could carry from 1 to 16 reconnaissance units, fighters and bombers. However, the command of the Naval Academy of the Red Army rejected the project due to the fact that it had no economic, tactical and military justification.
The rest of the listed countries were more persistent in this issue, as a result of which they achieved results. Especially in the idea of \u200b\u200b"submarine aircraft carriers" Imperial Japan was successful.
French submarine aircraft carrier "Surcouf"
After the dire consequences of the First World War, it was decided to reduce and limit the number military equipment. In the ship plan, the "London" treaty was signed, according to which restrictions were adopted on displacement, weapons and their number. Countries began to look for loopholes to bypass the adopted agreement. Due to the fact that the treaty was mainly concentrated on surface equipment, the countries decided to use underwater technology. France was one of those countries. France made its emphasis on powerful submarines in 1927.
Submarine cruisers began to be built in the same 1927 in the amount of 3 units. However, due to the tightened clauses of the new "Londo" agreement, according to which the caliber of submarine artillery should not exceed 155 mm, in 1929 only 1 submarine cruiser was completed, which had a caliber of 203 mm artillery guns ("Surkuf" was an exception for France under the agreement ). It entered service in 1932.
"Surkuf" became the greatness of the French Navy. It was huge, had a displacement of 4,300 tons. Thanks to his artillery gun, he could hit any surface targets; 20 torpedoes made it possible to hit underwater targets; as well as a reconnaissance seaplane "Besson BM410" made it possible to see much beyond its capabilities. "Surkuf" repeatedly visited the ports of other countries to show the power of the French Navy.
With the rapid surrender of France in World War II, the submarine cruiser, along with the rest of the ships of the French fleet, fell into the hands of the British, and then was redirected to the United States. Due to its endless malfunctions, the submarine moved from one port to another. On one such passage to Tahiti from a port in Bermuda, the Surcouf went missing in Caribbean waters. According to official figures, the submarine sank due to its malfunctions, but French historians are still investigating this topic.
British submarine aircraft carrier "M-2"
Great Britain has achieved less success of its English Channel neighbor France. In 1927, the Royal Navy converted its old submarine M-2 into an underwater aircraft carrier, replacing the 305 mm artillery mount prohibited by the London Agreement with a hangar that was 3 m in diameter and 7 m long. For the submarine aircraft carrier, it was decided to build special Parnel Peto seaplanes, whose main task was to reconnoitre enemy territories where other groups could not reach. However, the low test results of the aircraft carrier did not inspire much hope in the command of the Navy. In 1932, during one of the exercises, which was the last for the M-2, the submarine sank in the Portsmouth area. The main assumption of the incident is the premature opening of the submarine's hangar door. After this turn of events, the UK abandoned the idea of submarine aircraft carriers.
Submarine aircraft carriers of Nazi Germany
Hitler's "crazy" ideas knew no bounds. In the late 1930s, the Germans again took up the aircraft carrier submarine project. The project was to build two different types of such aircraft carriers - classes "III" and "IX". However, over time, the first was abandoned. She was the prototype of the submarine during the First World War. Class IX submarines had a hangar with a diameter of 2.25 m on board. In 1939, a special Arodo-231 seaplane was planned for the hangar, which took 10 minutes to take off. A budget was allocated for the project, but the outbreak of the war changed the plans of the Nazis. Deviating from this path, Germany refused to build special seaplanes and replaced them with Fa-330 class gyro kites, which were tied to a submarine. Autogyros weighing 200 kg. (together with the pilot), began to be built from 1943.
It took 7 minutes to fully prepare the kite for takeoff, and it also took about 3 minutes to climb the tied kite, which could rise to a height of 150 m and monitor enemy actions. It took a total of 12 (10+2) minutes to land on deck and collect the gyroplane. A year later, the Fa-336 was designed, which had its own engine, which made it easier for the snakes to control. However, the Fa-336 was never able to go through serial construction due to the decline in the forces of Nazi Germany, which, in principle, ended the history of submarine aircraft carriers in Germany.
Submarine aircraft carriers of Imperial Japan
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the latest to come to the subject of "submarine aircraft carriers", but they were the most successful. The first Japanese project was built in 1932. It was not a large submarine "I-5" type "J-1M", with a special hangar attached to the deck and a lifting / lowering crane. The I-5 used the German Gaspar U-1 seaplane, which the Japanese had built under license back in the 1920s. However, due to the fact that the I-5 had a number of shortcomings (lack of a catapult and springboard, problems with a crane and the quality of the hull itself), the J-1M type submarines were no longer built.
The J-1M was replaced by the J-2 type with the I-6 submarine built in 1935. A special aircraft of the E9W type was created for the submarine. The new submarine aircraft carrier had great advantages over its predecessor in many aspects, but still did not become what the command of the Japanese fleet was looking for. The main reason for dissatisfaction was the lack of a springboard and catapult on the submarine, which lowered the take-off speed of aircraft. As a result, submarine aircraft carriers of the J-2 type remained in one copy.
The beginning of 1939 was a success for Japanese engineers. The first underwater aircraft carrier "I-7" of the "J-3" type was created, which had a catapult and a springboard on board (the main minus of the "J-2"). The aircraft carrier was lengthened, which made it possible to build a hangar for 2 aircraft. The main aircraft adopted the Yokosuka E14Y type. The E14Y was much better than its predecessors, and its main feature was that it was not only a reconnaissance aircraft, but also a bomber. Of course, it could not match the main bombers of Imperial Japan and had a rather small supply of bombs, but still it was the first bomber aircraft used on submarine aircraft carriers. Later, another submarine of this type "I-8" was launched into the water.
The "J-3" was followed by the "A-1" type in a series of 3 ("I-9", "I-10" and "I-11") units. The last 2 appeared after the successful operation of I-9 in obtaining photographs from Pearl Harbor.
Japanese aircraft carrier submarines underwent constant modernization, the A-2, B-1, B-2, B-3 and B-4 types appeared in total, the number of which exceeded 20 units. I would not say that their differences were great, just improved equipment and weapons; the only unchanged remained the aircraft used by the Japanese - "E14Y".
I think it is necessary to emphasize one more fact that during the two world wars, the American continent was bombed only once. This bombing was done by a Japanese Navy aircraft of the "E14Y" type. The plane was supposed to start massive wildfires in Oregon, but something went wrong and the bombs did not have the expected effect. However, this certainly shocked the entire American people.
Submarine aircraft carrier type "I-400"
Despite the fact that this is also a Japanese type of submarine aircraft carriers, I decided to pay special attention to it. There are 2 simple reasons for this:
- "I-400" were the largest submarines before the advent of nuclear submarines.
- Modern technology "I-400" was an example of the creation of a nuclear submarine.
The failed bombing of Pearl Harbor and major defeats in naval battles crippled the plan of Imperial Japan. Japan needed a new weapon that could turn the tide of the war. Due to the weakening of the Japanese, the country's surface fleet " rising sun"could not approach the shores of America. For this task, engineers began to work on a weapon that would have the effect of surprise and a powerful force of destruction - a huge submarine - an aircraft carrier, with the ability to transport at least 3 aircraft (unassembled); have on board artillery and torpedoes of a high level of lethal force; have enough resources to be underwater for up to 90 days to reach anywhere in the world. The embodiment of these requests was the I-400 submarine aircraft carrier.
"I-400" had a displacement of 6,500 tons, length - 122 m, width - 7 m, immersion depth - 100 m, autonomy - 90 days, top speed-18 knots, crew - 144 people. The armament was 1 artillery gun 140 mm, 20 torpedoes and 4 ZAU 25 mm. The hull of the submarine resembled the number "8". Such a corps was created for convenient storage of fuel and provinces. The hangar was 4 meters in diameter and 34 meters long.
Especially for the “underwater giant”, the Aichi M6A Seiran aircraft was designed and built, which could carry up to 2 bombs of 250 kg each or 1 bomb of 800 kg. The range of the aircraft was 1200-1500 km, depending on whether the aircraft had a float or not. The float was the only detachable part of the aircraft. without it, the plane flew 100 km/h faster and 300 km farther. Moreover, during the hostilities, it was planned to launch the aircraft without a float in order to save launch time. Thus, without a float, the planes took off in 14.5 minutes, with a float - 30 minutes.
The main task of the Japanese "miracle" was the bombing of strategically important places in the United States. The plan included New York, the Panama Canal, and other American strategic points. The highlight of the attack was the unexpectedness of the operation. A flotilla of submarine aircraft carriers was supposed to attack the "new world" continent from the Atlantic. The route was laid across the Indian Ocean to the southern coast of Africa (Cape of Good Hope), from where the flotilla could already head to its destination through the Atlantic basin.
Operation Hikari
Due to the situation in 1945, the government of the Japanese Empire reconsidered their perspectives. The plan to attack American lands with bombs and tanks of rats (carrying deadly diseases) was cancelled. The command considered that such actions would no longer affect the course of events. Therefore, it was decided to sink American aircraft carriers located near the Truk atolls. The operation was named "Hikari". The operation was scheduled for August 17, however, this task was not destined to come true either. On August 15, Japan announced its surrender. The crew of the I-400 and I-401 were ordered to destroy their weapons and return home. Airplanes and torpedoes were thrown into the water, and the captain of the I-400 ship, the commander of the first rank, Arizumi, shot himself unable to bear such a shame.
Three Japanese submarine aircraft carriers of the I-400 type were relocated to Pearl Harbor and studied by American scientists. In 1946, Soviet scientists also wanted to study these giants, but the United States ignored the request of the USSR and sank all submarines by shooting them with torpedoes in the Hawaiian Islands.
Russian Project "914 bis"
The media was engulfed by the news that Russia was going to build the 914 bis nuclear submarine aircraft carrier. There were no specific statements in this regard. However, experts say that such a giant is not a relevant topic in our time. first of all, it will be a platform for aircraft. Any aircraft carrier needs to be protected by other submarine / surface groups. Consequently, the highlight of submarine aircraft carriers will be lost - a surprise. If the submarine aircraft carrier operates alone, it can be easily hit. Yes, you can take off planes and then dive back into the water, but then what will happen to the planes? In this case, these will be kamikaze aircraft, which were used only in Japan. In other words, submarine aircraft carriers on this moment are unfinished and very expensive pleasure for any country in the world.
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