Russian submarine aircraft carrier. Russia will build the "world's largest" aircraft carrier to compete with the US. Don't be fooled by hats

The model of the atomic aircraft carrier of the project 23000E "Storm" impresses both professionals and ordinary people. Photo by Artem Tkachenko

This theme, like a sea wave, then runs, then rolls back. This refers to the aircraft carrier theme, which is so popular with us not only among professional sailors and shipbuilders, but also among the public, which is very far from naval activity.

We have already spoken about the possibility of building aircraft carriers in Russia ("", "NVO" dated 03/08/13). In order not to repeat the plot of that publication, we will briefly list only the circumstances that will not allow our country to acquire full-fledged aircraft carriers in the foreseeable future.

Firstly, this is the lack of qualified personnel necessary for the design and construction of such complex ships and service on them.

Secondly, in our country, alas, there is no necessary scientific and technical potential for the successful assembly of modern aircraft carriers at shipyards, just as there is no industrial base capable of supplying such complex ships as aircraft carriers with all the necessary range of components and weapons.

Thirdly, new aircraft carriers will require new aircraft, including those that are in Russian Federation never created, for example, carrier-based long-range radar patrol and control aircraft, tanker aircraft. According to preliminary estimates, the development of the AWACS aircraft alone will require approximately $7 billion.

Fourth, it will be necessary to build naval bases to receive and service aircraft carriers.

To date, there are no such bases. Our only heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser, Admiral Kuznetsov of the Fleet of the Soviet Union, received a permanent residence permit at the pier of the 35th shipyard in Rost, from where it occasionally goes to sea.

Fifthly, in order to launch an aircraft carrier at sea, it must be provided with an escort consisting of very expensive surface ships of a class no lower than “frigates” and nuclear submarines, which we build with great creak and take years to fine-tune.

Finally, sixthly, Russia simply does not have the money to build modern aircraft carriers, and even more so multi-purpose nuclear aircraft carriers comparable to American ships of this class. Direct and indirect costs for the creation of such a lead ship will require about a billion dollars for every thousand tons of its displacement. These expenses will not only "eat up" the budget of the Navy, but also significantly "gnaw" the finances of other branches of the Armed Forces.

Of course, I would very much like to have nuclear floating airfields in the Russian fleet. But this is only possible by pike command", that is, in a fairy tale.

ABOUT COMPETENCES AND NUANCES

Maybe something has changed in our country since the publication of the previous material in 2013? Only that optimism among supporters of Russian aircraft carriers has increased. Here is what Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, who is in charge of the defense industry in the government, told Interfax correspondents in March this year: “We can build everything, we have the competencies for this. If a decision is made on the need to equip our Navy with an aircraft carrier, it will be implemented. We have an understanding of how to do it. There is aviation technology, which can be equipped with a ship, strike weapons. From a technical and production point of view, all this is realizable, there is no doubt.

Alexei Rakhmanov, President of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, echoes him: “My deep conviction is that we are able to create such a ship. The rest is nuance." Finally, on July 30, Frants Klintsevich, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Defense and Security, on the air of the program “Sunday Evening with Vladimir Solovyov” on the Russia 1 TV channel, referring to aircraft carriers, said: “In the near future we will lay six,” most involuntarily recalling the hero of Gogol's unfading comedy The Inspector General.

However, I am sure that all statements of this kind are erroneous. Russia still does not have the necessary competencies (this is a word in the sense of “qualification”, if I am not mistaken, it was Dmitry Rogozin who launched it first) and will not lay down a single aircraft carrier in the near future. But the "nuances" with which there is no way to cope will be through the roof.

Shipbuilders and the Ministry of Defense, meanwhile, are on the alert. Only this year, thanks to their efforts, the carrier wave rose high several times. Krylov State science Center(KGNTs), which back in 2015 at the forum "Army" for the first time presented the concept of a promising nuclear aircraft carrier of project 23000E "Storm", continues to demonstrate its offspring at various arms exhibitions. It was not without him at the St. Petersburg International naval saloon current year.

This leviathan with a displacement of 95 thousand tons, a length of 330 m, a hull width of 42 m, a draft of 11 m and a flight deck width of 85 m with an unlimited cruising range is capable of carrying up to 90 aircraft. Simply breathtaking! However, Storm, as it was a preliminary project, that is, a sketch, remained so. Such concepts can be made even by students of the “shipbuilder”, as St. Petersburg State Maritime Technical University is commonly called. Before technical project a miracle ship, not to mention working design, is still very far away. And there will not be enough specialists, and these stages of work will require a lot of money.

That is why, already in the second half of this year, the emphasis began to shift towards more easy option aircraft carrier. At the MAKS-2017 air show, Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov said that in 2025 it is planned to lay the foundation stone for a new heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser with the ability to accommodate short takeoff and vertical landing aircraft (SUVVP). At the Army-2017 forum, Borisov once again confirmed this information, saying that the Ministry of Defense is discussing with aircraft manufacturers the creation of a promising aircraft that will become the development of a line of aircraft vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) company "Yakovlev". It is worth recalling here that at the dawn of the post-Soviet era, the fleet began to deny, like hell, from the Yak-141 supersonic VTOL aircraft, which set 12 world records for speed and carrying capacity, under the pretext that Americans prefer conventional carrier-based aircraft. After the US Marine Corps and the United Kingdom Navy received the F-35B Lightning II SUVs, created with extensive use of the Yak-141 developments, interest in vehicles of this class woke up again. Only work in this area will require a lot of time and money.

And at the beginning of November of this year, the KGNTs announced that in the near future it would present the concept of a promising light multi-purpose aircraft carrier (LMA), the development of which is being carried out by the Center on its own initiative. It should be "cheaper and faster to build". Its approximate displacement should be in the range of 30-40 thousand tons, and the number of aircraft that the LMA will carry is 40-50. Among them are carrier-based fighters Su-33, as well as MiG-29K. Light aircraft carrier should also be able to receive radar patrol aircraft. The construction of such a ship is possible at the Severodvinsk Sevmash or at the Zaliv plant in Kerch. Nothing is said about the power plant of the ship. But in order to reduce the cost, it will be necessary to abandon the nuclear power plant (NPP), which, among other things, requires the deployment of biological protection systems that significantly increase the weight of ships with this type of power plant. But the domestic industry has not yet produced diesel and gas turbine plants of high power, and it makes no sense to install antediluvian and capricious steam turbine power plants.

THE TORTURE OF THE "COURAGEOUS"

The pursuit of cheapness hides a lot unpleasant surprises. Let's illustrate this statement on the example of the Indian aircraft carrier "Vikrant" (translated from Sanskrit "Courageous") with a displacement of 40 thousand tons, on which up to 40 aircraft, including MiG-29K fighters with springboard takeoff, should be based. The development of his project started in 1999, and the laying took place at a shipyard in Kochi in February 2009. The implementation of Project 71, created with the participation of the Nevsky Design Bureau (NPKB), the Italian company Fincantieri and the French concern DCNS (now the Naval Group), was then estimated at a ridiculous $ 0.5 billion. The Americans also participated in the project, which supplied four LM 2500 + gas turbine engines, Western European electronic profile companies and Israel, which supplied the Barak-1 and Barak-8 anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM).

Here it should be noted that the designers and builders of modern warships abroad are in much more favorable conditions compared to their Russian counterparts. It is enough for them to open a directory to choose for their offspring gas turbine engines of American, British, Ukrainian or Chinese production, diesel engines of German, American, French or the same Chinese companies. Then it remains only to agree on the price and delivery time. The same applies to electronic equipment and various weapons. Our shipbuilders have to deal with contractors only within the country. Sometimes they don’t even really understand what is required of them. Because of this - long lead times and high prices.

But back to Courageous. Despite international assistance, the ship hung on the slipway until August 2013, when it was finally launched. By that time, the estimate had been exceeded several times. Today it is $3.765 billion, and the ship is expected to be handed over to the fleet in 2023, that is, 14 years after the laying. Despite the motto "I conquer those who fight me", the aircraft carrier failed to overcome the low qualifications, oh, sorry, the competence of Indian shipbuilders.

Previously, the Indian Navy wanted to acquire three Vikrant-class aircraft carriers. Now those plans have been forgotten. Now next in line is the creation of a project for the heavy aircraft carrier Vishal (Giant) with a displacement of about 65,000 tons and an air group of 50–55 aircraft. It is possible that it will be equipped with a nuclear power plant. However, there is an obstacle to this - the development of nuclear power plants will require 10-15 years. Meanwhile, the Indians, not without reason, fear that the Chinese will overtake them in an aircraft carrier race and turn the Indian Ocean into their lake.

Indeed, the PLA Navy will soon have a second aircraft carrier built, albeit on the basis of a slightly enlarged Soviet project 11435, but exclusively on its own. And the appearance in the seas and oceans of nuclear aircraft carriers under the flag of the PRC is not as long to wait as many people think. Beijing needs them not so much to project power into remote areas, how much for purely practical purposes - to ensure the security of communications, through which the constantly growing economy of the country is supplied with raw materials. And although Beijing is now increasingly focused on Russian gas and oil, it is unlikely to put all its eggs in one basket, but will continue to consume raw materials from the Middle East and other regions.

That's why Indians are in a hurry. And now, apparently, their main partners in the field of aircraft carrier construction will be the undoubted leaders and authorities in this field of shipbuilding - the Americans. Washington has already offered its services to Delhi for the supply and licensed production of EMALS electromagnetic catapults. Negotiations are now underway between the Boeing Corporation and the Indian state-owned aircraft manufacturer HAL on the possibility of joint production of F / A-18E / F “Super Hornet” carrier-based fighters, since, according to various sources, the Indian fleet has become disillusioned with the Russian MiG-29K / KUB fighters due to frequent breakdowns.

WHAT IS HE LOOKING FOR IN A FAR LAND

What tasks the promising Russian aircraft carriers will have to solve is not very clear. In any case, from the point of view of the criterion "cost - efficiency". Russia has all necessary resources for successful development. Because of the sea-ocean, we have nothing to import in large volumes. Then why compose floating airfields? Compete with the Americans? There is no point in such a confrontation, since we cannot catch up with them. To be no worse than the Chinese? But compared to China, Russia simply does not have a shipbuilding industry.

Now they often refer to the Syrian campaign of the heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" at the end of last year. The following figures are often cited: in two months of participation in hostilities, the pilots of the Russian aircraft carrier completed 420 sorties, 117 of them at night. Obviously, that's the way it is. Although the Americans, who followed every "sneeze" of our ship, claim that 154 aircraft launched from the deck of the Kuznetsov to carry out combat missions. Probably, both figures are correct - after all, part of the aircraft from the Russian TAVKR immediately after arriving on the coast of Syria flew to the Khmeimim airbase, from which they carried out combat work.

But it's not that. The normal intensity of flights from the decks of American aircraft carriers of the Nimitz type is 120 sorties per day. The "productivity" of the latest aircraft carrier "Gerald R. Ford" with electromagnetic catapults EMALS is 160 sorties per day, and if necessary, it can be increased to 220 sorties. Newest British aircraft carrier The Queen Elizabeth, on which the American F-35B Lightning II short takeoff and vertical landing aircraft will be based, must produce 24 fighters in 15 minutes, 110 aircraft in a day, and 420 in five days, that is, the same number that rose from the deck of the Russian TAVKR in two months.

The work of Kuznetsov did not make a big impression on our Western "partners". The Syrian grouping of the Aerospace Forces (VKS) would have coped with it without the participation of the carrier-based Su-33 and MiG-29K. But this operation required a lot of money. As calculated by the RBC agency, it cost the state 7.5-10 billion rubles. These figures seem to be underestimated, since they do not include preparations for the campaign: ship repairs, training trips to the sea and pilot training, which took place over several months.

We must not forget that aircraft carriers and other large-tonnage warships are tasty targets for the enemy. The Russian fleet has excellent anti-ship missiles (ASM) "Caliber" and "Onyx" sea-based and Kh-32 air-based. Soon, hypersonic anti-ship missiles "Zirkon" will be added to them, the blow of which cannot be repelled by all currently existing air defense and missile defense systems. China has DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missiles with a range of up to 2,000 km, which are rightfully called "aircraft carrier killers." The Americans are not idle either. Starting next year, the US Navy will be armed with a new version of the Tomahawk cruise missiles of the MST modification, that is, the Sea Attack Tomahawk, to strike not only coastal, but also sea targets at ranges up to 1000 km. The low-profile LRASM anti-ship missiles are also on the way, which will be able to destroy enemy surface ships located at a distance of up to 800 km when dropped from an aircraft and 300 km when fired from destroyers and cruisers. We should also not forget about the heavy torpedoes of submarines, which sneak up quite close to aircraft carriers.

The current second cold war- not for a day or two. It will last a long time. And in the confrontation with the United States and NATO, aircraft carriers will not help us, but will only ruin us. In order to make the right impression on the opposing side, Russian fleet more submarines are needed - nuclear-powered and with air-independent power plants equipped with cruise missiles. They are quite capable of "pressing" the American fleet to the shores of the United States. The constant combat duty of Russian submarines in the waters adjacent to America will require the lion's share of surface and submarine forces to be pulled to the East and West coasts of the United States.

Meanwhile, as USC President Alexei Rakhmanov recently lamented, there is not enough money to complete the construction of the Project 955A strategic submarine missile carrier Knyaz Oleg at the Severodvinsk Sevmash. But how can they be enough if the modernization of the "prestigious" nuclear cruiser "Admiral Nakhimov" requires more and more billions of rubles? By the way, this year the Russian Navy has not received and will not receive a single new submarine, either nuclear or diesel-electric. As it became known last October, there are no funds for the modernization of the TAVKR "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov." Instead of the previously planned 50 billion rubles. no more than half of this amount will be released. It will only be enough to replace the boilers and parts of the electronics. That is, the combat potential of the ship will not noticeably increase.

WHO IS BEHIND THE AIR CARRIER WAVE

Those who do not get tired of driving an aircraft carrier wave, it seems, are well aware that Russia is not capable of aircraft carriers, and there is no need to. Then why do they tirelessly raise this topic? What if it turns out to lay such a ship with a multi-billion dollar budget. Using the mechanism of scrolling money through hundreds and even thousands of counterparties, there will be an amazing opportunity to “saw” endlessly public funds and "roll back" them. At least, there is no other intelligible explanation for the active injection of an aircraft carrier wave from representatives of the fleet and industry.

Does the Navy need aircraft carriers? Certainly yes. Only you need to start not with the complex and expensive, but with the simple and more necessary. The workhorses of the Syrian campaign have become large landing ships (LDS), which carry weapons, ammunition and equipment. Some of these BDKs are under the "fifty dollars", that is, they have been serving for a very long time. They need a replacement. Such a replacement can be, for example, universal landing ships (UDC) of the "Priboy" type with a displacement of 23 thousand tons, a length of 200 m and a width of 34 m. Their cruising range should be 6 thousand nautical miles, and autonomy - 30 days. In addition to the landing of 500-900 marines, armored vehicles and landing craft, up to 15 helicopters of various classes can be based on such a UDC. In the future, they will also be able to receive vertical take-off and landing fighters, if any, of course, are created.

The special value of such ships lies in the fact that they are able to take part in low-intensity conflicts, transport equipment and display the flag in the seas and oceans. It is no coincidence that ships of this class are becoming increasingly popular. Following the United States, they are replenished by the fleets of Spain, Australia, Turkey, and soon the UDC will also appear in the Chinese Navy.

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. Wanting to brag about your 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 "Surkuf"

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

Navy Imperial Japan came to the topic of "submarine aircraft carriers" the latest, but became 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:

1. "I-400" were the largest submarines before the advent of nuclear submarines.
2. 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.

Rumor has it that after 2020, Russia will start building one of the most unusual military projects of the new century. Let's see what the first nuclear submarine aircraft carrier in history, marked Project 941-bis, will be able to do. It is believed that the development of an ambitious project was supervised by the top leadership of the GRU and started back in 1989. The idea of ​​​​creating an underwater nuclear aircraft carrier was based on the developments of the Project 941 submarine project.
There was even a legend that an air wing had already been created for Project 941-bis, and even the hull of a submarine aircraft carrier had already been completed. Even in the New York Times, an article flashed that a Soviet submarine had already been seen in the Pacific Ocean.
This is far from reality: at the moment the project exists only on paper. Will it actually be implemented? No one knows. In fact, the submarine aircraft carrier has enough shortcomings - it is not clear, for example, who will protect it on the surface while the air wing is performing combat missions.

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 take-off fighters invented by the designer, sailors will most likely use tailsitter vertical take-off attack drones, 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?