Weapons 14/03/20 Photo: Alexander Koryak/Commercentre “Manatee”: what will be able to the latest Russian aircraft carrier
Russia after long years of oblivion, decided to revive the tradition of building aircraft carriers. One of them should be nuclear aircraft carrier project, “Manatee”, which is tipped as rivals flagship of the U.S. Navy’s newest nuclear aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford.
“Weapons of imperialism”
the Discussion about whether the construction of aircraft-carrying ships in Russia started in the beginning of 2000-ies, when the domestic defense industry began to firmly stand on its feet. However, further public statements of representatives of the Navy and the preliminary draft of the case did not come. The story of the aircraft carriers in our country was not easy.
in 1953, the naval Minister of the USSR Nikolai Kuznetsov called for the establishment of carriers. He even approved the project light aircraft carrier (project 85). The plan was to build at least 8 such ships, the first of which was supposed to be launched already in 1960. However, in 1955, the Admiral fell into disgrace and was deposed, and his successor, Admiral Sergei Gorshkov did not share the ambitious ideas of its predecessor.
experience in the use of aircraft carriers of the United States of America in the Korean (1950-1953) and Vietnam (1964-1975) armed conflicts, where they acted as floating bases and did not participate in naval battles, not convinced the leadership of the Soviet Navy in the feasibility of their construction. Recognizing carriers “weapons of imperialism”, Soviet naval commanders have relied on cruisers and submarines.
However, in late 1950-ies there was a need to counter American missile submarines equipped with ballistic missiles “Polaris” with a range of 2000 km, at a great distance from the shore. So there were anti-submarine cruisers of the “Moskva” project 1123, on Board of which was located fourteen helicopters Ka-25.
However, the full air support of naval operations helicopter aircraft could not provide, and then she was replaced by a new generation of ships – the heavy aircraft carrying cruiser (TAVKR) of the project 1143 “Merlin”, designed for the basing of fighter vertical take off and landing. Since the mid-1970s to mid-1980-ies was commissioned 4 ships “Kiev”, “Minsk”, “Novorossiysk” and “Baku”.
Later, the project 1143 were added to the three courts, which assumed a horizontal take-off and landing aircraft. New cruisers, which has become the upgraded versions of previous models, had an increased landing of the deck and a springboard for take-off of aircraft. It’s “Admiral Kuznetsov”, “Varyag” and “Ulyanovsk”. The latter, however, was never completed.
will Reply “Storm”
the undisputed leaders in the number of aircraft carriers are the United States of America. In the entire history of the U.S. Navy water of the oceans plied 80 carriers, today in the ranks there are 11 ships of this class. The Russian Navy is only one of a comparable class of ship – aircraft carrier “Admiral Kuznetsov”. The backwardness of Russia in aircraft component to explain: our country professes a defensive military doctrine, and aircraft carriers as offensive weapons, are an integral part of the policy of domination followed by the United States.
nevertheless, in recent years, representatives of the naval Ministry of the Russian Federation are given to understand that our country is going to rely on an aircraft carrier connections. So, in 2015, the public was presented the draft of an aircraft carrier “Storm” (project 23000), and four years later visitors to the exhibition are Army-2019 beheld from three aircraft carriers that were modifications of the “Storm”.
the Design of multi-purpose heavy aircraft carrier “Storm” engaged Krylov state research center (KHNC). The estimated parameters of this giant are: a displacement of 100 thousand tons, length – 330 IUspectra, width 40 metres, draught 11 metres. The estimated maximum designed speed of the vessel is 30 knots (about 55 km/h).
the carrier plans to place up to 90 carrier-based aircraft and helicopters, with aviation ammunition “Storm” could be 2500-3000 tons. In their design the characteristics of the “Storm” is comparable with the American aircraft carrier the latest generation of “Gerald Ford”, which came into operation in 2017.
As stated by the Director KGNC Valery Polyakov, the ship will be able to perform a variety of tasks in the separated from the Russian shores of the ocean: attacks on ground and sea targets using the on-Board air group, and its own missiles, air defense, support of amphibious operations, as well as control and coordination of aircraft carrier connections.
Since the carrier “Storm” from four years ago and yet no progress in the project implementation are observed. Many fear that he will remain ambitious and pretentious concept. However, the military claimed that the beginning of the project 2300 should be expected no earlier than 2025. The construction itself may take 8-9 years. Its preliminary cost is estimated at 350 billion rubles.
For the discerning customer
Still not subsided debate around the “Storm”, as held in Saint-Petersburg International naval salon IMDS-2019 was presented to the next project – USS “Manatee” (project 11430), developed by Nevsky design Bureau (NPKB).
Military experts believe that “Manatee” is regarded as a more budget alternative to the project 23000. The design features “Manatee” are the following: displacement – 90 tons, length – 350 m, speed – 30 knots endurance – almost 120 days. The estimated service life of an aircraft carrier is 50 years.
Wing “Manatee” will be presented 60 aircraft, including heavy fighters and planes of distant radar detection. Aviation besepAC is approximately from 1600 to 2000 tons. The ship will be equipped with a nuclear power plant, two electromagnetic catapults, arresting gear and four traditional trampoline. The scope of application of the developed vehicle will be exactly the same as the “Storm”.
“Manatee”, as “Storm” will be a full-fledged aircraft carriers. Both projects involve the creation and export of samples. According to the chief of the project Department KGNC Alexei Lizisa, both projects will be able to satisfy the most demanding customers, both abroad and inside the country. But obviously, cheaper “Manatee” in the commercial plan will have certain advantages.
to be or not to be?
Project 11430 “Manatee” in their performance characteristics on the order of magnitude available to the Russian Navy heavy aircraft carrying cruiser (TAVKR) Admiral Kuznetsov was designed by the same Nevsky PKB. It is often compared with another child “newrev” – unfinished TURK “Ulyanovsk” it is no coincidence, as “Manatee” largely repeats the design features of the latter.
a Number of Russian experts carried out a comparison between the project 11430 and U.S. aircraft carriers type “Nimitz”, which is today operated by the U.S. Navy. The ocean does not tend to hold such a parallel, stating that the Russian project is noticeably inferior to modern American aircraft carriers. And certainly “Manatee”, according to the us military, is not comparable to stuffed with the latest equipment nuclear aircraft carrier “Gerald Ford”, whose value exceeds $ 17 billion.
meanwhile in Russia are more concerned with how to bring the project “Manatee” to its logical conclusion. Design engineer lenak Alexander Hatchets, focusing on the experience of construction of Soviet ships class heavy aircraft, suggests that to the stage of laying the ship will have to wait 3-4 years. However, we must not forget that Soviet defense industry was a powerful ship-building complex in Nikolaev, modern RossiI can’t brag of something similar.
Skeptics start a discussion on how does Russia need aircraft carriers, given the weakness of the Russian budget: a conservative estimate of the ship type “Manatee” will cost the Treasury $ 5 billion. Even taking into account a variety of schemes extrabudgetary funding headache for the Navy will be the operating costs of an aircraft carrier.
And still in the military believe in the necessity of building nuclear aircraft carriers, and hence the funds for their maintenance there. In the nearest plans of the construction of two aircraft carriers – one for the Pacific fleet, the other to the North. The construction can be deployed either at the shipyard “Sevmash” (Severodvinsk), or on the basis of new CA “Asterisk” (Big Stone).
Taras Repin
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