Threat of border incidents
One of the ways to exert political pressure or even create a pretext for the start of hostilities is a demonstrative violation of the enemy's state border by ships and aircraft of the enemy. Most recently, we saw this clearly on the example of the invasion of the newest British destroyer Defender, type 45 Daring, into the territorial waters of the Russian Federation, in the area of the Crimean Cape Fiolent. The formal reason, according to the British, is that they do not recognize the Crimean peninsula as Russian territory, and they moved not in Russian territorial waters, but allegedly in "Ukrainian" waters, for which they have permission.
In response, the Russian FSB border boat opened warning fire, and the Su-24M front-line bomber, as a warning, dropped FAB-250 high-explosive bombs along the course of the British destroyer. This time everything ended well - the British destroyer with the crew soaked in her pants retreated home, giving out explanations in style.
However, such incidents pose significant risks to all involved.
What if the crew of the Su-24M “missed” a little and a pair of FAB-250 fell on the destroyer Defender?
What if the crew of the destroyer Defender got nervous and shot down a Su-24M? Banning "export of tomatoes" from Britain? And if, after the downed Su-24M, anti-ship missiles (ASMs) were fired at the destroyer Defender, which would send it to the bottom along with most of the crew? Wouldn't this destroyer have become "the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand" - Casus belli?
With the intensification of aggressive rhetoric, such incidents can be repeated more and more often, and not only in the region of the Crimean peninsula. There are more and more people who want to tease the Russian bear.
Where is the guarantee that Japan will not do something similar in the Kuril Islands, Norway or the USA in the Northern Sea Route, Poland near the Kaliningrad region?
If you wish, it is easy to find a reason. Sooner or later, one of these incidents may end tragically - a global nuclear war.
Is it possible to somehow disaccustom the “partners” to poke their noses into our territorial waters without using weapons?
The answer is yes - you can. And earlier this was already done by the ships of our fleet during the Cold War.
Soviet Navy vs US Navy
In February 1988, the missile cruiser Yorktown and the US Navy destroyer Caron entered the territorial waters of Crimea, but were expelled from them by the patrol ships Selfless and SKR-6.
After the American ships entered the territorial waters of the Soviet Union, the patrol ship "Selfless" carried out two bulk heaps on the cruiser Yorktown, one of which tore the side skin and ignited the paint, and the second, made in the area of the helipad, cut down all the rails, tore the superstructure side skin, broke the command boat and damaged the Harpoon missile launcher - two containers were destroyed, the missiles' warheads were torn off, and a fire broke out in the area of the Harpoon and Asrok anti-submarine missiles cellars. Meanwhile, the SKR-6 collapsed on the port side in the stern of the destroyer Caron, damaging his lifeboat and davit.
It is characteristic that the displacement of the patrol ship "Selfless" is three times less than that of the cruiser Yorktown, and the displacement of the SKR-6 is almost eight (!) Times less than that of the destroyer Caron.
If the ships of such a small displacement were able to expel a much superior enemy from the territorial waters, inflicting considerable damage on him, then what can a ship, originally intended for "hand-to-hand combat", do in this situation?
Displacer
So, let's try to guess what a ship designed to displace enemy ships from Russian territorial waters without the use of weapons might look like - let's call it the "Displacer".
The displacement of the "Displacer" should be in the region of 3000-5000 tons, that is, it will be a ship of the corvette or frigate class.
The ship's design should be based on an integrated massive power frame, passing along the perimeter of the hull and in places of possible collisions with enemy ships. The strength and configuration of this frame will determine the ability to carry out bulk / ramming of enemy ships, with minimal damage to one's own ship and maximal - to an enemy ship.
It is possible that there will be two frames: one that provides the strength of its own hull, and the second, designed for contact with the enemy ship - something like a power kit on off-road vehicles.
The second important property of the "Displacer" should be its high speed, amounting to at least 35 knots, and better and more - this will not allow the enemy to break away or use the speed as an advantage for an advanced maneuver. The speed can be sacrificed for the range, since the "Displacer" will work mainly near its territorial waters.
There is not much to choose from, therefore, the basis of the power plant of the "Displacer" will be M90FR gas turbine engines (GTE) produced by NPO Saturn, which are used on frigates of project 22350.
The third critical element of the "Displacer" is the need to provide him with good maneuverability so that he can quickly and suddenly "beat" the enemy at the right angle and quickly break contact if necessary. This will require tunnel and / or azimuth thrusters.
The combination of the requirements for the stability of the hull against capsizing and high speed may require the use of a catamaran or trimaran layout of the "Displacer" hull.
In order to keep the cost of the Displacer as low as possible, it will not carry any heavy offensive or defensive weapons. There will be no radar station (radar), apart from the simplest navigation equipment - "the rhino has poor eyesight, but with its mass and size, this should worry others."
In this case, it is necessary to install several sufficiently advanced optical-location stations (OLS), capable of retracting inside the case. Their important, albeit auxiliary, task will be to film the enemy's shame and his flight after the "bulk".
Another "Displacer" must be equipped with powerful electronic warfare (EW). Even before the "bulk", the enemy ship should lose communication and the ability to control unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as well as unmanned escort vessels (if any). This will have a powerful psychological effect on the crew.
An additional psychological effect on the crew of the enemy ship can be provided by powerful ship howlers and super-bright searchlights installed on the "Displacer".
Propeller-class ships must have a minimum crew in an internal protected pressurized capsule - the Propeller must operate close to their shores, with the support of other ships in the fleet. It will not have a lot of complex combat systems, it is not intended for long campaigns.
The design of the "Displacer" should be minimal use of media that can lead to fire or failure. Most of the drives must be electrical, cable routes must be backed up. Special pyrostikers can be used to automatically extinguish fires.
The absence of heavy weapons and a small crew will free up space that can be used to strengthen the ship's structure, accommodate the necessary fuel supply, and also to form a belt from external compartments filled with non-combustible foam filler with positive buoyancy - something like polyurethane foam. This ship must not sink. Generally. Under no circumstances. Is that torn in half. And that's not a fact.
The upper part of the hull should prevent the landing of enemy helicopters on it, the landing of special forces. It must be resistant to attempts at penetration and capture by professionally trained teams. To further complicate the landing, the "Displacer" must be equipped with powerful water cannons.
From the "lethal" weapons on the "Displacer" can be installed machine guns of 12, 7 mm caliber to repel the sabotage threat - to make holes in motor boats or unmanned boats of the enemy. More serious weapons are rapid-fire automatic cannons of 30 mm caliber, for example, of the AK-630M-2 "Duet" type. If the situation "in the clinch" goes beyond certain boundaries, a pair of "Duets" at close range can pretty much cut the enemy ship.
Also, the "Displacer" armament can be reinforced with RBU-6000 rocket launchers of 212 mm caliber. They will replace the large-caliber short-range cannon.
Theoretically, the Displacer-class ships can be equipped with anti-aircraft missile systems for short-range self-defense, but, perhaps, this will be superfluous. Without a normal radar, these air defense systems will be ineffective, and the installation of a radar will immediately increase the cost of the project. In addition, it (radar) is vulnerable in close combat.
But the systems for setting up camouflage curtains will be very useful. In the event of an aggravation of the situation and the launch of enemy anti-ship missiles at the "Displacer" -type ship, which will be detected by other ships of the Russian Navy, the "Displacer" can use the setting of curtains for cover and withdrawal - this measure can be quite effective, especially in combination with the expected high speed and survivability of ships of this type.
The cherry on top of the cake can be a small helicopter / quadrocopter-type UAV placed in a lockable hangar. Suddenly launched, it can hover over an enemy ship, interfering with the takeoff of carrier-based aircraft or the launch of anti-ship missiles from vertical launch units (VLTs). Do you want to shoot down? Please, but its burning debris will fall on your deck.
The Displacer project is not too difficult from a technical point of view. It does not have any technologies that have not been mastered by Russia. On the one hand, it is practically useless as a warship, but, on the other hand, its use can prevent the development of events in which warships are required. Such ships can be built one for each fleet, simultaneously working out new design solutions and layout schemes of the trimaran / catamaran type, hull solutions.
The use of the "Displacer" is rather ambiguous: it does not open fire, it operates in its territorial waters. It turns out a controversial situation - there seems to be nothing to drown it for, and it is clear that when the "Displacer" attacks, corvettes and frigates covering it from the optimal strike distance will open fire, wait for a collision - you will go for expensive repairs, you will become a laughing stock in the eyes of the whole world.
The lack of critical technologies makes it possible to create such a ship in cooperation, for example, with China, which is also constantly provoked by either the United States or Japan. Or you can sell a finished product to the PRC on a commercial basis.
While "real" warships will flex their muscles at exercises and parades, the "Displacer" will beat the enemy on an overly curious nose, or even on the head, ensuring the inviolability of the borders of the Russian Federation, not in word, but in deed.
