Russia is a country of paradoxes. On the one hand, it is the largest continental power, whose land interests have always prevailed over others. On the other hand, Russia has one of the longest maritime borders, access to the seas and oceans, which requires a strong navy (Navy) to control.
The historical problem of the Russian Navy is the geographical disunity of its constituent Northern, Pacific, Baltic and Black Sea fleets, as well as the Caspian Flotilla. In the event of a conflict situation in the region of responsibility of one of the fleets, for example, the Black Sea Fleet, it becomes difficult to provide support with the forces of other fleets.
One of the most important criteria determining the capabilities of the fleet is the economic factor, in other words, the budget of the Navy is limited. This, in turn, forces the Navy (in theory) to distribute the available funds as efficiently as possible.
A significant part of the cost of a battleship is the armament placed on it - cruise and anti-ship missiles, anti-aircraft missile systems, artillery systems and other weapons. In the Russian Navy, the desire of admirals to have all types of weapons on a corvette-class ship turns it practically into a cruiser, at least in terms of cost.
In the naval forces of the NATO countries, the construction of warships is widely practiced, which at the time of commissioning were not equipped with all the weapon systems intended for them. The ship has a place for the placement of weapons, power and control cables, pipelines for the supply of technical media.
Often, such ships are modular, in which case removable weapon modules should be selected based on the tactical mission performed by the ship.
In particular, the American ships LCS (Littoral Combat Ship) of Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics are made on a modular basis. Depending on the mission to be performed, special equipment can be installed on the LCS ships, providing mine action, special operations, anti-terrorist protection or anti-submarine protection. Theoretically, the functionality of LCS ships can be further expanded if modules of a different type are developed for them.
In practice, the US Navy ultimately was not interested in leapfrog with a constant change of modules, and the ships were divided according to the types of tasks performed, installing replaceable modules there to solve these tasks, on an ongoing basis.
Another approach can be seen in the British Navy. The newest destroyers of Project 45 "Daring", when commissioned, are not fully equipped with all the weapons that can be placed on them.
In particular, the destroyers carry one Sylver A50 launcher with 48 cells for Aster anti-aircraft missiles, but at the same time the ship has room for additional launchers to increase the number of cells to 72.
Also on ships ample space is reserved for other weapons systems. So after the completion of construction, it was decided to equip the destroyers "Daring" with anti-ship missiles "Harpoon" on inclined launchers. Instead of additional anti-aircraft missile launchers, Mk. 41 with Tomahawk missiles or modules for tactical cruise missiles SCALP Naval, which will give Project 45 destroyers the ability to strike at ground targets.
The Russian Project 23550 patrol icebreaker is expected to accommodate Kalibr missiles, presumably in a container version. In the stern of the ship, two containers with four launching cruise or anti-ship missiles should be installed each.
Thus, the idea of using modules is not new, but what application can it find on ships of the Russian Navy?
Let's consider one of the main classes of ships required by the Russian Navy - the corvette. The proposed modular corvette should be produced in a basic configuration to solve only one task - to search for and destroy enemy submarines. Accordingly, initially it should be equipped with means of detecting submarines and torpedo tubes for their destruction, a hangar and a landing pad for a helicopter, a universal artillery installation.
In this configuration, the corvette surrenders to the Navy and begins to serve.
In addition, in the design of the corvette, at the design and construction stage, the possibility is laid, for example, of the installation of two Kalibr complexes in a container version, modeled on Project 23550 and two seats for air defense systems, for example, an anti-aircraft missile and cannon (ZRAK) type "Pantsir-M".
What are the benefits of this? First of all, this is a reduction in the cost and construction time. Immediately after construction, the corvette will be able to perform its main tasks - the search and displacement of enemy submarines, the deployment of strategic missile submarine cruisers (SSBNs) and other similar tasks.
With regard to modules that can be mounted on the corvette in the future, the policy is as follows:
- if financing and the pace of construction allow, then all corvettes can be gradually completed with additional modules;
- if funding is limited, then completing additional modules may be partial. In addition, a stock of modules can be created at one of the storage bases, for the operational staffing of all corvettes of one fleet in a threatened period. For example, if a regional conflict with Turkey is possible, then the corvettes of the Black Sea Fleet are fully staffed, if there is a regional conflict with Japan, the corvettes of the Pacific Fleet are staffed.
The transport of the modules by the transport aviation and deployment on the ships stationed in the base should be carried out within a period of the order of several days.
All modules can be unified in several, or even in one standard, for example, in the standard of a 40-foot container, as is done for the "Caliber" complex. If, for some reason, it is impossible to do this, or it is irrational, then there may be several standards - one for strike weapons, the other for defensive weapons.
Two modules of the standard 40-foot container can accommodate 8 cruise / anti-ship missiles or missile-torpedoes of the "Caliber" complex. In the same dimensions, 16 containerized Uranus anti-ship missiles can be accommodated in four 20-foot containers.
The following can be implemented as defensive modules:
- ZRAK "Pantsir-M" and its modifications;
- anti-aircraft missile system (SAM) "Tor-M2KM" and its modifications;
- anti-aircraft artillery complex (ZAK) "Air defense derivation" in the sea version;
- promising laser defense systems for air defense;
- complexes of electronic warfare (EW);
- complexes for setting up camouflage curtains.
If the dimensions allow, combined modules can be used - ZRAK / ZRK + laser module or an electronic warfare complex + a complex for setting up camouflage curtains.
Many modules can be produced in a universal land-sea design, similar to how it is implemented for the container version of the Kalibr complex.
Thus, the modules can be produced in a single modification for ships and coastal troops of the Navy, and possibly for other types and branches of the RF troops. Large serial production of unified modules will reduce their cost and production time.
An important advantage of ships with weapon modules will be their high modernization potential. For example, in the case of the development of a new, improved air defense system, the old one is simply dismantled, after which it can be sent for storage, transferred to the coastal troops for placement on a truck chassis, or sold to a foreign customer (after carrying out the appropriate work to preserve the state secret).
Container weapons systems are actively developing, so that this direction may be in demand not only by the Russian armed forces, but also by foreign customers.
In order to mislead the enemy, imitation modules, indistinguishable in appearance from their combat counterparts, can be widely used, placed both on ships and on ground platforms. The widespread use of false modules will not allow the enemy to adequately assess the capabilities of the opposing forces in advance, and in the event of a conflict, the enemy will spend expensive guided munitions on false targets.
The modular principle of the deployment of weapons with the possibility of a phased increase in the combat capabilities of the carrier is a rational and effective way to accelerate the construction of warships and their adoption into service. Even without a part of the installed weapons modules, the ship can be put into operation and begin to carry out combat missions.
The use of modules will significantly simplify the modernization of surface ships with the appearance of modernized and new types of weapons.
