In the United States, they are not used to waiting for holidays and anniversaries for the solemn acceptance of military equipment. Instead of beautiful television plots with officials' speeches against the background of ships under construction (and very rarely completed), in the United States there is a daily painstaking work to re-equip and strengthen the fleet.
Until the end of the year, there are still two whole months, but a number of large combat units have already been commissioned overseas. According to the naval tradition, all of them can be classified as ships of the first rank - large and carrying the most powerful weapons.
Curiously, the second destroyer is named after a Mexican who served in the army to obtain citizenship. Alas, he received it posthumously. According to the official version, he performed a feat by covering a grenade with his body.
Both ships built are of the Orly Burke class, sub-series IIA Restart. Those who are amazed at the news about the rate of commissioning of American destroyers (two per year!), Please hold back your emotions. Finn and Peralta are the first destroyers after a long five-year break. The resumption of the construction of "Burkov" was caused by the rejection of the serial construction of "Zamvolts". This is evidenced by the very name of the sub-series (“restart”).
On the other hand, the fears look quite justified. “Finn” and “Peralta” have become the 63rd and, respectively, 64th destroyers of their type.
Each of them is capable of launching the same number of cruise missiles as all ships of the Russian Navy, which are currently equipped with the Caliber complex. This is the harsh truth about the "likely adversary." To hide it is to betray people.
The composition of weapons can change depending on the tasks assigned - shock, anti-submarine, anti-aircraft. The destroyer is equipped with the Aegis air defense system. There are two anti-submarine helicopters on board. The full displacement is about 10 thousand tons. The regular crew is 320 people.
Surely someone will ask who is assigned the intermediate index ("114"). The answer is the destroyer Ralph Johnson, whose construction was delayed due to contractor failures and its commissioning was postponed to the end of 2017 or the beginning of 2018. Like this. It turns out that the situation with delays and time shifts is the prerogative of not only the domestic USC.
In addition to the destroyer topic, it is pertinent to mention the next hull, DDG-116 (“Thomas Hadner”), launched on April 1, 2017. On April Fool's Day, but somehow not funny.
The next, 66th in a row "berk" belongs to the next sub-series IIA "Technology implementation". It is planned to implement in its design and study in practice promising solutions that will be fully used in destroyers that are being created to replace the existing Burkes by another ship).
What technologies are we talking about is not known for certain. The appearance of the DDG-116 under construction does not differ from the previous "Finn" and "Peralta".
The tactical number "116" does not mean that the US Navy currently has 116 destroyers. Not at all. This is a sequential numbering of all destroyers with guided missile weapons (URO), or in the original DDG. Half of them have long since died at the bottom.
The conversation about destroyers should, in any case, touch upon the topic of the controversial Zamwalt. This year, 2017, the next destroyer of this project, Michael Monsour, is being prepared for testing. In this sense, the Americans build their experimental "non-serial" ships faster than we build our "serial" ones.
From destroyers to smaller ships
In June, the coastal combat ship Gabriel Giffords (LCS-10) was commissioned.
Despite the ten built ships of the LCS ("littoral combat ship") class, sailors and shipbuilders did not come to a common conclusion. What is it? Ships of a new era - or floating misunderstandings worth nearly a billion dollars
Despite the speed of 45 knots - faster than any of the modern displacement ships of this size, experts are confused by the lack of any serious shock and anti-aircraft weapons in the LCS. This is easy to verify by comparing the LCS with a similar in size Russian corvette pr. 20385.
On the other hand, the Yankees may have needed a fast patrol ship, and not another "Burke" with Aegis.
Moreover, this is not just a watchdog. An LCS-class ship is a minesweeper, an anti-submarine, a mobile helicopter base, and a platform on which, depending on the mission, any other weaponry can be placed. Incl. guided missiles.
Mindful of the notorious Henry Ford, “the best car is the new one”. In this sense, the new LCS has a compelling advantage over the ships of the past. And its appearance gives the fleet new opportunities.
According to the established plans, the Yankees annually introduce into combat strength one nuclear multipurpose submarine. This year, Washington, the 14th Virginia-class sub-series (Block 3 sub-series), entered service.
Submarines of this type have already been described in detail on the pages of the Military Review. In short, this is the widespread introduction of modern technologies with an acute desire of the customer to limit the cost of the submarine. Therefore, instead of expensive “superheroes”, shipyards are building a series of small submarines. With the same "average" characteristics. At the same time, with all the necessary equipment for modern submarine warfare.
Like a real cowboy, there are two six-shot Colts hidden in the Washington hull. Two shafts with Tomahawk launchers mounted in them. Total - 12 CR. Of course, not counting mine and torpedo weapons and equipment for combat swimmers. The submarine's sonar system is optimized for operations in shallow water (“horseshoe” antenna for scanning the seabed).
Officially, the bookmark of “Washington” took place in 2014. But don't take this data lightly. Even experienced US shipbuilders are unable to build a modern nuclear submarine in 3 years. The real start of work related to metal cutting and the issuance of orders to contractors for the manufacture of mechanisms for the future submarine "Washington" took place on September 2, 2011. Three years later, not a mortgage section (as in the shipyards of "Sevmash") was installed on the slipway, but ready-made sections, saturated with equipment. The next three years were spent on the connection of the thousand-ton modules, with the connection of all communications and fittings.
Total - six years of work. At the same time, we are talking about a serial unit, whose construction technology was studied and worked out in practice long before the start of its construction.
Another ship worthy of mention in this list is the Tripoli multipurpose landing craft. Named so not in honor of the recent operation in Libya, but in memory of the Barbary War of the early 19th century. The first US military operation far beyond the borders of their continent.
Returning to the new UDC, it has not yet had time to enter service. Launching took place in May 2017, and completion will take at least another couple of years. However, due to the size and scale of the work, it is worth talking about in more detail.
Outwardly, it represents an enlarged Mistral. The length of the Tripoli flight deck is 257 meters, the total displacement is 45 thousand tons. The domestic designation of the UDC does not quite reflect the purpose of this ship. In the original, this is LHA - "amphibious assault helicopter carrier".
It is rotary-wing aircraft, tiltrotors and VTOL aircraft that are its main weapons. Unlike the Mistral, this ship lacks a docking camera with landing craft. It is not suitable for transporting heavy military equipment.
The project is based on the Makin Island UDC, official sources emphasize that during the design process of Tripoli, many compartments originally intended for the placement of troops, hospitals and cargo decks were sacrificed to the main task. An increase in the number of the air wing, more convenient placement and maintenance of aircraft. Repair shops, fuel, spare parts. The height of the agar deck was increased, and two overhead cranes were installed in the hangar. The ship is prepared for the use and maintenance of F-35B vertical takeoff fighters.
Light aircraft carrier sounds pretty good. But, the main question remains. Why did the Americans need this slow-moving "stub" - in the presence of an armada of a dozen full-fledged "Nimitz" with catapults. Even those who directly made the decision to build it do not have a clear and confident answer. However, even such paradoxical ships as LKR "Alaska" were built in America. So I'm not surprised.
Tripoli is a tribute to the traditions of the Marine Corps. The command of the ILC wanted to get its own light aircraft carrier of the LHA class (already the second in a row).
Epilogue
Those who argue about "cutting funds" clearly do not understand the meaning of these words. Sawing - when the allocated funds disappear, but in practice - a ten-year long-term construction and an empty berth. The famous Marxian formula “commodity-money-commodity” turns into “promises-money-emptiness”. In the above situation, everything is different. All of these projects can be called “inadequate defense spending”. But they exist in reality, moreover, they are implemented in a very short time. The concept of "saw cut" has definitely nothing to do with it.
The listed ships are a real strengthening of the Navy, the breath of real industry. Which does not exclude certain delays and “misappropriation of funds”. But, all these problems become invisible against the background of the final result.
This article is for those who are tired of reading news in the future tense. “Planned”, “started designing”, “postponed to the 20th year”. Also, the material will be useful for familiarizing the authors of articles on how the Atlantic campaign of two BF corvettes, which took place in October, could make a big impression on the command of the US Navy.
