“Measures will be taken to strengthen air defense. To this end, the cruiser "Moskva", equipped with the "Fort" air defense system, similar to the S-300, will occupy an area in the coastal part of Latakia. We warn you that all targets that pose a potential danger to us will be destroyed.”
Chief of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Sergei Rudskoy.
According to Turkish media reports, two submarines of the Turkish Navy, Dolunay and Burakreis, are monitoring the actions of the Moskva missile cruiser in the eastern Mediterranean, covering the Russian Khmeimim airbase in the Syrian city of Latakia.
News agency reports of November 29, 2015
The lead cruiser of Project 1164, the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet "Moscow" was laid down about 40 years ago, launched in 1979 and entered service in 1983. Despite her fantastic age, the cruiser is still in service, performing the most important missions to cover the group of Russian troops in the Middle East.
It is curious that all foreign peers of “Moscow” were written off about 10-15 years ago. Thus, the last American "spruance" -long-lander was excluded from the lists of the fleet in 2006. The remaining 30 destroyers left the combat strength even earlier, at the end of the 90s. Despite the fact that to call "Spruance" obsolete does not turn the tongue, the destroyer was able to fire a salvo of 60 cruise missiles "Tomahawk". Did not help. All were shot during the exercises or simply sent for scrap. The only surviving destroyer is used as a target towing vehicle.
Four Virginia-class nuclear-powered cruisers were removed from the fleet in 1994-98.
Missile destroyers of the Kidd series were decommissioned and sold to the Taiwanese Navy. That, for ships of this level, is tantamount to oblivion.
British "Type 42". The last four modernized destroyers of "sub-series No. 3" were sent for scrap in 2011-2013. Given that we are talking about very advanced ships, one of which made the world's first (and so far the only) successful interception of an anti-ship missile in combat conditions (destroyer Glasgow, Desert Storm, 1991).
How incomprehensibly the same age as all these ghosts of the past, the Soviet RRC “Moscow”, continues to remain at the forefront, forcing all “probable opponents” to reckon with themselves?
An honest answer sounds deadly simple. Due to the obvious state of affairs in the Russian Navy, there is no replacement for “Moscow” and, unfortunately, its appearance is not expected in the near future. Even if we immediately rush to build the destroyers of project 23560, the replacement will arrive in time only by the middle of the next decade. While the fleets of other countries have long changed rusty "spruence" for Aegis destroyers, "Daringi", "Akizuki" and other "Zamvolta".
And here an insoluble paradox arises. Every time, owners of Aegis and PAAMS super destroyers react violently to the appearance of Atlant. They really fear the old cruiser and devote considerable forces to neutralize the threat. The fleets of NATO countries establish close tracking of the cruiser and, if possible, try not to approach the “Soviet scrap metal”.
The key is that pr. 1164 “Atlant” by its characteristics not the same age warships of the 1970-80s. The Soviet cruiser already had such a potential from the very beginning that even after 40 years the cruiser can compete on equal terms with any modern Aegis destroyer.
Briefly, the composition of the Atlant's weapons is represented by three main areas:
- the most powerful surface-to-surface strike weapons;
- zonal air defense system designed to cover squadrons and convoys;
- a developed anti-submarine defense system - with a keel and towed GAS, a helicopter and 533 mm anti-submarine torpedoes.
Which in itself was atypical for ships of the Cold War era. For example, “spruance” is a “striker” with PLO functions. British "Type 42" and nuclear "Virginia" - pure air defense-shniki.
Further more. The level of technical performance of the systems and mechanisms of the Soviet cruiser was a whole decade ahead of the ships of the NATO countries. And according to a number of parameters, Project 1164 has no analogues to this day.
There are no analogues in the world of supersonic anti-ship missiles with a 500 kg warhead and a flight range of 500 … 1000 km. The only possible competitor, the American project RATTLERS, still remains in the form of a model.
Anti-aircraft complex S-300F "Fort" does not need a long introduction. It was a revolutionary system for that time. In addition to the magnificent missiles and fire controls, for the first time in the world, launchers were located below deck. That in many respects makes Atlanta akin to modern destroyers of the Burke class with a mine-type launcher. By the way, the cruiser ammunition consists of 64 long-range missiles. This is a third more than the ammunition load of a modern Daring-class air defense destroyer.
The air defense system is not limited to the long-range "Fort". As a means of self-defense, two single-channel short-range air defense systems "Osa-MA" (40 missiles) are provided. There are three AK-630M batteries to defeat low-flying air targets at short distances, to combat small-sized surface targets, as well as to destroy floating mines. Each consists of two six-barreled submachine guns with a rate of fire of 6000 rds / min. and the Vympel fire control radar.
A ship from the past
In the design of RRC pr. 1164 there are a number of congenital defects, whose negative influence is more and more pronounced over time. The cruiser is irreversibly aging and no longer meets modern requirements.
The ships of the project 1164 do not have a closed air defense circuit. The only station for guidance and illumination of targets ZR41 "Volna", located in the stern of the ship, creates a "dead sector" at the heading angles. The cruiser is defenseless against attacks from the front hemisphere. At the same time, the ZR41 "Volna" itself also has its drawback: it provides guidance for S-300 missiles in the 90 ° x90 ° sector. That makes it impossible to repel a massive air attack from different directions.
At the same time, all three AK-630M batteries are unsuccessfully concentrated in the bow, leaving the entire rear hemisphere uncovered.
The Fort air defense missile system installed on the cruiser is one of the earliest modifications of the S-300 with 5V55RM missiles with a range of 75 km. What was considered a worthy result at the beginning of the 1980s is already completely insufficient in modern conditions (the European Aster-30 - 130 km, the American "Standard-6" - 240 km, the ABM "Standard-3" missile - 500 km, the height of destruction is not limited by the limits of the atmosphere).
It is possible to achieve a significant enhancement of the Atlantov air defense system through a modest modernization with the replacement of the ZR41 with a new F1M fire control station with a phased antenna array. The range of the line of interception of air targets will be increased to 150 km with a simultaneous increase in the density of fire (simultaneous guidance of up to 12 missiles at six targets - against six missiles and three targets at Volna). It was this modernization with the replacement of the bow station of the FCS that the nuclear cruiser "Peter the Great" underwent even at the time of its construction ("Fort-M").
There are many complaints about detection equipment and the combat information system. Radar complex MR-800 "Flag" with general detection radar MR-600 "Voskhod" and general detection radar MR-700 "Fregat-M". Primitive, by today's standards, general-view radars with half the detection range of air targets compared to foreign Aegis and PAAMS-S.
The only known photograph of an "aircraft carrier killer" next to its potential victim
BIUS "Lesorub-1164" has its own structural defect. Being built according to the so-called. "Farm scheme", it provides only primary target designation from surveillance radars. Air defense systems installed on board operate in an autonomous mode, using their own radar and fire control facilities.
For comparison: the American "Aegis" creates a continuous information field, linking together all the systems of the ship and ensuring the operation of the only universal air defense system with long and medium-range missiles.
There are justified doubts about the capabilities of the Osa-MA self-defense complex. Created half a century ago, a single-channel air defense system with a beam launcher with a reload cycle of 20 seconds. How adequate is this complex in modern conditions? Interception of low-flying anti-ship missiles is impossible even in theory, because the minimum interception height is several tens of meters.
Volcano in the ocean
A few important words about the “main caliber” of Russian cruisers.
According to open sources, the P-1000 “Vulkan” has no significant structural differences from its predecessor (the P-500 “Basalt”). The main changes are associated with a reduction in the mass of the fuselage (titanium alloys) and a decrease in the mass of the warhead in order to increase the fuel supply.
The main task of modernization is not associated with an increase in the flight range (it is already prohibitive). In addition, launching an anti-ship missile system to its maximum range is associated with the problem of issuing target designation: by the time the missile arrives, the target may go beyond the visibility of the Vulkan homing head.
The navies of NATO countries are armed with anti-aircraft missiles with an interception range of 200+ km. While a large (fighter-sized), radio-contrast target in the stratosphere is an ideal target for the Aegis naval air defense system. If it can “take down” a space satellite or a ballistic missile warhead, then what is a two-speed anti-ship missile to it?
All this testifies to the need to extend the low-altitude segment of the Vulkan flight in order to avoid its early detection by the enemy. A couple of hundred kilometers at supersonic, in the dense layers of the atmosphere, required certain efforts aimed at increasing fuel reserves.
Volcano will be discovered too late. What will happen next?
In theory, Aegis will have time to launch a couple of dozen missiles. Approximately the same number will be fired by another destroyer from the AUG escort. And then half as much. Theoretically, the released amount of "Standards" should be enough to repel the triple salvo of the cruiser "Moskva". Plus means of electronic suppression, clouds of fired traps and rapid-fire "Falans" …
Well, that's all in theory. In practice, it is a punctured superstructure of the Aegis cruiser Chancelrossville, which was unable to intercept a single subsonic anti-ship missile system. The operator blinked, the air defense officer on duty pressed the wrong button, and no one remembers what happened next …
That is why there they are afraid of the ancient "Atlanteans" with their fierce grin - 16 "teeth" in two rows!
At the same time, you need to start working on a replacement. Otherwise, in another 10 years, these cruisers will pose a threat only to their crews.
