Constitution of Japan
As noted on the official website of the Japanese Ministry of Defense, the refusal of war as a means of international politics does not deprive Japan of the right to self-defense, therefore, despite the strict restrictions enshrined in the Constitution, Japan has a large and well-equipped army. Many of the bans imposed on Japan after World War II are still in effect, although they are no longer implemented as rigorously as before. Japan is deprived of offensive weapons: bomber aircraft, ballistic and operational-tactical cruise missiles. There is still a ban on classic aircraft-carrying ships - all the forces and assets of the Naval Self-Defense Forces are focused on the tasks of air defense and anti-submarine defense. In the operational codes of Japanese warships, the letter D is usually present (defense - protection, English), but the Japanese fleet has sufficient capabilities to conduct hostilities against naval groups in order to gain dominance in the sea and ocean areas adjacent to the coast of the Japanese Islands, blocking the straits zones of the Okhotsk, Japanese and East China seas, carrying out amphibious operations and providing support to ground forces in coastal areas.
The Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces is a modern army, armed with 900 main battle tanks, hundreds of artillery systems (including 155 mm self-propelled guns), multiple launch rocket systems, 80 Cobra and Apache attack helicopters. Experts note the high saturation of the army with anti-aircraft missile systems (from the Patriot long-range air defense system to the Hawk and Stinger close-range air defense systems).
The Air Self-Defense Force has 260 combat aircraft, including 157 F-15J fighters (built in Japan under license). Much attention is paid to the tactics of using aviation, the Air Force includes 17 AWACS aircraft, including 4 heavy aircraft from the Boeing E-767 radar patrol.
Due to the fact that in 2007 the United States refused to sell the fifth generation F-22 fighter to Japan, the Japanese military leadership decided to develop the Mitsubishi ATD-X, its own fifth generation aircraft.
Ships that surprised the world
Since its inception in 1952, Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force has slowly but steadily gained strength, becoming one of the most powerful navies in the world by the beginning of the 21st century. The combat strength of the Maritime Self-Defense Forces includes 50 destroyers and frigates of various types, 18 diesel submarines, 5 landing ships, 7 missile boats, 80 R-3C Orion anti-submarine aircraft, 4 ER-3C electronic warfare aircraft, 60 SH deck-based anti-submarine helicopters -60J, 30 HSS-2B anti-submarine helicopters, 10 MH-53E minesweeping helicopters, as well as 90 training aircraft.
In the early 70s, the Japanese Naval Self-Defense Forces were replenished with 2 unusual ships - destroyers of the "Haruna" class. It is difficult to say what the Japanese sailors were guided by when choosing the appearance of the future destroyer - maybe purely practical considerations (the task of anti-submarine defense was then very acute, given the number of submarines in the Pacific Fleet of the USSR Navy). Or maybe the Japanese were nostalgic for the glorious days of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, when his invincible aircraft carriers slashed the American fleet into a vinaigrette, inflicting severe wounds on the United States at Pearl Harbor, the Philippines and the Coral Sea. However, judge for yourself:
According to the plan, the armament of the new ship included 2 highly automated artillery mounts of 127 mm caliber, placed in a longitudinal-elevated pattern in the bow of the destroyer (licensed copies of the American Mark 42 5 / 54 naval gun, rate of fire - 40 rds / min.). An eight-charge launcher was installed to launch ASROC anti-submarine rocket torpedoes, which allows it to hit submarine targets at a distance of 9 km with high accuracy.
The stern of the destroyer looked really unusual - the rear of the superstructure was a huge helicopter hangar, and the entire stern turned into a spacious flight deck. The ship could simultaneously be based on three heavy anti-submarine helicopters "Sea King". Additional amenities included a substantial supply of aviation fuel and a wide range of ammunition for airborne helicopters. All the main tasks of the combat service were assigned to rotary-wing vehicles, and not to missile or artillery weapons, as was customary on other destroyers.
Destroyers-helicopter carriers of the "Haruna" type implemented a concept similar to that which was adopted when creating Soviet anti-submarine cruisers of the "Moscow" type (project 1123). The only difference was that the Japanese ships were 3 times smaller; the total displacement of "Haruna" was 6300 tons - like a large modern frigate.
Despite the severely limited dimensions, Japanese engineers managed to achieve acceptable driving performance and ocean cruising range. At full speed, the Haruna boiler and turbine unit produced 70,000 hp on the shaft, accelerating the small ship to 32 knots.
In 1986-1987, the ships underwent modernization, during which anti-aircraft weapons were installed - an eight-shot launcher for the SeaSparrow air defense system and 2 Falanx anti-aircraft machine guns. As a result, "Haruna" has turned into a truly balanced large anti-submarine ship.
For 30 years of combat service, both Haruna-class destroyers-helicopter carriers have shown themselves to be reliable and efficient ships. At the beginning of the 1980s, two more ships of the same class were commissioned - helicopter destroyers of the Shirane-class - a modernized version of the Haruna, similar in armament and size. Currently "Haruna" and her sister ship "Hiei" are excluded from the fleet and dismantled for metal.
Peaceful Soviet Tractor
The experience gained during the creation of "Haruna" did not disappear without a trace. On March 18, 2009, a Hyuga-class destroyer entered service (sometimes there is a Hyuga, here, alas, I'm not good at Japanese phonetics). The thug with a total displacement of 18,000 tons is bashfully called a destroyer-helicopter carrier, although here the Japanese have clearly gone too far. The dimensions and appearance of the Hyuga are more in line with a light aircraft-carrying ship; This type of destroyer-helicopter carrier became the first Japanese warship with a solid flight deck in post-war history. Many people point out that the dimensions of the Hyuuga's flight deck allow him (or her? Hyuuga - the historical name for the Miyazaki Perfecture) to receive vertical takeoff and landing aircraft such as the AV-8B Harrier II or the promising F-35B. The future will show how these statements are true; a dozen Harrier attack aircraft are based on ships of similar size, such as the Italian light aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi.
On the other hand, the dimensions cannot be decisive - according to the American project DD (X), the new Zamvolt-class URO ships with a total displacement of more than 13,000 tons are classified as destroyers. Soviet sailors of the Second World War would be very surprised to learn that their destroyer of Project 7 by modern standards is not a destroyer at all, but a corvette (displacement of 2500 tons). The increase in the size of destroyers is a constant process throughout the twentieth century (they started with 400-ton destroyers of the Russo-Japanese War and ended with 10,000 Orly Berks). Therefore, let us leave the linguistic exercises on the Japanese conscience and try to determine for ourselves who the "Hyuuga" really is.
Well-tailored ship with a total displacement of 18,000 tons (standard displacement - 14,000 tons), with a continuous flight deck and under-deck hangar, between which two lifts run.
What can it do? The Hyuga's main weapon is its air wing. Typical composition - 10 … 15 helicopters, depending on the task. For example, in the variant there are seven SH-60J "Seahawk" anti-submarine, five heavy transport MH-53E "Super Stallion" and three MCH-101. All tasks for the detection and tracking of submarines, and the defeat of surface and underwater targets are assigned to helicopters.
In addition, the helicopter carrier is equipped with a 16-cell Mark-41 vertical launcher, each containing 4 RIM-162 ESSM anti-aircraft missiles (effective firing range - 50 km, SAM flight speed - 4M), ideally - 64 missiles to protect against aircraft and anti-ship missiles, but usually several cells are occupied by ASROC-VL anti-submarine rocket torpedoes. Among other self-defense systems, the Hyuga has two Falanx anti-aircraft guns and 324 mm anti-submarine torpedoes.
All weapons are controlled by BIUS OYQ-10 and FCS-3 radar with phased array antenna, which is the Japanese version of the Aegis system.
"Hyuga" is not a "killer of aircraft carriers" and is not created for the World War with the use of nuclear weapons, but its weapons are quite capable of repelling any provocation from the DPRK or China. The Japanese themselves are positioning their "pseudo-aircraft carrier" as an anti-submarine ship in the ocean zone. The presence of a multifunctional CIUS and a command center on board means another purpose of the destroyer-helicopter carrier - a flagship / control ship.
It is of considerable interest to compare the capabilities of the future Russian landing helicopter carrier Mistral (the first ship for the Pacific Fleet, Vladivostok, has already been laid down at the Saint-Nazaire shipyards). "Mistral" is more in displacement of 21,000 tons against 18,000 tons of "Japanese"), nevertheless, the French-Russian and Japanese helicopter carriers are very similar to each other.
"The ship of projection of force" Mistral "was created to deliver personnel and equipment to the desired point of the globe, while the ship itself remains outside the zone of hostilities, low combat stability does not allow the" Mistral "to approach close to the coast - the landing force is transported to the coast by landing boats and helicopters, at this time the universal amphibious assault ship-dock performs the functions of a command post for various types of amphibious forces, serves as a floating hospital and a base for attack helicopters.
The combat stability of the Japanese helicopter carrier is also low, however, it can act more decisively in the war zone, thanks to the presence of a set of self-defense weapons and 1.5 times higher travel speed (for the Hyuga it is 30 knots; while the propellers of the Mistral do not allow you to move faster than 18 knots).
One of the Mistral's strengths is the presence of a deck for armored vehicles (however, it is designed for vehicles weighing no more than 32 tons and does not allow MBT to be received). The future Russian ship is equipped with a dock chamber for receiving tank landing boats and high-speed delivery vehicles for shore delivery of the Marine Corps personnel. There is no such thing on the Hyuga, there are only helicopters from the vehicles.
A major drawback of the Mistral is the absence of any serious means of self-defense - MANPADS and machine guns protect the ship only from primitive means of attack and saboteurs. On the other hand, negotiations are still underway on the supply, together with Mistral, of a promising French-made Zenit-9 combat information and control system, which will give Russian developers direct access to the world's best technologies in this area. The new Russian missile systems "Caliber", "Redut", ZRAK "Broadsword" are already ready for serial production and their installation on the "Mistral" should not cause any problems, especially the "Mistral" clearly has to undergo a radical revision of the project in connection with specific By the conditions of the Russian Navy - ice reinforcement of the hull, development of new lifting mechanisms and change of lift openings in accordance with the weight and size characteristics of Russian helicopters, due to the two-axle scheme of the Kamov machines, the height of the hangar deck must be increased. Among other significant changes - the rejection of natural ventilation of the hangar deck (the North Sea residents clearly will not be happy with open openings in the side of the ship), which entails the creation of a forced ventilation system - is very difficult on such a scale. In short, the Russian Mistral series will be seriously different from the original.
And what about the Japanese? In addition to the two Hyuga-class destroyers in service, Japan is developing the new Heisei 22 project, an even larger aircraft carrying ship with a total displacement of 27,000 tons.
Specifically, there is little information on the Heisei 22 destroyer, it is only indicated that the ship will have a length of 248 meters, and its decks will be able to accommodate 50 trucks and 400 paratroopers (or an equivalent load). Accordingly, the air wing will increase.
Far from being a peaceful destroyer, helicopter carrier is being created in response to the emergence of China's plans to create classic nuclear aircraft carriers. Japan also has another serious adversary, the DPRK, which has proved more than once that it is capable of moving from threats to action. And, of course, Russia, with which Japan has an unresolved issue on the Northern Territories (the islands of the Kuril ridge).
Russia is great, but there is nowhere to land a helicopter
It is UNACCEPTABLE to use the Japanese experience in creating light aircraft carriers for Russia. At a 3 times lower cost, "Hyuuga" is an order of magnitude inferior in combat capabilities to large classical aircraft carriers - a small air group (10-15 aircraft), the absence of early warning aircraft, modest (in comparison with the "Nimitz") ammunition and a stock of aviation fuel make the idea "Light aircraft carrier" is completely unattractive. Japan is forced to create such strange constructions - it is obliged to this by the restrictions prescribed in the Constitution. Russia does not have such bans, so the construction of light aircraft carriers is not an effective way of spending funds. And to develop the aircraft carrier fleet - then only in the form of classic nuclear aircraft carriers.
On the other hand, there is a rationale in the concept of a "destroyer-helicopter carrier". Many experts agree that helicopters, used as the main strike force of the Hyuuga, give the ship increased flexibility in the use of their weapons, which most closely meets the requirements of modern conflicts. The destroyer-helicopter carrier can be used as an anti-submarine ship, shelling surface and ground targets, landing groups of special forces in the zone of military conflicts and covering them with fire, used as a transport ship for the delivery of military and humanitarian cargo. The Hyuga has great capabilities in search and rescue operations, and the presence of minesweeping helicopters in the air wing allows the Hyuga to be used as a mine sweeping ship.
In the future, when creating new Russian destroyer class warships, it may be worth taking a closer look at the Hyuga and creating something similar for the Russian Navy. The armament of the Russian destroyer can be rebalanced towards an increase in the role of missile weapons and tactical cruise missiles (Japan has a problem with this - OTP is banned), while maintaining a large air wing. The presence of several destroyers of this type in each of the fleets of the Russian Navy can significantly increase the power and flexibility of the use of warships.
