Cabinet of the President of the Russian Federation.
- One second. Commander of the Navy to me! Were there any losses in the fleet today?
- No way!
- Hello, George? A-4, past
Service with Russian admirals is difficult and dangerous. Heavy attacks by media representatives, accompanied by daily press conferences and reports in the offices of higher authorities. Accusations of corruption, negligence and improper performance of their official powers sounding from all directions.
The people crave bread and circuses: how many chances does the nuclear-powered cruiser Orlan have to defeat the American aircraft carrier group? When will the battle with NATO ships start off the coast of Syria? Will Russian sailors be able to defend the Kuril Islands in the event of possible aggression from Japan?
The intellectual stratum of society demands to immediately present a clear concept of the development and use of the Russian Navy for the coming years. Where is our fleet heading? What are its tasks and capabilities?
One can well understand the gallant officers with golden admiral's shoulder straps: what could be the answer to the question about the concept of using the Russian Navy, if the fleet has only 4 ships capable of providing the squadron's zonal air defense. No matter how strong the Peter the Great TARKR and the three Atlant missile cruisers are, the US Navy has 84 ships equipped with long-range anti-aircraft systems.
Despite the formidable statements of the General Staff, the vast majority of Russian ships are not capable of hitting tactical targets in the depths of the coast. In this sense, the only unique ship of the Russian Navy is the patrol ship Dagestan, deployed in the Caspian Sea - for the first time a module of 8 launch cells for cruise missiles of the Caliber family (analogous to the American Tomahawk) was installed on it.
In the absence of real positive news, the admirals connect their imagination and shock the public with a statement about sending strategic missile submarines to the South Pole of the Earth.
Russian SSBNs pr. 667BDRM
The strategic missile submarine cruiser (SSBN) is not designed for dashing round the world voyages through storms, reefs and NATO anti-submarine barriers. Combat patrol looks much more prosaic - two hundred meters depth, five-node course, minimal noise. The entire cruise SSBN carefully writes out in the icy haze "eight", hiding from anti-submarine aircraft with a thick shell of Arctic ice.
It is worth noting that all Russian 667BDRMs, "Sharks" and "Borei" are structurally designed for seawater temperatures close to 0 ° - in the tropics, boats will leak and serious technical malfunctions will begin. And why do they need the tropics? - the flight range of the Bulava and Sineva makes it possible to cover the “potential enemy” directly from the pier in Gremikha.
Finally, combat patrols of SSBNs in the Southern Hemisphere make no practical sense. Whom are you, dear admirals, going to punish with the "nuclear sword"? Unhappy residents of Zimbabwe or peaceful inhabitants of New Zealand?
And suddenly - like a bolt from the blue - a message about the sending of the Navy to the aid of the fighting Syria! Finally, the sailors will take part in the present case.
Large landing ships - project 775
A lot of surprise was caused by the composition of the squadron of the Russian Navy. The main part is large landing ships. BDK - specific vehicles, completely defenseless against modern means of attack. They themselves need a reliable escort, which is usually not available. Then why are these ships included in the squadron? Is a landing operation planned in the port of Tartus? Of course, there is no mystery here: the strong Polish-built large landing ships are one of the few naval ships that are able to reach the coast of Syria.
The decision to send the navy to the Mediterranean yielded the most positive result. Despite the shortage of ships, the sailors brilliantly fulfilled their task - the military presence of Russia did not go unnoticed by foreign politicians and the media. The noise grenade went off - the West abruptly curbed its ardor towards Syria.
But each trip to the zone of the Arab-Israeli conflict is fraught with enormous risk. Unarmed large landing ships can at any moment come under attack from the shore. In 2003, Hezbollah militants purchased a batch of Chinese anti-ship missiles and sometimes have fun firing at ships going far from the coast - it does not matter to them whether it is a peaceful Egyptian launch or the Israeli Hanit corvette.
Damage to INS Hanit, July 14, 2006 Israelis were lucky - a missile hit the helipad.
The ship temporarily lost its speed, "only" 4 sailors died
What will happen if a fire-tail "Yingji" hits the side of the overcrowded large landing craft? And who will then be responsible for this? Could it be that again that eccentric with golden shoulder straps, who in August 2000 was broadcasting sweetly from TV screens: “Communication has been established with the crew of the Kursk. The emergency submarine is being supplied with air."
However, this is just a terrible tale. I am sure that our guys will definitely be lucky and everyone will return home safe and sound.
***
It so happened that in the second half of the twentieth century, aviation, nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles took away most of the important functions of the Navy. The fleet was able to return something (placing strategic nuclear forces on submarines), but the general conclusion is disappointing - the entire surface component: powerful nuclear cruisers, aircraft carriers, destroyers and frigates - all these ships have lost their strategic "defense" significance. The navy has become a purely tactical tool for solving pressing problems.
It is easy to see this by looking at the fleet of the most belligerent power in the world - the numerous US Navy. With the exception of 14 Ohio missile carriers, the entire US fleet is used exclusively to support ground forces in local wars. In total, the US Navy has two key functions:
1. Delivery of personnel, equipment, food and equipment to foreign shores (including covering transports at transoceanic crossings, trawling fairways, ensuring the safety of delivery and unloading at ports of destination).
2. Fire support - a massive strike by high-precision cruise missiles on the first day of the war.
Having secured the transfer of thousands of tanks to the Persian Gulf region and "knocking out" Iraqi command posts, airfields and air defense systems with the help of Tomahawks, American sailors can safely go home and "hang out" all night long in pubs and nightclubs in Norfolk. They have nothing more to do in the war - then everything is decided by the Air Force and the Ground Forces.
The main one who goes to the left. In a combined arms operation, the importance of an aircraft carrier is negligible, but it would be impossible to wage a modern war without the help of the Tomahawks
If we consider the issue in a broader sense, the navies of various countries of the world perform dozens of other, less significant, but quite urgent tasks:
-Aegis destroyers are included in the strategic missile defense system as mobile launch platforms for interceptor missiles. Alas, a major "discrepancy" arises here: the flight of Russian ICBMs takes place along the shortest and most effective route - through the North Pole. Those. for effective interception, destroyers should be placed in the middle of the Arctic ice, and this, as you know, is unrealistic.
However, the Yankees know what to do - the ship-based Standard-3 interceptor missiles can be used to destroy enemy spy satellites and emergency spacecraft in low Earth orbit. The interception is facilitated by the extreme mobility of the platform itself - the destroyer can take a position anywhere in the world ocean.
- Protection of territorial waters. Most often, the violators are their own poachers, illegal migrants and drug couriers - work for boats and helicopters of the Coast Guard.
- Protection of overseas possessions. This column is relevant only for the United States and the former colonial power of Great Britain - our Fatherland does not have such territories.
Open covers of launchers of UVP Mk.41 on the American destroyer "Orly Burke"
Each of them hides a "Tomahawk"
- Control of sea communications. A vague concept, consonant with the terms "blockade", "unblockade", "isolation" … Much depends on the position of the country on the world map - for example, it is impossible to block Russia from the sea, because Russia's vital interests are in no way connected with sea routes. It is no less difficult to imagine how China will block the United States from the sea or the Indian aircraft carrier Vikramaditya will go to raid the Atlantic. In this sense, the fleet has lost its strategic function - instead, a more reliable means has appeared - the "nuclear club".
However, the concept of "blockade" is still relevant for a number of small players in the geopolitical arena. An example is the blockade by Israel of the Gaza Strip from the land and from the sea.
- The notorious "flag demonstration". The presence of a warship in any corner of the ocean unequivocally hints that the power has its own interests here and is ready to defend them. However, everything is not easy here either. A demonstration of force must be backed up by political will and a willingness to use that force. You need to be clear about your demands and just as realistically formulate your threats. Just to drive a cruiser to the shores of India or France, in the hope of "intimidating" these countries, is to throw money down the drain.
TFR "Undaunted" on a long hike
- Special operations: ensuring the safety of navigation, covert surveillance of the coast, point landings of sabotage groups, search and rescue operations, delivery of humanitarian aid, combating sea piracy …
Sometimes as one of the most important functions of the Navy is called the task of "covering the areas of combat patrolling of SSBNs." In fact, this is purely a "disservice" - the submarine missile carrier does not need anyone's help, and the ships and planes circling next to it only unmask its position. In addition, in peacetime, it is impossible to prevent the flight of foreign anti-submarine aircraft in any way (unless they have violated the airspace of the Russian Federation).
In the old days, the fight against strategic "city killers" was relevant - alas, in our time it has become useless to put barriers in the path of submarines, modern missile carriers can launch missiles without leaving the territorial waters.
***
What is the meaning of the existence of a modern Russian fleet, taking into account all the above circumstances? What is the most realistic scenario for the development of the Russian Navy? What awaits Russian sailors in the near future?
It is often argued that the fleet should be well balanced. Correct, in its essence, the statement does not help at all in determining the future appearance of the Navy. The term "balanced fleet" simply means the compliance of the ship composition with the tasks facing the fleet. But what specific tasks the Russian Navy is facing is not known even in the General Staff.
However, some conclusions can be drawn now:
The underwater component of the Russian Navy is one of the key elements of ensuring the sovereignty of our country and the most important factor in strategic nuclear deterrence. It is for these tasks that the Borey-class missile submarine cruisers are being created - this is the basis of our fleet, its main task and main purpose.
As for surface warships, let's be honest: despite loud-sounding assurances of the need for the emergence of "ocean battle groups" of the Russian Navy, no one is able to give a concrete answer: what role these units will play and what tasks will be assigned to our sailors.
"We will fight in these waters, we have no others, and here we need to make every effort, but try to solve this problem."
- order of Admiral Essen on the Baltic Fleet
The glorious admiral was well aware of the limited capabilities of the Russian Navy, which are limited, first of all, by the geographic location of Russia. For a purely continental power, the fleet has never been a priority branch of the Armed Forces, usually performing auxiliary tasks on the flanks. In difficult times, Russian sailors preferred to sink their ships and fight the enemy on the shore - the fate of Russia was always decided on land.
Therefore, it makes no sense to follow the example of the US Navy or the Royal Navy of Great Britain. It is just as pointless to refer to the former glory of the Soviet Navy - the Soviet Union had satellite allies and naval bases in both hemispheres of the Earth, the fleet served as a powerful link that made it possible to link all disparate components into a single combat network. Now this, with all the desire, is not observed.
Following the precepts of Admiral Essen, there are always tasks for naval sailors - and the latest events off the coast of Syria are a vivid confirmation of this. The main thing is to try to clearly identify the functions of the Navy and build up power in the chosen direction.
First of all, a demonstration of the military presence in zones where the state interests of Russia and foreign powers collide. Of course, for this purpose, it is not a bad idea to replace the BDK with more suitable means - for example, the modernized heavy nuclear cruiser "Orlan" or the helicopter carrier "Mistral". Despite their seeming uselessness, both ships have a formidable monumental appearance and solid dimensions - what is needed to demonstrate the St. Andrew's flag. Escort - a pair of modern frigates or modernized BOD.
Of course, there can be no question of waging wars far from their native shores - for such operations, in addition to the Orlans and Mistrals, hundreds of warships and support ships are needed, which, of course, are nowhere to be found. But there is no need to despair - Russian sailors are not faced with the task of “democratizing” countries on the other side of the earth.
Time will show how all this will look like in reality; making any accurate predictions about the future of the Russian Navy is a completely thankless task. As you know, in the Russian Navy they plan one thing, do another, and report on the third. It is almost impossible to figure out what is actually happening.
