Anti-submarine patrol aircraft are an important element of the naval aviation. Vehicles of various types, carrying special search equipment and weapons, must patrol, look for enemy submarines and, if necessary, attack them. The existing grouping of anti-submarine aircraft as part of the Russian naval aviation no longer fully meets the requirements, and therefore the existing equipment is being modernized. In addition, the aviation industry is developing new designs.
According to known data, at present the Russian Navy has several units, which are armed with anti-submarine aircraft of a number of types. Thus, the reference book The Military Balance from the International Institute for Strategic Studies for the past year indicates the existence of three squadrons, manned by Il-38 aircraft. Two more squadrons operate Tu-142 machines. Also, one of the divisions continues to operate several anti-submarine amphibious aircraft of the Be-12 model.
Upgraded Il-38N at the naval aviation airbase
The same handbook gave the following data on the number of Russian anti-submarine aircraft. It was indicated that the fleet was served by 16 Il-38 aircraft and 6 modernized Il-38N. The number of aircraft of the Tu-142 family of various modifications was determined at 22 units. The presence of three Be-12s was also mentioned. In total, according to foreign estimates, at the beginning of last year, Russian anti-submarine aviation had less than fifty aircraft with special equipment and weapons. It should be noted that data from domestic sources indicate a larger number of aircraft - at least 80 units.
A short story about IL-38
According to other sources, the Russian fleet has a large number of Il-38 aircraft. Until recently, naval aviation had about 50-55 of these machines in the basic configuration. A significant part of such machines continues to serve, however, a certain proportion of the aircraft have been modernized and now show higher performance, and also have an increased potential in the context of solving combat missions.
It should be noted that the development of the Il-38 aircraft modernization project started back in the eighties of the last century. As part of the project with the code "Novella", some work was carried out, but soon the new anti-submarine complex was left without a future. Due to economic problems, the Russian fleet could not order the construction of new aircraft or the modernization of existing equipment for a promising project.
However, another customer was soon found. The Indian Navy became interested in the modernization of the Il-38. A contract was signed, according to which six Indian aircraft were upgraded to the Il-38SD version (Sea Dragon is the name of the updated complex of onboard equipment).
Only at the end of the 2000s did the Russian military leadership become interested in a new project for modernizing anti-submarine aircraft. This resulted in the appearance of an order for serial modernization of existing aircraft to the state of Il-38N (Novella). By 2015, it was possible to repair and update 5 existing machines, and work continues. The upgraded aircraft are delivered annually.
Earlier it was stated that under the existing order, by the end of the decade, naval aviation would have to receive 28 modernized Il-38Ns. Plans have changed in recent years. Now about 30 existing aircraft are expected, but work on such an order will last until 2025. One way or another, in the foreseeable future, a significant proportion of the Il-38 in service will undergo repairs with the restoration of technical readiness, and will also receive new equipment.
The essence of the modernization of Il-38 aircraft according to the project with the letter "N" is to replace the search and sighting complex "Berkut-38" with a new system "Novella-P-38". The latter includes only modern components, which leads to clear results. According to the developers of the Il-38N project, the new search and sighting system allows to quadruple the performance of the aircraft when searching for submarines. In addition, the main characteristics of the onboard equipment have been improved, which affect the solution of the main tasks.
IL-38 before repair and modernization
A characteristic feature of the Il-38N aircraft is the preservation of anti-submarine capabilities when other functions appear or improve. So, the presence of a radar station with a phased antenna array allows you to search and track surface or air targets. Large surface ships can be seen at a distance of up to 320 km, aircraft up to 90 km. Automation is capable of tracking up to 32 targets simultaneously. It should be noted that it is the radar station of the Novella-P-38 complex that is the most noticeable innovation of the modernized aircraft. Its antennas are housed in a polygonal housing located on the fuselage roof.
After modernization, the aircraft retains the ability to use sonar buoys of different classes and types. Depending on the task at hand, the Il-38N is capable of carrying various torpedoes and anti-submarine bombs, both free-falling and corrected. The total mass of the payload is up to 5 tons.
The Il-38 aircraft modernization program continues and is bearing fruit. So, in July last year, the head of the naval aviation of the Russian Navy, Major General Igor Kozhin, said that by that time 60% of the existing Il-38 fleet had passed the deep modernization procedure.
Anti-submarine "Bears"
An important element of the anti-submarine aviation of the Russian Navy is aircraft of various modifications of the Tu-142 family. Less than three dozen Tu-142MR and Tu-142M3 modifications remain in operation. Aircraft of these types are equipped with a significant amount of special equipment used in the search for submarines. For these purposes, on-board devices and dropped sonar buoys are used. A characteristic feature of the Tu-142MR aircraft, capable of communicating with its submarines, is an ultra-long-wave radio station with a cable antenna 8600 m long. The long flight range, increased by air refueling, is capable of ensuring the operation of aircraft at a distance from bases.
In the spring of 2015, the Ministry of Defense announced its intentions to repair and modernize the existing Tu-142 family aircraft. It was reported that the new modernization project will have to affect mainly on-board electronic equipment. It was planned to replace the search and sighting complex, modify the navigation equipment and install new weapons control devices.
According to reports from the recent past, aircraft of both modifications, which remain in service, were to be upgraded. It was proposed to mark the updated equipment with an additional letter "M" in the title. Thus, after the modernization, the Tu-142MR aircraft were to be called Tu-142MRM, and the Tu-142M3 turned into Tu-142M3M.
Tu-142 at the airport
In mid-2016, some details of the Tu-142MRM project became known. So, in accordance with the order of the command of the Navy, the modernized aircraft were supposed to retain the ability to communicate with submarines, as well as receive new functions. With the help of advanced equipment, it was proposed to provide the ability to transfer data to ballistic missiles of the Bulava submarines, as well as to products of the Caliber family. First of all, these functions were planned to be used to issue target designation to a flying rocket.
It was planned to spend about 4-5 years on the repair and modernization of the existing equipment. At the same time, it was about the modernization of the entire fleet of aircraft. Thus, by the beginning of the next decade, about 30 Tu-142 aircraft with extended service life and new equipment could be operated in naval aviation. The development of the modernization project was entrusted to several enterprises of the Russian aviation industry. Work with the equipment was entrusted to the TANTK them. G. M. Beriev.
Anti-submarine aircraft of the future
In the middle of last year, the chief of the naval aviation of the fleet, Major General I. Kozhin, spoke about the plans of the military department to develop a group of anti-submarine aircraft. According to existing plans, in the future the fleet will have to receive not only modernized vehicles, but also new types of equipment. Moreover, the development of a promising anti-submarine patrol aircraft has already begun.
Earlier it was argued that the command of the Navy wants to get not just an aircraft with anti-submarine equipment and weapons, but a unified platform. On the basis of such a universal aircraft, it will be possible to build machines for one purpose or another with a certain specialization. The emergence of such a multipurpose aircraft will make it possible to replace all existing equipment of several types. According to General Kozhin, in many respects, a promising domestic aircraft will surpass foreign equipment of its class.
It is curious that already in July 2017, I. Kozhin spoke not only about the very fact of the development of a new project. The chief of naval aviation also noted that work on the creation of the next generation patrol aircraft is already nearing completion. However, no technical features of such a project, which are of particular interest to specialists and the public, were not specified.
The last time the development of a promising anti-submarine patrol aircraft was mentioned by official sources a few weeks ago. Not so long ago, the United Aircraft Corporation issued a regular issue of the corporate magazine "Horizons". It published a new article "Snoopers" of submarines ", dedicated to the current work on updating the Il-38 aircraft and the further development of anti-submarine aviation.
In the context of the renewal of the fleet of equipment, the magazine again cited the statements of Major General I. Kozhin, made back in July last year. Quoting the commander, the publication "Horizons" did not provide any new information about the project being developed. It recalled the desire of the command to create a unified platform and the expected soon completion of design work. New information, as well as technical details of the project were not published. However, just a reminder of a promising aircraft caused a certain stir in the relevant circles.
Tu-142 in the air
The timing of the completion of development work and the start of deliveries of serial aircraft of the new type has not yet been specified. If in the middle of last year the aviation industry really completed the development of a new project, then the first prototype of a promising model can take off over the next several years - including until the end of the decade. It will take several years to test and fine-tune the project, after which it will be possible to start mass production.
The patrol aircraft of the new type will not be able to go into production until the mid-twenties. It is noteworthy that it is by this time that it is planned to complete the upgrade of most of the existing Il-38. Thus, for a certain time, the promising machine and the new Il-38N will serve together. The replacement of the Il-38N and the modernized Tu-142 will take place only in the distant future.
It is too early to talk about the number of anti-submarine patrol aircraft required. At the moment, naval aviation, according to domestic data, has at least 80-85 similar aircraft of several modifications. To fully replace them, a mass serial production of new equipment will be required, possibly in comparable quantities. It remains to be seen by what time the aviation industry will be able to transfer such a number of aircraft to the armed forces.
Dark past and bright future
Just a few years ago, the current state of anti-submarine aviation in the Russian navy raised just concerns. The basis of the grouping of such equipment was made up of Il-38 vehicles, equipped with the outdated Berkut-38 search and sighting complex. The modernization, planned back in the eighties, was not carried out in a timely manner, which significantly worsened the potential of anti-submarine defense in general. The situation with Tu-142 aircraft deteriorated mainly due to the gradual reduction in the number of such aircraft.
Fortunately, the Department of Defense was able to find opportunities and resources to upgrade the most important component of the Navy. The Novella project was launched, which provided for a deep modernization of the existing Il-38. A little later, the development of projects for updating aircraft of the Tu-142 family began. Finally, the development of a new aircraft is already underway, which will first supplement and then replace the existing machines.
Currently, there is a gradual modernization of the anti-submarine aircraft fleet, carried out through the repair and renewal of existing equipment. This approach will be used until at least the mid-twenties. Later, the construction of completely new machines will begin. It cannot be ruled out that for some time the construction of new and the renovation of existing aircraft will go on in parallel. Then all the efforts of the industry will be focused only on the construction of advanced technology.
The events of recent years and plans for the near future clearly show the attitude of the command to the development of anti-submarine aviation. A number of important projects have already been launched, and a list of further works has been determined. Thus, every year the potential of the Russian group of anti-submarine aircraft will grow. After a long period of dubious prospects, a bright future is opening up for this component of naval aviation.
