The activities of the navy are not carried out by themselves. In order for warships to successfully carry out combat duty, there are many auxiliary ships and boats: hydrographic, oceanographic, rescue, reconnaissance, tanker, and tugboats. These ships are rarely in the spotlight, but the Navy cannot exist without them.
This series of articles is devoted to auxiliary and special vessels working in the interests of our naval and commercial fleets. The cycle is opened by ships intended for hydrographic research.
Hydrographic service ships
The Hydrographic Service of Russia has existed under different names and in different organizational and structural forms since the time of Peter I. At present, its official name is the Department of Navigation and Oceanography of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
The main functions of the Office are as follows:
1. Management of the maintenance of the forces and means of navigation, hydrographic, hydrometeorological and topogeodetic support (hereinafter - NGS, GMO and TGO) in the established combat readiness to perform the tasks of NGS, GMO and TGO combat and daily activities of forces (troops) of fleets, the Caspian flotilla, and others types of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in designated operational zones (zones of responsibility).
2. Organization of oceanographic, hydrographic and marine geophysical work in the oceans and seas in the interests of the defense of the country and the non-governmental organization of maritime activities of the Russian Federation.
3. Management of work on the creation of navigational marine, geophysical and other special charts (including electronic), manuals and manuals for sailing in the World Ocean and providing them in the prescribed manner to consumers of the Russian Federation and foreign countries.
4. Management of the provision (supply) of the forces (troops) of the Navy with naval navigation and oceanography facilities (hereinafter referred to as the SIT), maintaining the technical readiness of the SIT on ships of constant readiness.
5. Maintenance and development of a system of navigation equipment on the coast and in sea waters under the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation (except for the routes of the Northern Sea Route) in the interests of the country's defense and NGOs for maritime activities of the Russian Federation, ensuring the operation of aids to navigation equipment with established characteristics and operating modes.
6. Leadership of directly subordinate military units and organizations; methodological guidance of military command and control bodies, formations, military units and organizations of the Navy GS on special issues.
7. Participation of the Russian Federation in the activities of the International Hydrographic Organization (hereinafter - IHO) and the International Association of Lighthouse Services (hereinafter - IALA), interaction and cooperation with other international and regional maritime organizations.
What means are used to implement the above tasks? Consider the ships available from the hydrographic service.
Hydrographic vessels - project 860 … Built in the 1960s in Gdansk (Poland). Full displacement - 1274 tons. Full speed - 15 knots. The cruising range is 6200 miles at a speed of 10 knots. Power plant - 2 × 1500 hp pp., diesel engines "Zgoda-Sulzer" 5TG48. Crew - up to 53 people.
Hydrographic vessels - project 861 are intended for hydrological research, equipment of raids, study of areas dangerous for navigation, study of currents, study of depths, meteorological and bathythermographic observations, work on chemical hydrology in near and far sea zones.
Built in 1960-1970s in Gdansk. Full displacement - 1542.6 tons. Full speed - 17, 3 knots. The cruising range is 8900 miles at 11 knots. The power plant consists of two Polish-made diesel engines Zgoda-Sulzer ("Zgoda-Sulzer") 6ТD-48, with a capacity of 1800 liters. with. The ship's crew is 45 people and 10 members of the scientific team.
GAS "Bronza" and an ARP-50R radio direction finder were installed on the Project 861 ships as special equipment.
Oceanographic research vessels of project 852 type "Akademik Krylov" … Built in the 1970s in the Polish Shetsin.
The vessels of this project are intended for research in the field of oceanology, chemical hydrology and marine meteorology. Also for biological, aerological, actinometric observations; registration of waves and currents in the water area of the World Ocean, and other marine observations and research.
The vessel has a total displacement of 9140 tons, a maximum speed of 20.8 knots, a cruising range of 24,000 miles at 15.4 knots. The power plant consists of two diesel engines with a capacity of 8000 liters. with. The crew of the vessel is up to 148 people.
The ship has 20 scientific laboratories with a total area of 900 sq. m, including: hydrographic, radio measuring, aerological, synoptic, geological, oceanographic, electromagnetic, radiochemical, biological, gravimetric, navigation, photo laboratory, radio electronic, hydroacoustic, data processing center and astronomical pavilion. On the upper deck there is a platform and a hangar for one Ka-25 helicopter.
The ships provide for the simultaneous deployment of 4 oceanographic buoy stations of the type: LEROK-0, 5, LEROK-1, LEROK-2, LES-23-1, LES-55-1.
For loading and unloading operations, the vessels are equipped with: one crane unit on a tank with a lifting capacity of 7 tons, two small cranes with a lifting capacity of 250 kg and two aft cargo booms with a lifting capacity of 8 tons.
The ships normally had the following auxiliary boats and boats: 2 hydrographic survey boats; 1 work boat type 725 with a capacity of 20 people; 1 crew boat type 731 with a capacity of 9 people; 2 rescue boats with a capacity of 70 people.
Hydrographic vessels - project 862 … Built in the 1970s and 1980s in Gdansk, Poland. These ships are designed to study oceanographic issues of specific military importance, such as the study of hydrological conditions to ensure the free navigation of submarines of new projects in remote areas of the oceans and for comprehensive oceanographic research. In particular, the ships of Project 862 can:
1) make a route measurement;
2) conduct bathythermographic studies (continuous measurement of the vertical distribution of water temperature);
3) observe sea currents;
4) do research in chemical hydrology;
5) research marine meteorology;
6) to measure depths;
7) make a detailed survey of the bottom relief;
8) make topographic survey;
9) carry out geodetic works;
10) explore radio navigation systems.
These vessels have unlimited seaworthiness and have worked in all areas of the World Ocean.
Ships of project 862 have a total displacement of 2435 tons, a maximum speed of 15.9 knots, a cruising range of 8650 nautical miles, a crew of up to 70 people. The power plant consists of two diesel engines with a capacity of 2200 liters. with. As auxiliary engines, 2 electric motors with a capacity of 143 hp are installed. with., giving a silent low speed.
To carry out the work, there are two hydrographic survey boats on board, as well as a bathometer and other equipment.
Special equipment should be noted OGAS MG-329 "Sheksna" and equipment for RTR and RR.
Hydrographic vessels - project 865 … Built in the late 1980s in Gdansk by order of the USSR Navy. The vessels have a total displacement of 3450 tons, a full speed of 15 knots, a cruising range of 11,000 miles at 12 knots. The crew is up to 70 people. The power plant is a Zgoda-Sulzer 12ASB-25D diesel engine with a capacity of 4800 hp. with.
Hydrographic vessels - project 870 construction of the Gdansk shipyard. The ships are intended for hydrological research in the near sea and base zones, study and work in areas hazardous to navigation, equipment of roadsteads. They have a full displacement of 680 tons, a full speed of 14 knots, a maximum cruising range of 4000 miles at 11 knots. Crew - 26 people. Power plant - 2 diesel engines with a total capacity of 1740 liters. with.
Project 871 ships were built in Gdansk in the 1970s. They have a full displacement of 690 tons, a full speed of 13 knots, a cruising range of 3160 miles at 10, 2 knots, a crew of up to 33 people. The power plant consists of 2 diesels with a capacity of 600 liters. with.
Hydrographic vessels - project 872 were built in Gdansk in the 1970-1980s. Designed for hydrographic support of the fleet in the near sea zone. The vessels have a total displacement of 1,190 tons, full speed of 13, 37 knots, a maximum cruising range of 4,356 miles at 11, 82 knots, a crew of 36 people. The power plant consists of 2 diesels with a capacity of 960 liters. with., there are also 2 auxiliary electric motors with a capacity of 143 liters. with.
Small hydrographic vessels of the REF-100 project built by order of the Soviet Navy in Romania in the 1980s. They have a full displacement of 499 tons, a speed of 8.5 knots, a maximum cruising range of 1000 miles at 6 knots, a crew of 19 people, a power plant - 2 diesel engines of 300 liters each. with.
Ships of the project 16611 "Farvater" were built in 1990-2000 at the Vympel shipyard in Rybinsk. The tasks of the vessels of the project include:
1) surveying the bottom relief in the coastal areas of the seas;
2) areal survey of the bottom relief with a coverage width of 40 meters;
3) measurement with instrumental assessment;
4) hydrographic trawling;
5) hydrographic measurements;
6) maintenance of aids to navigation and hydrographic parties.
The ships have a total displacement of 384.7 tons, full speed - 11.5 knots, cruising range - up to 1600 miles, crew - 15 people. The power plant consists of two diesel-gear units DRA-525, with a capacity of 400 liters. with.
Hydrographic equipment includes:
1. Broadband echoboard, used to measure depth by trawling sections of the seabed.
2. "Survey" - multichannel echo sounder.
3. "Muscat-2" - a small-sized hydroacoustic complex for areal surveying of the bottom relief in the coastal zone.
4. "Prize" - a sounding echo sounder.
5. "Crab-BM" - receiver indicator.
Small hydrographic vessels - project 19910 domestic construction. Construction has been ongoing since the 2000s. The tasks of the vessel include:
1) placement and removal of navigation sea buoys and milestones of all types;
2) maintenance (inspection, recharging and repair) of coastal and floating aids to navigation (AtoN), control over their uninterrupted operation;
3) performance of hydrographic works within the scope of the installed equipment;
4) transportation of various cargoes to support the work of coastal aids to navigation and hydrographic units on the unequipped coast.
The ships have a full displacement of 1200 tons, full speed - 12.5 knots, cruising range up to 3500 miles, crew - 17 people. The power plant consists of two diesel generators with a capacity of 1200 kW each with power transmission to two full-revolving propellers with fixed-pitch propellers in nozzles (ADG-550-4 electric motors, with a capacity of 750 kW each) and one bow thruster.
The hydrographic equipment is represented by a multi-beam echo sounder, which makes it possible to obtain a 3D image of the bottom relief in real time.
Special equipment is represented by: an 8-ton two-handed electro-hydraulic crane, a 16-ton hydrological winch with a crane-beam, a manual cargo hoist of 0, 99 tons, two folding platforms with a hydraulic drive, two storage platforms with rotating roller tables.
Large hydrographic boats of project 19920 "Baklan" Russian buildings (built from the 2000s to the present) are used to support the combat and daily activities of ships, coastal troops, naval bases and training grounds.
Boats of project 19920 are designed to perform hydrographic and pilot works in coastal areas, including for:
1) reconnaissance of the water route;
2) hydrographic measurements;
3) surveying the bottom relief;
4) pilotage;
5) setting, removal and maintenance of floating aids to navigation equipment;
6) leading submarines at their basing points.
Also, boats can deliver scientific groups and special equipment up to 15 tons to the unequipped coast.
The boats have a full displacement of 320 tons, a speed of up to 11.5 knots, a cruising range of up to 1000 miles, a crew of 11 people. The power plant of the boat consists of two diesel-gear units based on diesel engines "Deutz" BF6M 1015MS with a capacity of 337 liters. with.
The boat's hydrographic equipment includes:
1) multi-beam echo sounder with a complex for collecting and processing information;
2) sounding echo sounder;
3) hydrographic profiler;
4) a system for measuring pitching parameters;
5) meter for the speed of sound in water;
6) an autonomous reversible hydrological probe;
7) automated tide gauge.
Large hydrographic boat project 23040G intended for: high-precision areal survey of the bottom relief and survey of navigation hazards at depths of up to 400 meters and bottom topography survey with a single-beam echo sounder at depths of up to 2000 meters; maintenance of all types of floating warning signs (hereinafter - PPZ); staging / filming of all types of PPZ up to 1, 7 tons and length up to 6, 5 meters; delivery of personnel, food, spare parts and repair teams to coastal navigation equipment; navigation and hydrographic support of rescue and search operations; pilotage and leading of submarines and large-tonnage ships at bases and on approaches to them.
The boat has a full displacement of 192.7 tons, a speed of up to 13 knots, a power plant of 2 diesels of 337 liters each. with. each
Boat project 23370G designed to perform pilotage and certain types of hydrographic work, including:
1) setting (shooting) and maintenance of floating warning signs (FWS);
2) delivery of service personnel, repair crews, food, fuel and other cargo to onshore facilities of aids to navigation (AtoN), including those located on the unequipped coast;
3) operational sounding of depths at the locations of the PPZ setting using a sounding echo sounder.
Conclusion
As of today, the Russian Navy includes: 1 ship of project 860, 4 - project 861, 1 ship of project 852, 8 - project 862, 2 ships of project 865, 5 - project 870, 5 - project 871, 15 ships of project 872, 2 ships of project REF-100, 3 - project 16611, 3 of project 19910, 2 ships of project 16609, 1 ship of project 90600, 9 boats of project 19920, 2 boats of project 23040G, 20 boats of various Soviet-built projects. In total - 52 vessels and 31 BGK.
At first glance, Russia has an impressive fleet of hydrographic vessels and boats. However, most of them were built in the 1970s and 1980s. They will be written off soon. Really new are 3 vessels of project 19910 and 3 vessels of projects 16609 and 90600, as well as 11 boats of projects 19920 and 23040G.
To update the fleet of hydrographic vessels, 8 small hydrographic boats of project 19910, 2 large hydrographic boats of project 19920, 2 BGK project 23040G, one BGK project 23370G and one small hydrographic boat of project 21961 are currently under construction.
Thus, at present there is only a renewal of the composition of small hydrographic vessels and large hydrographic vessels, and in a number that is significantly less than the number of decommissioned vessels. At the same time, there is no replacement for ships of projects 852, 862 and 865. And these are ships capable of making long voyages and operating practically in any points of the World Ocean. That is, in the coming years, the Russian Navy will be able to rely on hydrographic support only in its territorial waters. Moreover, given the gigantic length of Russia's coastline, various climatic and hydrological conditions of coastal waters, we can say with confidence that the ships put into operation are definitely not enough for reliable hydrographic support of the Navy even in our territorial waters.
There is, however, some hope that the hydrographic support in the far sea zone will be able to take over oceanographic vessels being built in the interests of another (very secret) department. But more on that in the next article.
