The only heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser of the Russian fleet, project 1143.5 "Admiral Kuznetsov" is preparing today for a truly epochal long-distance transition from the Northern Fleet's area of responsibility in the Barents Sea to the Eastern Mediterranean, to the shores of the Syrian Arab Republic, where during the four months of the autumn-winter period 2016-2017 biennium will contribute to the elimination of the paramilitary groups of terrorist organizations ISIS, Jabhat al-Nusra, Jund al-Aqsa, as well as the so-called "moderates" who are assisting them, called the "Free Syrian Army" by their Western counterparts. For the first time in the history of its service, the most protected aircraft carrier of the Russian Navy will participate in a military conflict of the 21st century, where the allegedly friendly anti-terrorist coalition navies and air forces operating “close by” are in fact a probable enemy capable of delivering a “stab in the back” »On any site of the Middle East or European theater of operations (whether it is the Baltic Kaliningrad, Crimea or Novorossia). After a long crossing by the waters of the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea, "Admiral Kuznetsov" will stop near the Syrian coast, after which, unfortunately, our only 279th separate shipborne fighter aviation regiment (OKIAP) named after twice Hero of the Soviet Union Boris Safonov will come into play.
Considering that this is the only carrier-based fighter aviation regiment of the Russian fleet on the only aircraft-carrying missile cruiser, the technological potential of its fleet today can be assessed as hardly satisfactory. And this is absolutely not a thickening of colors, but an observed reality.
HOW GREAT THE BATTLE POTENTIAL OF DECK DRYERS?
Let's start with the fact that on board the TAVKR "Admiral Kuznetsov" in a more or less stable operational situation in peacetime, there are usually 8-10 carrier-based fighter-interceptors of air defense / Su-33 bombers out of 14 put for permanent deployment, as well as one or two multi-purpose flights fighters MiG-29K / KUB, which is no more than 16 aircraft. The remaining 12-14 Su-33s are at the Severomorsk-3 naval aviation base of the Northern Fleet. The air wing of each of the 11 Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers of the US Navy is represented by 4 squadrons of F / A-18E / F "Super Hornet" carrier-based multipurpose fighters (48 aircraft), and this is even in peacetime! The difference is already felt. And now about the main thing - the parameters of the Su-33 avionics and, accordingly, about its functionality during air operations.
Since the adoption of the 279th OKIAP of carrier-based Su-27K (Su-33) on August 31, 1998, for 17-18 years, the vehicles have not undergone modernization of on-board electronic equipment, which is why today there is a significant lag behind the American F / A-18E / F "Super Hornet" and F / A-18G "Growler", equipped with a powerful airborne radar with AFAR AN / APG-79. While the American station has a target detection range of the "Su-33" type (EPR about 12-15 m2) 180-190 km, our Su-33 with the N001K radar can detect the "Super Hornet" with AMRAAMs on suspensions with only 90- 100 km. In addition, the N001K does not have the ability to work on ground targets and "Sushka" remains only a fighter-interceptor to provide air defense of an aircraft carrier strike group at distant approaches, as well as temporary escort of long-range patrol anti-submarine aircraft of naval aviation. Another unpleasant factor is that the RLPK-27K radar sighting system does not have software support for air-to-air missiles with ARGSN of the RVV-AE family, which is why the Su-33 in DVB capabilities is inferior even to the outdated carrier-based multipurpose fighters F / A-18C "Hornet", which is in service with the US ILC.
The current advantages of the Su-33 in comparison with American deck-based vehicles are: significantly higher maneuverability that the entire family of integral statically unstable "Flankers" possesses, a higher maximum speed (even with 2-4 R-27ER / ET missiles on suspensions it reaches 2 - 2, 1M, Super Hornet - 1, 7M), a practical ceiling of 17,000 m (F / A-18E / F - 15,240 m), as well as a 40-50% greater combat radius in fighter mode -interceptor (about 1500 km). In addition, there is an optical-electronic sighting system OLS-27K, capable of "seeing" the Super Hornet running on afterburner at a distance of up to 60 km to the rear hemisphere and 15 km to the front hemisphere. In addition to the highest maneuverability, the OLS-27K, synchronized with the helmet-mounted target designation system, allows the carrier-based Flanker to win close air combat against almost any modern carrier-based fighter. The only dangerous rival in dogfighting (BVB) can be considered only the French carrier-based multipurpose fighters "Rafale-M / N", which have an angular velocity of a steady turn up to 27 deg / s and Chinese J-15B / S (as you know, the latter are designed on the basis of purchased in Ukraine of T-10K drawings). But the outdated, by the standards of the 21st century, the Su-33 avionics still did not give a chance to win in the DVB over the best western carrier-based fighters. Required radical measures to update the "iron" 22 in service with the Su-33.
The first information about plans to modernize the Su-33 "Flanker-D" aircraft fleet began to appear on the Russian Internet after 2010, but details were not specified. Then, in 2015, already from the words of the commander of the naval aviation of the Russian Navy, Igor Kozhin, it became known about the modernization of these machines in order to extend the operational period by 10 years. And finally, in 2016, the first results of the modernization program of the magnificent carrier-based fighters were published on the network.
One of the bloggers-observers of Livejournal "naval_flanker" published on August 31, 2016 the news about the appearance on the territory of the Flight Research Institute named after M. M. Gromov, an improved modification of the Su-33 carrier-based fighter. It is reported that the machine was equipped with a specialized computing subsystem SVP-24-33 "Hephaestus", which will bring the accuracy of hitting conventional free-fall bombs to the level of precision weapons. Developed by the closed joint-stock company Gefest and T, the high-performance aiming and navigation subsystem SVP-24 is a multi-platform computerized navigation and bombing system that can be integrated into the avionics of almost any domestic tactical fighter and strategic bomber. Initially, the highly intelligent system, which allows the Algerian Air Force back in 1999, to accurately hit enemy ground targets from the "free maneuver" mode outside the range of military air defense systems. To fine-tune all the parameters, the Su-24M front-line bomber was taken as a flying laboratory, which was equipped with only the main elements of the subsystem. An excellent result was not long in coming, and already in 2001, the Algerian Su-24MK took off with completely new capabilities.
Later, in October 2008, following the results of observations of the combat use of the Su-24M with "Hephaestus" in the "Operation to compel Georgia to peace", one of the serial long-range Tu-22M3 bombers was equipped with this subsystem. In this case, its modification received the code SVP-24-22 and allowed the "twenty-second" to brilliantly show itself in the operational-strategic exercises "West-2009": its accuracy was not inferior to the accuracy of the modernized Su-24M. Later, other Su-24Ms of the Russian Air Force began to be modernized with the SVP-24 "Gefest" system. All aircraft equipped with SVP-24 received the ability to exchange tactical information with other similar machines and ground command posts, which ranks the product as a "smart" network-centric warfare equipment.
As mentioned earlier, the open architecture of the SVP-24 turns it into a multi-platform system, and therefore the manufacturing company has developed at least 4 more versions for different carriers: SVP-24-27 (for the MiG-27 fighter-bomber), SVP-24- 25 (for the Su-25 attack aircraft), SP-39 (for the L-39 combat trainer) and SP-50/52 (for the Black Shark and Alligator / Katran attack helicopters, respectively).
The system is completely assembled according to the modular principle and has modules of different dimensions for each air carrier, of which they are distinguished: indicating devices of the information field of the pilot's cockpit (VM-10 LCD indicator, OR4-TM TV indicator and a collimator aviation indicator on the KAI windshield) 24P), computing modules and information conversion devices (solid-state onboard drive TBN-K-2, special computer SV-24, tactical information generation unit BFI, radar image processing module "Obzor-RVB-T" and radio navigation system SRNS-24), and also devices for input and output of information from the base onboard complexes of aircraft (UVV-F, UVV-BP and UVV-S). For the exchange of tactical telecode information and voice communication with other combat units, "Hephaestus" is equipped with an aviation radio station R-862 "Zhuravl-30" operating in the meter wavelength range at frequencies of 100-149, 975 MHz and in the decimeter range at frequencies 220-399, 975 MHz. This station has a power of 25 W and an average service life of more than 15 thousand hours. The product is installed on various types of tactical and military transport aircraft (from An-22 and Su-25 to MiG-29 and MiG-31).
The OP4-TM TV indicator is designed to display a video signal received directly from the onboard radar of a fighter or bomber, but this video output can also be distributed to the VM-10 LCD display installed on the cockpit dashboard. In addition to everything, the information field of the Su-33 pilot is already being supplemented with a specialized knee-pad-indicator EKP-NT, which is designed to display the information base of the SVP-24-33. Compared to the initial version of the Su-33, the "Hefest" modification will be 3-4 times more accurate, several times more aware of the situation and much faster.
On numerous blog platforms and social networking forums, there have already been discussions about the possible joint use of the Su-33 with the SVP-24-33 system in conjunction with the front-line Su-24M bombers in Syria. The most widespread opinion is the use of the Su-33 as escort vehicles to protect against possible threats from multi-role coalition fighters, but the possibility of delivering targeted bombing strikes thanks to the installed Hephaestus system is also being considered. The missile and bomb load of the Su-33 allows in a matter of seconds to bring down 28 free-falling air bombs FAB / RBK-250 or 8 similar FAB / RBK-500 bombs on the enemy. Due to the SVP-24-33, such a strike will be very effective, but the question of using high-precision weapons and independent detection and target designation will still remain open.
Despite the fact that the Admiral Kuznetsov will most likely go to the shores of Syria with a full arsenal of Sushki (14 vehicles), one seventh of which will be equipped with SVP-24-33, the presence of the former N001K Sword onboard radar with a range of up to 120 km and the only air-to-air mode will not allow the use of high-precision missile weapons against ground and sea targets, as well as at long ranges to detect British Typhoons, Turkish F-16Cs and American carrier-based F / A-18E / Fs. The effectiveness of the vehicle in long-range combat will manifest itself only at a distance of less than 90-100 km from the enemy fighter. And therefore, there is absolutely no reason to blow fanfare about the Hephaestus alone on board the Su-33; much more serious stages of modernization are required.
First of all, on-board fighters should be completely replaced by onboard radars along with the weapons control system. Instead of the outdated single-channel N001K, the most advanced serial stations with PFAR N011M "Bars" and N035 "Irbis-E" can be installed. They will transform highly specialized deck interceptors into such multifunctional aircraft systems as modern Su-30SM or Su-35S. The dimensions of the radio-transparent nose cone allow the Flanker-D to be installed on almost any of the available Russian radars with an antenna array diameter of up to 1 meter. After that, the Su-33 will become the most advanced and powerful carrier-based aircraft complex in the world, which will be ahead of all Western counterparts in the DVB. F / A-18E / F fighters will be detected at a range of 320 km (160-180 when using REP) and F-35B / C at a distance of 200-220 km (about 120 when using REP). After updating the weapons control system, the Su-33 will be able to use RVV-BD ultra-long-range missiles and RVV-SD medium-range missiles (as was done on the Su-35S): the 279th naval aviation regiment will be able to organize effective anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense within a radius of up to 1,700 km.
In addition to the old free-fall bomb "ammunition", anti-ship, anti-radar and tactical missiles such as the Kh-35U, Kh-31AD, Kh-58UShKE, Kh-29L / T and the most modern Kh-38MTE / MAE with infrared and active radar homing heads.
Further modernization may consist in adapting the fighter's avionics software to the installation of the Khibiny electronic countermeasures complex, as well as reducing the Su-33's radar signature to 1.5-2 m2 using radio-absorbing materials and coatings.
And, finally, the last point of possible modernization is an increase in the thrust-to-weight ratio of the Su-33. Despite the presence of the front horizontal tail, as well as the excellent bearing qualities of the wing and fuselage, the deck T-10K, due to the strengthening of the structure, became heavier by more than 3000 kg (up to 19600 kg), and the total thrust of the two TRDDF AL-31F remained the same (25000 kgf in afterburner and 25600 kgf in emergency mode). With a normal take-off weight with a full refueling of 29940 kg, the thrust-to-weight ratio reaches only 0.85, which is why the car loses much in the rate of climb and the duration of the energy turn in the vertical plane. The solution to the problem could be the installation of one of the most advanced power plants intended for the Su-27 line - the AL-31FM2 TRDDF. Due to better optimization of the cooling process of the perforated turbine blades, the gas temperature at its inlet is increased to 1492 ° C compared to the conventional AL-31F (1392 ° C), the thrust of two engines in the normal afterburner mode reaches 28,200 kgf, in the emergency mode - 29,000 kgf. The thrust-to-weight ratio of the Su-33 with full fuel tanks will be almost 1.0, and at its 10% consumption it will reach 1. 1. There are thoughts about installing more advanced AL-41F1S engines with a deflected thrust vector, but this will require some changes in the internal structure of engine nacelles of marine "Flankers".
At one time, in the late 90s, great hopes were pinned on the Su-33 and Su-34 double deck hybrid - Su-33KUB. In its onboard radio-electronic complex, for the first time in the history of Russian carrier-based aviation, it was planned to use a super-efficient processor with a clock frequency of several tens of GHz, as well as an onboard radar with PFAR. It was even conceived to design several modifications of avionics for a heavy carrier-based multipurpose fighter, one of which was the configuration of the AWACS aircraft (more often called "mini-AWACS"), which would completely replace the less operational helicopters of the Ka-31 radar patrol and guidance. But the project did not advance further than the flight tests of the prototype 10KUB-1 (T-10KU).
Today we have a ship-based air regiment in one copy, and any of its carrier-based units must have qualities that are many times superior to the enemy. It is in the improved Su-33 that everything that the KUB wanted to implement can be embodied, but unfortunately, in the upcoming long-distance campaign, our carrier strike group will be represented by the Su-33 air wing with the previous radars and a couple of Hephaestus systems. And even in this form, they will be able to perform the main function - the defense of the air borders of Syria on the Mediterranean coast, near which not so long ago American patrol aircraft P-8A "Poseidon" began to appear more and more often, leading optical-radio-technical and electronic reconnaissance at military facilities of the fleet and Russian Aerospace Forces in Syria.
