The most significant military-tactical event in the Asia-Pacific region over the past 2 weeks was the demonstration launch of 10 DF-21D anti-ship MRBMs of the Chinese Armed Forces at the same time according to the coordinates of conditional targets imitating enemy surface ships. A salvo launch of the world's only medium-range anti-ship ballistic missiles was carried out on November 28, 2016. "Dongfeng" of this modification are equipped with an advanced complex of means of overcoming enemy missile defense (KSPPRO). Due to the presence of a modern system of satellite radio correction and target designation from orbital optoelectronic and radar stations for military purposes, as well as onboard ARGSN, they are capable of striking both the stationary naval and coastal military infrastructure of the enemy, and moving at full speed enemy AUG. The KSPPROO DF-21D, like most modern ICBMs and IRBMs, can include such means as a multifrequency electronic warfare system, decoys imitating the EPR of a missile warhead, dipole reflectors and infrared aerosols, which will significantly complicate the stages of detection, capture for escort, the capture and interception of Chinese missiles by the firepower of the American naval combat information and control systems "Aegis".
This gesture on the part of Beijing before the beginning of 2017 was not made by accident: the leadership of the Celestial Empire, well acquainted with the very radical anti-Chinese ideology of the future US President Donald Trump, as well as the global militaristic frenzy of Defense Secretary James Mattis, was very important to make it clear to the newly formed American presidential administration that no one will allow the states to dominate unilaterally in the APR, and the growing American naval component in the seas washing China, in case of unforeseen circumstances, may well be in the guidance system of dozens of DF-21Ds, which can partially cool the ardor of the Americans … In addition, the separating warhead of the missile with a trajectory range of up to 1800 kilometers or more is equipped with an annular block of gas-dynamic rudders, as well as compact aerodynamic rudders, which makes it possible to perform anti-aircraft maneuvers of medium intensity. The approach speed of the warhead is about 3.1 km / s (11000 km / h), which will leave the American Patriot PAC-3 air defense missile system, which defends US naval facilities in Guam, the Philippines and Japan, a minimum of time for a retaliatory launch of anti-missiles. ERINT . The Chinese Xinhua news agency focused its attention on the possibility of striking the American Pacific bases, which seriously alarmed the Western community.
But not only by ballistic anti-ship missiles alone, Beijing indicates its high place in the geostrategic world arena. Much more important for consolidating its presence in the APR and the entire World Ocean is the phased promotion of promising naval projects of the PRC, which in their scope are already quite ahead of everything that is being undertaken by the leading shipbuilding companies of such technologically advanced countries as France and Great Britain, or superpowers - Russia and the USA. Looking at the 11 operating aircraft carrier strike groups of the US Navy, the PLA Admiralty is well aware that in order to maintain control over remote areas of the World Ocean, as well as to exert pressure on the enemy directly near its territorial waters, in addition to the presence of a large number of low-noise multipurpose nuclear submarines (MAPL / SSGN) with hundreds of TFRs on board, a proper carrier component with two to three hundred carrier-based multipurpose fighters of the 4 ++ / 5 generations, capable of establishing a full-fledged closed airspace above the AUG operation site, is also needed. In addition to performing air defense missions, carrier-based aircraft equipped with RER / EW suspended containers will make it possible to organize powerful electronic countermeasures to hundreds of on-board radars of enemy fighters taking off from its ground air bases and aircraft carriers.
The use of electronic warfare equipment installed on air carriers is much more effective than shipborne electronic countermeasures systems, since, similarly to radar systems of AWACS aircraft, airborne electronic warfare antennas do not have a 30-35-kilometer limitation of the effective range in the radio horizon, which is the main disadvantage of shipborne means REP in the fight against low-altitude enemy aircraft. In addition, carrier-based tactical aviation is a more suitable tool for suppressing complex layered enemy air defense. Unlike submarine-launched strategic cruise missiles, launched at previously received coordinates from reconnaissance satellites, electronic reconnaissance aircraft and other target designation means, tactical information from which may not be as complete or not correspond to the present moment, carrier-based fighters with anti-radar missiles and airborne electronic systems intelligence can detect and destroy suddenly appeared sources of radar radiation much more quickly. These may include the radars of self-propelled military air defense systems, mobile communication and relay systems, which are much more difficult to destroy with the help of strategic cruise missiles.
Nevertheless, today both the Chinese and Russian fleets, taken together, have rather meager strike capabilities. This also applies to the strike wing, which in the Admiral Kuznetsov and Liaoning is about 2-3 times smaller than the carrier-based wing of the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers (30-40 fighters versus 85-90, respectively). Long-range air defense of our and Chinese aircraft carriers also does not shine, since there are no such important means for air combat as carrier-based AWACS aircraft capable of providing systematic coordination of air combat of an entire friendly air wing at ranges of up to 350-400 km. Instead, we have helicopters AWACS of the Ka-31R (Russian Navy) and Z-18J (Chinese Navy) types, which have low efficiency, a short range of 300-320 km, as well as a short range of the E-801 "Oko" type radar complex (target with RCS of 1 m2 is detected at a distance of no more than 100 km). In addition, the Oko radar, installed on our Ka-31R, has a 100 times lower throughput of 20 targets tracked on the passage against 2000 targets accompanied by powerful computing facilities AFAR-RLK AN / APS-145, which is equipped with American carrier-based aircraft AWACS type "Hawkeye-2000".
The only advantage of our aircraft carrier is the individual strike capabilities due to the presence of the Granit anti-ship missile system with 12 supersonic 3M45 anti-ship missile systems, as well as the unique capabilities of the short-range air defense missile defense system, which are implemented by the presence of 4 Kinzhal air defense missile systems and 8 Kortik air defense missile systems. Nevertheless, our fleet has only 1 aircraft carrier, exactly like the Chinese, and it is unlikely that it will be possible to quickly catch up with the United States in this direction. Even taking into account the fact that by the summer-autumn of 2019, the Chinese Navy will have adopted the second aircraft carrier, project 001A, which is being built today at the Dalian shipyard, it will be very difficult to change the situation radically, because the United States will also not stand still with their 11 aircraft carriers. In the Celestial Empire, they decided to solve the problem very radically.
So, at the Beijing Defense Exhibition held in June 2016, in addition to an overview of numerous samples of standard military equipment of the Navy, Ground Force and Air Force, amateurs and correspondents had the opportunity to acquaint us with the layout of a unique promising floating craft for the Chinese fleet, the displacement of which is hundreds, or even and thousands of times greater than that which is now represented by the largest aircraft carriers and transport ships. Their deadweight will make it possible to place on board a colossal amount of aviation, armored and radar equipment, as well as weapons and logistics for it.
Today we will talk about the ongoing program of promising artificial "islands-aircraft carriers / transports / assault forces" designed for the Chinese Navy in order to give the surface component worthy strategic capabilities and increased survivability in the context of upcoming global military conflicts, where the American fleet will act as an adversary. …
Chinese sources publish images where the design of the advanced island-class aircraft carriers is a huge modular platform about 1.5-3 km long and about 400-450 meters wide. At the same time, other official sources say that the building modules, which form platforms using powerful docking points, will be 90x300 m and 120x600 m in size. The deck covering of the modules will be made of reinforced concrete corrugated slabs standard for ground runways, or solid reinforced concrete dimensions (the first option is more preferable, since replacing slabs in difficult meteorological conditions or during hostilities is a simpler and faster task).
Looking at the technical image of the future "aircraft carrier island", where, in addition to the main object of our review, there are also Type 052D URO destroyers, it is clearly seen that the height of the building modules, and hence the deck of the entire "aircraft carrier island" above sea level, is from 45 up to 65 m, which means only one thing - the structure of the object is practically unsinkable, and will be able to withstand even a collision with the most terrible and extreme ocean phenomenon - killer waves more than 35 m high, the water pressure of which usually exceeds 9 - 9.8 atm. The decent size of the steel structures of the sides and the huge displacement endow the "aircraft-carrier islands" with great modernization potential, as well as the volumes necessary for the installation of specialized armor protection modules against heavy cruise and anti-ship missiles of the enemy. The action of such air attack weapons will be minimized due to another unique feature, a huge number of compartments, which, in the event of a penetration by an anti-ship missile warhead, will be instantly blocked. Only cruise and aeroballistic missiles with tactical nuclear warheads will be able to quickly disable these artificial "aircraft carrier islands". But even here a "pleasant surprise" awaits the enemy. We are talking about the quantity and quality of weapons that such a modular "island" can carry.
First, it is a standard tactical carrier-based aircraft, or ground-based fighter aircraft. Chinese resources, commenting on the technical image of the promising "aircraft carrier island" given in the review, claim that its internal hangars are capable of supporting the use of 200 multipurpose fighters, several radar patrol and guidance aircraft (RLDN), anti-submarine / search and rescue helicopters and unmanned attack reconnaissance aviation complexes. But these statements do not look entirely believable. Obviously, Beijing keeps a secret the true capabilities of the island combat aircraft carriers, because even in the drawings it can be seen that a platform with a dimension of 450x1500-2000 m can accommodate a mixed fleet of 800-1300 fighters of the J-15S, J-16 type, as well as vehicles in numerous compartments. 5th generation J-20 and J-31. This number is comparable to about four fleets of the French Air Force or 13-15 carrier-based air regiments of aircraft carriers of the Nimitz and Gerald Ford classes. In other words, one Chinese "aircraft carrier island" in terms of the combat power of the carrier-based aircraft component will surpass all 11 operating aircraft carrier strike groups of the US Navy.
Secondly, depending on the number of attached modules, the platform will also be able to provide the use of the latest military transport aircraft of the Y-20 type, RLDN KJ-200/2000 aircraft, long-range high-altitude reconnaissance UAVs of the Soar Dragon type (analogous to the American Global Hawk), and, if possible, 2-fly stealthy strategic bombers of the YH-X type (several thousand designers and programmers from Shenyang, Chengdu and other state concerns and corporations are currently working on the development of the YH-X project). Before us is an absolutely autonomous and self-sufficient super-multifunctional combat platform capable of operating at any distance from the Chinese coast.
Thirdly, one of the main issues of ensuring the defense capability of such a large facility in the far sea zone is equipping the most powerful in the history of fleets with a layered anti-aircraft / anti-missile defense system capable of intercepting advanced aerospace attack weapons both in low-earth orbit sectors and in the stratosphere with the troposphere, including close flight lines (3-10 km from the "aircraft carrier island"). For this, some modules of the floating "aircraft carrier island" can be equipped with extended rocket banquets with various types and calibers of universal embedded launchers (UVPU). For example, on one aircraft carrier "island" class can accommodate 20, 30, 40 and more UVPU with SAM HQ-9, each of which has 32 or 64 launch cells-TPK. The number of HQ-9 interceptor missiles ready for launch can go up to several thousand, plus this number in internal ammunition. The HQ-9 complexes will be controlled by analogs of the Type 348+ radar, which are the main radar facilities of the Type 052D EM. The data of the air defense missile systems will be able to reflect the simultaneous raid of several hundred enemy air forces at once. A displacement of millions of tons will make it possible to place various radar equipment on board the platform, including high-potential modular radar systems for missile attack warning systems (EWS) to warn the platform's crew and command of a strategic missile strike by enemy ICBMs. We are talking about a light AFAR-radar of quick assembly with a high degree of factory readiness, the replacement of failed elements of which takes place in a minimum period of time.
Upgraded KT-2 (SC-19) anti-missile missiles can be used as exostratospheric interceptors that carry out missile defense of the upper boundary of the "aircraft carrier island", which can intercept orbital objects, as well as warheads of MRBMs and ICBMs. The KT-2 application involves equipping floating islands with silo launchers. The approximate number of heavy interceptor missiles of the KT-2 type can range from several dozen to more than a hundred. What about retaliation?
Here, the giant platforms will also be unmatched among all well-known Russian and American strategic missile submarines. On their board, one should expect the appearance of 50 or more silos for ICBMs of the DF-41 type, the development of which started in 1984 as part of Project 204, which provides for the defeat of strategic military-industrial facilities in the United States. Each intercontinental ballistic missile as combat "equipment" carries from 6 to 10 nuclear warheads of individual guidance, capable of hitting one or different targets at a distance of 15 thousand km. Theoretically, one "island" class aircraft carrier is capable of launching from 300 to 1000 warheads with a capacity of 150 kt across American territory. If the DF-41 is used in a monoblock design, more than 50 warheads with a terrifying power of 300 kt or 1 Mt will fall on the enemy's targets, taking into account the partial reflection of the strike by the SM-3 and THAAD complexes. The three-stage ICBM DF-41 is a real crown of the creation of Chinese rocket engineers: with a rocket length of 21 m and a diameter of 2.25 m, a rocket weighing 80 tons is capable of delivering a monoblock or multi-unit MIRV with a mass of 2.5 tons to the battlefield, which is 2 times more than 15Zh65 Topol-M. Twice the launch weight and the larger diameter of the hull make it possible to install a more advanced complex of means of overcoming missile defense.
Such an arsenal of DF-41 is capable of overcoming any existing and even promising American missile defense systems. Hundreds of maneuvering warheads, moving in a cloud of dipole reflectors, decoys, and under the "shroud" of the electronic warfare complex, will be able to easily break through the echeloned "anti-missile umbrella" represented by dozens of Aegis ships of the American fleet. It is worth mentioning that the United States may find itself in the most difficult position when launching ICBMs from the southern air direction (South Pacific Ocean): in this direction, the structure of the aerospace defense of the North American continent (NORAD) is the weakest. So, over the Gulf of Mexico there is an aerospace gap, which is not visible by two two-way AN / FPS-115 early warning radars deployed at Cape Cod (Massachusetts) and Beale (California) airbases, belonging to the 6th and 7th squadrons of the Space detection. Notification of the launch and approach of Chinese ICBMs from the southern VN will initially be made only thanks to the satellites included in the nuclear missile strike warning system (NNSP); PAVE PAWS "on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, or arrival in the Gulf or the Pacific coast of Mexico of the floating centimeter radar system SBX.
So, in terms of strategic anti-missile and strike capabilities, the Chinese "aircraft carrier islands" will become a real headache for the American command. And what can be said about the other offensive component of the promising ocean transport and combat giants of the Celestial Empire - amphibious capabilities?
CHINESE AIRCRAFT CARRIERS OF THE "ISLAND" CLASS IN PROVIDING AND SUPPORTING LANDING OPERATIONS
Let's take another look at the technical image provided by the Chinese Internet of the aircraft carrier platform under development. In the central part of the bow module, you can see a rather impressive tunnel, the width of which at the base (in the area of the mooring ledge) is about 35 - 40 meters, and the height of the flat ceiling is 40 meters above sea level. The Square Tunnel is a covered water-filled channel that connects to the sea surface, which leads deep into the bowels of the structure of the island platform's building modules. From above, it is reliably protected by a 7-8-meter frame made of steel support beams and reinforced concrete deck slabs. This channel is most likely to lead to repair yards and quays located on either side of the central longitudinal axis of the tunnel. Based on the design of construction floating modules, the entire platform can accommodate at least 20 destroyer / cruiser class ships. Ships of absolutely any class, including BDK, as well as nuclear and diesel-electric submarines of various classes, can moor to the covered quay walls. Absolutely no reconnaissance satellite will be able to see everything that happens in this channel, and the transported ships will be reliably protected from possible hits by anti-ship missiles, or the impact of missiles with high-frequency electromagnetic warheads, on which both the Navy and the US Air Force are currently betting on.
The crew of the "aircraft carrier island" will be represented by highly qualified officers and sailors-specialists in the management of platform systems, among which one can meet: operators of sea air defense missile systems, anti-submarine complexes, professional heat engineers / heat power engineers for servicing several dozen steam turbines, nuclear engineers for monitoring the operation of nuclear power plant, as well as programmers, instrumentation, etc. The number of this composition can reach 20-30 thousand people. To it can be added another 15-20 thousand people in the composition of the most powerful aircraft wing in the history of carrier-based aviation, as well as its maintenance personnel.
Assessing the possibilities of carrying out amphibious operations, it is worth noting that the "aircraft carrier island" can accommodate from 1 to 2 reinforced brigades of the Marine Corps and the PRC Airborne Forces with a total number of 5 to 10 thousand people, including all the necessary equipment and weapons … BMDs of the ZLC-2000 type, as well as the "tank killers" developed on their basis, where a 125-150-mm tank gun is installed on the tracked chassis (an analogue of our "Sprut-SD") can be used as the main transport and combat means for these units. … The number of these vehicles on the "aircraft carrier island" can reach 700-800 vehicles. For the delivery of marines and paratroopers to the active areas of the theater of operations, both several boards of military transport aircraft Y-20 and several heavy universal amphibious assault ships of the project 071 "Qinchenshan" can be used. These amphibious transport dock ships, with a displacement of 20 thousand tons and a relatively small 7th draft, have a cruising range of 6,000 miles, and can take on board an assault force of 700 - 800 military personnel and 20 wheeled and tracked armored vehicles of various classes and purposes. …
The spacious dock can accommodate 2 large air-cushion landing boats (DVKD), which are necessary for the operational transfer of up to 2 Marine Corps companies with weapons to the enemy's shores. Amphibious operations carried out from the Chinese "island" class aircraft carriers will be several times safer than those carried out by standard carrier strike groups. An unprecedented carrier-based wing of almost a thousand fighters, bombers and attack aircraft will easily cover the UDC and DVKD on the way to the active area of hostilities. If today, in the event of an escalation of the conflict between the PRC and the United States, the entire separate naval air regiment of the aircraft carrier "Liaoning" will be forced to take part in the operation to gain air superiority in the square of the operation of the AUG of the PRC Navy, then with participation in a similar operation "island-aircraft carrier" to maintain parity, even 5-7 American AUGs will need only half of the deck wing of the advanced island-type platform. The rest of the vehicles can be involved in the tasks of long-range interception, the implementation of an anti-ship strike and ensuring the safety of combat operations in the enemy's littoral zones.
The time has come to consider the shortcomings of the project, because receiving unsurpassed power, survivability, flexibility of use and versatility of "aircraft carrier islands" capable of using most of the conventional weapons and even part of the nuclear triad of the Celestial Empire, the Chinese admiralty will have to sacrifice other parameters of the strategically important military marine instrument. And these parameters, without any hesitation, include some important seaworthy qualities of an aircraft-carrying island platform with a displacement of several million tons.
Such seaworthiness, such as the level of pitching, speed and unsinkability of the "islands-aircraft carriers" of the Chinese project, will become three whales that will make the program feasible in the near future and for more than a century. The achievable level of survivability and deadweight (DWT, is the total mass of transported cargo, fuel, spare parts, fuels and lubricants and means for the normal life of the crew), acceptable for the deployment of tactical weapons and weapons of strategic importance, will give the island platforms that autonomy and self-sufficiency that today cannot be observed not on a single nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, missile cruiser or landing ship. At the same time, such a seaworthy indicator as agility at an island platform longer than 1.5 - 2 km will be very low: the rate of change of course, given the huge ratio of the underwater projection area to the rudder area, will be several times lower than that of the largest oil tankers and container ships such as "Batillus" or "Emma Mærsk". Of course, the situation can be improved by water cannons for maneuvering, but dizzying results of the growth of "nimbleness" should not be expected. The circulation diameter of the "aircraft carrier island" will also be huge and will amount to more than 8-12 km. The braking distance can also exceed 25 - 40 km. From Chinese sources, information has leaked that the speed of the "aircraft carrier islands" will be about 18 knots, but this figure is excessively "wound": it is good if such a platform can be dispersed to at least 14-16 knots. Reaching cruising speed (about 14 knots) can take several hours.
The big tactical disadvantage of the island platform will be poor controllability in shallow water. Due to a draft in excess of 25-35 m, the largest naval unit in history will not be able to moor at most of the known Eurasian naval bases. But, by and large, the crew of the "aircraft carrier islands" will not need it. Firstly, the repair of platform units can be carried out by our own construction equipment, and the rotation of the crew and military units, as well as the delivery of weapons, food products and essential supplies will be carried out by landing ships and military transport aircraft of the Chinese Air Force.
The construction of an aircraft-carrying platform of this class, even in a single copy, may take about 10-15 years, subject to the involvement of all metallurgical, construction and military-industrial companies of the Middle Kingdom, as well as allocations in the amount of hundreds of billions of dollars, but the game is worth the candle. The entry into the oceans of such a multipurpose supercarrier of the Chinese fleet, fully ready for the third world war, can calm down the US ambitions to conquer the Asia-Pacific region for many more years, fundamentally breaking all stereotypes of global confrontation in the oceanic theater of operations generally accepted in the fleets.
