The aircraft carriers of Great Britain, Italy and Japan (“Who versus the Queen”) were considered in comparison with each other, as they are equipped (or will be equipped with) vertical take-off and landing aircraft. Earlier, the American "Nimitz", the Chinese "Liaoning" and "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" ("Battle of aircraft carriers") were compared. Now, logically, it is necessary to evaluate the aircraft carriers of other countries. In accordance with the methodology, the first step after the choice of ships, and today it is the French "Charles de Gaulle", the Indian "Vikramaditya" (ex-"Admiral Gorshkov") and the Brazilian "São Paulo", is to analyze the tasks for which the aircraft carriers are intended.
Ships of this class in different states, despite their versatility, have specific features. That is, the nomenclature of tasks is approximately the same, but the meaning of each of them is significantly different. It is assessed by a weighting factor.
The experience after the Second World War has shown that aircraft carriers are actively used in armed conflicts and local wars of various scales. And they will be one of the main components of the groupings of the opposing fleets with the beginning of large-scale hostilities. Accordingly, it is necessary to consider both options for the conditions of combat use.
The main tasks for which we will compare are as follows: the destruction of aircraft carrier strike and multipurpose groups, large groups of surface ships (KUG, KPUG), submarines, repelling an air attack, strikes against enemy ground targets.
It should be noted that the destruction of aircraft carrier strike and multipurpose groups will not be a typical task for the ships in question, since it is not provided for by their purpose. However, the unity of the methodological apparatus requires its consideration. In addition, the likelihood that the operational situation in the course of a real conflict will still force the use of aircraft, for example, the French "Charles de Gaulle" against a Russian or Chinese aircraft carrier group, is not at all zero.
In a local war against a naval-weak enemy, the weight coefficients of the significance of the tasks in relation to the aircraft carriers under consideration can be estimated as follows: the destruction of groups of surface ships and boats - 0, 1, the destruction of submarines - 0, 05, the repulsion of enemy air attacks - 0, 3, strikes against enemy ground targets - 0, 55. These coefficients are obtained from the analysis of the experience of using such ships in the wars of the late 20th and early 21st centuries and apply equally to all the ships under consideration. The task of destroying the enemy aircraft carrier forces in this case, obviously, will not stand.
In a war against high-tech and powerful navies, the compared ships will solve different problems, respectively, the weight coefficients will differ. They were derived taking into account the characteristics of the combat mission and the nature of military conflicts.
Distinctive features
Vikramaditya was handed over to India in 2013. Its full displacement is 45,500 tons. Four steam turbines provide a maximum speed of 32 knots. The economic speed range is about seven thousand nautical miles.
The air group includes 18-20 MiG-29K / KUB, four - six Ka-28 and "Dhruv", two helicopters AWACS Ka-31. Here it is necessary to make a reservation. "Dhruv" is a light all-purpose vehicle (maximum take-off weight of only 4500 kg) of German-Indian design. In the version for the Navy, it is armed with two small-sized anti-submarine torpedoes or four anti-ship missiles. There is no data on the availability of means of searching for submarines, which gives reason to assume that its main purpose will be to combat the light forces of the fleet. Quite relevant when you consider the combat strength of the Pakistani Navy, India's main adversary in the region. But considering the multipurpose version of the air group as the main one, we will assume that the ship is equipped with Ka-28 and Ka-31 helicopters. "Indian" is equipped with a bow springboard and has 14 positions for preparing MiGs for flight. That is, the maximum composition of groups for performing combat missions is 14 units. The known characteristics of the ship (by analogy with the Russian aircraft carrier) give grounds to estimate the maximum daily intensity of 48 sorties. The probable duration of intensive hostilities in terms of aviation fuel and ammunition stocks is up to seven days with a total of 300-310 sorties. The ship has no strike weapons. Air defense systems - four air defense systems "Shtil-1" with UVP for 12 cells each (firing range - up to 50 kilometers), two air defense systems "Kashtan" and two air defense systems AK-630.
The aircraft carrier "Charles de Gaulle" is slightly smaller than the Indian one, has a total displacement of 42 thousand tons. The nuclear power plant with two reactors of the K15 type provides a speed of up to 27 knots. The practical autonomy of the ship is 45 days.
The air group has up to 40 aircraft. In a purely strike version, it can include up to 36 Rafal-M fighters and Super Etandar fighter-bombers, two E-2C Hawkeye AWACS aircraft and two search and rescue helicopters. Feature - the absence of anti-submarine helicopters. Nevertheless, in the event of actions in large-scale conflicts, "de Gaulle" will have to solve the problems of at least his own anti-aircraft missile defense. Therefore, at least six anti-submarine helicopters will have to be included in the air group instead of the corresponding part of attack aircraft. Accordingly, when analyzing, we will consider its composition of 28-30 Rafaley-M, two E-2C Hawkai, six - eight anti-submarine and two search and rescue helicopters. "Frenchman" has two steam catapults, providing takeoff of one aircraft weighing up to 25 tons every minute. The dimensions of the deck give reason to believe that the number of positions for preparation for take-off cannot be more than 16, which determines the maximum composition of the air group. The stocks of 3400 tons of aviation fuel and 550 tons of ammunition determine the number of sorties within 400, this makes it possible to conduct intensive combat operations for seven days.
The aircraft carrier has powerful air defense systems: four eight-container air defense units of the Aster-15 air defense missile system, the same number of six-container launchers for the Sadral air defense missile system and eight single-barreled 20-mm Giat 20F2 guns.
Brazilian "São Paulo", former French "Foch", launched already in 1960. But in 1992, still under the same flag, it underwent a deep modernization, so that in terms of technical equipment, this is a completely modern ship. Its full displacement is 32 thousand tons. The twin-shaft steam turbine unit with a total capacity of 126,000 horsepower provides a design speed of 30 knots. The cruising range is up to seven thousand miles at an economic speed of 18 knots. The ship's air group includes 14 A-4UK Skyhawk attack aircraft, helicopters: six anti-submarine SH-3A / B Sea King, two search and rescue, three transport (Super Puma), as well as three C-1A Trader transports »And an AWACS aircraft of its own design based on the S-1A. In total - 31 aircraft. The number of training positions is 12. The experience of the combat use of the ship as part of the French fleet makes it possible to estimate the maximum number of sorties from an aircraft carrier in terms of fuel and ammunition reserves within 200-220, which ensures intensive combat operations for five to seven days (maximum intensity - 50-55 departures per day). São Paulo has two steam catapults capable of using aircraft weighing up to 20 tons from an aircraft carrier. The ship's armament is represented by air defense means - two "Albatross" launchers for the "Aspid" air defense missile system and two 40-mm gun mounts from the "Bofors" company.
Summing up the analysis of tactical and technical data, we state that the combat capabilities of the compared are almost completely determined by the composition of their air groups. Air defense means of ships are intended for self-defense and do not have a significant effect on the integral assessment.
The most powerful air group is at the disposal of Charles de Gaulle. At the same time, it is focused on solving shock missions - fighting against enemy surface ships and its ground targets. The other two are more versatile: in addition to attack aircraft, they include a squadron of anti-submarine helicopters. The weak point of "Vikramaditya" (as well as "Kuznetsov" with "Liaoning") is the absence of an AWACS aircraft in the air group. True, “Sao Paulo” also has very limited opportunities in this respect.
From the point of view of air defense systems, the "Indian" stands out - he has the most powerful complex of these weapons. Charles de Gaulle lags slightly behind. Lagging behind in the range of air defense systems, it has an approximately equivalent damaging potential. Both are capable of repelling group air strikes of up to four to six units in a raid. The "Brazilian" lags far behind in the capabilities of air defense systems, being able to defend only against single anti-ship missiles such as anti-ship missiles.
Combat capabilities
The task of fighting enemy aircraft carriers, as a rule, is solved during a naval battle lasting up to a day. In this case, the parties will use all the available potential, since they are dealing with an extremely powerful and well-protected enemy.
Let's start with the Frenchman. Until the medium term, only Kuznetsov, or Liaoning at the most, can become his opponent. To solve the problem, Charles de Gaulle has only Rafale-M and Super Etandard aircraft. Their combat capabilities make it possible to strike at a Russian aircraft carrier group without entering the reach zone of its long-range anti-ship missiles. Up to 60 sorties can be carried out per day, but at least 16 of them are to ensure patrolling of fighters in the air in the air defense system of the formation and six to eight to repel a Russian retaliatory strike. With the deduction of at least four positions for the use of helicopters and air defense fighters, a maximum of 12 vehicles can be involved in an attack simultaneously. Of these, at least four are in the airspace clearance group. There remain eight Raphales, each of which has four AM-39 anti-ship missiles suspended, for a total of 32. And the French aircraft carrier will be able to deliver three such strikes at most. Our aircraft carrier will counter with two or four machines from the airborne alert position and four more from the deck alert position. Of these, three or four will be linked in battle by fighters to clear the airspace. The rest are attacking the strike group. As a result, one or two French aircraft could be destroyed. Others, maneuvering and evading our fighters, will approach the strike line alone or in pairs with a salvo of four to eight AM-39 anti-ship missiles. It should be noted that the launch range of the AM-39 - 50 kilometers from low altitudes and 70 kilometers from high altitudes - will force the aircraft to enter the reach zone of the long and medium-range air defense missile systems of the Russian naval formation, if it contains the latest and modernized ships of the missile cruiser, frigate, etc. destroyer. And the AM-39 warhead is only 150 kilograms. Based on these data, the estimated probability of the incapacitation of a Russian aircraft carrier is 0, 12–0, 16.
Given the probable nature of the development of the military-political situation, it makes sense to consider the capabilities of the Vikramaditya to combat enemy aircraft carrier forces only in relation to the Chinese Liaoning."Indian" per day will be able to perform up to 40 sorties by Mi-29K / KUB fighters. Of these, at least 18-24 will be required to provide air defense connections. With the deduction of four positions for the use of helicopters and air defense fighters, a maximum of 10 vehicles can be simultaneously involved in an attack. Of these, at least four are involved in the airspace clearance group. There remain six MiG-29K / KUB, each of which can carry no more than four Kh-35 anti-ship missiles (air-to-air missiles are placed on the remaining nodes). Total - 24 anti-ship missiles. The Indian aircraft carrier will be able to deliver a maximum of two such strikes. The capabilities of the Chinese Liaoning to repel an air strike are similar to that of Kuznetsov.
The only potential enemy of the Brazilian "Sao Paulo" is an American aircraft carrier. The maximum combat radius of the Skyhawk is about 500 kilometers. Of the most modern weapons suitable for strikes against surface targets, only the Maverick missiles with a firing range of about 10 kilometers and a warhead weighing 65 kilograms. With the depth of the air defense system of the American AUG, even without the support of coast-based AWACS aircraft, more than 700 kilometers, the Brazilian aircraft carrier has no chance. In part, the successful experience of using Skyhawks during the Anglo-Argentine conflict over the Falkland Islands is inapplicable in this case, since the air defense system of the British compound was incomparably weaker than the typical American AUG.
The task of combating groups of surface ships will be one of the main ones in gaining superiority at sea in a given operational area. Its duration can vary from three to four to six to eight days. In local military conflicts, the targets of naval aviation strikes will be light forces, primarily groups of missile boats. In a large-scale war against modern fleets of navally developed states, the main efforts will be focused on defeating the KUG from cruisers, destroyers, frigates and corvettes of the URO, landing squads (DESO), convoys (KON) and KPUG.
In local conflicts, judging by experience, the task of countering two to five KUGs, two or three missile boats in each, may become important. To defeat any such group, it is enough to select two or three pairs of attack aircraft or helicopters with anti-ship missiles and NURS. The probability of destroying enemy boats in a group will be close to guaranteed - 0, 9 or more. In total, to solve this problem, it will take up to 30 flights. That is quite achievable within five to six days for all the aircraft carriers considered, for which it will be 7-8 percent for de Gaulle, 9-10 percent for Vikramaditya, 13-14 percent for Sao Paulo.
In the Mediterranean Sea zone, the "Frenchman" will presumably have to solve the problem of defeating the limited forces of the Russian squadron consisting of one or two KUG, as well as three to five different ship groups of the fleets of our allies, in particular Syria. Eight "Rafaley-M" are capable of crushing with a probability of 0, 3–0, 38 a Russian KUG led by a cruiser (0, 9 or more - any others). Groups of eight "Super Etandar" with a probability of 0, 7–0, 85 incapacitate ship groups of countries allied to the Russian Federation. The available resource of the Charles de Gaulle air wing will make it possible to allocate seven to eight strike groups of various composition for solving this problem within five to six days. We estimate the expected efficiency of solving this problem by a “Frenchman” at 0, 6–0, 7.
The main enemy of the Indian aircraft carrier will be the Pakistani fleet. The ship's composition of the latter allows the formation of up to five KUGs of two or three frigates, two or three KUGs of two or three missile boats and another three or four groups for various purposes. Taking into account the peculiarities of the theater of operations, it must be assumed that the destruction of these forces will be one of the most important tasks for Vikramaditya. A group of four MiG-29K / KUB with a probability of 0.8-0.9 will defeat any of the named ship groups. That, taking into account the aviation resource that can be allocated for solving the problem, allows us to estimate the effectiveness of such actions at 0, 65–0, 7. It should be noted that the aircraft of both aircraft carriers considered will not have to enter the zone of effective fire of the ship's AIA.
São Paulo has a different situation. The most realistic conditions for involving him in the destruction of surface ships can be a military conflict with neighboring states. In this case, two or four KUGs with two frigates or destroyers and three or four groups of light forces - missile boats and other boats and ships - can become possible targets for a strike for its aviation. Skyhawk planes will have to enter the effective fire zone to use their weapons. As a result, when operating in groups of six to eight aircraft, losses of 20 percent or more are possible. As a result, even with 20–25 sorties, losses may become unacceptable. Thus, the "Brazilian" will have time to inflict only three or four blows. The probability of defeating the KUG is from 0.2 to 0.6, depending on the weapon used, weather conditions (Maverick has a seeker that operates in the optical range, therefore, it is ineffective in adverse weather conditions or when setting a smoke screen, and if it is impossible to use these missiles, you will have to use free fall bombs) and the composition of a group of enemy ships. The expected efficiency in solving the problem is within 0, 2–0, 3.
An analysis of the composition of the wing of all the samples under consideration gives grounds to conclude that they will fight against submarines within the framework of ensuring the combat stability of their ship formation. Accordingly, it is advisable to make an assessment according to the criterion of the probability of destruction of a submarine before it reaches the position of a short-range anti-ship missile salvo against ships of the order. This indicator depends on many factors, but the most important of them is the number of helicopters and PLO aircraft simultaneously in the alert zones, as well as the capabilities of their search systems. In all the air groups under consideration, there are six to eight anti-submarine helicopters with approximately equal potentials. This means that the presence of only one helicopter is ensured on a permanent basis in the alert zone, with the ability to amplify up to two in the event of a clear underwater threat. According to this indicator, the effectiveness of solving PLO problems can be estimated at 0.05–0.07 for all three.
The effectiveness of solving air defense problems is calculated by the share of disrupted enemy air strikes against the ships of its formation and other covered objects. In a local war, Charles de Gaulle, according to the available resource of fighter aircraft, will ensure the interception by pairs of fighters in five days up to 14-15 air targets, Vikramaditya - 10-12, São Paulo - 6-8. The experience of the past local conflicts gives reason to assume that about 15-18 air targets may appear in the air defense zone of responsibility of such aircraft carriers within five days. Moreover, the probability of their interception by the Vikramaditya and São Paulo air groups is significantly lower than that of Charles de Gaulle, since they do not have modern AWACS aircraft. Taking into account the combat capabilities of "Rafaley-M", MiG-29K and "Skyhawks" in air combat with a probable enemy, the effectiveness of the "Frenchman" will be estimated at 0, 6–0, 8, for the “Indian” - at 0, 2–0, 3, "Brazilian" - at 0, 05-0, 08.
In a large-scale war in the probable zone of responsibility of de Gaulle's air defense in the Mediterranean, based on its operational designation, the intensity of enemy aviation will be comparable to that considered in relation to the Italian Giuseppe Garibaldi - about five to eight groups and single aircraft, mainly from countries the Arab world, solving problems in the central and eastern parts of the water area. Almost all of them can be intercepted by pairs of Rafal-M fighters.
“Vikramaditya” in terms of solving air defense missions as the main enemy, most likely, will have tactical aviation from Pakistan. Within five days, up to 20 or more groups of air targets of various composition may appear in the area of responsibility of an Indian aircraft carrier. Of these, Vikramaditya, taking into account the ability to detect air targets and aim fighters at them, is capable of intercepting up to six or eight MiG-29K / KUB pairs.
"Sao Paulo" in the war with the states of the region (according to the experience of the Anglo-Argentine conflict) within five days will have to solve the problem of counteracting 15-18 groups of aircraft ranging from a squadron to a couple or even a single aircraft. Taking into account the possibilities of detecting them, as well as the available resource, the "Brazilian" will intercept no more than three or four of his "Skyhawks" by a pair or link. At the same time, the probability of destruction or forcing to refuse to perform a combat mission will be significantly lower than that of the previously considered ships.
It remains to compare the actions of aircraft carriers against ground targets. "Charles de Gaulle" can strike in a large-scale war, taking into account the allocated resource, four to five point targets to a depth of 800 kilometers from the coast, which corresponds to approximately 0, 10–0, 12 of the total operational requirements. In a local war, due to a significantly larger resource for solving the problem, the chances increase to 0, 3–0, 35. The "Indian" in the war with Pakistan is able to hit two or three important objects at a distance of up to 600 kilometers from the coast, which will be about 0, 08–0, 1 from the required in a limited operationally important area. In a local war, this figure rises to 0, 2–0, 25. The Brazilian São Paulo, taking into account the priority of this task and the available resource, is capable of destroying one or two important ground targets at a distance of up to 350 kilometers from the coast in a war with an equal enemy. which corresponds to the efficiency of 0, 05–0, 08. In a local war, this indicator will rise to 0, 12–0, 18.
As expected, the Charles de Gaulle is most suitable for combat use, in this regard it is ahead of its closest competitor, Vikramaditya, by 54 percent in limited conflicts and by 42 percent in large-scale conflicts. With an air group of almost equal quality, the Vikramaditya has about one and a half times less striking machines. Note that the contribution of the problem of "fighting submarines" to the integral indicator for these ships is small due to the insignificance of its solution. Therefore, it must be assumed that the composition of the Charles de Gaulle air group of fighters, fighter-bombers and support aircraft, cited in the open media, would give large values of this indicator. However, it must be borne in mind that the task of the combat stability of the ship is the most important. Submarines and a weak naval enemy, and all the more powerful, will pose a serious threat to Charles de Gaulle, so at least a couple of PLO helicopter units (six to eight machines) will be placed on board. A similar conclusion can be drawn in relation to the Vikramaditya air group. India's main adversary, Pakistan, has six diesel-electric submarines. The fight against them will be carried out mainly by the forces of surface ships of the zone PLO. Indian frigates and destroyers have good capabilities to search for and destroy such submarines, so for Vikramaditya this task is secondary, but for its solution it has two sections of PLO helicopters.
The significantly lower performance of the Vikramaditya in solving air defense problems in comparison with the Frenchman is due not so much to the smaller number of fighters in the air group, as to the absence of AWACS aircraft in it. A pair of Ka-31s is an inadequate replacement for the E-2C "Charles de Gaulle" neither in quality nor in quantity.
The basis of the Brazilian air group, made up of outdated Skyhawks, does not meet modern requirements in virtually the entire range of the aircraft carrier's tasks. Especially in the part of air defense. Equipping the ship with aircraft and helicopters capable of using anti-ship missiles, with a firing range that does not require entering the enemy's air defense range, as well as modern fighters with sufficiently powerful radars and air-to-air missiles, can significantly increase the capabilities.
