With the return of the Yak-141, an escort aircraft carrier becomes relevant for the Russian Navy
In a few days, the MAKS-2021 air show will begin, around which an intrigue has already been created. Rostec has shown a teaser of a fundamentally new aircraft, which should interest foreign buyers and compete, obviously, with the United States. But what kind of aircraft is this, and where can it be used?
The website of the state corporation says the following about this:
Russia is one of the few countries in the world with technology full cycle for the production of advanced aircraft systems, as well as a recognized trendsetter in the creation of combat aircraft. We are convinced that the new product developed by UAC specialists will arouse genuine interest not only in our country, but also in other regions of the world, including our competitors abroad.
Now everyone is wondering what this fundamentally new winged machine is. Some put on a light single-engine version of the fifth generation fighter Su-57, others - on the promising supersonic interceptor MiG-41. Still others suggest that a vertical take-off and landing fighter (VTOL) would still be more consistent with the criteria of fundamental novelty. Several years ago, the profile Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov announced the revival of this program on the basis of the Soviet Yak-141. Whether this is true or not, we will find out in just a few days, but if this is really so, new interesting opportunities open up for our country.
At first, this is an entry into a new market where, apart from the American F-35B, there is virtually no competition. Yes, the market is relatively narrow, but now many countries are acquiring their own universal amphibious assault ships and want to have at least light aircraft carriers. Russian-made VTOL aircraft for them could be purchased by China, India, Egypt and even Turkey, which was left without American fighters due to sanctions.
SecondlyWhat is much more important for us, the revived verticals could be based on two project 23900 UDCs currently under construction in Kerch. The ships are designed not only to transport amphibious assault troops with equipment, but also to accommodate 17 helicopters and several UAVs. The design of the UDC will also make it possible to effectively place on it from 8 to 12 fighters, as well as 3-4 helicopters. The appearance of VTOL aircraft on universal ships of large displacement, along with helicopters, will dramatically increase the capabilities of the Russian Navy, since our fleet will de facto then acquire two light aircraft carriers, around which so many spears have been broken.
If the Yak-141 is really revived, this will be another proof that Russian aircraft carriers are still needed, we just cannot afford them yet due to poverty and therefore we are making a good face with a bad game. But is there a way to quickly acquire carriers for VTOL aircraft? Of course, there is, everything has long been invented before us, it is enough to turn to the rich experience of the "masters of the seas" of the Anglo-Saxons.
The Second World War forced the Allies to urgently seek opportunities to increase the number of aircraft carriers to fight the German submarine fleet and the Luftwaffe. It turned out to be possible to do this quickly only by re-equipping peaceful civilian ships, which were equipped with a take-off deck and an island superstructure. The first samples were called "merchant aircraft carriers" and they could carry only a few aircraft of outdated designs. Japan followed the same path, turning its tankers into aircraft carriers. Such improvised aircraft-carrying ships looked very specific, if not ugly, but they could still solve certain combat missions.
A further stage in the development of this idea was the so-called "escort aircraft carriers". On the basis of cargo and passenger ships, as well as tankers, a single-tier hangar for aircraft and a flight deck were mounted. In the British Navy, the first ship of this type is considered to be HMS Audacity, converted from the German bulk carrier MV Hannover, which could accommodate from 6 to 8 aircraft. In the US Navy, the lead ship of the series of "escort aircraft carriers" is the USS Bogue. A group of only 24 aircraft was based on it. Despite the dubious origin, the improvised American aircraft carrier during the entire period of hostilities in the Atlantic was able to sink 13 German submarines, either independently or in cooperation with other ships. USS Bogue gave rise to a whole series of "escort aircraft carriers", and the very history of ships of this class, providing anti-submarine and anti-aircraft cover for oceanic convoys, makes them respectful. Of course, a hastily converted civilian ship is very far from a real military one, but they solved the combat missions assigned to them, helping to send "wolf packs" to the bottom.
In general, the experience was so successful that the idea was further developed in the form of universal amphibious assault ships, which are essentially a floating dock with a straight flight deck. UDC can be effectively used both during amphibious operations and during the protection of sea convoys by helicopters and carrier-based fighters. Another promising direction for the US Navy was considered the concept of using light aircraft carriers (Sea Control Ship), equipped with VTOL aircraft. The Pentagon at one time abandoned it, betting on dominance in the oceans with the help of huge nuclear-powered aircraft carriers of the Nimitz class, but some time ago the US military returned to discussing the old idea as more in line with modern realities. There is something to think about.
But the most interesting for us may be a program called ARAPAHO, which Washington and London jointly developed in the 70s of the last century as a generalization of their experience of the Second World War. In accordance with it, the US and British navies prepared a project to re-equip civilian dry cargo ships into "escort aircraft carriers" and produced a sufficient number of special modules in advance to quickly turn a peaceful ship into an aircraft carrier capable of receiving the British Aerospace Sea Harrier VTOL aircraft. And it came in handy!
In 1982, Britain decided to shake off the old days and started a war with Argentina over the Falkland Islands. To conduct hostilities in such a remote theater, London had to use not only the military, but also the civilian fleet. To achieve air supremacy, the British needed to drive to the coast of South America not only their two full-fledged aircraft carriers, but also three container ships, turned into "escort aircraft carriers." Atlantic Conveyor, Atlantic Coaseway, and Container Besant received a reinforced flight deck for aircraft on the bow, a platform for helicopters at the stern, and hangars for storing equipment, fuel tanks, crew quarters were created from container modules. Note that the retooling period was phenomenally short - from 7 to 9 days.
7-9 days to get the aircraft carrier, Karl! This is very impressive. Yes, a converted civilian ship is much inferior to a real military one in all characteristics, except, perhaps, the cost and timing of their receipt. It is worth recalling that the USSR Navy was also seriously considering the project of an anti-submarine helicopter carrier cipher 10200 "Khalzan" on the basis of a high-speed large-tonnage vessel with horizontal cargo handling (roll-rover) of project 1609 of the "Captain Smirnov" type. And it could well even have turned out, but the customer tried to cram too much functionality into a civilian ship, which entailed a radical complication of the design, a rise in cost and an increase in dimensions. As a result, it turned out that such a project would not give much savings and benefits, and its construction would have to take the slipway needed for full-fledged aircraft-carrying cruisers. As a result, the project of a budgetary Soviet helicopter carrier based on a ro-ro was never materialized.
However, this does not mean that the direction itself is unpromising. Having a defense program like ARAPAHO, in just a week and a half, you can get an auxiliary aircraft carrier with VTOL aircraft and helicopters on board, capable of performing certain combat missions in anti-submarine defense and anti-aircraft warfare as part of a formation, as well as supporting the actions of amphibious assault on the coast. Or not one, but several such ships at once. In addition, the escort aircraft carrier can serve as a platform for the deployment of unmanned aircraft. No, we are not calling on the Russian Defense Ministry to rush right now and make aircraft carriers and helicopter carriers out of dry cargo ships and tankers. But, perhaps, it makes sense for the military department, together with the USC, to work out in detail the very possibility of the operational transformation of a civilian ship into a warship? For a future shrouded in an unsettling haze?
- Sergey Marzhetsky
- Ken Videan/wikipedia.org
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