Saving import? Mine complex PLUTO for the Russian Navy
At the July of 10 held from 14 to 2019, the naval armament of the IMDS-2019 among the many participants was one extremely unusual. Under the brand name of the Russian enterprise Scientific-Commercial Design and Production Enterprise Idrobaltika from Kaliningrad, one of the world leaders in the creation of remotely controlled underwater vehicles (TNLA), Swiss company Idrobotica (formerly Italian Gaymarine SRL), known in including (and even, probably, “mostly”) as a producer of the family of anti-mine TNPA PLUTO - one of the most widespread representatives of such equipment in the world.
This is extremely curious for our time marked by a mass of anti-Russian sanctions, but it is just that. True, IDROBOTICA is promoting its equipment under the "domestic" brand "Yantar", but it really can not deceive anyone. Why is it important?
The company manufactures and delivers turnkey ready mine action systems united by the common brand PLUTO. Currently, PLUTO in one form or another is in service with the naval forces of nearly twenty countries, from Italy to Vietnam. In the United States, licensed production of such devices.
The TNLA PLUTO can be classified as STIUM, a self-propelled, remote-controlled mine finder-seeker (see the classification in “Death from nowhere. About the mine war on the sea "). They can be used to detect mines with their own gas and television cameras, and at the same time they can install demolition charges to destroy them.
Also, the Italian manufacturer has a “clean” exterminator - a one-time TNPA-killer mines.
During the development of PLUTO, the manufacturing company went for the deliberate simplification of the NLA, for “trimming” some of its technical characteristics and lowering the performance characteristics. For example, a major drawback of the entire PLUTO line is the inability to deal with silted bottom mines - the HAS frequencies do not allow one to “look” through a layer of silt. Another major drawback is the inability of the TNUT PLUTO to act in the conditions of use by the opponent of mine defenders. For PLUTO, it is necessary to “clear the road” with a self-propelled trawl towed by a helicopter trawl or without a crewed breaker ship. Only after all defenders are blown up can PLUTO be used to search for and destroy the remaining mines without the risk of losing the vehicle.
But simplicity has a downside - price. All the NPUs of the PLUTO family are, possibly, one of the cheapest devices of a similar class in the world. The Italians managed to “drop” the cost of the devices to such an extent that their loss on mines becomes acceptable, it is “unimportant” even for small naval forces. It is this feature of the products of the Italian company that caused its widest distribution in the world. PLUTO primitive, but they can have a lot. They just use. And the undermining of one apparatus on a mine, which turned out to be too “difficult” for him, is not a problem from the word “in general” - you can simply float one more. That is why PLUTO devices are so widespread.
The second key to success was that the manufacturer supplies not just a TNPA or a line of TNPA. The supplier offers a turnkey mine complex.
It includes:
- a system that received the name “Pilot” for the Russian market, which includes a ship command center or centers that allow you to control mine action, a coastal “Mine War Data Processing Center”, which allows you to deploy an automated mine action control system on its base to connect mine forces and training equipment;
- TNP of the PLUTO family of several sizes, capable of carrying different “payloads” (disruptive charges) and operating at different depths; It includes PLUTO itself, PLUTO PLUS with increased payload and PLUTO GIGAS - the largest and largest in the family; there is a light version of PLUTO-L;
- disposable PLUTINO / MIKI destroyers intended to explode mines detected;
- a special radio beacon with which the ship can control the TNP remotely, via radio channel, and not via fiber optic cable connecting the command center of the ship to TNPA "directly" - in the case of a buoy, only the TNPA and the beacon are connected to the buoy, and commands from the ship are sent and feedback is carried out over the air.
The tactical and technical characteristics of the TNUT of the PLUTO family allow the apparatus to operate in the zone of strong currents, and the navigation subsystem built into the Pilot allows for precise positioning of the TNPA and the carrier on the minefield.
The experience of using PLUTO in demining has shown that minus the work on “mine defenders” and silted mines, PLUTO is very effective both in detecting mines and in their destruction.
And the most important thing. This, if you call a spade a spade, the mine defense system was already installed on Russian-made minesweepers - the MNS project 266E, supplied earlier in the Vietnam Navy. PLUTO tested on Russian technology, albeit not in Russia. Verified successfully.
Immediately let us ask ourselves the question: can our MIC create a system of similar efficiency? Yes maybe. But, first, for this it is necessary to disperse the "mafia", which is still parasitic on the subject of marine underwater weapons in our defense industry complex, secondly, it is necessary to “set brains” on the persons who substantiate the parameters required by the tactical and technical tasks for the mine action equipment, and, thirdly, it takes time. As stated in the third article in the series “Death from Nowhere”, from five to seven years.
This means that even ideally, if all the organizational measures necessary to improve the situation with the mine defense in the Russian Navy and the military-industrial complex are taken right now, then the next five years we and our allies will be defenseless against the use of mine weapons. . SSBNs that go to combat service, surface ships and multi-purpose submarines will be defenseless, the base in Tartus will be for years. Is it acceptable?
Seven years in our world - a lot. This is the term that separates the war in South Ossetia from the entry of Russia into the war in Syria. This is a whole epoch during which anything can happen, for example, the already mentioned possibility of Ukrainian “mine terrorism” can be realized in the same style in which Americans put mines in the waters of Nicaragua with the hands of their mercenaries. Or the same setting of mines in Tartus. The explosions of Russian ships on mines and especially the inability of the Navy to neutralize them will be a political catastrophe for Russia. Under these conditions, it would be reasonable to cooperate with foreigners.
We estimate the pluto cons.
The inability to detect silted mines is a problem, but in the case of defense of their bases, its acuity can be partly eliminated by the fact that continuous monitoring of the underwater situation, which in our time should be the basis of mine action, will not allow mines to silt. Placing on a crewless boat a sonar operating at low frequencies, which such mines could detect for their subsequent destruction, could become a safety net for the defense of their bases, and mandatory for operations in other regions of the world.
Also, part of the problem can be solved with the help of low-frequency mine detection on the minesweepers themselves, as was already the case in the Persian Gulf on 1991. when applying (effective use!) simple TNPA type PAP-104, generally most of the time did not have GUS (only the camera).
The problem of mine defenders can be resolved by the revival of such a class of military equipment, such as helicopters — trawl towers, as well as self-propelled trawls — ideally something like the Swedish SAAB SAM-3, but in extreme cases radio-controlled breakers similar to the old radio-controlled breakers would also be suitable 13000 project (or even they are the same, but restored and modernized, if it is still possible to do it). The same tool, by the way, helps from silted mines.
Currently in Russia in the ranks of several dozen old minesweepers of different classes and projects, each of which is equipped with a mine search mine. Also built a series of MTSchch project 12700 - extremely controversial in its concept of ships.
In relation to the old minesweepers, it seems extremely logical to quickly modernize sonar stations, especially the GAS peripheral equipment, deploy the Pilot system terminals on ships, replace the minesweeper equipment with the hoisting equipment, with the help of which the PLUTO TNPA (for our fleet apparently, they will be “Amber”) could be launched and taken back, and the equipment of places for placing on the ship both STIUM PLUTO, as well as subversive charges for them, and disposable destroyers. Such a solution will allow very quickly, in no more than two years, basically to restore the ability of our Navy to fight mines. In any case, all sorts of terrorist cunning, the American Quickstrike dropping from the air, and generally any mines that did not have time to grow silt, will cease to be a problem right away, and mine defenders in an extreme case will be undermined when TNLA approaches them, which can endure, since TNPA PLUTO, recall, are notable for their low price.
In relation to the new minesweepers of the 12700 project (for more, see the article by M. Klimov “What is wrong with the“ newest ”PMK of the 12700 project”) it is necessary to recognize that the ship has an excellent GAS mine detection and command center on board, and first of all it needs to replace an inadequate “ideology” seeker-destroyer - the only SPA (self-propelled underwater vehicle) ISPUM with cheaper and sane TNPA and disposable destroyers of the “military Type. Retrofitting 12700 project ships will increase their combat value simply “To infinity times”, especially considering their size, thanks to which you can carry a large supply of fuel and TNPA and destroyers on board, sufficient to clear almost any minefield (and in this case a large displacement MTSCH project 12700). SPA ISPUM can be left solely as a means of searching for mines, without using them for their destruction.
It is also definitely necessary to have mine forces deployed on warships, so that warships in some cases could overcome the minefields on their own. PLUTO is the optimal weaponry of such units.
An additional bonus is the opportunity to complete the minesweeper of the 266МЭ project, which is 80%, which is already equipped with diesel-deficient diesel engines, which is ready for Kamchatka, which is in Kamchatka, which is in charge of deploying the SSBN, which is located at the Middle Nevsky Shipyard. 955 "Borey" / 955А "Borey-A" project, which cannot be performed with the existing antediluvian trawls.
PLUTO can give new life to the 10750E raid minesweepers - small and inexpensive ships that also have a GAS mine detection, but too small for SPA SPAR, and do not have the necessary electrical power to use it. PLUTO, on the other hand, is quite suitable for these ships both in terms of their mass-dimensional characteristics and power supply parameters. Thus, even a theoretical restart of the production of these simple and inexpensive ships becomes justified.
Are there any disadvantages in the purchase of Italian technology? About mines defenders and silted common mine has already been said above. Another argument "against" may be that domestic developers "lose" the client - the Navy, a foreign one.
However, there is nothing to worry about, the purchase of foreign anti-mine complexes does not eliminate the need to develop its own, this measure allows you to close the critical "hole" of the country's defense "here and now", moreover, our Navy and defense industry will be able, looking at foreign products understand lucidly, “how to do it”, and in the future to build on this understanding, having a “standard” before your eyes. And the time factor matters.
Thus, it is worth working with “Idrobotica” / “Idrobaltika”. While other manufacturers of military equipment refuse to cooperate with Russia because of the sanctions imposed on our country, one of the world leaders, seeking, on the contrary, to circumvent them, is simply a gift that cannot be abandoned.
Launch of PLUTO GIGAS TNPA from the Italian Navy ship
This is extremely curious for our time marked by a mass of anti-Russian sanctions, but it is just that. True, IDROBOTICA is promoting its equipment under the "domestic" brand "Yantar", but it really can not deceive anyone. Why is it important?
"Rock Star" of mine NPA
The company manufactures and delivers turnkey ready mine action systems united by the common brand PLUTO. Currently, PLUTO in one form or another is in service with the naval forces of nearly twenty countries, from Italy to Vietnam. In the United States, licensed production of such devices.
The TNLA PLUTO can be classified as STIUM, a self-propelled, remote-controlled mine finder-seeker (see the classification in “Death from nowhere. About the mine war on the sea "). They can be used to detect mines with their own gas and television cameras, and at the same time they can install demolition charges to destroy them.
Also, the Italian manufacturer has a “clean” exterminator - a one-time TNPA-killer mines.
During the development of PLUTO, the manufacturing company went for the deliberate simplification of the NLA, for “trimming” some of its technical characteristics and lowering the performance characteristics. For example, a major drawback of the entire PLUTO line is the inability to deal with silted bottom mines - the HAS frequencies do not allow one to “look” through a layer of silt. Another major drawback is the inability of the TNUT PLUTO to act in the conditions of use by the opponent of mine defenders. For PLUTO, it is necessary to “clear the road” with a self-propelled trawl towed by a helicopter trawl or without a crewed breaker ship. Only after all defenders are blown up can PLUTO be used to search for and destroy the remaining mines without the risk of losing the vehicle.
But simplicity has a downside - price. All the NPUs of the PLUTO family are, possibly, one of the cheapest devices of a similar class in the world. The Italians managed to “drop” the cost of the devices to such an extent that their loss on mines becomes acceptable, it is “unimportant” even for small naval forces. It is this feature of the products of the Italian company that caused its widest distribution in the world. PLUTO primitive, but they can have a lot. They just use. And the undermining of one apparatus on a mine, which turned out to be too “difficult” for him, is not a problem from the word “in general” - you can simply float one more. That is why PLUTO devices are so widespread.
The second key to success was that the manufacturer supplies not just a TNPA or a line of TNPA. The supplier offers a turnkey mine complex.
It includes:
- a system that received the name “Pilot” for the Russian market, which includes a ship command center or centers that allow you to control mine action, a coastal “Mine War Data Processing Center”, which allows you to deploy an automated mine action control system on its base to connect mine forces and training equipment;
Ship terminal of the Pilot system
- TNP of the PLUTO family of several sizes, capable of carrying different “payloads” (disruptive charges) and operating at different depths; It includes PLUTO itself, PLUTO PLUS with increased payload and PLUTO GIGAS - the largest and largest in the family; there is a light version of PLUTO-L;
PLUTO
PLUTO PLUS
PLUTO GIGAS
- disposable PLUTINO / MIKI destroyers intended to explode mines detected;
Plutino
- a special radio beacon with which the ship can control the TNP remotely, via radio channel, and not via fiber optic cable connecting the command center of the ship to TNPA "directly" - in the case of a buoy, only the TNPA and the beacon are connected to the buoy, and commands from the ship are sent and feedback is carried out over the air.
Beacon on the background PLUTO PLUS
The tactical and technical characteristics of the TNUT of the PLUTO family allow the apparatus to operate in the zone of strong currents, and the navigation subsystem built into the Pilot allows for precise positioning of the TNPA and the carrier on the minefield.
The experience of using PLUTO in demining has shown that minus the work on “mine defenders” and silted mines, PLUTO is very effective both in detecting mines and in their destruction.
And the most important thing. This, if you call a spade a spade, the mine defense system was already installed on Russian-made minesweepers - the MNS project 266E, supplied earlier in the Vietnam Navy. PLUTO tested on Russian technology, albeit not in Russia. Verified successfully.
Launch of the PLUTO PLUS TNPA from the side of the minesweeper of the project 266E of domestic construction, serving in the Vietnamese Navy
Trishkin Mine Defense Caftan, or Import to Rescue
Immediately let us ask ourselves the question: can our MIC create a system of similar efficiency? Yes maybe. But, first, for this it is necessary to disperse the "mafia", which is still parasitic on the subject of marine underwater weapons in our defense industry complex, secondly, it is necessary to “set brains” on the persons who substantiate the parameters required by the tactical and technical tasks for the mine action equipment, and, thirdly, it takes time. As stated in the third article in the series “Death from Nowhere”, from five to seven years.
This means that even ideally, if all the organizational measures necessary to improve the situation with the mine defense in the Russian Navy and the military-industrial complex are taken right now, then the next five years we and our allies will be defenseless against the use of mine weapons. . SSBNs that go to combat service, surface ships and multi-purpose submarines will be defenseless, the base in Tartus will be for years. Is it acceptable?
Seven years in our world - a lot. This is the term that separates the war in South Ossetia from the entry of Russia into the war in Syria. This is a whole epoch during which anything can happen, for example, the already mentioned possibility of Ukrainian “mine terrorism” can be realized in the same style in which Americans put mines in the waters of Nicaragua with the hands of their mercenaries. Or the same setting of mines in Tartus. The explosions of Russian ships on mines and especially the inability of the Navy to neutralize them will be a political catastrophe for Russia. Under these conditions, it would be reasonable to cooperate with foreigners.
We estimate the pluto cons.
The inability to detect silted mines is a problem, but in the case of defense of their bases, its acuity can be partly eliminated by the fact that continuous monitoring of the underwater situation, which in our time should be the basis of mine action, will not allow mines to silt. Placing on a crewless boat a sonar operating at low frequencies, which such mines could detect for their subsequent destruction, could become a safety net for the defense of their bases, and mandatory for operations in other regions of the world.
Also, part of the problem can be solved with the help of low-frequency mine detection on the minesweepers themselves, as was already the case in the Persian Gulf on 1991. when applying (effective use!) simple TNPA type PAP-104, generally most of the time did not have GUS (only the camera).
The problem of mine defenders can be resolved by the revival of such a class of military equipment, such as helicopters — trawl towers, as well as self-propelled trawls — ideally something like the Swedish SAAB SAM-3, but in extreme cases radio-controlled breakers similar to the old radio-controlled breakers would also be suitable 13000 project (or even they are the same, but restored and modernized, if it is still possible to do it). The same tool, by the way, helps from silted mines.
Radio-controlled breaker pr 13000
Currently in Russia in the ranks of several dozen old minesweepers of different classes and projects, each of which is equipped with a mine search mine. Also built a series of MTSchch project 12700 - extremely controversial in its concept of ships.
In relation to the old minesweepers, it seems extremely logical to quickly modernize sonar stations, especially the GAS peripheral equipment, deploy the Pilot system terminals on ships, replace the minesweeper equipment with the hoisting equipment, with the help of which the PLUTO TNPA (for our fleet apparently, they will be “Amber”) could be launched and taken back, and the equipment of places for placing on the ship both STIUM PLUTO, as well as subversive charges for them, and disposable destroyers. Such a solution will allow very quickly, in no more than two years, basically to restore the ability of our Navy to fight mines. In any case, all sorts of terrorist cunning, the American Quickstrike dropping from the air, and generally any mines that did not have time to grow silt, will cease to be a problem right away, and mine defenders in an extreme case will be undermined when TNLA approaches them, which can endure, since TNPA PLUTO, recall, are notable for their low price.
In relation to the new minesweepers of the 12700 project (for more, see the article by M. Klimov “What is wrong with the“ newest ”PMK of the 12700 project”) it is necessary to recognize that the ship has an excellent GAS mine detection and command center on board, and first of all it needs to replace an inadequate “ideology” seeker-destroyer - the only SPA (self-propelled underwater vehicle) ISPUM with cheaper and sane TNPA and disposable destroyers of the “military Type. Retrofitting 12700 project ships will increase their combat value simply “To infinity times”, especially considering their size, thanks to which you can carry a large supply of fuel and TNPA and destroyers on board, sufficient to clear almost any minefield (and in this case a large displacement MTSCH project 12700). SPA ISPUM can be left solely as a means of searching for mines, without using them for their destruction.
It is also definitely necessary to have mine forces deployed on warships, so that warships in some cases could overcome the minefields on their own. PLUTO is the optimal weaponry of such units.
An additional bonus is the opportunity to complete the minesweeper of the 266МЭ project, which is 80%, which is already equipped with diesel-deficient diesel engines, which is ready for Kamchatka, which is in Kamchatka, which is in charge of deploying the SSBN, which is located at the Middle Nevsky Shipyard. 955 "Borey" / 955А "Borey-A" project, which cannot be performed with the existing antediluvian trawls.
Unfinished minesweeper pr. 266ME on SNSS
PLUTO can give new life to the 10750E raid minesweepers - small and inexpensive ships that also have a GAS mine detection, but too small for SPA SPAR, and do not have the necessary electrical power to use it. PLUTO, on the other hand, is quite suitable for these ships both in terms of their mass-dimensional characteristics and power supply parameters. Thus, even a theoretical restart of the production of these simple and inexpensive ships becomes justified.
RTSC Ave. 10750
Are there any disadvantages in the purchase of Italian technology? About mines defenders and silted common mine has already been said above. Another argument "against" may be that domestic developers "lose" the client - the Navy, a foreign one.
However, there is nothing to worry about, the purchase of foreign anti-mine complexes does not eliminate the need to develop its own, this measure allows you to close the critical "hole" of the country's defense "here and now", moreover, our Navy and defense industry will be able, looking at foreign products understand lucidly, “how to do it”, and in the future to build on this understanding, having a “standard” before your eyes. And the time factor matters.
Thus, it is worth working with “Idrobotica” / “Idrobaltika”. While other manufacturers of military equipment refuse to cooperate with Russia because of the sanctions imposed on our country, one of the world leaders, seeking, on the contrary, to circumvent them, is simply a gift that cannot be abandoned.
Information