Shut up, America...
Well, almost the whole world has already spoken out regarding the visit of Russian ships to Cuba with the aim of paying a friendly visit and participating in joint exercises. Different opinions were expressed in terms of the appropriateness of this event, but I wanted to draw your attention to how it was perceived there, on the other side of the world, by our non-partners, who are looking more and more like enemies every day.
I must say that the visit aroused interest. Social networks, especially those that are not popular among us due to their not entirely normal orientation, simply exploded with a flurry of emotions in the comments. And, it must be said that, reading the comments, carefully translated by Yandex, you understand that the main part of them is simply beautifully staged.
And the same can be said about some of the comments on our side. Well, it cannot be that American and Russian brains independently produce such similar gems. They (brains) are too different. I don’t believe it, if according to the old Stanislavsky.
But God bless him, our organisms, the American gentlemen are more interested. And they discussed in every possible way... the composition of the group (well, it’s not a group, you’ll agree) of Russian ships. The tugboat “Nikolai Chiker” excited the American organisms the most. Just an explosion of emotions on this topic.
Really mocked from the heart. They say that a tugboat is the most important vessel in the detachment; it will be great if it can pull two ships and stuff like that.
For those who don’t know: the group of Russian ships consists of the Project 22350 frigate Admiral fleet Soviet Union Gorshkov" (2018), nuclear submarine of the Yasen-M project "Kazan" (2021), tanker "Akademik Pashin" (2021) and ocean tug "Nikolai Chiker" (1989).
Tanker "Akademik Pashin"
So “Nikolai Chiker” caused a storm of emotions among Americans. They say that an old, rusty tug will have to drag the same old ships somewhere there.
But the ships are not old at all!
Let's dot that very letter for ourselves: very new ships have been sent, which are quite modern. Especially, excuse me, “Yasen-M”. This is not the Borei, but it is also a ship capable of doing some serious things.
But everyone is haunted by the tug... Okay, as they say, get it and sign for it.
From Russian ports to Cuba is from 9 to 10 thousand kilometers. And on this path there are somehow not a couple of dozen bases, like the Americans. Therefore, having a tugboat just in case is not a lack of confidence in your own ships, but a real desire to avoid any troubles on a fairly decent passage.
Americans have a problem: they have a very short memory. And they have already somehow forgotten, like the former beauty and pride of shipbuilding “Zamvolt”, which in 2018 collapsed in the Caribbean Sea, completely losing its speed. And nothing, the most ordinary tug came from Panama and dragged the super-destroyer “by the nose” to repair the collapsed turbine.
Nothing bothers anyone, right?
The fact that Russian ships need to travel 10 thousand kilometers, and for this they need fuel (except for nuclear submarines, of course), water, food - this is normal. The Gorshkov has a cruising range of 4500 miles at 14 knots. And this is more than half the way, but the whole journey will take more than two weeks. And refueling is required. But with solar columns in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, the situation is not very good. That’s why the column follows in the wake along with the repair tug. It's no secret that a tugboat is also a floating repair shop.
So everything is simply obvious: three surface ships, of which two are auxiliary, are going to the other end of the earth to participate in exercises and pay visits. A nuclear submarine does not count at all: it has autonomy for six months.
What is the purpose of such trips?
Even in our segments of the Internet you can hear whining that there will be no point in this fuss, that they won’t be able to do anything useful and effective there. What could the American or British destroyers and frigates that hung around our shores on the Black Sea do before the start of the Northern Military District? Also a dubious pastime, but nevertheless, it was very difficult to get them out of the Black Sea.
A frigate or destroyer is not only an attack ship, but also a reconnaissance instrument, capable of seeing a lot through its systems. So both NATO ships in the Black Sea and the Russian frigate in the Caribbean are not so much friendly visits as exercises and maneuvers, the essence of which is to study the enemy’s coastal zones. Moreover, not only on the sea surface, but also under and above it.
However, it was already above her. Do you remember such very warm and friendly visits of Russian Tu-160s to Venezuela? In 2018? Then the United States raised a very decent outcry about the fact that Russian strategic bombers could get a base near the borders of the United States.
Actually, yes: an hour of flight and you can make a point-blank launch from neutral waters near Cuba. There is something to worry about. Or it can be done almost immediately after takeoff, the only question is what to launch.
And, by the way, since our strategic pilots are with Venezuelan airfields aviation Already familiar, why not get to know Cuban or Nicaraguan airstrips?
But let's get back to the ships. The Admiral Gorshkov and Kazan are modern combat ships capable of carrying various weapons, including nuclear ones. And if the Kalibr - missiles are quite good, then the "Zircons" and "Onyxes" have proven themselves in the SVO more than worthy, and, perhaps, even better. Both the frigate and the submarine have at their disposal vertical launch cells, from which it is possible to launch almost the entire range of Russian missiles weapons.
Yasen-M is a much more versatile ship, and not just a platform for launching cruise missiles; these submarines are capable of operating as general-purpose attack boats, but according to some reports they can be used as platforms for special missions to collect various intelligence information.
American generals and admirals from various commands take the Yasen-M project boats very seriously, which has already been mentioned more than once in various interviews and statements. So seriously that they consider the Ashes to be “not inferior to American submarines,” which in itself is more than worthy praise. How should an American evaluate the Yasen in order to put it on par with their boats?
Well they appreciate them.
The Russian side announced in advance that the ships do not carry nuclear weapons that could pose a threat to the security of the United States; Washington also made similar statements. And if so, the command of the American fleet immediately dispatched a detachment of ships three times larger than the Russian one for observation.
The Admiral Gorshkov (well, not a tugboat!) will be monitored by an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer and a Legend-class coast guard patrol ship (comparable in size to a frigate, although called a boat).
Arleigh Burke-class destroyer
Legend-class patrol ship
"Kazan" was respected even more: two destroyers and two Coast Guard ships were additionally equipped with towed sonars.
In general, of course, providing Yasen-M for comprehensive study in a relatively calm environment to the enemy - many did not really like the idea, the Internet was seething with indignation, however, what’s done is done.
Of course, the Americans will try to extract maximum benefit for themselves from this visit, but since at the very beginning we started with a discussion of reactions, here’s the inconsistency that occurs: the fact that all these attacks and screams against Russian “rusty” ships are not carefully orchestrated, then excuse me, but why then would such a crowd of ships wander after ours?
If the Russian submarine and frigate are not worth attention at all, if they are “old and rusty,” then why do American admirals assign a detachment of ships many times superior in strength to spy on them? Three, no, THREE Arleigh Burke destroyers are not too much for “three rusty troughs”, no?
It turns out that first they made waves on the Internet, then they laughed on air about the fact that the Russians can’t cross the Atlantic without a tugboat, they discussed all the advantages of Russian ships (which, naturally, did not exist) up and down, and then...
And then they sent three ships the size and displacement of the same frigate of Project 22350 (4500 tons), and three Arleigh Burke destroyers, which were half as large, to jackal after the frigate and submarine.
You know, if you don’t want to, you will start to be proud. Such power against two “worthless” Russian ships...
Really, shut up, America. And calmly watched our ships. Without such shameful noise.
Information