Convoy to Alaska. Chronicles of sea battle
Dear connoisseurs of naval subjects, those who care about the fresh breeze and smoke of sea battles; those who managed to stand on the deck of the Ship leaving from under the feet or hear amazing stories about the service on Navy - for all of you, on the eve of the upcoming Navy Day, I hasten to present a short essay study on the confrontation of the two largest fleets of the Cold War.
An action thriller based on the American writer Tom Clancy, known for his works in the alternative genre stories - I wonder how the conflict between the Soviet Union and the USA with the use of tactical weapons would develop. Only Tanks, guns, ships and planes - the nuclear arsenals remained untouched: none of the leaders of both countries ventured to issue a suicidal order.
A further storyline is taken from the pages of the Military Review web portal - it was there that a few days ago there was a discussion about the possibility of the US Navy’s squad of surface combat ships of the Soviet Navy confronting as of the middle of the 1970s. Usually such discussions are connected with the question of the possibility of detecting and destroying the all-powerful American AUG, but this time everything is different - no one is going to look for the "Elusive Joe."
Let the "Elusive Joe" come by himself and try to stop the Russian convoy.
So, imagine a completely unusual situation: Year 1975. The Soviet troops somehow captured the bridgehead on the coast of Alaska. They landed, entrenched ... Now they need help - it is necessary to transfer a division of marines / airborne troops / motorized infantry with standard equipment, fuel, provisions and equipment to the sea. Of course, tanks, heavy armored vehicles, artillery and military air defense systems are very much awaiting on the “that bank” ...
Personnel weapon and supplies are loaded on container ships and turbo ships of the Soviet merchant fleet (“Alexander Fadeev”, “Saryan”, “Leninsky Komsomol”). Armored vehicles rise under their own power aboard large landing ships of the 1171 "Tapir" project. The loading in the port of Okha (Sakhalin) was successful, and now, a convoy of 10 transports and BDK, under the guise of combat ships of the USSR Navy, goes to sea. Course Nord, 15 nodes.
BDK Ave. 1171 "Tapir"
Large anti-submarine ship (according to NATO standards - missile cruiser) of the project 1134B ("Bercut-B")
Hypertrophied antisubmarine weapons complex and 4 short and medium range SAM systems in the hull with a displacement of 8500 tons. In total, the Navy of the USSR had 7 ships of this project.
Hypertrophied antisubmarine weapons complex and 4 short and medium range SAM systems in the hull with a displacement of 8500 tons. In total, the Navy of the USSR had 7 ships of this project.
From this moment begins the real action. In the Bering Sea, a Soviet convoy awaits the carrier-based strike force of the United States Navy, led by invincible Enterprise, which will do everything to disrupt the delivery of military cargo to Alaska.
The salt of history is that at that time the American maritime aviation still didn’t possess any long-range anti-ship weapons - the Yankees will only adopt the aviation version of the Harpoon anti-ship missile system in 1979.
And in the 1975, the US Navy had nothing but subsonic attack aircraft and a set of very primitive air attack weapons - free-fall bombs, NURS, Shrayka anti-radar and short-range air-to-surface missiles ... That's the whole arsenal of cowboys .
It seems that American pilots expect unforgettable adventures - they will have to "jump onto the forks" of modern naval anti-aircraft missile systems and shuffle "bare breasts" on automatic radar-guided anti-aircraft guns. Do the Yankees refuse to perform a dangerous task?
But on the ships of the USSR Navy also reigns painful silence - everyone knows that there are two full-fledged air regiments on the Enterprise deck, and the Soviet air defense systems are still too weak and imperfect to effectively repel such massive attacks. Will our sailors be able to hold out against the animal power of the American aircraft carrier?
The first warning sign appeared in the sky - the EW systems intercepted the work of the enemy radar ... and here it is, in person: the Hokai E-2 long-range radar detection aircraft. The combat air patrol "opened" the position of the convoy ... now wait for an ambush attack. The Hokai all the time looms somewhere on the horizon, intently studying the situation - it hangs, a reptile, a hundred miles from Soviet ships, fully confident in its own impunity. Ehh ... and there is really nothing to get it - the most powerful of the local air defense system beats only 30 miles.
... On the aircraft carrier, preparations for Operation Interception are in full swing: the first shock group has been formed on the flight deck: the most experienced pilots will lead the 10 A-7 Korsar and A-6 Intruder attack aircraft. Cover group - EA-2B Prowler electronic suppression aircraft 6.
12 aircraft - this is the maximum number of cars in the Nimitz launch cycle, in which one pair is in 5-minute readiness, and the rest are in readiness from 15 minutes to one hour. It is not possible to increase the number of the strike group, otherwise it will be necessary to clutter the landing zone with equipment. And it is strictly forbidden - after all, the Hokai has been patrolling the air for several hours - the same one that was discovered by the Soviet convoy, its fighter cover (a pair of Tomcat F-14), as well as the anti-submarine S-3A "Viking" - in their The tanks are rapidly melting fuel, and they should soon return to the ship.
In total, on board a super-aircraft carrier more than 45 units * aircraft: two squadrons of shock A-6 and A-7, squadron of fighters "Tomkat", three DRLO aircraft, four "Prowlers", four anti-submarine machines "Viking" and several Sea King helicopters ".
* The formal number of aircraft assigned to the Enterprise can reach 80-90 units. In reality, ship loading rarely exceeded 45 aircraft; the composition of the wing is determined by the tasks facing the AUG (impact operations, cover, evacuation, etc.). The rest of the aircraft was waiting at coastal air bases, ready at any moment to change the aircraft on board the aircraft carrier
Next to the aircraft carrier Enterprise, a system of gray ships is moving — the nuclear cruiser California, three URO-type cruisers of the Belknap type, four anti-submarine frigates Knox, a tanker and a universal supply transport. Below, deep under the arches of cold water, another shadow moves - a multi-purpose atomic boat of the type "Sturgeon". A typical AUG is ready for battle.
What can the Navy of the USSR oppose to this colossal power?
It is logical to assume that the most advanced of the serial Soviet ships will be used to cover the convoy. Three large anti-submarine ships of the project 1134B (cipher "Berkut-B") - "Nikolaev", "Ochakov" and "Kerch". And three patrol ships (BOD of the II rank) of the 1135 project (“Petrel” code). Modest, but with taste.
Patrol ship (missile frigate) project 1135 "Petrel". Despite its 3200 tons of total displacement, it was a formidable force: a set of anti-submarine missiles, 2 SAMs, 2 universal gun mounts and various "tricks" in the form of RBU and conventional torpedoes. In total, the Navy of the USSR were 32 such horny
Of course, the author reports that in reality in the 1975, the Berkutov-B as a part of the Pacific Fleet was not - all three ships served in the Mediterranean. Nevertheless, the concept of an “alternative history” suggests that it is possible to make a minimal assumption - some military tensions arose in the Far East, and the USSR Navy promptly increased the Pacific Fleet with ships from the Baltic and Black Sea (as they tried in 1905), but at a higher organizational level).
So, only six battle surface ships. Will they be able to organize a reliable "barrier" in the path of enemy aircraft? How long will the convoy last? What are his chances of success?
In 200 miles east, attack aircraft begin to rise — in an hour the first wave of several Intruders will hit the target. Soviet sailors are still ignorant of the exact time of the attack, but the radio intercept systems installed on board the Berkuts have already detected the work of enemy transmitters: the Hokai is actively communicating with someone invisible beyond the horizon, it seems that the AEW plane directs them a shock group
... The convoy is rebuilt into an air defense order and increases the speed, the outer contour forms a "triangle" of the radar patrol ships - the modest "Petrels" are ready to meet the enemy first, and, if necessary, play with him in the "radio game." Behind them cover "Golden Eagles" with long-range SAMs.
The rockets are sent to the guides of anti-aircraft complexes - they are aimed at the sky:
- 6 LAW medium range M-11 "Storm-M".
Total salvo - up to 12 missiles. Recharge time - 50 seconds. Two-channel radio command guidance, the maximum firing range - 55 km. The range of working heights is from 100 to 25 000 meters. Ammunition - on 80 missiles on each of the "Golden Eagles".
- 12 air defense missile system short-range "Osa-M".
Total salvo - up to 24 missiles. Recharge time - 20 seconds. The maximum range of shooting on the air target - 15 km. The minimum height of the air target is 5 meters. Ammunition - on 40 missiles on each of the "Golden Eagles" and "Petrel".
Anti-aircraft missile B-611 complex M-11 "Storm".
"Baby" has a length of 6 meters and a mass of 1800 kg. Equipped with a rod warhead weight 120 kg. In the cellars of each BOD 80 stored such fireworks
"Baby" has a length of 6 meters and a mass of 1800 kg. Equipped with a rod warhead weight 120 kg. In the cellars of each BOD 80 stored such fireworks
In addition to the sea-based air defense system, the appearance of enemy aircraft technicians are looking forward to:
- 12 AK-726 Universal Artillery Mounts.
76 caliber mm. Firing Rate - 90 shots / min. Automated guidance according to radar. The ZS-62 anti-aircraft missiles with the AR-67 type radar fuse are used (no precise hit is required; in order for the fuse to be initiated, the projectile is enough to fly ten meters from the target). The maximum range of shooting - 11 000 meters.
- 12 robotic anti-aircraft guns AK-630 with rate of fire 5000 rds / min. On board each of the "Golden Eagles" are two batteries, consisting of two gun installations and a Vympel fire control radar. Effective firing range - 4000 meters.
The AK-630 analog drives are not very accurate, but this is enough to get into the huge, slower Intruder A-6 — just one hit of 30 mm of ammunition, and the American car will be buried in the water in the midst of the boiling ocean.
The convoy’s near-air defense system complements a number of firing points on the BDK and transports (ZIF-31B, 2М-3М, ZU-23-2). There are many Strela-2 MANPADS among the landing units, there will be a squall of fire.
... So, a dozen "suckers" on subsonic attack aircraft "Corsair" and "Intruder" are trying to break through the echeloned air defense system of the Soviet convoy with a string, well, let's see what happens.
As of 1975, the US carrier-based naval aviation had only four ways to “get” Russian ships - one worse than the other.
1. AGM-45 Intelligent Shrikeinduced by radio sources. The plan is simple: to break all the radars of the "Golden Eagles" with them, after which to throw the helpless ships with ordinary bombs. However, there are a number of questions:
Primitive "Shrike" could not boast of efficiency: in Vietnam, the average consumption of missiles per radar reached 10 pieces - the inevitable errors in the operation of the homing head, insufficient speed of the microcircuits and the rocket drives.
In the case of the Russian convoy, the task becomes more complicated - you need to hit a moving maneuvering target! How many Shriks will it take to disable at least one Berkut-B?
A lot of problems will be delivered by the “smart rocket” GOS itself - after all, it is designed only for a narrow frequency range, while on ships and ships of the convoy there are dozens of radar stations of various purposes. It is also unclear how the Shrike will behave in the conditions of operation of many radar stations - I remember a joke about a blonde who “got entangled in a crossword puzzle and fell to the floor”.
In the characteristics of the Shrike in bold it is indicated: the launch range of 52 km is outside the zone of the enemy's air defense. The real situation turned out to be much less rosy: the homing head of the “smart” Shrike missile has a too narrow viewing sector - the rocket should have been launched with utmost precision in the direction of the radar source, otherwise its homing force simply will not capture the target. In Vietnam, US Air Force pilots usually launched Shriks from a distance of about 15 km, while being at an altitude of 2-3 km.
Deck attack aircraft, who risked attacking the Russian convoy in the same mode, will turn into an ideal target for the “Storm” air defense system - he will hardly be able to lie down on a combat course, as he receives kg of explosives and steel striking elements of the B-120 rocket into the 611 wing.
2. Tactical missile AGM-12C "Bullpup".
The pitifully similar to the RCC "Harpoon", with a range of 19 km. The radio command guidance system is especially impressive - the plane will have to prank around for a couple of minutes near the convoy, serving as a target for zeroing in all types of air defense systems and anti-aircraft artillery of Soviet ships. To effectively use the AGM-12C against the Soviet Navy, the Pentagon will have to open kamikaze pilots courses.
3. Tactical high-precision missile AGM-65B "Maverick"
When dropped from a high altitude, the Maverick is able to independently overcome 25-30 kilometers to the target, but in reality, its launch range was limited by the sensitivity of the television guidance system - 4 ... 6 km for small-sized targets under ideal weather conditions. The large anti-submarine ship "Berkut" is not a small-sized target, however, the weather conditions in the Bering Sea are also far from ideal: condensing twilight, low clouds, fog, rain or snow charges, limited visibility, excitement.
Do not forget that on the ships of the USSR Navy, systems for shooting passive radar and optical false targets were installed on a regular basis: using the 2 PC-2 installations on each Berkut and Burevestnik with 15 salvos / min. In addition, there is always an old "grandfather" method in stock - a smoke screen. Limited visibility does not affect the effectiveness of the air defense system and anti-aircraft artillery - after all, our BOD does not use optical guidance systems, at the same time, all these measures will inevitably hinder or make impossible the work of the Maverick's guidance systems (closer, than 10 km).
In this case, American aviation falls under such fire, in which the chances of surviving a single "Intruder" fall to zero.
4. Strafing attack
The only way to avoid “communication” with the Soviet air defense missile system is a high-speed breakthrough at extremely low altitude with the subsequent attack of NURS ships, aircraft guns and free-fall bombs of the Mk.80 family.
But neither the height in 30 meters, nor the desperate maneuvers will save “Corsairs” and “Intruders” from the fire of anti-aircraft guns - AK-630 and AK-726 “metal cutting” will shred them into pieces.
As for the terrible aircraft electronic suppression EA-6B "Prowler", which the Yankees threaten to "stun" all Russian radar, the situation is as follows:
In conditions when the time difference between the take-off of the first and the last pair of machines of the shock group is more than an hour, two Prowlers will not be able to provide cover throughout the attack - the machines overloaded with electronic units simply do not have enough fuel to overcome hundreds of miles to the target, and then circling in the air for an hour, covering the attack group attack aircraft with noises. On the way back, the Prowlers will fall into the ocean with empty * tanks.
And will the two "Prowler" of the 1975 model of the year be able to provide serious radio-electronic counter to the squadron?
* An attentive reader will probably notice that the US Navy used X-6D air tankers on aircraft carriers of the US Navy. But two tough conditions should be remembered:
- the maximum number of cars in one takeoff cycle does not exceed 12 units;
- max. The number of aircraft onboard ships rarely exceeds 45 units.
Firstly, most likely there are no tankers aboard the Enterprise - preference is given to more important vehicles (fighters, attack aircraft, EW aircraft), and secondly, an attempt to include KA-6D tankers in a take-off cycle will automatically reduce the number of impact vehicles.
As a result, we come to a rather strange conclusion: a super-ship with a displacement of 85 thousand tons, whose price today exceeds 6 billion dollars, is unable to deal with the six “pelvis” of the Soviet Navy! However, such a situation is easily explained - the attack of well-defended targets “to the frontal” with small forces always leads to heavy losses among the attackers. And the combat capabilities of an aircraft carrier group is hardly enough to protect itself.
Even using suicide attacks "in the forehead" on the air defense system and anti-aircraft artillery, the Yankees will not achieve anything - "Golden Eagles" and "Burevestniki" will allow both squadrons of attack aircraft of the US Navy (only 20-25 "Corsairs" and "Intruders") will continue to lead the convoy to the destination. Even if the Americans are lucky, and before their death, they will manage to sink / damage several Soviet ships - this is clearly not the effect that should have been expected from the “invincible” AUG.
After all, 6 guard and BOD is the minimum that the Yankees can count on. It cost the Russians nothing to reinforce the escort of the convoy by including a couple of Berkuts-A (slightly less sophisticated Berkut with similar weapons; at that time 10 ships of this type were in the USSR Navy) and five 61- singing frigates The project (19 units in the Navy) - such a convoy will not be stopped even by two AUGs with the Enterprise and the Nimitz.
And this is just the beginning! In 1977, the multi-channel anti-aircraft complex “Fort” was installed on the Baz “Azov” instead of the “Storm” aft air defense system - the maritime version of the legendary C-300. And in just a few years, the Orlans and Atlanta, the new BOD project 1155 (cipher Udara) and the destroyers of the 956 Modern project with the multi-channel Dagger and Uragan will appear ...
The moral of this tale is as follows: with proper attention to the Navy and when moving with the pace, the surface ship can turn into an impregnable fortress for enemy aircraft. Of course, there are no invincible warriors, but the enemy will need tremendous efforts to destroy the “difficult target”. And sooner graying pilots of the United States will forever remember what a modern maritime air defense system is.
Epilogue. In a real conflict, neither “Enterprise” nor “Berkut-B” will pass 100 miles - all of them will be flooded with merciless underwater killers - multipurpose PLA of the Tresher / Permit, Sturgeon, Skipjack, 671 Ave. Salmon ", pr. 671" Skat ", etc. etc. But, that's another story.
Characters:
USS California nuclear missile cruiser (aircraft carrier escort)
Knox type frigate (aircraft carrier escort)
BOD "Kerch" and patrol ship "Pytlivy"
It was intended to deliver troops on such turbokhod (without irony - this is standard world practice)
Boucary, he's "Berkut-B"
Information