I recently came across an article about the naval forces of Russia and the United States, I should read it and think about why a state that always declares truth, friendship, love, compassion, DEMOCRACY and WORLD PEACE in the end, 11 aircraft carriers with a crew of 5 thousand people in everyone. I think, probably, that other countries of the world community would quietly and peacefully accept these great feelings and concepts of the social world order.
What do you think?
US Navy - 286 warships, Russian Navy - 196.
However, it is pointless to compare the US and Russian fleets by quantitative factors, since from the Russian side, the subject for comparison is completely, qualitatively absent, despite the beautiful quantitative factor.
The average age of the ships of the Russian Navy exceeds 25 years, while they were operated in conditions of total underfunding, no serious modernization was carried out, it was often not possible to carry out scheduled repairs and maintenance - the technical condition and combat capability of the Russian fleet is easy to imagine. For this parameter, comparison with the US Navy is impossible. Complex exercises and campaigns over the past two decades can be counted on the fingers of one hand. The combat training parameter is also completely not in favor of the Russian Navy.
The meaning of the existence of the US Navy is the projection of force anywhere in the world. Organizational structure, basing system and weapons - correspond to this task.
The meaning of the existence of the Russian fleet, in the form it is now, is unclear.
Strategic nuclear component:
In the US Navy, the strategic component is the entire fleet, incl. and surface ships, and aircraft carriers, and even potentially converted into missile platforms (arsenal ships) civilian container ships, lighters and tankers capable of carrying and using hundreds of Tomahawks.
The United States - up to half of the SSBNs are constantly in combat positions, the presence of US Navy forces in all regions, the basing system, and the developed airborne forces make it possible to provide them with information and cover, and therefore use, anywhere in the world.
For the Russian Navy, SSBNs - too expensive and vulnerable launch platform as a component of nuclear deterrence - by itself, without a developed surface cover, did not make sense 10 years ago. Under current conditions, they are only capable of firing from the quay wall, and then only if they are well covered. "Groza AUG" "Kursk" was indicatively drowned with impunity in its own waters, being under the cover of the entire Northern Fleet.
Surface component:
US aircraft carriers: represented in all classes.
The Russian Federation - a single TAKR with an air group of a single composition, 4+ generation aircraft - in principle, is not a strike "aircraft carrier", despite the letter "A" in the name of the ship class. The reason is the air group - several units built! Yak-41M \ Yak? 141, Su-27K, Su-25TK and MiGs of the aircraft carrier version, she is not able to attack, but there is nothing left for them to defend - convoy escort is irrelevant - there is nowhere, there is no need, and merchant ships were mostly cut down back in 90 -x, taken offshore, sold, gone for metal.
Cruisers URO USA: presented in all classes. A typical example is the Ticonderoga-class cruiser, with a practically frigate displacement of just over 10,000 tons - only universal launchers, of which firing from Asrok to Tomahawk is possible - 127 pieces, this is in addition to the Harpoon anti-ship missile system and air defense ABM "Standard" - "Aegis". There are no analogues in the Russian Navy and are not being built.
RF - TARK and RKR - Half a dozen surviving missile cruisers of the Soviet period, built more than a quarter of a century ago, laid down more than 30 years ago, designed according to solutions, concepts and platforms half a century ago. Modern Western URO destroyers surpass them in all respects, they cost less, they are incomparably cheaper in maintenance, they are orders of magnitude superior in terms of CIUS, in terms of system class, and in terms of artillery.
Anti-submarine ships - a Soviet legacy, can effectively deal with submarines of past generations. The relevance is almost zero, there are no escort tasks today, and it makes no sense for foreign submarines to break through to our naval bases - the launch lines of the missile defense system from enemy submarines are so far away and so controlled by the fleet of a potential enemy that the combat work of Russian anti-submarines to disrupt a missile strike is unlikely possible. In addition, despite a decent number, their dispersion over four fleets, nowhere, except for the Baltic, allows you to create a dense anti-submarine curtain, and even there it is not relevant - who in their right mind would trample on a submarine in the Marquis's puddle?
Destroyers are also an ancient Soviet heritage, performance characteristics are lower than the existing Western counterparts built in the mid-90s, not to mention modern ones. Intelligent systems - prehistoric, the range and accuracy of artillery - a loss at times, about a hundred universal missile containers - there is no question of integration into a single combat network - one can only dream of, ships are almost non-automated, crews are bloated, maintenance is expensive.
URO frigates and corvettes are the latest corvettes of the Russian Federation - a very strong class, not inferior, and even superior to Western counterparts, for example, project 20380 is rebalanced in terms of firepower and is more than universal - in addition to traditional specialized weapons systems, it has UKKS (Universal Shipborne Firing System ) for eight seats, which can carry up to 32 missiles of various types in various combinations, the Sigma CICS is built on a network principle, provides unified management by all means of the ship, and simultaneous work on air, sea, and underwater targets, several CICS form a common connection network. It is planned to build 20 units. Here are just ordered such ships - only 5 units, for four possible spaced theaters, and one of the ships probably broke all records in terms of construction time for its class - 7 years. With frigates, everything is somewhat more complicated - along with modern, truly universal and successful ships of project 22350, with incomprehensible goals, obsolete in all respects are being built, except for the presence of one Club-N complex, even before the launch of the frigate of project 11356, and the construction of project ships is completely inexplicable 11540. Probably really wanted to use the Soviet backlog.
Patrol ships - protection of borders, fisheries, border control. While the Soviet ones are working, replacement with modern corvettes and frigates is planned in clearly insufficient quantities, see above.
A relatively strong component is missile boats, since there is an excellent Soviet backlog in anti-ship missiles, so powerful that gray-haired designers of retirement age, almost without generating new ideas, are still effectively exploiting it. Hence, there is also a strong component - coastal-based anti-ship missile systems, incl. mobile.
Heavy missile-carrying platforms, arsenal ships are absent in the Russian Navy as a class, despite the developed and already operated UKKS. On the other hand, it makes no sense to build Russian ships of this class, since the Russian Navy is unable to organize not only the cover of such ships in possible positional areas, but, in the absence of a basing system, even their transoceanic passage is questionable, for example, in an isolation situation similar to from the one that took place during the transition of the II Pacific Squadron.
Naval aviation - incomparable, the United States, with the aircraft carrier aviation of the Navy, with the aircraft carrier aviation of the Marine Corps, and coastal patrol - more than 3800 aircraft.
Coastal-based naval aviation of the Russian Federation is difficult to assess, it is unlikely that the situation there is much better than in the Air Force.
VTA, tanker aircraft, AWACS aircraft, electronic warfare aircraft - incomparably, single copies of the Russian Federation against a well-functioning operating system in the USA.
The Marine Corps is now seeking, apparently, it will suffer the fate of the Airborne Forces, and the GRU special forces brigades. Unlike the American one, it has absolutely no corps-level organization, no own carrier-based aviation, no VKS component, no EFV-class assets capable of launching tens of kilometers from the point without exposing carrier ships to excessive risk, quickly reaching the landing point, and performing fire tasks as light armored vehicles, or hundreds of thousands of trained professional personnel, or remotely controlled combat drones such as Crusher or Gladiator.
A strong component is amphibious assault ships, both quantitatively and qualitatively, against this background it is not clear why buy Mistrals. On the other hand, due to the lack of AUGs, it is impossible to use them in combat, it is impossible to cover them at the transition, during the landing, and there is nothing to provide air cover and strikes during the operation. The expediency of their existence in the absence of domestic aircraft carriers both in service and in construction is in doubt. Thrown away money.
Basing - USA - you can write dozens, if not hundreds of dissertations on the basing system of the US Navy.
The Russian Federation - the complete absence of a basing system in the oceans, the only contractual under-base in Syria - of incomprehensible significance - the Mediterranean Sea is closed by Suez, Gibraltar, and the entrance to it is the Bosphorus with a special passage regime for warships.
Information support is close to zero, and foreign bases, such as Lourdes and Cam Ranh, and positions are lost. Satellite constellations - one outdated and exhausted all planned resources, and one underdeployed - against several working ones. When was the last “hydrographic vessel” commissioned?
Development opportunities:
If in the administrative-command totalitarian USSR the capacities of shipbuilding plants were comparable to American ones, and the Soviet education system, unsurpassed anywhere in the world, made it possible to quickly prepare trained crews, then today, in a young democratic Russia of only 20 years old (as the President said in his New Year's greetings), shipbuilding has managed to degrade, skilled workers have been destroyed, domestic heavy shipbuilding is no longer a class, subcontractors have been liquidated as a category, any competent designers and rare engineers trained by partly surviving professors of the Soviet school are dumped to the west as soon as possible, and to the east , and as for the training of personnel - from medium-educated USE testers, and highly trained lawyer-managers mass-produced by a new community - the Russian people, it is a priori impossible to prepare warhead calculations for complex ship systems - through understanding, the missing education and fu functional illiteracy, and training is a long, tedious, and thankless task - besides, any serious modernization levels the results of previous training. The core of the literate technical specialists, directly working at combat posts - the midshipman, are in the liquidation plan. Sergeant replacement is provided for them, but so far there is actually none.
The situation is very reminiscent of the beginning of the twentieth century - when five percent of the literate population was not enough to fill positions requiring technical literacy.
The difference of the situation is that then there was growth, both industrial and scientific, and now there is an ever more accelerating degradation.
Hence, the task of the fleet can be only one - in peacetime - the protection of exclusively coastal economic interests, in the military - antiamphibious defense of the first line, at the cost of an unambiguous death, until the Strategic Missile Forces, ground forces and aviation swing to repel the strike - this is irrefutable, any the fleet is not able to solve other tasks, it is not able to resist the fleets of NATO, or the United States, or Europe - or even Turkey alone, in case of losses in a protracted conflict - today neither losses in ships nor losses in people can be replenished, therefore, it makes sense to build a large number (tens) of ships of the corvette and frigate classes in peacetime, and to withdraw from the Navy all useless junk, adapted only to divert budgetary funds.
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The photo shows the US Navy Carrier Strike Group, on this moment it is the most effective deterrent in the world, after nuclear weapons. Once, while still the US Secretary of Defense, Leon Edward Panetta, said: "Any fifth grader knows that the US AUG cannot be destroyed by any of the existing powers of the world"
Wait! But what about Russia! Personally, I have always and everywhere been told that the Russian army can deal with the US Navy - somehow, but it can. More advanced in this matter stated: well, with the whole fleet, maybe not, it’s even possible that we won’t overcome an aircraft carrier formation, but we can definitely send one AUG to the bottom. Well, very few still agreed with the Americans in their bravado.
By the way, a photo of a part of an aircraft carrier formation:
Let's look into this issue (it's interesting, really).
I must say right away that I will not overload the post with numbers and transfers, it will be possible to get all the data and performance characteristics from different sources. I won't go into detail either. Those. I count on some erudition of visitors in this matter, the rest, if something is not clear in the names or terms, can freely draw definitions through a search engine.
Getting started:
A typical US AUG is a grouping consisting of:
The flagship aircraft-carrying ship of the Nimitz-type (or Enterprise)-type nuclear power plant with a carrier-based aviation regiment (60-80 aircraft) based on it. As usual, an aircraft carrier, as well as a grouping carrier-based aviation regiment, are separate military units of naval aviation and are under the command of naval aviation officers with the rank of captain of the first rank (U.S. Naval aviation Captain).
The air defense division of the grouping is 1-2 KR URO of the Ticonderoga type. The basic armament complex of the missile cruiser division includes the Standard (SM-2, SM-3) SAM launchers and the sea-based Tomahawk missile launchers. missile cruisers of the Ticonderoga class are equipped with the Aegis naval weapon control and missile firing system (AEGIS). Each of the division's cruisers is under the command of a US Navy officer with the rank of captain of the first rank (U.S. Navy Captain).
PLO division of the group - 3-4 EM URO of the Arleigh Burke type with depth charges and torpedoes to combat submarines, as well as (part of the ships) with Tomahawk missile launchers on board. The PLO division commander is a Navy officer with the rank of captain of the first rank (U.S. Navy Captain), while each of the destroyers of the division is under the command of a US Navy officer with the rank of captain of the second rank (U.S. Navy Сommander).
Division of multi-purpose submarines - 1-2 submarines of the Los Angeles type with torpedo armament and Tomahawk cruise missiles (launched through TA boats) on board with the tasks of both anti-aircraft grouping and strikes against coastal (surface) targets.
Supply Vessel Division - 1-2 Supply transports, ammunition transports, tankers, other auxiliary ships
SDA of the Navy - up to 60 aircraft of the US Navy aviation, combined into strike AE, AE AWACS, AE PLO, AE VTS, etc. The SAE of the Navy is a separate military unit US Navy Aviation. The Naval Aviation Administration, as well as the AVMA, is under the command of a Navy aviation officer in the rank of captain of the first rank or a USMC aviation officer in the rank of colonel (USMC Сolonel).
For reference:
So what can we oppose to such an impressive power. Unfortunately, Russia does not have the resources to compete with the United States on an equal footing in the number of ships. In terms of aircraft carriers, the advantage of the United States is overwhelming, now the American has 10 aircraft carriers, we have one aircraft-carrying cruiser, Admiral Kuznetsov, which can be qualified as a light aircraft carrier, but, unfortunately, actually without aircraft. There are ten Su-33s in service out of the planned twenty-five, which they already want to replace with the MiG-29K. In 2013, two MiGs were added to the existing dryers. As for escort ships, the situation is also not the best.
Many will now say, why are there aircraft carriers, Russia has a lot of other things to destroy the AUG. I agree that in a situation of total superiority in ships, an asymmetric response is needed. So what is he?
The Russian armed forces see it in missile weapons, namely in anti-ship missiles. Those. in the effective delivery of a conventional or nuclear charge directly to the AUG ships.
First, I propose to familiarize yourself with the RCC carriers:
1. Project 1164 missile cruiser:
2. Submarine project 949A "Antey"
3. Project 1144 heavy missile cruiser
4. Heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser project 1143.5
Please note that on the deck of the Kuznetsov there are all the aircraft that are available, although according to the plan it should look no less full than the American aircraft carriers, although it is smaller - let's compare:
There are also small rocket ships, aviation and coastal missile systems.
Since the US AUG has a serious missile defense and air defense system, and naturally a powerful aviation fist, the main characteristics for combating it and defeating it are the detection distance and a possible attack.
In order to hit the composition of the AUG: aviation, ships or submarines must ensure the timely detection of an aircraft carrier group, classify it, get close to the missile strike distance, while maintaining combat capability, and launch missiles that, having overcome air defense and electronic warfare, must destroy the ships in the composition AUG.
Consider the option of attacking the AUG by surface ships of the Russian Navy in the oceans:
Unfortunately, the capabilities of Russian ships in terms of detection are actually limited by the limits of the radio horizon; the helicopters on board the ships are of little use for solving this problem due to the small number of these machines and the small radius of action. They can be effectively used only in the interests of issuing target designation of missile weapons, but before that, you still need to detect the enemy.
Of course, when missile cruisers were created, i.e. under the Soviet navy, their activities were to be carried out with the support of the naval intelligence system in the ocean theater. It relied on a developed system of radio-technical intelligence, which was based on ground centers located not only on the territory of the USSR, but also in other states. There was also effective space-based maritime reconnaissance, which made it possible to detect and track the ship formations of a potential enemy, and to issue target designation to missile weapons practically throughout the entire territory of the World Ocean. Russia does not have all this at the current time. In 2006, they began to reanimate the system, but the end is still very, very far away.
Therefore, the AUG will see our ships long before it itself is detected. The grouping constantly provides air control to a depth of 800 km with the help of Grumman_E-2_Hawkeye AWACS aircraft, we will be attacked by 48 aircraft, of which 25 will carry the HARPUN anti-aircraft missile system, and almost 8 pieces of Boeing_EA-18_Growler will provide electronic warfare.
The ability to penetrate sea depths and imperceptibly wedged into the defense of the enemy. Choose the best place and time to attack. Survive without significant defense spending, using the uncertainty and ambiguity of the aquatic environment. The unique properties of submarines make it possible to provide an unprecedented effect of presence and deterrence, far from being proportional to the size and number of submarines themselves.
Today, the Russian Navy and the US Navy are the world's largest submarine operators. Each of the fleets is armed with the best examples of underwater weapons, represented by numerous types of submarines.
Underwater component of the Russian Navy
Missile submarines strategic purpose(RPKSN). Carriers of submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missiles, the basis of Russia's "nuclear triad".
Project 955 and 955A "Borey"
In service - 3, under construction - 3, the planned composition of the series - 8 ... 10 submarines.
The newest and most modern project of an underwater strategic missile carrier in the world. The design features and noise characteristics of SSBNs pr. 955 allow them to be attributed to a new, fourth generation of nuclear powered submarines. Armament: D-30 missile system with 16 R-30 Bulava submarine-launched ballistic missiles. New boats "Borey" and solid-propellant missiles open a new era in the domestic submarine.
Project 667BDRM "Dolphin"
In service - 7 units (1981-90).
The combat core of the naval strategic nuclear forces. Carriers of three-stage submarine-launched ballistic missiles R-29RMU2 "Sineva". The main trump card of the "Sineva" in comparison with the solid-propellant "Trident" and "Bulava" is their outstanding energy-mass characteristics (launching mass / firing range / throw weight), due to the fundamental properties of liquid fuel.
K-407 "Novomoskovsk" (pr. 667BDRM) after undergoing repairs and modernization
Project 667BDR "Kalmar"
Three boats that entered service in 1980-82, armed with the D-9R complex (16 silo-type launchers with R-29R liquid-fuel rockets). It is expected that the obsolete Kalmars will be gradually withdrawn from service and replaced by the latest Borei.
Project 941UM
TK-208 "Dmitry Donskoy" is the last of the Akula-type heavy SSBNs, converted into a launch stand for testing Bulava SLBMs.
Nuclear submarines with cruise missiles (SSGN) - 8 units, all belong to the project 949A "Antey" (1986-96). The famous "aircraft carrier killers", each of which carries 24 Granit anti-ship missiles.
Multipurpose nuclear submarines- 21 units. A diverse family represented by representatives of five projects:
Etc. 671RTM(K) - four submarines. Planned withdrawal from the fleet;
Etc. 945 and 945A - four submarines with titanium hulls. Deep modernization is underway with the installation modern systems and . All Condors and Barracudas will be back in service by the start of the next decade;
Etc. 971 "Pike-B" - twelve ships. Nine in combat strength, three in reserve and under repair for a decade. Another submarine (K-152 Nerpa) was leased to India. At the time of construction (80-90) "Pike-B" were the most formidable and advanced submarines in their class. They remain so today, adjusted for age. There are several modifications ("Improved Pike"), some representatives of the project are currently undergoing modernization under various programs;
Etc. 885 Ash. Multi-purpose nuclear submarine of the fourth generation, equipped with the Kalibr missile system. Boat "Ash" claims to be the best in its class among all foreign analogues. At the moment, there is one ship of this type (K-560 Severodvinsk) in service. At the shipyards, there are three more buildings being built according to the updated project 885M "Ash-M". The planned composition of the series - 8 submarines;
K-560 "Severodvinsk"
Nuclear submarines for special purposes- 2 pieces:
Carrier of deep-sea stations BS-136 "Orenburg" (re-equipped from missile carrier pr. 667BDR);
Nuclear deep-sea station AS-12 "Losharik" (project 10831), maximum immersion depth 6000 m, no armament.
Boat carrier BS-136 "Orenburg"
At the moment, according to a special project, another unfinished nuclear missile carrier K-139 "Belgorod" (project 09852) is being converted.
20 units, including:
18 "Varshavyanka" (pr. 877 and 636.3);
1 B-585 "St. Petersburg" (project 677 "Lada") - in trial operation in the Northern Fleet;
1 B-90 "Sarov" (project 20120) - an experimental diesel-electric submarine for testing new types of weapons.
In the coming years, the domestic Navy should be replenished with six more diesel-electric submarines, among which there will be two Ladas and four Varshavyankas.
Pike, Borey, Varshavyanka!
Submarine component of the United States Navy
Nuclear submarines with ballistic missiles (SSBNs - correspond to domestic SSBNs). In service with the only type - "Ohio". There are 14 boats in service, built between 1981 and 1997.
The Ohio-Trident-2 link can be considered the benchmark for naval nuclear weapons. The carrier is a unique boat, until recently considered the most secretive of the existing nuclear submarines. And a solid-propellant missile with unsurpassed weight and performance characteristics (it is no coincidence that 24 SLBMs fit on board, not the largest Ohio).
Nuclear submarines with cruise missiles (SSGN)- 4 units. They were converted from Ohio-class SSBNs. There are 154 Tomahawks on board each.
Multi-purpose nuclear submarines (or, according to the original classification, fast attack submarine - high-speed underwater hunters). There are currently three main types of multi-purpose nuclear submarines in service with the US Navy, including:
41 boat types "Los Angeles"(1981-96). Small in size, secretive and reliable underwater hunters have been the backbone of the US submarine forces for 30 years. Most of the surviving "Los Angeles" belongs to the "Improved LA" sub-series. Equipped with vertical launchers for storing and launching the Tomahawk missile launcher;
11 boat types "Virginia" three different sub-series (1997-2014). New American boats specialize in combat operations in the coastal zone: reconnaissance, sabotage operations and strikes along the coast. Like their predecessors, the Los Angeles, 12 missile silos for Tomahawks were installed in the bow of the Virginias. In total, it is planned to build 30+ nuclear submarines of this type, the last boats (sub-series 5) will be able to carry up to 40 cruise missiles;
Three "Sea Wolves". White elephants of the American fleet, formally considered the most advanced underwater hunters and the world's first multi-purpose nuclear submarines of the 4th generation. In fact, they are extremely expensive, piece designs, suffering from many "childhood diseases". The last SeaWolf-class ship, the Jimmy Carter, entered service in 2003 as a special operations boat.
Diesel-electric submarines
Due to the pronounced offensive orientation american navy completely abandoned diesel-electric submarines. The last diesel-electric submarine "Growler" was built in 1958.
Emergency surfacing of the Los Angeles-class nuclear submarine
The most powerful navies, ground forces and air forces of the world. Everywhere appear types of the armed forces of the United States, China and Russia.
According to the magazine, the United States, China, Russia, Great Britain and Japan have the strongest navies. As the author of the article points out Kyle Mizokami, Russia ranks third because the basis of its current Navy is still Soviet ships, and the construction of new ones and their adoption into service are proceeding rather slowly.
The list of the best ground forces includes the United States, China, India, Russia and the United Kingdom. The publication predictably considers the strongest American SV with a population of 535 thousand people. The infantry of the People's Liberation Army of China, in turn, boasts a strength of 1.6 million troops. Indian ground forces with 1.12 million troops are squeezed between traditional competitors - Pakistan and China, they have to constantly prove their ability to defend long territorial borders. The ground forces of the RF Armed Forces are currently receiving new modern weapons - they are quite well equipped and fully mechanized, and most importantly, they have solid combat experience. The number of the RF SV reaches 285 thousand people - half of the US army, the article says. The author of the material also emphasizes that the Armata universal combat platform will soon enter service with the Russian army, which will be able to perform the functions of a tank, infantry fighting vehicle and artillery.
The National Interest included only four countries in the ranking of the best air forces on the planet - the USA, Russia, China and Japan. At the same time, Mizokami added to the list not only the US Air Force, but also the aviation of the fleet and the Marine Corps. The US Air Force has 5.6 thousand aircraft, and the Navy has a fleet of 3.7 thousand aircraft.
According to NI, Russia's Aerospace Forces include 1,500 combat aircraft and 400 military helicopters. Despite the fact that the fleet has enough old MiG-29s, Su-27s and MiG-31s, Russian aviation has entered a period of steady modernization. One example is the Su-35, which combines best qualities. In addition, the Russian military is currently working on the fifth-generation T-50 fighter and the new PAK-DA strategic bomber.
“The NI ranking of the strongest fleets in the world suggests that China has recently been rapidly implementing programs to create and update the Navy, which is currently assessed as a force capable of conducting operations far from its shores and resisting the United States,” says a military expert, head of the department Eurasian integration and development of the SCO Institute of the CIS countries Vladimir Evseev . - Yes, indeed - new submarines and surface ships - destroyers and frigates - are being built in series. The Chinese submarine fleet is generally the largest in the world - it includes more than 70 diesel and nuclear submarines.
However, the Russian Navy has the superiority in submarines in terms of long-range anti-ship missiles and the sophistication of submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), which can hit any part of the globe. By the way, according to this indicator, the American Trident-2 D5 SLBMs with a maximum firing range with a full load of 7800 km, which are equipped with British Vanguard-type SSBNs, are superior to Chinese missiles. Besides, Chinese aircraft carrier"Liaoning" (Soviet "Varyag") can hardly be called a full-fledged combat unit - based on a combination of factors, it can effectively perform tasks only in coastal areas. And for the British Navy, two aircraft carriers of the type queen elizabeth.
- Here, I would still put Russia in second place - in terms of combat and technical indicators, if possible information support. In my opinion, only the United States and Russia can now fight in real time. In addition, China lags behind Russia in precision weapons. Yes, the PLA Ground Forces are armed with missiles that can be equipped with both nuclear and conventional warheads, but the accuracy of domestic weapons systems is an order of magnitude higher.
The size of the army is an important indicator, but far from being the main one, it is compensated by the use of tactical nuclear weapons (TNW), of which the Russian army has quite a lot. Also, let's look at the efficiency combat use forces and means, the ability to conduct combat operations in different conditions, as well as the availability of combat experience. In this regard, for example, the Chinese and Indians are inferior to the same British.
According to the Air Force rating, I probably agree with the expert of the American edition. Still, the PLA Air Force, despite a huge leap forward, has problems with engine building, with transport aviation, tankers, as well as strategic aviation, because the Chinese "strategists" H-6 are a copy of the Soviet Tu-16. Japan's position in this "air" rating is controversial: their Air Force is technically well equipped, but in terms of numbers they can hardly claim fourth place.
"Strategist" PLA Air Force Xian HY-6 (Photo: ru.wikipedia.org)
- Without taking into account nuclear weapons, the list of countries by the strength of the Navy is correct, - believes military historian Alexander Shirokorad. - But in general, in terms of the number of pennants, China has the largest fleet, which has a lot of small ships in combat. As for the ground forces, in terms of their numbers, firepower and tactical nuclear weapons, Russia is in second place.
But there is a concept Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy as "the spirit in the troops." According to this indicator, I would put the Japanese, Chinese and Israelis ahead, and only then the Russians (by the way, the largest army in the world - the Chinese - mostly still consists of contract soldiers, and with a big competition for a place). The morale of the Americans, despite great amount the conflicts in which the US has been involved all these years leaves much to be desired. They are accustomed to the fact that locals are fighting at the forefront, as was the case in Afghanistan, as well as to complete superiority over the enemy in the sky and on the ground - in artillery. Of course, the United States has motivated and strong special forces units, but this is not enough in combined arms combat. True, the States have the National Guard - the current reserve of the US Armed Forces, which is also involved in foreign operations.
- In my opinion, in the ranking of the Navy, the United States should take the first place without question, the second - China, the third - Japan, the fourth - South Korea and the fifth - Russia, - believes Deputy Director of the Institute for Political and Military Analysis Alexander Khramchikhin. - I take into account the fleet as such, the naval component of the strategic nuclear forces is a separate story.
Formally Russian fleet can even be put in second place, but due to geographical location of the country, our Navy is scattered across several theaters of military operations (theatre), which are not interconnected at all. Between European fleets, it is theoretically possible to cross the inland waterways of ships of small displacement, and that is just theoretically. By the way, the Indian Navy can even argue with the fleet of South Korea (the most powerful surface non-aircraft carriers are just South Korean destroyers), but the UK is not even in the top ten. The British Navy has long ceased to rule the seas. British military capabilities as a whole have been significantly reduced in recent years. But, in principle, this is a normal state, which fits into the pan-European trend of general and complete disarmament.
"SP": - In terms of ground forces, the UK's fifth place in the NI ranking also looks stretched, if you do not take separate special forces units ...
- I think that today the British ground forces are not even in the top thirty of the strongest. In the first place here is the United States, the second and third are shared by Russia and China, and the fourth should be India. I would give the fifth and sixth places to South Korea and the DPRK, and the seventh to Israel. The ground forces of the North Atlantic Alliance are generally a mythical thing in which only American and Turkish troops are real.
As for the Air Force, the second or third is again shared by the Russian Federation and China (in terms of the number of combat aircraft of the PLA Air Force they are second, but in quality they are third), and the fourth is India. And here Japan is unclear: the basis of its fleet is the F-15, and, probably, it can only be placed at the end of the top ten. India, despite some of the obsolete aircraft and their decommissioning, has a huge air force, which in terms of numbers probably surpasses even the Russian Aerospace Forces.
F-15 fighter jets (Photo: Zuma/TASS)
Note that the North South Korea for all types of armed forces should be in the top ten. Of course, the DPRK has a rather specific fleet - "mosquito", however, it cannot be called weak.
This was announced researchers Center for Naval Analysis Michael Kofman and Jeffrey Edmonds in their article for The National Interest.
Russia still depends on ships inherited from the Soviet Union. But their place is gradually taken by a new fleet - both surface and underwater. Significantly different from the previous one, this fleet will have its own strategy.
The United States should not be afraid of the Russian Navy, but it is worth being respectful, as well as studying what Moscow is doing with its Navy.
Ignorance of the opponent's abilities and the logic underlying his steps at some point can turn into an unpleasant surprise. For such an experience, you usually have to pay with your life.
Imagine how, in the not-too-distant future, several Caliber missiles are approaching an American destroyer at supersonic speed. At this point, the ship's commander is unlikely to comfort himself with excerpts from articles claiming that the Russian fleet is no more. Then the experts will have reason to speculate when it turns out that Russia spent not much money on the corvettes that carried out the missile salvo, and the United States lost a ship that cost a huge amount, analysts write.
According to the authors of the publication, the modern Navy of the Russian Federation is designed not to compete with the US Navy, but to counteract them. It is also designed to support the strategy of a Eurasian land power in the 21st century. Russia remains a great power, and its armed forces are capable of inflicting significant damage on the enemy. The fleet plays in this strategy important role. It should not be underestimated, despite its shortcomings.
Experts identify four main tasks of the Russian Navy: protecting sea approaches and coastal waters, delivering long-range precision strikes using nuclear and conventional weapons, demonstrating power with the help of a submarine fleet, and protecting sea-based nuclear deterrents. Another appointment, in their opinion, is in the field of diplomacy.
Thus, in accordance with the concept, the Russian fleet should combine defense in depth, long-range anti-ship missiles, ground-based aircraft, submarines, coastal missile launchers and mines. Further, the Navy is getting more and more opportunities to strike at enemy infrastructure over long distances using conventional weapons, the authors say.
They also stress that Russia is the most technically advanced US opponent under water and has the world's second nuclear submarine fleet.
The modernization of the Russian fleet began with a program for the construction of corvettes and frigates. Analysts call this step "logical", noting that "there are a lot of things in these ships that are not evident."
The Russians have learned well that the ship does not need a large displacement to install powerful missile systems. The surface fleet is built on the principle of integrated combat capabilities. This structure includes launchers with Oniks and Caliber missiles, Pantsir-M anti-aircraft missile and gun systems for target air defense, Redut air defense systems for air defense, as well as Paket-NK anti-torpedo defense systems. To expand the range of tasks, larger ships are equipped with the Poliment-Redut air defense system and radar with a phased antenna array. Corvettes have a short autonomous navigation, but the firepower-to-price ratio is very good. They can safely perform their tasks, barely leaving the base, the authors of the article believe.
The shipbuilding program in the Russian Federation is lagging behind plans due to sanctions and the termination of military cooperation with Ukraine, but has survived the most difficult times. The Russian defense industry has managed to find opportunities to start producing its own components.
The Russian fleet, analysts say, continues to suffer from the construction of small batches of ships of various types, similar in tasks and displacement. However, this approach gives defense complex the ability to provide work for shipbuilders.
The authors of the article call submarines the best ships of the Russian Navy: nuclear submarines of projects 671RTM (K) and 945 "Barracuda", 941 "Shark", 949 "Granit" and "Antey", strategic submarine cruisers of projects 667BDRM "Dolphin", 667BDR "Kalmar", 955 "Borey". Diesel-electric submarines are represented by projects 877 and 636.3. Kofman and Edmonds draw attention to the prevailing opinion that in the next 13 years most of these submarines will become obsolete, and they will not succeed in replacing them.
If suddenly these experts are wrong, let's say: whoever believes that he can easily defeat the Russian nuclear fleet should take more life rafts with him, analysts write, citing facts about the modernization that will allow most of the Russian submarines to avoid decommissioning.
The Project 945 Barracuda boats will definitely remain, since their titanium hulls will outlive many readers of this article, the authors ironically.
In addition, Russia is building new submarines, including ships of the Yasen project, and is designing a fifth-generation submarine that will form the basis for others. submarine cruisers strategic purpose. Construction, the authors note, is "very good."
Shipbuilders of the Russian Federation are able to deliver a Project 636 diesel-electric boat in about a year and a half and quickly complete an order for six such submarines with Caliber missiles, which can hit a significant part of important targets in Europe. But Special attention should be drawn to the class "Ash". Russia may build a small number of such boats, but this is no reason for complacency. A single such submarine in the Atlantic could strike the United States with 32 nuclear weapons, Kofman and Edmonds argue.
There are many shortcomings in the Russian Navy, analysts continue. But its prospects look very positive, since a fleet is being created that is optimally suited to the country's strategy.
Russia has been investing in systems to deter and intimidate more powerful maritime powers for decades. Therefore, when you once again hear that the Russian fleet is disappearing because the state is running out of money, and you want to test this theory, we strongly advise you to take a lifeline with you, the analysts concluded.