Marine civil fleet of the USSR. History of the Navy of the USSR. Prefix of ships and ships
With the beginning of the Cold War, the Soviet Union was faced with the need to defend its interests in a huge part of the planet. One by one, the newly formed states of Africa, Asia and the Middle East adopted the communist ideology, and now, caravans of Soviet ships with military assistance, advisers and equipment are rushing to the aid of loyal regimes on the other side of the Earth.
Strengthened and "appeared from the shadows" of the Soviet Navy - hundreds of warships entered the oceans, becoming one of the formidable arguments of the newborn Superpower. Transoceanic crossings and continuous watches in remote areas of the ocean - months-long trips are difficult, ships require mandatory rest and maintenance. Replenishment of fuel, provisions and fresh water. Emergency repair. All this far from the native coast, in the unknown southern latitudes, where there is not a single Soviet ship nearby. Only the ghostly shadows of reconnaissance Orions hovering over the waves.
A great fleet needs a great basing system. There could be only one solution - to cover the entire Earth a network of naval bases, airfields and strongholds.
A naval base is not just a place to park and maintain ships. This is a powerful tool of the geopolitical game, a lever for suggesting the right ideas to the leadership of the designated country. A ready springboard for a new offensive, a large transport hub and a platform for placing special equipment (for example, electronic intelligence and radio interception systems). From here it is convenient to monitor the situation in the selected region, and if necessary, take emergency measures, intervene and stop possible problems in the bud. Finally, from a purely technical point of view, the system of naval bases (NMB) created unique opportunities for the effective operation of the Navy at any distance from the coast of the mother country.
Stop! What foreign military bases are we talking about?! Foreign military bases are the privileges of the insidious Pentagon. The vile intrigues of Western imperialism, striving for world domination. And the USSR, which is engaged in peaceful creative work, cannot have any military bases abroad.
Ingenious poster 1955
In fact, the USSR itself was not averse to sticking a dozen needles into the underbelly of NATO
To resolve a difficult dilemma, the help of professional philologists was required. Indeed, one can only admire their imagination - a lot of objects with funny names appeared on the world map. For example:
A) logistics point (modest, but tasteful).
Usually the PMTO of the USSR Navy occupied an area of fifty or more square kilometers and was designed to accommodate several thousand personnel. All this was complemented by a developed infrastructure with berths, a dock, a fuel storage facility, and an arsenal. It was necessary to have land transport and special equipment. The security system of the PMTO base included boats and ships protecting the water area, a fortified perimeter and marines with heavy weapons and armored vehicles. Optionally - an airfield with cover fighters, anti-submarine, reconnaissance and transport aircraft.
B) GSVSK (Group of Soviet Military Specialists in Cuba). Despite its reassuring name, the GSVSK was nothing like a peaceful Soviet delegation. It was a large grouping of various types of troops - from motorized riflemen and tankers, to signalmen and air defense - all this right under the nose of the "probable enemy".
C) A limited contingent of Soviet troops in Afghanistan. Just a 100,000-strong army with its artillery, armored vehicles and aircraft, which has strained the entire Middle East for nine years.
There was a radio interception center in Lourdes (Cuba), there was a GSVG (Group of Soviet Forces in Germany), GSVM (the same thing, only in Mongolia), there were Soviet military specialists in Vietnam, Angola, Mozambique, and other cases that are beyond the scope of this article .
Scheme of foreign facilities of the USSR Navy for 1984
Today I would like to dwell in more detail on the PMTO - the legendary Soviet naval bases in all corners of the Earth. In view of the scale of the subject of discussion, in some cases it will be necessary to confine ourselves to general remarks and meager facts from the biography of these unusual places. It should be noted that PMTO is a vague concept with rather fuzzy criteria for compliance. In addition to the well-known "large" bases, there were many auxiliary facilities, such as the training ground for the Marine Corps on about. Socotra (Arabian Sea). But, despite the cries of the Western press about the "Soviet military presence" at the Horn of Africa, there were never any berths and military installations on Socotra - only occasionally did Soviet ships anchor at the coast of the island.
Finally, in the conditions of a constantly changing international situation, the PMTO could be temporarily located on the territory of any of the ports of friendly states - anywhere where a mother ship, a floating workshop, a tanker can be moored. Berths, cranes, port infrastructure - everything is at the disposal of Soviet sailors. Ready object for "friendly visits" of warships Soviet Union.
Now it’s worth going directly to the list of the most interesting locations for the USSR Navy:
Porkkala Udd (1944 - 1956)
“A pistol at the temple of Finland” - a brigade of skerry ships, minesweepers, the coastal defense battleship Vyborg and coastal batteries were based here to cover communications in the Gulf of Finland. 300 defensive structures were built on the territory of the base. The total length of the perimeter is 40 km. Base area - about 100 square meters. kilometers. Lease term - 50 years. The rental price is 5 million Finnish marks per year.
However, by the mid-1950s, the Soviet leadership came to the conclusion that it was time to cover the base: Porkalla Udd only irritates the Finns and worsens relations between the two countries, while not having much military significance. The base was completely liquidated in January 1956. Finland appreciated the friendly gesture, becoming a faithful mediator between the USSR and the Western world.
Vlora, Albania (1955 - 1962)
A brigade of 12 Soviet submarines was based here - a real "awl" at the fifth point of the American fleet. In 1959, one of the submarines from the Albanian base broke through all the anti-submarine barriers and carried out a mock attack on the Des Moines cruiser with the US President on board.
The story with the Albanian base ended sadly: in 1961, due to ideological differences, there was a break in relations between the two states. An urgent evacuation of the base followed. Four Soviet boats, which were under repair at that moment, were captured by the Albanians.
Surabaya, Indonesia (1962)
There is very little information about this property. It is only known that in December 1961, four submarines of the Pacific Fleet headed for the Indonesian coast. After a series of strange manipulations and conflicting orders, the submarines were handed over to the Indonesian Navy. In the summer, a second connection arrived - six more submarines and a supply base, and soon the Soviet sailors were almost embroiled in an armed conflict between Indonesia and the Netherlands.
However, the story with Indonesia ended on an optimistic note - according to the results of the joint "exercises", the USSR set the Indonesians military equipment in the amount of 1 billion dollars (including a cruiser, 6 destroyers and 12 submarines, as well as 40 patrol ships, minesweepers and missile boats). To the credit of the Indonesian leadership, this is perhaps the only country that has paid off its Soviet debts in full - without any scandals or delays.
Berbera, Somalia (1964 - 1977)
A first-class naval base on the shores of the Gulf of Aden, a real oasis of civilization in the middle of the Somali mess. Gatekeeper at the entrance to the Red Sea, which controls the strategically important Europe-Asia transport route (via the Suez Canal).
In addition to the infrastructure for the ships of the Navy, a unique runway 05/23 with a length of 4140 meters was built at the Berbera airport - at that time the longest on the African continent. Base anti-submarine and reconnaissance aviation was planned to be based here, and, if necessary, to place strategic bombers and missile carriers.
As for Somalia itself, the USSR did its best to support the economy and agriculture of a backward country; trained her officer corps, supplied equipment and all necessary goods. There is data in the open press that Somalia's unpaid debt to the USSR (and, consequently, to Russia) is 44 tons in terms of gold. How much can you trust this incredible figure? In any case, there is no doubt that the Soviet Union at that time paid dearly for its ambitions.
From Somalia to this case, it took a little: just not to let the Americans into their territory, and also regularly raise their hand while voting at the UN at the signal of the Soviet representative.
Everything happened suddenly: in 1977, the Ethiopian-Somali war broke out. The Soviet Union, of course, was shocked by both "allies", however, he had a choice - whom to support in this fierce civil strife of two strange peoples. The choice fell on Ethiopia. The Somalis could not stand the insult and demanded to evacuate the PMTO within three days. They didn’t get involved in an endless conflict with the savages - they just abandoned everything and left ...
The Americans came instead of us - the US Air Force appreciated the runway 05/23, adding it to the list of reserve landing strips for the Shuttle.
So, the USSR Navy was expelled from Somalia ...
Nokra, Ethiopia (1977 - 1991)
The Soviet Navy was expelled from Somalia ... and the Soviet PMTO safely “moved” 400 km north, to the coast of Ethiopia. A superpower differs from ordinary states in the presence of numerous allies in almost any region of the Earth. It did not grow together in one place - there are always a dozen alternative options in stock.
To the question: where can you put a base here, the Ethiopians just shrugged their shoulders - where you want. The Ethiopian leader Mengistu Haile Mariam kindly offered the two largest ports of Massawa and Assab, but, alas, it turned out to be too risky to build anything on the coast - the country was torn apart by endless civil strife. The choice fell on the Dahlak archipelago, more precisely, on one of its islands - Nokra.
Here, on the territory of the former Italian penal servitude, there is a logistics center for the USSR Navy. A floating dock PD-66 with a carrying capacity of 8500 tons was urgently delivered to the island (enough for docking and emergency repairs of a multi-purpose nuclear submarine or destroyer). Diving and fire boats, tugboats, floating workshops, tankers, refrigerated ships soon arrived. To ensure the actions of the Marine Corps, BDKs were constantly based here, and to solve anti-sabotage tasks, the special forces of the Protection of the Water Region (Black Sea Fleet) were on duty.
The place was restless - several cases of shelling were noted Soviet ships and courts. In August 1984, the Red Sea had to be trawled from mines put up by a certain Al-Jihad organization. The following year, a radiation accident occurred on the nuclear submarine K-175 - the crew of the submarine and the personnel of the base received serious exposure. Of course, the incident was covered with the strictest secrecy and hidden from the Ethiopian leadership.
Victoria, Seychelles. (1984 - 1990)
How great it is to be in right time at the right moment! On November 25, 1981, a detachment of warships of the Soviet Navy was near the Seychelles, when an attempted coup took place in the capital of a small state - a group of mercenaries from South Africa was captured and neutralized right at Victoria Airport.
Soviet ships immediately followed the scene. As it turned out, very opportunely - and although the evacuation of the USSR embassy was not required, such a prompt arrival of the Soviet fleet made the most positive impression on the government of the Seychelles.
In 1984, an agreement was concluded with the leadership of the island state on the business calls of Soviet ships and vessels to the port of Victoria and the landing of our military aircraft at the airport of the capital.
In return, the USSR acted as one of the guarantors of the country's security - in fact, the Seychelles observed neutrality and tried to make friends with the whole world. In addition, three patrol boats were donated to the Seychelles to protect the maritime economic zone. So, practically for free, the Soviet Navy acquired an unsinkable aircraft carrier in the Indian Ocean - the length of the concrete runway is 2987 meters!
Cam Ranh, Vietnam (1979 - 2002)
The best of the foreign naval bases of the USSR. Mild climate, warm and calm South China Sea, deep and clear waters, mountains that protect the bay from the winds - Cam Ranh Bay is recognized as one of the most convenient places for basing ships and vessels in the Pacific Ocean.
Officially, this place was called the 922nd PMTO, and, in addition to the parking of ships and vessels in Cam Ranh Bay, included Shipyard"Bashon" (Ho Chi Minh City) and a large airfield located nearby.
Initially, during the years of the Vietnam War, Cam Ranh Bay was a large rear base, which housed the 12th fighter and 483rd transport wings of the US Air Force. American specialists built a wonderful airfield here with a four-kilometer concrete slab, and nearby - modern port with all necessary infrastructure.
As a result, all these facilities became the property of the Soviet Navy. Moreover, the PMTO Cam Ranh went to the Soviet Navy absolutely free of charge - on the basis of a gratuitous lease for a period of 25 years. The image of the Superpower opened up incredible opportunities for the Union and brought fabulous dividends.
In accordance with the Agreement, up to 10 Soviet surface ships, 8 submarines with a floating base and up to 6 other naval vessels could be simultaneously based in the military port of Cam Ranh. Simultaneous stay of 16 missile-carrying aircraft, 9 reconnaissance aircraft and 2-3 transport aircraft is allowed at the airfield. Based on the situation, the number of ships and aircraft could be increased by agreement between the USSR and Vietnam. In other words, the Vietnamese did not mind if the entire Pacific Fleet came to Cam Ranh.
Wreckage of abandoned American armored vehicles
Entrance to PMTO Cam Ranh
The total area of the base was about 100 square meters. kilometers. The number of military and civilian contingents of the base in different years could reach 6-10 thousand people. By the time they left Kamrani, the following were built on the territory of the base:
Zhilgorodok PMTO: headquarters of military unit 31350 and barracks for personnel, a canteen for 250 seats, a bakery, a bath and laundry plant, a club, secondary school No. 183, 18 residential buildings, a joint warehouse for storing and issuing material assets, a car park (together with special equipment);
Diesel power plant with a capacity of 24 MW to provide electricity to the garrison and adjacent Vietnamese villages;
Fuel storage with a capacity of 14,000 cubic meters. meters;
2 refrigerators with a total capacity of 270 tons of products;
6 wells to provide PMTO and ships with fresh water;
As well as a pier area with berths and port armaments, an arsenal, storage facilities for material assets and a large naval hospital.
Alas, problems began with the collapse of the USSR - Vietnam, realizing that the state that the whole world respected no longer exists, demanded a revision of the contract and the introduction of a fee for renting a base. The timid attempts of the Vietnamese remained unanswered, however, in 2001 Russian Federation refused to extend the contract and began the early withdrawal of the contingent from the territory of Vietnam. The last Russian servicemen left Cam Ranh in May 2002.
You are trying so hard to judge the sins of others, start with your own and do not get to strangers.
- W. Shakespeare
The "Iron Curtain" collapsed, and the established Epoch of Glasnost allowed millions of Soviet citizens to learn many new and shocking secrets related to their former country.
For example, the free press found out that the Soviet Navy was run by completely mediocre and incompetent people. Instead of developing the fleet along the American lines (with an emphasis on aircraft carrier strike groups), the senile from the Soviet General Staff began to look for "asymmetric answers", spending tens of billions of people's rubles on the construction of expensive but inefficient submarines, cruisers and supersonic missile carriers.
Against 14 American "Nimitz", "Kitty Hawk" and "Forrestal", which constituted the combat core of the US Navy in the 1980s, the Soviet Navy put up an incredible squadron in its diversity, consisting of:
15 surface missile cruisers - from the simplest Grozny to the incredible nuclear-powered Orlan;
- numerous series of SSGNs: projects 659, 675, 670 "Skat", "aircraft carrier killers" pr. 949 and 949A - a total of about 70 submarines with cruise missiles;
- monstrous titanium boats "Anchar", "Lyra", "Fin", "Condor" and "Barracuda";
- dozens of "ordinary" multi-purpose submarines and diesel-electric submarines;
- missile boats and corvettes (RTOs);
- missile-carrying aviation of the Navy - hundreds of Tu-16, Tu-22M2 and Tu-22M3;
- anti-ship missile systems - from the primitive "Termite" to the fantastic "Granites", "Volcanoes" and "Basalts".
It is obvious that this impressive set had an exorbitant cost, but could not solve the task assigned to it - the problem of effectively countering the American AUG remained in question.
There are many claims Soviet system issuing target designation to missile weapons. American AUGs moved in the ocean at a speed of 700 miles per day - tracking down and escorting such moving objects was an exceptional task in its complexity. And without high-quality information about the current location of the AUG, the formidable "aircraft carrier killers" became helpless.
And try to beat him!
Any reconnaissance Tu-16R or Tu-95RTs who dared to approach the AUG in wartime will inevitably be shot down by an air patrol many hundreds of miles from the order of the aircraft carrier group. The only acceptable solution is space exploration. The Soviet marine space reconnaissance and target designation system (MKRTS) "Legend-M" was a real nightmare - every 45 days the US-A satellite, equipped with a small-sized nuclear reactor and side-looking radar, burned up in the dense layers of the atmosphere, and with it millions of full-weight Soviet rubles burned down.
The list of comments on the organization of the service of the USSR Navy usually ends with a statement about the need to build a huge number of airfields for naval missile-carrying aviation (MRA) of the Navy, reconnaissance and cover fighters. Again, a considerable expense without any useful return.
Each solved problem opened up a series of new difficulties: the leadership of the Soviet Navy drove the fleet into a dead end. Having spent insane amounts on "asymmetric weapons", Soviet fleet and remained an extremely inefficient system, unable to fight on an equal footing with the US Navy.
The result of this dispute can be a simple and logical conclusion: the leadership of the Soviet fleet learn from foreign experience and start building aircraft carriers shock groups modeled after the US Navy. It would have been more powerful, more efficient, and most importantly, cheaper (according to a well-known legend, the cost of two Project 949A submarines exceeded the cost of the Kuznetsov aircraft-carrying cruiser).
Or shouldn't it?
Various speculations about the exorbitant cost of the Soviet Navy are shattered like a rock, about the only fact:
The budget of the Soviet fleet was less than the budget of the US Navy.
Expenses for the Soviet Navy in 1989 amounted to 12.08 billion rubles, of which 2993 million rubles for the purchase of ships and boats and 6531 million for technical equipment)
- reference book "Soviet Navy. 1990-1991, Pavlov A.S.
It is planned to allocate 30.2 billion dollars for the purchase of weapons and military equipment for the US Navy, of which 8.8 billion will go to purchase aviation technology, 9.6 billion - warships and auxiliary vessels, 5.7 billion - missile weapons, artillery and small arms and torpedoes, 4.9 billion - other military equipment.
- Foreign military review, No. 9 1989
Even without going into the details of exchange rates (official and real), pricing, the level of corruption and the specifics of the implementation of military programs on both sides of the ocean, the fact remains unchanged: despite their titanium submarines and super-cruisers, the Soviet fleet was several times cheaper!
Actually, the story could have ended on this wave, but the public is interested in the main question: was the Russian Navy, in the form in which it was, capable of neutralizing aircraft carrier groups in the North Atlantic?
The answer is obvious: YES.
According to calculations carried out on both sides of the ocean, in the event of war, the submarines and MRAs of the USSR Navy sank the American fleet, while the Soviet sailors and pilots themselves suffered severe losses - after the attack by the AUGs, the MRAs of the USSR Navy would actually cease to exist.
Whenever someone tries to write about the confrontation between our and the American fleets, the mantra is necessarily pronounced: “three aviation regiments of bomber-missile carriers were allocated to destroy one AUG”! Usually, the mantra is uttered in an ominous tone, with frighteningly wide eyes, in order to convince everyone present of the "invulnerability" of the American fleet.
Supersonic bomber-missile carrier Tu-22M3
Although if you figure it out, you can’t do without losses in a war. And the destruction of an aircraft carrier, five cruisers, frigates and 50-60 units of enemy aircraft in exchange for the loss of a hundred Soviet aircraft (let's take the most pessimistic scenario) is a more than fair exchange.
Or did someone seriously hope that a pair of supersonic Tu-22Ms would be enough to counter the mighty US fleet, for the maintenance and development of which the Yankees spent $30 billion a year?
All-seeing eye
Another misconception is related to the detection of the enemy: it is commonly believed that the ships of the USSR Navy, deprived of high-quality intelligence, circled helplessly across the expanses of the oceans, like blind kittens. And the Americans? Americans are great! The US Navy has both carrier-based aircraft and naval AWACS aircraft - E-2C Hawkeye flying radars will instantly detect the enemy, and carrier-based Hornets will tear apart any surface or air target, preventing it from being closer to the AUG than 500 miles.
In this case, theory is at odds with practice.
Of course, being in an ideal "spherical vacuum", aircraft from an aircraft carrier should be the first to detect the enemy, and the first to strike. Having fallen under the continuous attacks of carrier-based aircraft, any of the atomic "Orlans" will die, without even having time to reach the launch distance of their missiles.
Proponents of such scenarios usually do not take into account the fact that the Soviet Orlans and submarines did NOT NEED to break through anywhere - the Soviet warships constantly located in the most important areas of the oceans:
5th operational squadron - solution of operational-tactical tasks in the Mediterranean Sea;
- 7th OpEsk - Atlantic;
- 8th OpEsk - Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean;
- 10th OpEsk - Pacific Ocean;
- 17th OpEsk - ensuring Soviet interests in the Asia-Pacific region (mainly the South China Sea and Southeast Asia), the appearance of the squadron is a consequence of the Vietnam War.
The Soviet Navy practiced tracking the ships of the "probable enemy" - missile cruisers and submarines were always on duty somewhere near the American AUGs and NATO warship formations, ready to open fire at point-blank range. Under such conditions, carrier-based aviation lost its main advantage: a greater range. Soviet "Skaty", "Orlan" and "Antey" securely kept the "pistol" at the temple of the American fleet.
Launch of an anti-ship missile of the Vulkan complex from the Moskva missile launcher
It only remains to add that in addition to warships with strike weapons, the US and NATO naval forces were continuously monitored by numerous naval intelligence officers of the USSR Navy - large, medium and small communications vessels (CER), in the amount of more than 100 pieces. Modest boats, outwardly almost indistinguishable from fishing trawlers and bulk carriers, whose tasks included visual observation of the "probable enemy", electronic intelligence and relaying signals. Despite the absence of weapons, the Soviet SSV unceremoniously strolled alongside the formidable Nimitzes and Ticonderoga, measuring electromagnetic fields and noting the current coordinates of the American formation.
The Soviet submarine wrapped a secret American TASS antenna around the screw and lost its course. SSV-506 "Nakhodka" was the first to come to the rescue. In the background is the USS Peterson. Sargasso Sea, 1983
The Yankees gnashed their teeth in annoyance, but it was forbidden to offend the "kids" in peacetime - the security of the NE was provided by the military and political power of the Soviet Union. In the event of war, the SSVs became pure suicide bombers, but before their death they would have time to contact the strike formation and transmit the coordinates of the “elusive” American squadron. Retribution will be cruel.
Handyman
Sometimes the Soviet Navy is criticized for its "one-sidedness" - supposedly the Soviet fleet was focused exclusively on a global nuclear conflict, but was completely useless in solving tactical problems.
It is worth noting that before the invention of high-precision sea-based cruise missiles, any of the modern fleets played a purely episodic role in local wars - with the exception of extra-large-caliber guns on four surviving US Navy battleships, the fleet could not provide any real help and fire support. In all local conflicts of the twentieth century, the main role was assigned to ground forces and aviation.
Here you see! - supporters of the creation of the AUG will exclaim - the fleet cannot do without aircraft carriers in local wars!
Fans of flying from the decks, please do not worry: air is the sphere of activity of the Air Force. Deck air wings are too small and weak to cause significant harm even to such a small country as Iraq. Desert Storm, 1991 - Six US Navy aircraft carrier strike groups provided only 17% of the Coalition's sorties. All the main work was done by ground-based aviation - on their side were both mass character, and qualitative superiority, and special equipment for solving complex issues (E-8 J-STARS, RC-135W, stealth aircraft, etc.).
During the bombing of Yugoslavia, the only American aircraft carrier "Roosevelt" pinned down only on the 12th day of the war - without it, 1000 NATO aircraft, of course, would not have coped. Libya, 2011 - not one of the 10 Nimitzes even lifted a finger, but the US Air Force had plenty of "frolic" in the Libyan sky. Comments, as they say, are unnecessary. The value of aircraft carriers in local wars tends to zero.
the only meaningful function of the American fleet in local wars - the delivery of several hundred Tomahawk SLCMs to the region, with the help of which the Yankees "take out" the most difficult and highly protected targets - positions of air defense systems, radars, command centers, air bases, etc. objects.
Concerning domestic fleet, he did everything that a normal fleet should have done, with the exception of striking targets inland.
The fleet did an excellent job of escorting ships during the tanker war in the Persian Gulf - well, what, and destroyers (large anti-submarine ships) in the USSR Navy were always in abundance, more than 100 units.
The fleet has been highly commended for minesweeping and mine clearing operations in the Suez Canal and Chittagong Bay (Bangladesh). Navy sailors ensured the delivery of military and humanitarian aid to the countries of Africa and the Middle East, simultaneously being a clear demonstration of the military power of the USSR. The ships took part in suppressing the coup in the Seychelles, rescuing the crew of the American reconnaissance aircraft Alpha Foxtrot 586, pushing the Yorktown cruiser out of Soviet territorial waters - due to their large number, versatility and worldwide network of naval bases, the ships of the Soviet Navy always quickly turned out to be in the right place at the right time.
Soviet KIKs (ships of the measuring complex) were regularly on duty at the Kwajalein missile range (Pacific Ocean), observing the trajectories and behavior of warheads of American ICBMs, launches from foreign spaceports were monitored - the USSR was aware of all the missile innovations of the "probable enemy".
Anti-submarine cruiser "Leningrad"
The Soviet Navy was responsible for assisting in the Soviet space program - the ships were repeatedly involved in the search and evacuation of splashed spacecraft in the Indian Ocean.
The domestic fleet did not have bulky and monstrously expensive helicopter docks like the American Wasps and Tarawas. But in the USSR Navy there were 153 large and medium landing craft, trained units of the Marine Corps, as well as 14 old artillery cruisers and 17 destroyers with automated 130 mm guns for fire support. With the help of these means, the Soviet fleet could easily carry out a pinpoint landing operation in any corner of the Earth.
Here is such a "one-sidedness" ...
The Navy of the USSR was run by competent people who perfectly understood the goals and tasks facing them: despite its smaller budget, the domestic Navy could adequately withstand even the mighty American fleet - the ships performed tasks anywhere in the World Ocean, protecting the interests of their Motherland.
Needless to say, the strike aircraft carrier Enterprise is a noble target. Large, with huge combat potential. But it is already very vulnerable - sometimes one unexploded 127 mm caliber missile is enough for an aircraft carrier to "leave the game". But what will happen if a fiery flurry of fifty shells of 100 and 152 mm calibers hits the Enterprise's flight deck? - Going in direct line of sight, the Soviet cruiser tirelessly keeps the aircraft carrier at gunpoint. Constant monitoring of the "probable enemy" is an indispensable attribute of peacetime. And it doesn't matter anymore that the combat radius of the deck "Phantoms" is ten times greater than the firing range of the guns of the old cruiser - in the event of a war, the first move will be for the gunners.
The cheerful cruiser pr. 68 bis is just a warm-up. The Soviet commanders-in-chief have real trump cards up their sleeves - nuclear submarines of projects 949 and 949A, Tu-22M missile carriers, space reconnaissance systems and ultra-long-range anti-ship missiles. There is a problem - there is a solution.
But the Soviet Navy also had Real Problems. After all, it is no coincidence that most of the surface forces of the USSR Navy were classified as "Large anti-submarine ships." The Soviet leadership was well aware of who the main threat came from - one George Washington with the Polaris SLBM could do more harm than a thousand Enterprise aircraft carriers.
Quite right, dear reader, the USSR Navy was primarily focused on searching for and combating enemy nuclear submarines. Especially with "city killers" carrying long-range ballistic missiles. The ocean surface was continuously scanned by Il-38 and Tu-142 anti-submarine aircraft, underwater killers pr. 705 and 671 scoured the water column, and legendary BODs were on duty at the anti-submarine lines - Soviet cruisers and destroyers focused on performing anti-submarine missions.
Singing frigatebirds
Large anti-submarine ships of project 61. Total displacement 4300 tons. Crew 270 people. Full stroke 35 knots. Cruising range 3500 miles at 18 knots.
Armament:
- 2 launchers of the M-1 "Volna" air defense system (ammunition load of 32 anti-aircraft missiles);
- 2 rocket launchers RBU-6000 (192 depth charges);
- 2 rocket launchers RBU-1000 (48 depth charges);
— five-pipe torpedo tube caliber 533 mm;
- helipad, aviation fuel storage (5 tons), cellar for aviation torpedoes and equipment.
A series of twenty* Soviet patrol ships of the early 60s, later assigned to the BOD class. The world's first warships with a gas turbine power plant designed for all driving modes.
Project 61 became an important stage in domestic shipbuilding - for the first time a ship with an aluminum hull and gas turbine was created. Two anti-aircraft missile systems, universal artillery, reactive depth charges and deep-sea torpedoes - a glorious little ship could use its weapons even in a storm: sharp "snub" hull lines allowed the BOD to easily go against any wave.
* 5 more ships of this type were subsequently built for the Indian Navy
There were also disadvantages: the sailors complained about the high noise in the cockpits - the powerful roar of gas turbines penetrated into every room, making service on the BOD pr. 61 a rather unpleasant event. But the issue of the ship's survivability was much more serious - fears were confirmed in 1974, when the Otvazhny BOD was killed on the roadstead of Sevastopol - after the explosion of the missile cellar, the fire quickly spread throughout the ship, destroying flimsy bulkheads made of AMG aluminum-magnesium alloy in its path.
However, some circumstances allow us to disagree with the statement about the low survivability of the "singing frigates" - 480 kg of explosives and six tons of gunpowder detonated in the aft cellar of the "Brave", but the small ship continued to fight the fire for 5 hours.
Until now, the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy has one ship of this type.
BOD "Sharp-witted" in the Mediterranean Sea. In the background is the USS Mahan Aegis destroyer.
Large anti-submarine ships of project 1134A (code "Berkut-A")
Full displacement 7500 tons. Crew 380 people. Full stroke 33 knots. Cruising range 5500 miles at 18 knots.
Armament:
- 2 launchers of the M-11 "Storm" air defense system (ammunition 48 missiles);
- 2 universal automatic artillery systems AK-725 caliber 57 mm;
- 2 RBU-6000 (192 depth charges);
A series of ten BODs built between 1966 and 1977. for the Soviet Navy. Just good ships, without any special frills. They provided the Soviet naval presence in the oceans, regularly served in the Atlantic, in the Indian and Pacific oceans. They provided military-political support to "friendly" regimes, patrolled in zones of military conflicts, brought submarine strategic missile carriers of the USSR Navy to combat positions, provided combat training for the fleet, and took part in firing and naval exercises. In a word, they did everything that a warship was supposed to do during the Cold War.
Project 1123 anti-submarine cruisers (code "Condor")
Full displacement 15,000 tons. Crew of 700 people. Full stroke 28 knots. Cruising range 6000 miles at 18 knots.
Armament:
- an air group of 14 helicopters: Ka-25PL anti-submarine helicopters, Ka-25TsU long-range radar detection and target designation helicopters, Ka-25PS search and rescue vehicles.
- 4 helipads, an underdeck hangar, a small hangar in the aft part of the superstructure, two helicopter lifts;
- anti-submarine missile system "Whirlwind" (1 launcher, 8 special munitions with nuclear warheads);
- 2 launchers of the M-11 "Storm" air defense system (96 missiles);
- 2 universal automatic systems AK-725 caliber 57 mm.
- initially, the ship had torpedo weapons and 30 mm AK-230 anti-aircraft guns (they were removed during the modernization).
The anti-submarine cruisers Moskva and Leningrad became the first aircraft carriers (helicopter carriers) of the USSR Navy. The reason for the appearance of these large ships was the entry into combat duty of American strategic missile carriers of the George Washington type - 16 Polaris A-1 ballistic missiles with a flight range of 2200 km pretty scared the leadership of the USSR.
As a result, a "hybrid" with powerful missile weapons appeared, the entire aft part of which was a runway with an extended underdeck hangar. To detect enemy submarines, in addition to 14 Ka-25 helicopters, there was an Orion under-keel sonar and a Vega towed sonar station on board.
Project 1123 is not a BOD, but based on the purpose of the anti-submarine cruiser and its weapons, it has the right to take a place among the same "large anti-submarine ships" - an extremely vague definition that covers ships of the USSR Navy of various sizes and characteristics.
The main shortcoming of "Moscow" and "Leningrad" became clear already during the first combat services on anti-submarine lines. Only 4 helipads (flight deck space where takeoff and landing operations can be carried out) and 14 helicopters turned out to be too few to provide a round-the-clock anti-submarine patrol over a given ocean area. In addition, by the time the lead cruiser-helicopter carrier Moskva entered service with the US Navy, a new Polaris A-3 ballistic missile with a firing range of 4,600 km had entered service - the combat patrol area of the Washingtons and Eten Allen expanded, which made countering strategic missile carriers is an even more difficult task.
Anti-submarine cruisers served for almost thirty years as part of the USSR Navy, made numerous visits to the ports of friendly states ... Cuba, Angola, Yugoslavia, Yemen. The anti-submarine cruiser "Leningrad" was the flagship of a detachment of ships of the Soviet Navy during the demining of the Suez Canal (1974).
Both cruisers were part of the Black Sea Fleet. "Leningrad" after two overhauls ended its service in 1991, and "Moskva" was put into reserve in 1983, and decommissioned in 1997.
Patrol ships of project 1135 (code "Petrel")
Full displacement 3200 tons. Crew 190 people. Full stroke 32 knots. Cruising range 4000 miles at 14 knots.
Armament:
- "package" launcher of the anti-submarine complex "Metel" (4 rocket torpedoes);
- 2 launchers of the Osa-M short-range air defense system (ammunition load of 40 missiles);
- 2 automated gun mounts AK-726 caliber 76 mm;
- 2 RBU-6000 (96 depth charges);
- eight 533 mm torpedoes;
- sea mines - up to 20 pcs. on the upper deck.
A series of 32 patrol ships (until 1977 they were classified as rank II BODs) to solve a wide range of tasks to provide anti-submarine and air defense of ship formations in open sea areas and the littoral zone, escort convoys in areas of local armed conflicts and protect territorial waters.
Project 1135 differed from its predecessors not only in its elegant appearance, but also in its solid armament, the latest means of detecting enemy submarines, high level automation - "Petrels" brought anti-submarine defense to a qualitatively new level. The successful design provided them with a long active service in all fleets of the USSR Naval Forces, and two of them still remain part of the Russian Navy.
TFR "Petrel" and USS Yorktown (CG-48)
Objectively, due to the weakness of air defense and the lack of a helicopter, the Burevestnik lost in terms of capabilities to its famous peers - the American frigates Knox and Oliver H. Perry. But circumstances have developed in such a way that the US Navy remembers the Burevestnik much better than its Knoxes and Perrys - in 1988 patrol ship"Bezzavetny" rudely ousted the missile cruiser "Yorktown" from Soviet territorial waters. The watchman broke the crew boat and the Harpoon anti-ship missile launcher for the American ship, tore the plating in the area of the superstructure, deformed the helipad and demolished the entire railing on the port side.
Large anti-submarine ships of project 1134-B (code "Berkut-B")
Full displacement 8500 tons. Crew 430 people. Full stroke 32 knots. Cruising range 7000 miles at 18 knots.
Armament:
- 8 launchers of the Metel anti-submarine missile system;
- 2 launchers of the M-11 "Storm" air defense system (ammunition load of 80 missiles);
- 2 launchers of the Osa-M short-range air defense system (ammunition load of 40 missiles)
- 2 universal automatic artillery systems AK-726 caliber 76 mm;
- 2 batteries of six-barreled anti-aircraft guns AK-630;
- 2 RBU-6000 (144 depth charges);
- 2 RBU-1000 (48 depth charges);
- 2x5 torpedo tubes of caliber 533 mm;
- anti-submarine helicopter Ka-25PL, deck hangar.
A constellation of seven large anti-submarine ships of the Soviet Navy. Large ocean-going BODs with amazing combat potential - anti-submarine missile torpedoes, four anti-aircraft missile systems, universal and rapid-fire artillery, depth charges and an anti-submarine helicopter. Outstanding seaworthiness, cruising range of 6500 miles - enough for the passage from Murmansk to New York and back. "Bukari" (as 1134-B was affectionately called in the fleet) really were the best BODs in the Soviet Navy, the most balanced in terms of characteristics and most fully meeting the tasks of the Navy.
Most BOD pr. 1134-B served in the Pacific Ocean. Consolidated into several anti-submarine groups, the Bukari continuously "combed" the Philippine Sea, where the combat patrol area of American strategic submarines was located, preparing to launch a missile attack on Far East and Siberia.
There were big plans for the modernization of the BOD pr. 1134-B - the modernization potential of the ships made it possible to mount on board the new Rastrub-B anti-submarine missile system and even the long-range S-300 anti-aircraft system! As an experiment, one of the BODs of this type - "Azov" received two under-deck launchers and a fire control system for the S-300F air defense system instead of the aft SAM "Storm" - it turned out perfectly. In perspective, ship's composition The Soviet Navy could replenish the unique BOD, whose foreign counterparts would appear only 10 years later. But, alas...
Large anti-submarine ships of project 1155 (code "Udaloy")
Full displacement 7500 tons. Crew 220 people. Full stroke 29 knots. Cruising range 5000 miles at 14 knots.
Armament:
8 launchers of the Rastrub-B anti-submarine missile system;
- 8 below-deck drum-type launchers of the Kinzhal self-defense air defense system (ammunition load of 64 missiles);
- 2 automated artillery pieces of 100 mm caliber;
- 2 batteries of six-barreled anti-aircraft guns AK-630;
- 2 RBU-6000 (96 depth charges)
- 2x4 533 mm torpedo tubes
- 2 Ka-27PL helicopters, 2 hangars.
"Udaloy" was a mistake of the leadership of the USSR Navy.
No, at first glance, BOD pr. 1155 is a real masterpiece of shipbuilding, equipped with a 700-ton sonar complex "Polyn", a multi-channel air defense system "Dagger" to repel massive attacks of anti-ship missiles, two helicopters and a whole range of naval weapons - from universal artillery to homing torpedoes.
"Remote" would have become an undoubted masterpiece ... if it were not for its predecessor - 1134-B. Compared with the Bukar, the BOD pr. 1155 turned out to be a step backwards.
Due to the 30-meter fairing of the Polynom GAS, the driving performance and seaworthiness of the new ship were seriously affected - the complex turned out to be too heavy for the modest BOD. Of course, the "Polynom" gave great opportunities in terms of detecting enemy nuclear submarines, which it detected at a distance of up to 25 miles, which to some extent compensated for the deterioration in the seaworthiness of the "Udaly". But a much more serious drawback was the complete absence of medium or long-range air defense systems - the "Dagger" had a firing range of only 6.5 miles and could only deal with anti-ship missiles, but not with their carriers.
Otherwise, the BOD pr. 1155 was a wonderful ship with a noble forecastle line and powerful anti-submarine weapons. In total, before the collapse of the USSR, the fleet managed to receive 12 large anti-submarine ships of this type.
In the 90s, only one BOD was built according to the modified project 11551 - the only representative of this project, Admiral Chabanenko, retained all the advantages of Project 1155, but additionally received the AK-130 artillery system, Kortik anti-aircraft systems and Moskit anti-ship missiles .
Conclusion
The above 90 large anti-submarine ships and anti-submarine cruisers are only the "tip of the iceberg" of the anti-submarine defense system of the USSR Navy. There was a whole system of base patrol aviation with hundreds of anti-submarine aircraft and helicopters. Ordinary trawlers with unusual trawls plowed the expanses of the ocean - camouflaged anti-submarine patrols with a multi-kilometer low-frequency antenna stretching behind the stern (try to prove that this was not a trawl!) ruffled a lot of nerves for American sailors.
Fantastic projects were developed, such as nuclear Project BOD 1199 "Anchar". Moreover, all four project 1143 heavy aircraft-carrying cruisers carried a squadron of anti-submarine helicopters on their decks and had on board a solid anti-submarine weapon system (the grandiose Polinom SJSC and Vikhr anti-submarine missiles with nuclear warheads). So, contrary to the well-known myth, during the passage through the Bosphorus, Soviet sailors did not deceive the Turkish representatives at all, calling their aircraft-carrying cruisers anti-submarine ships.
By the way, the US Navy developed according to exactly the same scenario - the Americans were scared to death of Soviet submarines, which is why they planned the ship composition of their fleet at the rate of "one frigate per one Russian boat." SOSUS worldwide sonar system for tracking submarines, FRAMM programs to convert hundreds of obsolete destroyers into anti-submarine ships, a huge series of Knox and Oliver H. Perry anti-submarine frigates, unique Spruence-class destroyers with hypertrophied anti-submarine weapons, but without systems zonal air defense - just the American "twins" of the BOD pr. 1155 "Udaloy".
It remains to add that the idea of a "large anti-submarine ship" died with the advent of sea-based intercontinental ballistic missiles with a range of 10,000 km. From now on, strategic missile carriers could launch missiles from the territorial waters of their state.
