"Admiral Nakhimov" (cruiser): modernization

The most modern large-tonnage ship of the Russian Navy in 2018 is to become the cruiser Admiral Nakhimov. Its modernization began in 2014 and according to the plan it will last four years. Then the turn of another ship - Peter the Great, the flagship of the Northern Fleet, built according to the same Orlan project No. 11442 - will follow. These giants can serve far from their native coasts, providing a military presence in any area of the World Ocean. Creation of military naval units in accordance with the Soviet military doctrine of the first half of the 80s of the last century, they cost the state budget of the USSR a total sum (four of them were launched), and now this legacy must be properly disposed of. It is also necessary to assess the degree of necessity of these types of ships and their possible effectiveness in the event of armed conflict.

General Purpose

From the macroeconomic point of view, any costs must be borne in accordance with the specific expediency. A state that does not have the opportunity to defend its interests on a global scale is doomed to peripheral vegetation. Despite the abundance of international agreements, the presence of international supranational structures that monitor compliance with established rules, in many cases, militarily strong countries employ aviation, fleets and ground troops, violating all written and unwritten laws to ensure their regional dominance. There is a UN Security Council resolution - well, but if it is not received, the "big stick" is always ready. To counteract threats of this kind, there are giant nuclear-powered ships such as Admiral Nakhimov. The cruiser is designed to provide a powerful cover for the whole squadron, performing tasks at a great distance. In the military language, this is called "giving stability." In essence, such a ship is the core of the naval unit, which is deprived of the possibility of receiving support from its friendly bases on the beach, because of the large removal and threatened hostile armed influences. The nuclear-powered missile cruiser Admiral Nakhimov is supposed to be able to uncover a kind of "umbrella" consisting of anti-aircraft, anti-missile, antisubmarine and other systems, to repel attacks, and, if necessary, to strike back a crushing blow.

Ship architecture and technology "Stells"

In the early eighties the Soviet military-industrial complex was a developed branch of industry, which included thousands of enterprises and scientific institutions. Successes of domestic developers of defense systems were provided with generous funding. When creating new models, the most recent achievements in the field of offensive weapons of the military-industrial complex of countries-credible adversaries-were taken into account. An example is the ship "Admiral Nakhimov". The cruiser was built on the principle of low visibility of its hull for radars. Outlines of superstructures are made in the form of pyramids consisting of inclined planes, the above-water part has "piled" sides, there are practically no right angles. For painting, a special technologically impeccable substance is used, bearing a non-verbally named "varnish" and does not appear to differ from the usual spherical coating of warships, but has an important unique property to absorb high-frequency radiation, minimizing their reflection. Experts argue about how effective efforts to make a small radar visibility object of length of 250 meters, but the scientific developments in this area have value in themselves, taking into account their further application. Indeed, such a large ship can be seen not only on the radar screens, but also from the satellite, not to mention the reconnaissance aircraft. The "Stells" technology is important for the possible misleading of anti-ship missile guidance units. The "spot" of light on the screen will become smaller, besides the cruiser can project the false targets with the help of electronic missile defense.

Modernization opportunities

For almost three decades almost all technical means and weapons systems of the ship have become obsolete, and now only a huge hull equipped with a powerful nuclear power plant is of value to the fleet. However, the value of this "platform" is such that it should not be neglected. An example of a careful attitude to an expensive material part can serve as the American naval forces. All large-tonnage ships of the USA are initially built taking into account the possible modernization, cable power supply channels and installation dimensions are performed in such a way that replacement of any equipment - in case of a more modern one - is not a problem. The repair of the Admiral Nakhimov cruiser, formally started in 1998, was delayed precisely because there was a need for a huge number of constructive changes necessary for effective modernization. Tark "Kalinin" (under this name the ship was laid in 1983 and served until 1993) could not satisfy the conditions of sea battle of the beginning of the third millennium. The project of reorganization was entrusted to the Northern Design Bureau (St. Petersburg), 21 months were allocated for its elaboration. The estimate of documentation amounted to almost 2.8 billion rubles. It is assumed that the entire modernization of the ship will cost tens of billions. Immediately there were critics claiming that for such money it is possible to build several new combat units of the class "frigate" or "corvette", which in total have great combat capabilities. This opinion, of course, has the right to exist, but light-class ships are not designed to carry out the tasks for which Admiral Nakhimov was built. The cruiser has a larger operational radius, it serves much longer than a destroyer or BOD, because in general its modernization is economically justified.

About the title

Sailors - people are not only brave, but also fairly superstitious. They, under any pretext, try to avoid getting out of the port on the thirteenth, they believe in different signs and do not like unlucky names. Unfortunately, there are grounds for concern in this case.

The battleship "Admiral Nakhimov" was launched to the bottom by its crew in order to avoid its capture by the Japanese in 1905 during the Battle of Tsushima. The sailors heroically fought, sank several enemy destroyers, seriously damaged the cruiser "Iwate" and in no way disgraced the glory of the Russian fleet. "Varyag", who died under similar circumstances, gave his terrible name to a modern ship.

Less well-known is the fate of another "Nakhimov" - the merchant steamer of the ROPIT society, which sank near the Turkish coasts in 1897 with a strong storm.

In 1941, during the heroic defense of Sevastopol, the German aircraft sunk the Chervona Ukraina ship, which earlier (before the Civil War) was called Admiral Nakhimov. The cruiser sank, having received a lot of holes.

In 1960, another ship was removed from the Black Sea Fleet, bearing the name of a renowned naval commander. The story turned out enigmatic: the rocket cruiser was only fifteen years old, and there is an assumption that it was used to study the effect on the hull of an underwater wave that occurs during a nuclear explosion.

In 1973 another "Admiral Nakhimov" sank. The collapse of the research vessel happened in an ironic twist in the place where the great Russian naval commander made one of his most brilliant victories - in Tsemess bay. The ship suddenly frosted and went to the bottom right at the breakwater.

Due to severe damage caused by a collision with a submarine, a large anti-submarine ship Admiral Nakhimov was decommissioned. The cruiser (Tsushima), the scientific vessel (Tsemesskaya bay), another cruiser (Sevastopol), the merchant steamer (the northern coast of Turkey), the RK (50 kilometers from the Southern coast of Crimea), to this martyrologist one can not add one of the most terrible sea tragedies for The whole history of shipping. It involved a dry cargo ship "Peter Vasev" and a steamer, at the time of launching it carried the name "Berlin". In 1986, two large ships could not miss each other in Novorossiysk Tsemesskaya Bay. After the Victory the captured Berlin got the name Admiral Nakhimov. The catastrophe claimed the lives of hundreds of passengers and crew members.

How can you not believe in an evil rock, pursuing an unhappy name?

And yet, why exactly Nakhimov?

The above tragic episodes do not constitute secrets for leaders, whose duties include choosing the name of the ship. And if the decision, despite such a sad statistics, is still accepted, then there are good reasons for this. In addition, with a more detailed and impartial analysis, one can come to the conclusion that warships bearing the name of a famous naval commander are mostly worthy of good memory, and their fate causes pride for their native country and its valiant sons. The battleship "Admiral Nakhimov" repeated together with his crew the feat of the proud "Varyag", in the 41st the other ship fought with the enemy until the last projectile.

Their death can not be called accidental or ridiculous, it was heroic.

As for the other two cases, the withdrawal from the fleet took place without human casualties, because of insurmountable circumstances or by the decision of the command.

Admiral

Pavel Stepanovich Nakhimov went all the way of a Russian officer, starting his career as a cadet of naval school and taking hero's death from an enemy bullet on the bastion of Sevastopol with admiral epaulets on his shoulders. At the age of fifteen he participated in a long campaign to the coasts of Denmark and Sweden, having received the rank of midshipman, took up his post in the 2nd naval crew of the Petersburg port (1818). In 1822 he was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir IV degree for his participation in the round-the-world voyage. He commanded a deck battery on the cruiser Azov during the Battle of Navarin and the legendary frigate Pallada, which was part of the FF Bellingshausen squadron. He served in the Black Sea Fleet since 1834, commanded the battleship Silistria. Participated in operations in the Caucasus, for which he was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir III degree. In October 1852 he was promoted to Vice Admiral.

The heroic Sevastopol epic deserves separate words. High qualities of the naval commander were manifested most clearly in it. The memory of such a person deserves to be named after the most powerful and modern missile cruiser. Admiral Nakhimov is a Russian national hero.

The beginning of modernization

After the final coordination and acceptance of the technical documentation, the turn of the real actions has come. To begin with, it was necessary to free the ship from all the cargo of equipment to be written off and disposed of. This work, though laborious, but grateful. A significant part of the cost of modernization work will be compensated for by extracting a large mass of valuable metal. The nuclear cruiser Admiral Nakhimov became a source of secondary resources with a total mass of 878 tons, of which 644 were black (cast iron), aluminum and copper alloys (168 tons), and alloyed high-quality steel with a high carbon content (66 tons). In addition, precious metals, contained in electrical and electronic equipment, are subject to recycling. The process of disassembly and sorting spent only 20 million rubles., Which is much less than the cost of the resources received.

In addition to the utilitarian value, the process of dismantling all unnecessary equipment pursued another goal: maximum relief of the object to reduce its draft. Such a large boat is not so easy to bring into the drained dock (batoport) - this requires pontoons, which are attached to the hull (there are six of them). Two of them were already ready, they were assembled for repair of the aircraft carrier "Vikramaditya", bought earlier by India. Useful and received during the execution of this order experience. The manufacture of pontoons, their testing and fastening required both time and material costs. At present, the nuclear-powered cruiser Admiral Nakhimov is inside the dock, its hull is free of all excess, nuclear fuel is extracted from the reactor. Modernization has begun.

Goals of modernization

The main goal of expensive works is to give the combat unit of the Northern Fleet the desired combat effectiveness. This requires not only a complete replacement of obsolete equipment and weapons systems since 1980, but also the possibility of further modernization in accordance with the requirements of the coming decades. Electronic equipment, missiles and control systems are losing relevance quite quickly, and it is not necessary to repeat the mistakes of designers who built the Admiral Nakhimov cruiser in the eighties. Modernization, inevitable in a few years, must pass less painfully and be much cheaper.

Of the most laborious tasks posed to Sevmash shipbuilders, the replacement of inclined silo launchers designed for 3M45 missiles with universal complexes UKCK 3C14 of vertical launch is on the first place. It is possible that they will not refuse the oblique scheme (many details of the project are kept secret), but the launch will no longer be made from flooded positions (the need for this was dictated by the "submarine" origin of the obsolete 3M45). The total number of mines was 20, as many of them remain, but in each of them a modular system with four missiles will be located. In total, the number of anti-ship missiles will increase fourfold and amount to a figure of 80.

What they will be, it remains to guess, most likely, "Onyx" or "Turquoise". The reputation of the cruiser as a "killer of aircraft carriers" implies the possibility of equipping impact weapons with special charges (nuclear). Such a large number of missiles in the arsenal of "Nakhimov" is dictated by the "greedy" way of using them. It is almost impossible to repel a group attack by the RCC.

In addition to the main caliber, the TARK is supposed to be armed with subsonic 3M14 means intended for land-based coastal targets. The crew will fight the submarines with the "Packet-NK" complexes (it is possible that the well-proven and not outdated "Vodopad-NK" will remain in the armament structure). The RBU-6000 jet bombs will replace the Boa-1, capable of providing reliable protection against torpedo attacks.

Air Defense

It would be naive to believe that the CB Sevmash will not take care of how to protect against such a possible attack of aviation and missiles such a large naval target as Admiral Nakhimov. The cruiser, despite all the means used to ensure its secrecy, remains a very visible object, and in the event of a military conflict, it will inevitably become a target for enemy anti-ship systems. Earlier, the task of repelling an air attack was solved by the S-300F "Fort" S-300F, very good, but requiring replacement, taking into account the high cost of the project and its prospective value. It was assumed that the airborne air defense will be updated by installing under deck radars, which are close in the scheme and characteristics to the ground-based S-500 systems. They will be cellular type, not revolving, as before, and, due to their greater compactness, there will be more of them (in the arsenal of air defense missiles there will be several hundred). One type, of course, the matter is not limited. In addition to the S-500, the rocket and artillery complex "Pantsir-M" is designed to control the sky over the flagship ship and its "suite". However, for details, the naval leadership, for obvious reasons, does not disclose.

General characteristics of the ship and its prospects

Information was leaked to the press that a power plant, including an atomic reactor, would undergo a certain modernization , but, apparently, the constructive changes would not be revolutionary. To improve the good is only to spoil, military experts believe. "Admiral Nakhimov" - a cruiser whose TTX is already considered unique, has no equal in its driving qualities. With a total displacement of over 26,000 tons and a length of 251 meters, it has an energy installation whose capacity (more than 100 MW) would be enough to supply the city with a quarter of a million inhabitants. In addition to the nuclear reactor, the ship has two backup boilers. Its course (so the sailors call the speed) is 32 knots. The range of navigation is unlimited, full autonomy is two months. The crew consists of 630 sailors and ranks of junior command staff and hundreds of officers.

When will the ship return to the Northern Fleet? According to the plan, this should happen in 2018. Perhaps there will be some unforeseen difficulties that will somewhat prolong the modernization. But it will inevitably come to the ocean space - the updated cruiser Admiral Nakhimov. His photo, published in periodicals, will please the friends of our country, and, most likely, will upset her enemies. And not only photos ...