Powerful weapons on top 10 ships. Ten most formidable ships of the Russian Navy

The French Navy has the second largest and most combat-ready aircraft carrier in Europe, the Charles de Gaulle. The ship's total displacement is 42 thousand tons, up to 40 aircraft can be mounted on board, and the ship is equipped with a nuclear power plant. Triumphant-class nuclear submarines have great strike capabilities; the fleet has four such submarines in total.
Triumphants carry M4S ballistic missiles with a firing range of 6,000 km. In the near future, they will be replaced by M51 missiles with a firing range of more than 10,000 km. In addition, there are six Ryubi-class multipurpose nuclear submarines. In total, according to open sources, the French fleet has 98 warships and auxiliary vessels.

5. UK

Great Britain once bore the proud title of “Mistress of the Seas”; the fleet of this country was the largest and most powerful in the world. Now Her Majesty's Navy is just a pale shadow of its former power.

HMS Queen Elizabeth. Photo: i.imgur.com

Today the Royal Navy does not have a single aircraft carrier. Two, the Queen Elizabeth class, are under construction and should enter the fleet in 2016 and 2018. The most interesting thing is that the British did not have enough funds for such important ships as aircraft carriers, so the designers had to abandon side armor and armored bulkheads. Today, according to open source data, the British Navy has 77 ships.
The most formidable units of the fleet are considered to be four Vanguard-class SSBNs armed with Trident-2 D5 ballistic missiles, each of which could be equipped with fourteen warheads of 100 kT each. Wanting to save money, the British military bought only 58 of these missiles, which was enough for only three boats - 16 each. Theoretically, each Vanguard can carry up to 64 missiles, but this is uneconomical.
In addition to them, Daring-class destroyers, Trafalgar-class submarines and the newest Estute-class represent an impressive force.

4. China

The Chinese fleet is one of the largest, with 495 ships of various classes. The largest ship is the aircraft carrier "Liaoning" with a displacement of 59,500 tons (the former Soviet aircraft-carrying cruiser "Varyag", which was sold to China by Ukraine at the price of scrap metal).
The fleet also includes strategic missile carriers - Project 094 Jin nuclear submarines. The submarines are capable of carrying 12 Julan-2 (JL-2) ballistic missiles with a range of 8-12 thousand km.
There are also many “fresh” ships, for example, destroyers of type 051C, type “Lanzhou”, type “Modern” and frigates of “Jiankai” type.

3. Japan

In the Japanese Navy, all capital ships are classified as destroyers, so true destroyers include aircraft carriers (two Hyuga-class ships and two Shirane-class ships), cruisers and frigates. For example, two Atago-class destroyers boast a cruising displacement of 10 thousand tons.
But these are not the largest ships - this year the fleet will include a 27,000-ton Izumo-class helicopter carrier, and another will be produced in 2017. In addition to helicopters, F-35B fighters can be based at Izumo.
The Japanese submarine fleet, despite the absence of nuclear submarines, is considered the strongest in the world. It has five Soryu-class submarines, eleven Oyashio-class submarines and one Harushio-class submarine.
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force currently has approximately 124 ships. Experts note that the Japanese fleet has a balanced composition of ships and is a combat system thought out to the smallest detail.

2. Russia

The Russian fleet has 280 ships. The most formidable are the Project 1144 Orlan heavy cruisers with a displacement of 25,860 tons; there are only three of them, but the firepower of these ships is simply amazing. It is not for nothing that NATO classifies these cruisers as battle cruisers.

Three other cruisers, Project 1164 Atlant, with a displacement of 11,380 tons, are not inferior to them in armament. But the largest is the aircraft-carrying cruiser "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" with a displacement of 61,390 tons. This ship is not only well protected by air defense systems, but also armored. Rolled steel is used as armor, and the anti-torpedo three-layer protection with a width of 4.5 m can withstand a hit of 400 kg of TNT charge.

However, the fleet itself is being actively modernized: it is planned that by 2020 the Russian Navy will receive about 54 modern surface combat ships, 16 multipurpose submarines and 8 strategic missile submarines of the Borei class.

1. USA

The US Navy has the largest fleet in the world, with 275 ships, including 10 Nimitz-class aircraft carriers; no other country has such an impressive force. It is on the navy that the military power of the United States is mainly based.
Soon, the Nimitz should be complemented by even more advanced ships - aircraft carriers of the Gerald R. Ford type with a displacement of more than 100,000 tons.

The US submarine fleet is no less impressive: 14 Ohio-class nuclear submarines, each carrying 24 Trident 2 ballistic missiles. Three advanced submarines of the Sea Wolf type, the price of which was prohibitive for the United States, so it was decided to abandon the construction of a large series. Instead, cheaper Virginia-class submarines are being built, while there are only 10 of them in the fleet so far.

In addition, 41 Los Angeles-class submarines remain in the Navy. The US Navy has gigantic military power, which today hardly anyone can challenge.

At the moment, the Russian Navy relies on four pillars: the Baltic, Black Sea, Northern, Pacific fleets, as well as the Red Banner Caspian Flotilla. According to the latest data, they house not only surface combat battleships, but also submarines and about two hundred combat units. Yes, Russia has something to be proud of; it’s not for nothing that its fleet is considered one of the most majestic on the planet. Meet the ten largest ships of the Russian Navy.

Belongs to the Northern Fleet of the Russian Federation, several years ago it was named the largest attack cruiser on the planet. And there was a reason: its length is more than 250 meters, and its width is almost 30 meters! Main technical indicators: two nuclear reactors (by the way, they can be safely operated for half a century); speed up to 31 knots. A team consisting of a thousand people can safely go on an independent voyage for a period of sixty days. The Peter the Great's armament is impressive: gun mounts with a range of more than twenty kilometers, a variety of missile weapons that can easily destroy targets within a radius of seven hundred kilometers. There are also three helicopters on the Petra. This is why the nuclear giant is such an impressive ship.

This giant cruiser with a maximum displacement of 58.6 thousand tons is also in the Russian Northern Fleet. It has twenty airplanes and seventeen helicopters, and these are not the only aircraft - there are about fifty of them in total. The aircraft carrier is well armed, which cannot but amaze: it carries the Dirk, Granit, and Kinzhal missile systems, as well as sixty deep-sea bombs.

Some time ago they began to modernize this cruiser, so it is currently out of service, but still we cannot help but talk about it in our TOP. And before this, the nuclear giant was famous for its missile weapons and artillery mounts, and after the completion of the upgrades, the Navy leadership promised to purchase many modern devices and complexes. The improvements were supposed to be completed by 2018. We look forward to seeing what the cruiser will amaze the whole world with!

The giant, with a displacement of almost 12 thousand tons, is known for its power and various weapons: it has sixteen launchers, various artillery mounts, anti-aircraft missile systems, anti-submarine weapons and a helicopter.

Another pride of the Northern Fleet with terrifying weapons: a variety of missile systems, including “Dagger”, “Dirk”, “Vodopad” and “Boa”, a hydroacoustic complex, navigation systems and its own air group consisting of two Ka-27s. This anti-submarine ship is distinguished by maneuverability and high fire performance.

The Varyag, second in size and armament after the Moskva GRK, belongs to the Black Sea Fleet. It can reach speeds of up to 33 knots and set off on independent voyages for up to a month. Its armament includes two installations of the Metel anti-submarine complex, the Storm anti-aircraft missile system, respectable super-artillery and torpedo tubes, by the way, there is also a helicopter.

Every submarine of the Russian Navy deserves to be in our TOP, especially the Dmitry Donskoy - the most gigantic of all, which makes it one of the largest submarines on the planet. For four months, the Donskoy can sail in sea waters, fully supporting a crew of more than 160 people. The battleship has a Bulava missile system with six nuclear warheads.

One of the most powerful modern boats of the Northern Sea Fleet. Armed with Maces, ballistic missiles (SLBMs), a combat launch complex, a variety of torpedoes, missiles and mines.

Another underwater giant, although smaller than the previous ones and not the fastest, can dive up to 480 meters. “Vladimir Monomakh” is armed with torpedo tubes, missiles, “Bulava” (sixteen in total) and portable anti-aircraft systems.

Our list is completed by a destroyer belonging to the Russian Northern Fleet. The giant is armed with deck guns and anti-aircraft artillery, an air group with a helicopter, missile systems, many mines and torpedo missiles.

All the ships of our TOP serve the Navy of the Russian Federation; in the near future, other, modern ships will be launched, equally powerful, and sometimes even more impressive. We look forward to new giants defending Russia.

Largest: Nimitz-class aircraft carriers

Country: USA
Launched: 1972
Displacement: 100,000 t
Length: 332.8 m
Full speed power: 260,000 hp.
Full speed: 31.5 knots
Crew: 3184 people.

Currently, the largest surface ship in the world is the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered heavy aircraft carrier. The lead USS Nimitz was launched on May 13, 1972 and entered service with the US Navy three years later. A total of ten ships were built, named after famous American political figures. Chester Nimitz, who gives his name to the entire series, was the Commander-in-Chief of the US Pacific Fleet during World War II. In terms of its architecture, the Nimitz is a smooth-deck ship with an angled flight deck. The flight deck area is 18,200 m2. The ship has surface and underwater structural protection. The bottom is protected by an armored flooring of the second bottom and the third bottom. The four-shaft main power plant includes two pressurized water nuclear reactors and four main turbo-gear units.

Structurally, the ships of the Nimitz class are the same, but the last six have increased displacement and draft. The recharging period for their nuclear reactors is up to 20 years. The basis of the armament of Nimitz-class aircraft carriers is aviation: George W. Bush, the last, tenth ship of the Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, was commissioned into service with the US Navy on January 10, 2009. She became a “transitional” ship to the new generation of Gerald R. Ford class aircraft carriers.

The most original of the modern: trimaran USS Independence

Country: USA
Launched: 2008
Displacement: 2784 t
Length: 127.4 m
Full speed: 44 knots
Crew: 40 people.

The most unusual warship in the world is perhaps the American trimaran Independence (LCS-2). By 2035, the Americans plan to build up to 55 ships of this class of two sizes - small (up to 1000 tons) and large (2500-3000 tons), but today only the first ship, the “founder” of the new class, is ready. She was launched in 2008 and entered service with the US Navy in January 2010. The peculiar design of the trimaran is dictated by the need to build the fastest possible warship; The hull was developed by Austral, which has already tested this concept on the civilian ferry Benchijigua Express, plying between the Canaries, Tenerife, Gomera, Hierra and Palma in the Atlantic Ocean. Independence is a littoral combat ship capable of accelerating to 50 knots (90 km/h) and conducting combat operations in force 5 seas (“heavy seas”, wave height 2.5–4 m). The trimaran's main class competitor is the Freedom class ships developed by Lockheed Martin. The latter have a classic layout. Time will tell which is better.

The largest non-aircraft carrier: “Peter the Great”

Country Russia
Launched: 1996
Displacement: 25,860 t
Length: 250.1 m
Full speed power: 140,000 hp.
Full speed: 32 knots
Crew: 635 people.

The most powerful non-aircraft carrier ship today is the Russian nuclear-powered cruiser Pyotr Velikiy, which belongs to the Project 1114 Orlan cruiser series. The first ship of this project, the heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser (TARK) Kirov, was launched in 1977 and transferred to the fleet in 1980. Today only “Peter the Great” is in service, the other three cruisers are undergoing modernization, and the fifth TARK of the project (“Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov”) was never laid down due to the collapse of the USSR. "Peter the Great" is designed to destroy enemy aircraft carrier groups; it was laid down in 1986 and transferred to the fleet in 1998. Its cruising range is practically unlimited, and the P-700 Granit cruise missiles are capable of hitting a target at a distance of up to 550 km. The cruiser's power plant is equipped with two fast neutron reactors with a thermal power of 300 MW each and two auxiliary oil steam boilers.

The most advanced missile cruiser: Ticonderoga-class missile cruisers

Country: USA
Launched: 1980
Displacement: 9750 t
Length: 173 m
Full speed power: 80,000 hp.
Full speed: 32.5 knots
Crew: 387 people.

Ticonderoga class cruisers are considered the most dangerous among ships of this type. They are designed to operate in conditions of mass destruction and are capable of fighting in storm conditions of seven degrees. The Ticonderogas use two vertical launch systems with 61 missile cells each; their typical load is 26 Tomahawk cruise missiles, 16 ASROC PLURs and 80Z Standard-2 missiles. From 1981 to 1992, 27 missile cruisers of this class were launched, five of them have already been decommissioned; By 2029, it is planned to completely replace the Ticonderoga class with a new generation of missile cruisers.

The most famous ship of World War II: the battleship Bismarck

Country: Germany
Launched: 1939
Displacement: 50,900 t
Length: 251 m
Full speed power: 150-170 hp.
Full speed: 30.1 knots
Crew: 2092 people.

The Bismarck was one of the most advanced and powerful ships of World War II, the lead ship of the Bismarck class (the second battleship in the series was the Tirpitz). Even today, the Bismarck class is one of the three largest battleships of all time, second only to the Iowa and Yamato, which were built somewhat later. Powerful weapons (including eight 380-mm cannons) allowed the Bismarck to withstand any ship of its class. True, the very first raid of the new battleship turned into its death: after the Bismarck sank the flagship of the English fleet, the battleship Hood, a targeted hunt was opened for the German giant and it was destroyed by clearly superior forces.

The largest battleship: the Iowa-class battleship

Country: USA
Launched: 1942
Displacement: 45,000 t
Length: 270.43 m
Full speed: 33 knots
Crew: 2637 people.

The American Iowa-class battleship is the largest surface ship in the world before the era of attack aircraft carriers. Its creators have achieved the maximum combination of weapons, seaworthiness and protective equipment. A total of four battleships of this type were built: Iowa, New Jersey, Missouri and Wisconsin. They entered service with the US Navy in 1943 and were withdrawn from service in 1990. They took part in the Second World War, in the wars in Korea and Vietnam, and after modernization with the installation of Harpoon anti-ship systems and Tomahawk-type cruise missiles in addition to the main caliber guns (406 mm), they carried out high-precision strikes on coastal targets during Operation " Desert Storm."

The most modern warship: Type 45 Daring

Country: UK
Launched: 2006
Displacement: 8100 t
Length: 152.4 m
Full speed: 29 knots or more
Crew: 195 people.

The British Type 45 destroyer (Daring) is considered the most modern and advanced warship in the world today. At the moment, the first two Darings have arrived at the disposal of the British fleet - Daring D32 and Dauntless D33. These ships are designed primarily for air defense in the fleet's operating area, and the ship's systems are capable of coordinating the actions of coastal aviation. On the other hand, a cruising range of over 5,000 nautical miles allows the 45 type to be a sufficiently mobile autonomous platform for deploying air defense systems anywhere on the planet.

The very first production drone: Protector

Country: Israel
Launched into series: 2007
Length: 9 m
Full speed: 50 knots
Armament: typhoon weapon system with the ability to install a 7.62 mm machine gun, 12.7 mm machine gun or 40 mm grenade launcher

In 2007, the Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd launched the Protector unmanned boat into serial production, which became the first unmanned combat watercraft to enter service, not only in Israel, but also in Singapore. The option of putting it into service in the US Navy is also being considered. The main purpose of an unmanned boat is reconnaissance and patrolling of coastal areas, when the use of conventional means is dangerous for personnel.

Best ship of the First World War: Steam turbine destroyer Novik

Country Russia
Launched: 1913
Displacement: 1260 t (1620 t after
modernization)
Length: 102.43 m
Full speed power: 42,000 hp.
Full speed: 37 knots
Crew: 117 (168 after modernization) people.

For many years, the destroyer Novik, launched in 1913, was considered the best ship of its class in the world - the fastest, most invulnerable, and maneuverable. On August 21, 1913 (even before the official presentation to the public), at a measured mile the ship reached a speed of 37.3 knots - at that time this was a world record. The Novik was initially designed to carry 60 ball mines without weight compensation, while its English competitors, in order to take on board such a number, had to remove the stern gun and the stern twin-tube torpedo tube.

The best heavy cruiser of World War II: Tone-class cruisers

Country: Japan
Launched: 1937
Displacement: 15,443 t
Length: 189.1 m
Full speed power: 152,000 hp.
Full speed: 35 knots
Crew: 874 people.

Strangely enough, the best ships of the heavy cruiser class are considered not to be American or English designs, but the French Algerie and Japanese Tone-class cruisers. Two cruisers of this series (“Tone” and “Chikuma”) entered service in 1937 and 1938, respectively. In comparison with the original project (they were planned as light cruisers), the Tone were heavily overloaded, and the crew lived in very close quarters, but in terms of the level of armament, armor and torpedo protection, and counter-flooding measures, they had no equal in the world.

In 1945, after the expulsion of the Japanese colonialists, Koreans lived poorer than the natives of New Guinea. There was not a single person in Seoul with a higher education, and the American provisional authorities could not find a Korean capable of driving a tram. The fratricidal war that broke out finally turned the south of the Korean Peninsula into a land of total chaos and devastation. The country was tormented by an acute energy crisis - all hydroelectric power plants remained on the territory of the DPRK. By the end of the 50s, a third of the country's working population was unemployed, and per capita GDP was $79 - less than in African and Latin American countries.

Now, looking at the shining skyscrapers of Seoul, it’s hard to believe that half a century ago everything was different here. The remote outskirts of the world have become the world's leading exporter of marine, automotive, electronics and consumer goods.

Shipbuilding is considered one of the locomotives of South Korean industry. For example, Hyundai is known in the world not only as a manufacturer of cheap cars, but also as a leader in large-tonnage shipbuilding - ocean-going linear container ships, supertankers, ferries... In total, Hyundai Heavy Industries accounts for 17% of the total world shipbuilding volume and 30% of the volume production of marine engines!

The Koreans are not sitting still and are aggressively conquering new markets, absorbing their competitors. It is no secret that the Russian Mistral is de facto being built by the South Korean corporation STX, which owns the shipyard in Saint-Nazaire.

The inhabitants of the Korean Peninsula provide marine technology for a good half of the world. At the same time, they never forget about their own interests: the Navy of the Republic of Korea is the fourth most powerful in the Asia-Pacific region. “Advanced” technologies were chosen as the key vector of development - without compromising the number of ship personnel. The fleet is powerful, modern and numerous. Unlike the Japanese, who adhere to a strictly defensive concept for the development of their Navy, South Korean sailors are actively experimenting with sea-based cruise missiles. Work is underway in the field of creating anti-ship missiles and anti-submarine missile torpedoes; a vertical launch installation of its own design and an analogue of the Tomahawk (Hyunmoo-IIIC SLCM) have been put into service.

The efforts of the Koreans were generously rewarded - in 2008, the South Korean Navy accepted a ship that is considered the most heavily armed ship in the world.

Sejong the Great (DDG-991). Korean Destroyer eXperimental-III (KDX-III) Project

Of course, from a strategic point of view, the destroyer Sejong the Great must be compared with the ships of the DPRK, the main geopolitical enemy of South Korea. For obvious reasons, making such a comparison is difficult. The South Korean super destroyer is categorically different from the wooden feluccas and patrol boats built in the 60s.

In terms of the number of missiles installed on it, Sejong the Great makes sense to compare with another sea monster - the nuclear-powered cruiser Peter the Great (both ships undoubtedly deserve the prefix “great”).

144 missiles for various purposes versus 124 Petra missiles (not counting the ammunition of the self-defense air defense systems - "Dagger", "Dirk", RIM-116). If we take into account all the short-range anti-aircraft missiles, then the ratio will be 165 missiles for the “Korean” versus 444 missiles for our cruiser.

Of course, comparing ships by the number of missiles looks like a curiosity. How can you put on a par the 7-ton P-700 Granit and the subsonic Hae Sung anti-ship missile, which has a launch weight 10 times less?

However, the South Korean ship's ammunition load is a third higher than that of any American or Japanese Aegis destroyer. And in terms of the number of long-range anti-aircraft missiles, anti-submarine torpedoes, anti-ship missiles and SLCMs, Sejong the Great leaves even the Russian supercruiser behind. In fact, according to this indicator, it has no equal in the world (before the modernized TARKR Admiral Nakhimov came into operation).

Unlike the Russian ship, Sejong the Great is capable of carrying high-precision weapons to strike targets deep in the coast. The second advantage of the Sejong is that, like any Aegis destroyer, it is equipped with a powerful AN/SPY-1 radar (the most modern “D” modification), ideal for monitoring airspace at long distances, incl. at extra-atmospheric altitudes. However, unlike the Japanese Navy, the Koreans do not yet plan to equip their destroyers with SM-3 space interceptor missiles.

In general, the capabilities of the air defense system of Aegis destroyers are noticeably exaggerated. The universal AN/SPY-1 radar and low antenna arrays are a fatal drawback of all Eagle Berks and their Japanese and South Korean clones. The radar, as it turned out, is not at all “universal” and does not distinguish low-flying missiles well.

The fire control systems raise no less doubts - the Sejong is equipped with a standard set of three AN/SPG-62 backlight radars with mechanical scanning in azimuth and elevation. The system is reliable, but 30 years have passed since its creation. Many fleets now have much more advanced control systems based on phased array radars and active radar seeker systems for anti-aircraft missiles. Only the Yankees and their allies continue to “turn the old barrel organ.”

In addition to standard radars, the Sejong detection system includes the French Sagem IRST infrared detection system.

The Sejong anti-aircraft ammunition consists of 80 long-range SM-2MR Block IIIB missiles made in the USA. A comparison of these ammunition with the Petra anti-aircraft missiles gives the following result: the SM-2MR is superior in firing range to the S-300F and is approximately equivalent to the S-300FM in this parameter. The American missile is more compact and has half the mass, as a result - its flight speed is almost half that of the domestic 46H6E2 missile; moreover, the SM-2MR is equipped with a warhead of less mass. At the same time, SM-2MR Block IIIB, in addition to the usual radar seeker, has an active guidance mode in the IR range (the mode is intended for firing at “stealth” and other targets with low RCS).

Among other anti-aircraft weapons on board the Sejong there is a RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile self-defense air defense system - a 21-round launcher on a movable carriage, in the bow of the superstructure. Technically, RAM missiles are short-range airborne Sidewinder missiles with infrared seekers from the Stinger MANPADS. Max. launch range - 10,000 meters. It is curious that Sejong became the first of the Aegis destroyers to receive such a system.

The stern corners are covered by another self-defense system - the seven-barreled automatic gun "Goalkeeper". Thanks to high-quality drives and fire control devices, high rate of fire and the power of 30 mm projectiles, the Dutch “Goalkeeper” is considered one of the best systems for this purpose.

Structurally, the Sejong is an enlarged Burke series IIA with increased ammunition and expanded combat capabilities. The South Korean destroyer is 10 meters longer and a meter wider than its American “progenitor”. The total displacement of the Sejong has reached 11 thousand tons and corresponds to the military-grade missile cruiser Moskva!

External appearance with elements of stealth technology, layout, weapons and a power plant consisting of four LM2500 gas turbines - Sejong inherited most of the features of a typical Aegis destroyer. With all its undoubted advantages and disadvantages.

The displacement reserve was rationally spent on increasing the ammunition load and fuel supply on board: the Sejong's cruising range at cruising, 20-knot speed increased by 600 miles (5,500 miles versus 4,890 for the most modern Burks).

Of particular interest are below-deck vertical launch units (UVP/VLS). Compared to the original design, the nose section of the UVP was increased from 32 to 48 Mk.41 cells. The stern missile launch complex has also undergone major changes - the number of Mk.41 cells has been reduced to 32 units. Instead, a little further aft, 48 UVP K-VLS cells of our own Korean production were located. Thus, the total number of UVP cells on the missile destroyer has reached 128 units.

The ammunition is placed as follows: according to open sources, all 80 original Mk.41s are used to store and launch SM-2MR anti-aircraft missiles. In the cells of the Korean K-VLS, 32 Hyunmoo IIIC cruise missiles and 16 Red Shark anti-submarine missiles (also known as K-ASROC) were deployed in front.

"Red Shark" is a typical anti-submarine missile with an anti-submarine torpedo as a warhead. The main difference from the American ASROC-VL is the small-sized torpedo: instead of the Mk.50, a 324 mm torpedo of its own design, the K745 “Blue Shark,” is used.

The Hyunmoo IIIC SLCM is an analogue of the Tomahawk. According to the Koreans, the missile is capable of launching at a range of 1000...1500 km. It is equipped with a 500-kg warhead, but, unlike the Ax, it is capable of reaching supersonic speed (1.2M). March flight altitude - 50...100 m. Guidance - INS and GPS.

Launch of the Hyunmoo SLCM from one of the ships of the Republic of Korea Navy

The Korean destroyer's weapons also include:

16 SSM-700K Hae Sung anti-ship missiles. A small-sized subsonic anti-ship missile, another “national” clone of the American Harpoon. The missiles are placed in quad launchers in the middle part of the ship;

127 mm universal gun Mk.45 (the latest Mod.4 modification with a barrel length of 62 calibers);

Two anti-submarine systems with small-sized Blue Shark torpedoes (six units in total);

Helipad, hangar for two helicopters - British Super Lynx or Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk are used.

Epilogue

The phenomenon of transforming a backward agricultural country into one of the leading economies in the world was called the “Miracle on the Han River.” Another fact will sound no less surprising: in the period from 2007 to 2012, the Koreans managed to build three super destroyers!

Sejong the Great (DDG-991) and Seoae Ryu Seong-ryong (DDG-993) were built at the facilities of Hyundai Heavy Industries.

Yulgok Yi I (DDG-992) was built by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering.

In the near future, the Koreans plan to build six more Aegis destroyers under the KDX-IIA project. Unlike the large Sejong ships, the new ships will have a total displacement in the range of 5500...7500 tons and will be focused on conducting combat operations in the coastal zone. The transfer of the ships to the fleet will take place between 2019 and 2026.

At different times, these giants terrified the enemy. But the world will remember them not only as a formidable weapon of war. The names of the largest warships of their time are forever inscribed in golden letters in world history.

7. Project 1144 nuclear cruiser “Orlan”

Country Russia
length: 250 m
width: 28.5 m
displacement: 25,860 t (full)
crew: 1035 people

“Peter the Great” – this is the proud name that today’s only heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser of Project 1144 “Orlan” bears (a total of four such ships were built). Project 1144 is iconic in every sense. Now "Peter the Great" is the largest warship in the world, not counting aircraft carriers. But the cruiser is famous not only for its size. In open combat, it is superior to any non-aircraft carrier. P-700 Granit cruise missiles with a range of up to 625 km pose a threat even to aircraft carriers (although, to be honest, the ship itself is a convenient target due to its size). Soon, "Peter the Great" may receive new hypersonic missiles "Zircon", thus becoming even more dangerous.

6. Universal landing ships of the "America" ​​type

Country: USA
length: 257.3 m
width: 32.3 m
displacement: 45,700 tons (full)
crew: 1059 crew + troops

Universal landing ships, as you might guess, were created to conduct landing operations. But the Americans have greatly expanded this definition. The new America-class UDC is, in fact, a mini-aircraft carrier that is capable of carrying a solid aviation group of 22 fifth-generation F-35B fighters. These planes will take off from the deck using a short takeoff run, and they will land vertically. But there are other configurations: the UDC can carry many V-22 tiltrotors, which can deliver troops by air much faster than conventional helicopters. The lead ship of the USS America series (LHA 6) was introduced into the US fleet in 2014, and in total the Americans want to receive twelve such ships. In the future, they will replace the Wasp-type UDC.

5. Universal landing ships of the Wasp type

Country: USA
length: 257.30 m
width: 42.67 m
displacement: 40,532 tons (full)
crew: 1147 crew + troops

Until the advent of “America”, ships of the “Wasp” type had no competitors in their size among UDCs. They were created specifically to ensure transportation by sea and landing on an unequipped coast of an expeditionary marine battalion, the number of which could reach almost 1,900 people. The paratroopers can be supported by AV-8B Harrier II vertical take-off and landing combat aircraft (their number can reach 20). The Marines also have AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters at their disposal. At the rear of the Wasp there is a large room where equipment used for landing operations can be located. In total, the American fleet received eight such ships.

4. Clemenceau-class aircraft carriers

Country: Brazil
length: 265.0 m
width: 51.2 m
displacement: 32,780 t (full)
crew: 1338 people

In fact, aircraft carriers of the Clemenceau type were created not in Brazil, but in France, and back in the 50s. After the appearance of the much more modern Charles de Gaulle, they were removed from service, and one of the ships was transferred to the Brazilian Navy, where it continues to serve to this day. In Brazil, the ship was named "São Paulo". Even today, it remains a fairly formidable combat unit, which can carry up to 40 aircraft, including fifteen French carrier-based Super Étendard attack aircraft.

3. Aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle

Country: France
length: 261.5 m
width: 64.36 m
displacement: 42,000 tons (full)
crew: 1200 people

This is the only nuclear-powered aircraft carrier of the French Navy: the authorities wanted to lay down another one, but this idea was abandoned, given the huge cost of the warship. In any case, we have before us the largest European aircraft carrier. The basis of the power of this ship is the 4++ Rafale M generation fighters. In total, it can carry up to 40 aircraft. In terms of its combat potential, the Charles de Gaulle is inferior to American aircraft carriers (they are larger in size and can carry a larger number of winged vehicles). However, the Charles de Gaulle also repeatedly proved its combat capability, in particular during the operation in Syria. British aircraft carriers of the Queen Elizabeth class will soon displace the Charles de Gaulle: when they are commissioned, they will become the largest warships in Europe.

2. Project 1143 aircraft carrier cruisers

(characteristics correspond to the Admiral Kuznetsov TAVKR)
country Russia
length: 306.45 m
width: 71.96 m
displacement: 59,100 t (full)
crew: 1980 people

Let us clarify: the definition of “project 1143” hides several subtypes of aircraft-carrying ships. Four of them (Kiev, Minsk, Novorossiysk, Baku) could use Yak-38 attack aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing. Subsequently, on the basis of Project 1143, the Project 1143.5 ship Admiral Kuznetsov was built, as well as two more aircraft-carrying cruisers (Varyag and Ulyanovsk), which received an expanded take-off deck and the ability to use aircraft with conventional takeoff and landing, such as the Su- 33. The fate of all these ships turned out differently. "Admiral Kuznetsov" became the only Russian aircraft carrier. But “Varyag” turned into the Chinese “Liaoning”. The ship "Baku" underwent modernization and joined the ranks of the Indian Navy under the name "Vikramaditya". “Ulyanovsk” was never completed, although conceptually it was the most advanced of the entire series: it had a steam catapult and, in theory, could use AWACS aircraft.

1. Nimitz-class aircraft carriers

Country: USA
length: 332.8 m
width: 78.4 m
displacement: 106,300 tons
crew: 5680 people

Finally, the well-deserved first place in our rating went to the American giant Nimitz - the largest and most powerful warship of all that are currently in operation. Almost 90 aircraft can be accommodated on board! For comparison, Admiral Kuznetsov can carry no more than 50 aircraft. The Nimitz air group includes F/A-18 fighters, EA-6B electronic warfare aircraft, E-2C airborne early warning aircraft and other aircraft. The Americans commissioned ten such ships: they were actively used, in particular, during the campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. But the Nimitz will not last forever, and soon this type of ship will be replaced by other aircraft carriers of the Gerald R. Ford type. They will be just as huge, and in addition, they will be able to carry fifth-generation F-35C fighters. In general, the Ford will become more economical than its “big brother” while maintaining high combat capabilities.