Nuclear-powered missile cruiser Peter the Great. Heavy nuclear missile cruiser "Peter the Great"

The cruiser was transferred to the fleet.

Name	Commissioned into the Navy	Current status
Heavy nuclear missile cruiser "Kirov" ("Admiral Ushakov")	December 30, 1980
Heavy nuclear missile cruiser "Frunze" ("Admiral Lazarev")	October 31, 1984	It sucks. No decision has been made regarding disposal. The fate of the cruiser will depend on the result of the modernization of the cruiser Admiral Nakhimov.
Heavy nuclear missile cruiser "Kalinin" ("Admiral Nakhimov")	December 30, 1988	Under repair and modernization.
Heavy nuclear missile cruiser "Yuri Andropov" ("Peter the Great")	1998	In service. Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy.

Design

Hull and superstructure design

The ship has about 1,600 rooms, including 140 single and double cabins for officers and midshipmen, 30 cabins for sailors and petty officers (for 6-30 people each), 220 vestibules, 49 corridors with a total length of almost 20 kilometers, 15 showers, two baths, one sauna with a 6x2.5 m swimming pool, a two-tier medical block with isolation hospitals, a pharmacy, an X-ray room, an outpatient clinic, a dental office and an operating room. The power plant of the Project 1144 cruiser could provide electricity and heat to a city with a population of 100-150 thousand inhabitants.

Basic tactical and technical elements

Displacement

• Standard: 23,750 t
• Full: 25,860 t

Dimensions

• Overall length: 250.1 m
• Overall width: 28.5 m
• Dimension draft: 10.3 m

Travel speed

• Full - 31 knots (more than 55 km/h)
• Operational and economic - 18 knots (more than 33 km/h)
• Navigation autonomy: 60 days

Crew

• 759 people (including 120 officers)

Power plant

A nuclear power plant with KN-3 reactors (VM-16 type core), although created on the basis of OK-900 type icebreaker reactors, has significant differences. The most important thing is that the fuel assemblies (manufactured by the machine-building plant in Elektrostal) contain uranium with a high degree of enrichment (about 70%). The service life of such a zone until the next recharge is 10-11 years. The reactors are double-circuit, water-to-water, using thermal neutrons; high-purity water (bidistillate) is used as a moderator and coolant, which under high pressure (about 200 atmospheres) circulates through the reactor core, ensuring boiling of the secondary circuit, which goes to the turbines in in the form of steam.

Particular attention was paid to developing a scheme for using the ship's power plant, the shaft power of which reached 70 thousand hp. With . The complex-automated nuclear power plant was located in three compartments and included two nuclear reactors with a total thermal power of 342 MW, two turbo-gear units (located forward and aft of the reactor compartment) and two backup automated boilers KVG-2 installed in the turbine compartments. The steam supply system allows you to supply steam to any installation on any side. The main parameters of the boiler unit: temperature of superheated steam at a pressure of 66 kg/cm - 470 degrees, boiler efficiency up to 84%, dry boiler weight 50 tons. Steam capacity is 115 t/hour.

The cruiser's power plant included four 3 MW steam turbine generators and four 1.5 MW gas turbine generators from the Proletarsky Plant, located in four autonomous compartments. The motor life of each of them is up to 50 thousand hours.

Armament

Anti-ship missile "Granit P-700"

Over-the-horizon target designation and guidance can be carried out by the Tu-95 RC aircraft, the Ka-27 helicopter or the SATCOM space system (Legend-M). The missile is designed to combat aircraft carrier strike groups and is capable of operating not only against formations of ships of all classes during armed conflicts of any intensity, but also effectively hitting targets on the enemy’s coast with a conventional warhead. If necessary, ships with the Granit complex can serve as a reserve for solving the tasks of the Naval Strategic Nuclear Forces.

Twenty anti-ship missiles "Granit" are installed under the upper deck, with an elevation angle of 60°. The SM-233 launchers were manufactured at the Leningrad Metal Plant. Due to the fact that Granit missiles were originally intended for submarines, the launcher is filled with sea water before launch. The modification of the Granit anti-ship missile system, installed on ships of the updated Project 1144(2) series, is not controlled after launch. In rapid fire mode, one missile, acting as a “gunner,” flies along a high trajectory to maximize the target acquisition area, while the other missiles fly along a low trajectory. During flight, the missiles exchange information about targets. If a "guider" missile is intercepted, then one of the other missiles automatically takes over its functions. The missile system is resistant to enemy radio interference. According to the experience of combat and operational training of the Navy, it is almost impossible to shoot down such a missile. Even if you hit the Granit with an anti-missile missile, the missile, due to its enormous mass and speed, can maintain its initial flight speed and, as a result, reach the target.

SAM "S-300F"

SAM "Dagger"

Current status

According to Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Vladimir Popovkin, the Russian Ministry of Defense has developed a program for the restoration of heavy nuclear-powered missile cruisers. As of September 2009 in combat strength The Russian Navy had one nuclear-powered missile cruiser, the Peter the Great, and the possibility of restoring and modernizing the nuclear-powered cruiser Admiral Nakhimov, as well as the Admiral Lazarev, was discussed. “We have several of these ships left from Soviet fleet. We have developed a program to restore them,” Popovkin said. According to him, the Ministry of Defense considers it expedient to have up to three such ships in the Navy, despite the fact that one of them will be in the Pacific Fleet and two in the Northern Fleet. The need to use heavy nuclear missile cruisers is dictated by the tasks of long-distance cruises and exercises, the deputy minister explained.

As a high-ranking representative of the main headquarters of the Russian Navy told RIA Novosti: “All nuclear-powered missile cruisers of Project 1144 in reserve will be returned to the operational strength of the Russian Navy by 2020.”

The work will be carried out over the next five years. Then the ship will go to the Northern Fleet in tandem with the cruiser of the same project "Peter the Great". Work is currently underway to determine the parameters for updating power plants, radio equipment units and weapons. The choice is made in the direction of increasing the combat power of the ship. By the end of 2012, the Military-Industrial Commission under the Russian government will hear all options for modernizing the ship and decide which one to choose.

see also

Notes

1. Lenta.ru: Comments: Fire extinguishers “Peter the Great”
2. The 35th ship repair plant will receive 5 billion rubles to modernize production
3. Old cruisers will be turned into nuclear killers
4. Shlemov: the first Borei will go north, the second to the east
5. Commander-in-Chief of the Navy on the development of the Russian Navy in the near future
6. reactor installations operated on nuclear ships
7. A. S. Pavlov. Nuclear-powered cruisers of the Kirov class (Project 1144)
8. Website "ATRINA" Heavy nuclear missile cruiser pr.1144 "Orlan" type "Kirov", Kirov class

I read what I thought was an interesting article about the missile cruiser "Peter the Great", I invite you to read it and express your opinion:

The strengthening of the presence of the Russian Navy in the World Ocean responded with a stream of high-profile messages in the media: interviews, questions, forecasts, comments and assessments of domestic and foreign experts. The main “star” of the ongoing events, as usual, is the nuclear-powered missile cruiser “Peter the Great” - the largest non-aircraft-carrying warship in the world, a 26,000-ton giant with the monumental appearance of an imperial cruiser and three hundred missiles on board.

Every time the name “Petra” is mentioned, the forums begin to compare it with foreign ships of a similar class and purpose. Of course, there are no direct analogues of the domestic TARKR - this cruiser is a unique technical masterpiece of its kind. But, based on a number of parameters, it is possible to select rivals: the air defense capabilities of the Petra are usually compared with American Aegis cruisers (or destroyers - which, incidentally, is the same thing).

And this is where the fun begins...

Aegis (“Agis” in other Greek) is the mythical shield of Athena and Zeus, according to legend, made from the skin of the magical goat Amalthea. In the center of the shield is the head of the Gorgon Medusa, which turns a person into stone with her gaze. A universal weapon for attack and defense helped Zeus in the battle with the Titans.

In 1983, a new warship entered the ocean. At the stern, a huge banner “Stand by admiral Gorshkov: “Aegis” - at sea!” fluttered in the wind. (Beware, Admiral Gorshkov! “Aegis” is at sea!). This is how the missile cruiser USS Ticonderoga (CG-47) began its service with luscious stars-and-stripes pathos. Ticonderoga became the world's first ship* equipped with the Aegis combat information and control system. BIUS "Aegis" provides simultaneous tracking of hundreds of surface, ground, underwater and air targets, their selection and automatic targeting of the ship's weapons at the most dangerous objects. Official sources have always emphasized that Aegis takes the air defense of formations of US Navy ships to a new level: from now on, not a single anti-ship missile, even with a mass launch, will be able to break through the super-technological “shield” of the Ticonderoga cruiser. Currently, the Aegis BIUS » installed on 107 naval ships of five countries. Over the 30 years of its existence, the combat control system has acquired so many terrible stories and legends that even Ancient Greek mythology would envy it.

Launch of an anti-aircraft missile of the S-300F complex

The cruiser carries more than 200 anti-aircraft missiles on board, this is enough for everyone, the patriots confidently say.

No! - pro-American citizens scream, - combat Information system"Aegis" ("Aegis") is worth the whole world. Your cruiser is just a puppy compared to the proven Ticonderoga or Orly Burke.

Go to hell! - supporters of the domestic fleet are losing their temper - our cruiser has two S-300 complexes - just try to poke your nose in!

Shoot, cheap girl! - they are answered from overseas - Yankee ships are able to hit targets in low Earth orbit - that’s where real, not ostentatious, power is!

A constructive dialogue does not happen until one of the vigilant citizens notices something odd in the appearance of the Russian cruiser: “Gentlemen, why do the Petra’s superstructures look like a Chernobyl forest after the accident?”

An ornate silhouette, bulky pyramidal masts, spreading “branches” of antenna devices for radars and communication systems sticking out everywhere... Just listing this “zoo” can bring a smile: the Peter the Great radar complex includes the Voskhod and Frigate M2 radars ", "Podkat", "Positive", "Volna", 4P48 with a phased array antenna, 3P95 antenna post, MP184 "Lev" artillery fire control radar, and finally, two "Vaigach-U" navigation radars.

In addition to the general irrationality and difficulty in coordinating the work of such large quantity radio equipment, the sloppy appearance of the Peter greatly increases its visibility - the cruiser shines on enemy radar screens like the brightest star. Surely “backward Bolshevik technologies” played a certain role... But not to the same extent!

How neat and modern, after all, does the American Aegis destroyer of the Orly Burke type seem - clean lines of superstructures made using stealth technology, a minimum of external decorative elements, the only multi-purpose detection radar with fixed phased array panels. The American Burke looks like a guest from other worlds - its appearance is so unusual compared to the ships of the Russian Navy.

Orly Burke-class destroyer

But is this really so? What pitfalls are hidden behind the stylish image of an American destroyer? And is our “Peter the Great” as outdated as it seems at first glance?

In the glamor of high technology, or the Miser pays twice

The American ship is built around the Aegis combat information and control system, which combines all detection means, communications, weapons and systems for combating the survivability of the ship. Universal robot destroyers are capable of exchanging information with their own kind and making decisions for the commander. The Yankees took 20 years to create such a system - a truly serious development, which contains the most progressive ideas of modern naval combat: detection and instant selection of targets is at the forefront. The American ship will be the first to make a decision, the first to shoot and the first to destroy the enemy. The Pentagon calls Aegis destroyers the best naval air defense system today.

The key element of the system is the AN/SPY-1 radar, which is a combination of four flat phased antenna arrays mounted on the sides of the destroyer's superstructure. “Spy” is capable of automatically searching by azimuth and elevation, capturing, classifying and tracking hundreds of air targets, and programming anti-aircraft missile autopilots on the launch and sustaining sections of the trajectory.

AN/SPY-1D phased array radar

The use of a single multifunctional radar made it possible to simplify the collection and analysis of information, as well as to eliminate mutual interference that occurs on other ships when a large number of radar stations are operating.

However, behind the apparent advantage of SPY-1 lies a very difficult technical problem: How to teach the radar to effectively detect targets at long and short distances at the same time? Decimeter waves (“Spy” operates in the S band) are well reflected from the sea surface - a flurry of interference makes it difficult to recognize missiles rushing over the water itself, making the destroyer completely defenseless against supersonic anti-ship missiles. In addition, the low placement of the SPY-1 antennas reduces the already short detection range of low-flying targets, robbing the ship of precious seconds needed to respond to a threat.

No one in the world dared to repeat the American trick with a “single multifunctional radar” - on warship projects created in other countries, in addition to the general detection radar, the installation of a specialized radar for detecting low-flying targets is always provided:
- British “Daring” (decimeter survey S1850M + centimeter SAMPSON)
- Franco-Italian “Horizon” (S1850M + centimeter EMPAR)
- Japanese “Akizuki” (dual-band FCS-3A with active phased arrays. In fact, two radars (band C and X), united under a common name).
But what about the discovery of CC on the Russian nuclear cruiser?

Radars "Peter the Great"

The Russian ship has everything in order in perfect order– detection of air targets is assigned to three radar stations for various purposes:

Powerful surveillance radar MR-600 "Voskhod" (located at the top of the foremast - the first mast from the bow of the ship);

Three-dimensional radar MR-750 "Fregat M2" with a phased array antenna (located on the top of the next, lower mainmast);

Specialized two-dimensional radar MP-350 “Podkat” for detecting low-flying targets (two antennas are located on the platforms on the sides of the foremast). Main feature stations have a special radiation pattern with narrowed “side lobes” (low elevation angle scanning) and a high data update rate.

This is exactly the kind of radar that the American Aegis destroyer lacks.

At the top of the foremast there is an antenna for the Voskhod surveillance radar; a little lower, on the platforms on the sides of the mast, two Podkat radar antennas are visible. In front, on the roof of the superstructure, is the phased antenna array of the S-300FM “Fort-M” air defense system control system.

But discovering does not mean destroying. The target must be tracked, the weapon pointed at it and the entire process of the missile's flight to the target monitored.

On the US ship, this is done, as usual, by the AN/SPY-1 multifunctional radar, coupled with three target illumination radars. The Spy super-radar is capable of simultaneously monitoring up to 18...20 anti-aircraft missiles: determining their position in space and automatically transmitting corrective impulses to the SAM autopilots, directing them to the desired sector of the sky. However, the Aegis system carefully ensures that the number of missiles in the final part of the trajectory does not exceed three.

The trick is that most modern naval air defense systems (including Standard and S-300F) use a semi-active guidance method: a special radar “illuminates” the target, the missile head reacts to the reflected “echo”. It's simple. But the number of simultaneously fired targets is limited by the number of illumination radars.
As noted above, American destroyers have only three AN/SPG-62 radars. The heading angles are covered by one, the stern angles by two, and the side angles by all three together. For the Russian nuclear cruiser, the situation is fundamentally different: the guidance of missiles of the S-300F and 300FM complexes is carried out by two specialized radars, each of which provides missile tracking from the moment of its launch until it hits the target:

4P48 phased array radar (flat “plate” in front of the Peter the Great superstructure). Unlike the American AN/SPG-62, which provides simultaneous illumination of only one target, domestic system forms six guidance channels: in total, 4R48 is capable of simultaneously guiding up to 12 missiles at 6 air targets!

The second radar is the 3P41 “Volna”, which received the nickname “boob” in the navy for its characteristic appearance (clearly visible in the aft part of the superstructure). Actually, they planned to install a modern 4P48 at this place, but, alas, during the construction of the cruiser there was only enough money for the “boob”, and modern 4P48s were sold abroad and installed on board Chinese Liuzhou-class destroyers.
As a result, from the stern, the Peter is capable of directing only 6 missiles at three targets - but, in any case, this is a better result compared to the American Aegis destroyer.

In addition to a larger number of control channels, the domestic fire control scheme based on specialized 3P41 and 4P48 radars provides much more reliable and noise-resistant missile guidance during the cruising phase, compared to the American multifunctional AN/SPY-1.

Unlike the American Aegis destroyer, where the guidance of all types of anti-aircraft missiles (Standard-2.3, Sea Sparrow, ESSM) is carried out by a single fire control system (SPY-1 + three SPG-62), the Russian cruiser equipped with two types of air defense systems with individual guidance systems. In addition to the S-300F/300FM zonal air defense systems, the Kinzhal anti-aircraft self-defense system is installed on board the Petra - 128 missiles short range, designed to repel attacks by anti-ship missiles.

"Dagger" has its own antenna post 3Р95, located in the aft part of the superstructure, next to the twin artillery piece. The anti-aircraft complex uses a 4-channel radio command system, which provides simultaneous guidance of up to 8 missiles at 4 air targets in a 60° x 60° sector.

Launch of a Kinzhal air defense missile system from the nuclear cruiser Frunze (Admiral Lazarev), late 1980s

The last line of defense of "Petra" is formed by six anti-aircraft artillery complexes "Kortik" - each combat module is a twin 30 mm caliber machine gun (total rate of fire 10,000 rounds per minute) coupled with a block of short-range 9M311 anti-aircraft missiles. In addition to their own radar equipment, the "Kortika" receives target designation from two antenna posts of the "Positive" radar.

In this case, for American cruisers and destroyers, everything is much sadder - at best, a pair of Phalanx automated anti-aircraft guns are mounted on board the Orly Berkov, which is a set of a six-barreled 20 mm cannon and a compact fire control radar, mounted on one carriage. In connection with attempts to reduce the costs of their construction, the latest series of US Navy destroyers are generally deprived of any anti-aircraft self-defense systems.

Actually, the Orly Burke lacks a lot of things - fantastic Aegis destroyers, positioned by the Pentagon as the best warships Air defense/missile defense systems do not have a special radar for detecting NLCs, nor a sufficient number of target illumination radars. This is what explains the pleasing “smoothness” of their superstructures and the absence of “extra” antennas.

Epilogue

“Fragat”, “Podcat”, “Volna”... Each of the radars has its own specific purpose and is focused on performing its own specific task. Combining them into a single “universal” station is an attractive idea, but difficult to implement in practice: fundamental laws of nature stand in the way of engineers - for each case it is preferable to work in a certain wave range.

It is no coincidence that one of the most advanced developments in the field of maritime detection equipment - the promising AN/SPY-3 radar with three active phased arrays, planned for installation on the American destroyer Zamvolt, was originally created as an integral part of a system of two radars: centimeter AN/SPY- 3 for searching for low-altitude targets and surveillance AN/SPY-4 (decimeter wave range). Subsequently, under the blows of financial cuts, the Pentagon abandoned the installation of the AN/SPY-4, with the wording “the destroyer is not intended to provide zonal air defense.” Simply put, the Zamvolt super-destroyer will not be able to effectively hit air targets at a range of over 50 km (however, unlike the Burke, which can shoot down space satellites, the Zamvolt is ideal for repelling attacks from low-flying anti-ship missiles).

The Yankees, as you know, are big fans of standardization and unification - now let them choose what is better...

Unlike the American Aegis and Zamvoltov, the Russian nuclear cruiser carries on board a full set of detection and fire control equipment for hitting air targets at any distance. Even now, taking into account the deliberate weakening of its characteristics, in connection with well-known events of a political and economic nature, the heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser "Peter the Great" remains the strongest combat unit, whose capabilities, in terms of air defense, are equivalent to two or three American Aegis destroyers.

The design of this giant has enormous potential - replacing the outdated Voskhod radar with a modern radar with active phased array, similar to the European S1850M and equipping the ship with missiles of the S-400 complex and replacing part of the ammunition with anti-aircraft missiles with active homing heads - will turn the cruiser into an impregnable sea fortress .

Let me remind you that this article is not opposing the Peter the Great and one of the US ships with the Aegis system as opponents; it is trying to compare the effectiveness of air defense systems

Of course, it’s worth mentioning here that there are currently about 60 Orly-Berkovs in the US Navy, and only one “Peter the Great”. This is true and this is a huge minus. But there are also positive aspects; a decision was made to repair and modernize three more Orlans.

"Kirov" / "Admiral Ushakov"— A decision was made to scrap the ship. However, now it is planned to carry out its repair and complete modernization. Commissioning is possible after 2020.
"Frunze" / "Admiral Lazarev"— Planned for disposal. However, in 2011, a decision was made to restore and modernize it.
"Kalinin" / "Admiral Nakhimov" - Since 1999, it has been undergoing repairs and modernization at the Sevmash plant in Severodvinsk. It is in a less deplorable condition than Admiral Lazarev and Admiral Ushakov, and was not planned for disposal. In 2012, the design of the new appearance of the ship should be completed. First of all, it is planned to replace obsolete radio-electronic equipment. After modernization, the cruiser should be transferred to the Pacific Fleet. (Source: http://www.modernarmy.ru/article/142 © Modern Army Portal)

It can also be recalled that for Zumwalt, due to cost reductions, the dual-band DBR radar has already been excluded from the project. Because it has still not been possible to cut out a working model, and a lot of money has been spent. The only thing they have well-established is marketing PR. The HULL of the aircraft carrier CVN 78 "Gerald Ford" was launched into the water with the beating of drums and the beating of champagne without the same DBR radar, without EMALS electromagnetic catapults and the widely promoted turboelectric landing system (AAG). All of the above are at the stage of creating prototypes. But the hull has been launched and it is not clear how long it will “rust” while waiting

Here are some old episodes of the American system:

The first feat. Aegis beats Airbus A fiery arrow streaked across the sky, and Air Iran Flight 655 disappeared from radar screens. The US Navy guided missile cruiser Vincennes successfully repelled an air attack... George H. W. Bush, who was vice president at the time, nobly stated: “I will never apologize for America. It doesn’t matter what the facts were” (“I will never apologize for the United States of America, I don’t care what the facts are”).

Tanker war, Gulf of Hormuz. In the early morning of July 3, 1988, the missile cruiser USS Vincennes (CG-49), protecting the Danish tanker Karoma Maersk, entered into battle with eight boats Navy Iran. In pursuit of the boats, American sailors violated the border of Iranian territorial waters, and, by tragic accident, at that moment an unidentified air target appeared on the cruiser's radar.

An Airbus A-300 of Air Iran was making a regular flight that morning on the route Bandar Abbas - Dubai. The simplest route: climb to 4000 meters - straight flight - landing, travel time - 28 minutes. Subsequently, decoding of the found “black boxes” showed that the pilots heard warnings from the American cruiser, but did not at all consider themselves to be an “unidentified aircraft.” Flight 655 was heading towards its death, with 290 people on board at that moment.

The passenger airliner flying at low altitude was identified as an Iranian F-14 fighter. A year ago, under similar circumstances, the Mirage of the Iraqi Air Force shot up the American frigate Stark, killing 37 sailors. The commander of the cruiser Vincennes knew that they had violated the border of another state, so the attack Iranian plane seemed the most logical consequence. A decision had to be made urgently. At 10:54 local time, two Standard-2 anti-aircraft missiles were fired onto the guide beams of the Mk26 launcher...

USS Vincennes. Murderer

After the tragedy, leading Pentagon expert David Parnas complained to the press that “our best computers cannot distinguish an Airbus from a fighter at close range.”
“We were told that the Aegis system is the most magnificent in the world and this simply cannot happen!” - said Representative Patricia Shrowder indignantly.

The ending of this sordid story was unusual. An article appeared in the New Republic magazine (Washington) with the following content: “We owe an apology to Soviet Union for our cheap reaction in 1983 to the downing of a South Korean Boeing 747 over the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. One can argue endlessly about the similarities and differences between the two incidents. Our victims were in the air above the combat zone. Their victims were in the air over Soviet territory. (What if a mysterious plane appeared in the skies of California?) It is now becoming increasingly clear that our reaction to the downing of the South Korean plane is part of cynical propaganda and the result of technological arrogance: that this could never happen to us.”

The second feat. "Aegis" is sleeping at the combat post.

Crossing, crossing. Guns fire in pitch darkness. This is the battleship Missouri on the winter night of February 24, 1991, destroying the advanced units of the Iraqi army, sending shell after shell from its monstrous 406 mm guns. The Iraqis are not in debt - two Haiyin-2 anti-ship missiles (a Chinese copy of the Soviet P-15 Termit anti-ship missile with an increased flight range) are flying from the shore to the battleship.

Aegis, it's here your time! "Aegis", HELP! But the Aegis remained inactive, stupidly blinking its lights and displays. None of the missile cruisers in the US Navy fleet responded to the threat. The situation was saved by Her Majesty's ship "Gloucester" - from an extremely short distance, a British destroyer cut down one "Hayin" using the Sea Dart air defense system - the fragments of an Iraqi missile fell into the water 600 meters from the side of the "Missouri" (the first case of successful interception in combat conditions anti-ship missile using an air defense system). Realizing that there was no longer any point in relying on their unlucky escort, the crew of the battleship began to shoot at the dipole reflectors - with their help, the second missile was deflected to the side (according to another version, the Haiyin-2 anti-ship missile itself fell into the water).

Of course, two anti-ship missiles did not pose a serious threat to the thick-skinned battleship - armor plates 30 centimeters thick reliably covered the crew and equipment. But the very fact that the work of the Aegis was carried out by an old destroyer with the help anti-aircraft missile system, developed in the mid-60s, suggests that the ultra-modern Aegis simply failed the task. American sailors do not comment on this circumstance, although a number of experts express the opinion that the Aegis cruisers operated in a different square, and therefore were unable to detect targets - the Iraqi anti-ship missiles were flying below their radio horizon. And the Gloucester was directly escorting the battleship Missouri, so it came to the rescue in a timely manner.

Gloucester was a British Type 42 destroyer; her sisterships Sheffield and Coventry were ignominiously lost in the Falklands War. The total displacement of the project ships is 4500 tons, i.e. de facto these are small frigates.

Here we could end the story about the adventures of the US Navy in the Persian Gulf, but at the time of the missile attack, another funny emergency happened in the battle group of the battleship Missouri - the Phalanx anti-aircraft self-defense system installed on the American frigate Jarrett received one of dipoles behind the anti-ship missiles and automatically opened fire to kill. Simply put, the frigate staged a “friendly fire” by firing at the battleship Missouri with a six-barreled cannon. And Aegis, of course, has nothing to do with it; chocolate is not to blame for anything.

The third feat. Aegis flies into space

It is, of course, not the BIUS itself that flies, but the RIM-161 “Standard-3” anti-aircraft missile under the close control of “Aegis”. Briefly: the idea of ​​SDI (Strategic Defense Initiative) has not disappeared anywhere - America still dreams of a “missile shield.” In the early 2000s, a four-stage Standard-3 anti-aircraft missile was developed to destroy warheads of ballistic missiles and space satellites in low Earth orbit. They became the bone of contention regarding the deployment of the American missile defense system in Eastern Europe (much more great danger represent the sea-based “Standard-3” - mobile and elusive Aegis systems, but discussion of this problem is of no interest to politicians).

On February 21, 2008, a rocket-satellite extravaganza took place over the Pacific Ocean - the Standard-3 rocket launched from the Aegis cruiser Lake Erie overtook its target at an altitude of 247 kilometers. The American reconnaissance satellite USA-193 was moving at that moment at a speed of 27 thousand km/h.
Breaking is not building. Alas, in our case the saying is not true. It is no easier to disable a spacecraft than to build it and launch it into orbit. Shooting down a satellite with a rocket is the same as hitting a bullet with a bullet. And it was a success!

But there is one caveat. “Aegis” accomplished its feat by firing at a target with a pre-known trajectory - the Americans had enough time (hours, days?) to determine the orbital parameters of the faulty satellite, move the ship to the desired point in the World Ocean, and at the right moment press the “ button Start". Therefore, intercepting a space satellite has little to do with missile defense. But as the Chinese proverb says: the longest and difficult path starts with the first step. And this step has already been taken - American specialists managed to create an extremely mobile, cheap and effective missile system, whose energy indicators make it possible to fire at targets in low Earth orbit. Already at the moment, the US Navy is able to “click” the entire orbital constellation of a “probable enemy”, and the number of Russian satellites in orbit is relatively small compared to the stock of Standard-3 interceptor missiles.

Jokes aside, only a very naive person can claim that Aegis is harmless and, as a combat system, is no good. Any system is characterized not by an error, but by a reaction to an error - after the first “exploits” of the Aegis, the Lokheed-Martin company carried out great job over the errors - the system interface was changed, the AN/SPY-1 radar and the command center computer are constantly being upgraded, the ships received a new range of weapons: the Tomahawk cruise killer, ASROC-VL anti-submarine ammunition, RIM-162 “Evolved” anti-ship missile interceptor in the near zone Sea Sparrow Missle”, the active homing anti-aircraft missile “Standard-6” and, of course, the anti-satellite “Standard-3”. And the main thing is the training of the crew; without a person, any equipment is just a pile of scrap metal.

Lokheed Martin provides the following figures assessing the results of thirty years of operation of the Aegis system: to date, 107 Aegis ships have spent a total of 1250 years in combat campaigns around the world, during test and combat launches more than 3800 missiles of various types were fired from the ships. It is naive to believe that Americans have learned nothing during this time.

Based on materials:

1. http://militaryrussia.ru/
2. http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/
3. Directory “SHIPS OF THE USSR NAVY Volume II. Attack ships. Part I. Aircraft carriers and missile and artillery ships of ranks 1 and 2,” Apalkov Yu.V.
4. “Nuclear cruisers of the Kirov type”, Pavlov A.S.

Again, I can’t help but remind you about or The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy was made -

Heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser (TARKR) Project 1144.3 “Peter the Great” is a highly complex system in technical and combat terms, equipped with the most modern means of destruction, navigation, target designation, reconnaissance and control. Many experts consider this ship to be even more complex than nuclear missile submarines. They worked on its creation in our country for 12 long years. Laid down for the needs of the Pacific Fleet under the name “Yuri Andropov”, in 1998 it became part of the Russian Northern Fleet under the name “Peter the Great”. On April 9, 1998, an acceptance certificate for the nuclear cruiser was signed Russian fleet. On April 18, in a solemn ceremony, the St. Andrew's flag was raised on board the Peter the Great.

The ship belongs to the 3rd generation nuclear-powered missile cruisers and is the world's largest non-aircraft-carrying warship. TARKR "Peter the Great" is designed to destroy large surface targets (single and group), protect fleet formations from submarine attacks and air attacks in remote areas of the world's oceans. In total, 4 ships were built according to project 1144 “Orlan”, in addition to “Peter the Great” these are the cruisers: “Kirov” (Admiral Ushakov), Frunze (Admiral Lazarev) and Kalinin (Admiral Nakhimov). Currently, only one ship of this type is in service - “Peter the Great”, while all 3 TARKR pr. 1144 will be returned to the fleet after repairs and modernization.

The heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser "Peter the Great" has a standard displacement of 23,750 tons, the total displacement of the cruiser is 26,390 tons. The ship has the following dimensions: maximum length - 251.2 meters, waterline - 230 meters, width - 28.5 meters, draft - 10.3 meters. The height of the ship is 59 meters from the level of the main plane.

The main power plant of the cruiser is nuclear with 2 fast neutron nuclear reactors. The total power of the installation is 600 MW, there are also 2 main turbo-gear units (GTZA) with a capacity of 70,000 hp each. every. In a backup version, they can receive steam from 2 steam boilers running on organic fuel. Coupling the nuclear power plant with oil-fired superheaters increases the overall power of the power plant and the speed of the cruiser. For comparison, “Peter the Great” is able to provide heat and electricity to a city of 150-200 thousand inhabitants. Two propeller shafts transmit rotation to 2 five-blade propellers. The maximum speed of Peter the Great is 32 knots (almost 60 km/h). Two reserve steam boilers are able to provide the ship with a speed of 17 knots and a cruising range of at least 1000 nautical miles.

The crew of the nuclear-powered missile cruiser consists of 610 people (112 officers), who are accommodated in 1,600 different rooms, including 140 single and double cabins for officers and midshipmen, as well as 30 cabins for sailors and petty officers (for 8-30 people each). In addition, the ship's crew has 15 showers, a sauna with a swimming pool, two baths, a two-level medical block with isolation hospitals, X-ray and dental rooms, an operating room, a pharmacy, an outpatient clinic, a gym equipped with various exercise equipment, 3 wardrooms for officers, midshipmen and admirals, a lounge with a piano and billiards, as well as the ship’s own television studio. The length of the 49 corridors of the warship is more than 20 km, while the ship has 6 decks and 8 tiers. The height of its superstructures is equal to the height of a 7-story residential building.

Protection of the TARKR involves the implementation of measures to reduce its radar signature. In addition, the protection of cellars for storing shells, anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles was strengthened by structural local protection measures. The ship's voyage autonomy in terms of food and food supplies is 60 days, in terms of fuel - 3 years (unlimited on a nuclear reactor).

The main armament of the missile cruiser is the Granit anti-ship missile system (created by NPO Mashinostroeniya). The cruiser has 20 SM-233 launchers with advanced P-700 Granit high-precision anti-ship cruise missiles. The launchers are mounted under the upper deck of the ship, with an elevation angle of 60 degrees. The maximum missile launch range is 550 km, the missile flight exclusively along a low-altitude trajectory is 200-250 km. The rocket's flight speed is Mach 1.6-2.5. The length of the P-700 rocket is 10 meters, diameter is 0.85 meters, launch weight is 7 tons. The missile can be equipped with a conventional warhead (750 kg of explosives), a nuclear monoblock (500 kt) or a fuel-air warhead to create a volumetric explosion.

Granit missiles have a multi-variant program for attacking targets, as well as increased noise immunity and are designed to strike naval group targets. When performing salvo firing, one of the missiles flies at high altitude, in order to increase the detection range of the enemy, exchanging the received information with other missiles that can literally creep along the water surface. If the leader missile is shot down by the enemy, one of the auxiliary missiles can automatically take its place. Over-the-horizon guidance and target designation can be carried out using Tu-95RTs aircraft or Ka-31 helicopters, as well as specialized space reconnaissance and target designation systems.

The ship's air defense is provided by an analogue of the S-300 land complex called the S-300F "Fort". The ship has 12 launchers and 96 vertical launch missiles. In addition, the ship’s air defense system includes the autonomous shipborne anti-aircraft system “Blade” (“Dagger”). Each of the 16 below-deck drum-type launchers is equipped with 8 solid-fuel single-stage remote-controlled missiles 9M 330-2, the total ammunition capacity is 128 missiles. Unified with missiles ground forces Tor-M1.

In addition, the heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser is equipped with the Kortik anti-aircraft missile and artillery system, which protects the ship from a number of “precision” weapons, including anti-radar and anti-ship missiles, aerial bombs, helicopters and airplanes, and small-tonnage vessels. In total, the ship has 6 ZARK "Kortik", each of them has 2x30-mm six-barreled AK-630 M-2 artillery mounts with a total rate of fire of 10,000 rounds per minute, as well as 2 blocks of 4 two-stage 9M311 missiles with non-contact fuse and fragmentation rod warhead. These missiles are unified with the 2S6 Tunguska army air defense missile. The control system of the Kortik air defense system includes radar and television systems, which are interconnected using AI elements. 2 ZARK installations are installed in the bow of the cruiser on both sides of the Granit launcher, and 4 more in the aft part of the main superstructure.

In addition, "Peter the Great" is armed with 130-mm multi-purpose twin artillery mounts AK-130 (barrel length 70 calibers, ammunition - 840 shells), maximum range firing up to 25 km. Rate of fire - from 20 to 80 rounds per minute. The AK-130 uses 27 kg projectiles, which can be equipped with different types fuses: impact, remote and radio fuses. The ready-to-fire ammunition capacity is 180 rounds. The gun mount is controlled by the MP-184 fire control system, which allows you to simultaneously track and fire at 2 targets.

TARKR is also armed with 2 anti-submarine (5 launchers on each side) 533-mm RPK-6M Vodopad missile-torpedo systems, the missile-torpedoes of which can hit enemy submarines at a distance of up to 60 km. To combat enemy torpedoes, the cruiser has an anti-torpedo complex RKPTZ-1 "Udav-1M" (10 guide tubes, reaction time - 15 s, automatic conveyor reloading, maximum range - 3000 meters, minimum - 100 meters, missile weight - 233 kg ).

In addition, the TARKR "Peter the Great" is equipped with rocket launchers, which are located as follows: one ten-tube RBU-12000 (projectile weight 80 kg, firing range 12,000 meters) is located in the bow of the vessel and installed on a turntable, another 2 six-tube RBU-1000 "Smerch-3" installations (projectile weight 55 kg, firing range - 1000 meters) are installed in the aft part on the upper deck on each side.

The ship-wide countermeasures system includes 2 paired 150-mm PK-14 launchers (a set of fired jammers), decoys, anti-electronic decoys, as well as a decoy towed torpedo target equipped with a powerful noise generator. Also on board the cruiser are 2 Ka-27 anti-submarine helicopters. The radio-electronic content of a heavy missile cruiser includes 16 stations of 3 types. General ship tracking, target designation and tracking means consist of 2 space communication stations (SATSOM), 4 space navigation stations (SATPAU), as well as 4 special electronic stations. The air and surface situation is constantly monitored by 2 all-weather three-coordinate radars "Fregat-MAE" (manufactured by the Salyut plant). These stations are capable of detecting a target at a distance of up to 300 km and at altitudes of up to 30 km.

Also, “Peter the Great” is equipped with 4 radio-electronic on-board fire control systems, 3 navigation stations, a “friend or foe” identification system, and helicopter flight control equipment. The cruiser's hydroacoustic system includes a sonar with a hull antenna, which is installed in a bulb fairing, for searching and detecting enemy submarines at low and medium frequencies, as well as an automated towed sonar system, which has an antenna of variable immersion depth (150-200 meters) and operating at mid frequencies.

Information sources:
-http://www.arms-expo.ru/049050054056124051056057049.html
-http://shipandship.chat.ru/military/001.htm
-http://military-informer.narod.ru/PetrVelikiy.html
-http://ru.wikipedia.org

Submarines, nuclear and diesel-electric are considered. They are the ones who carry out difficult service far from their native shores, unobtrusively demonstrating the vulnerability of potential opponents, from time to time deliberately allowing themselves to be “detected.” Appearing from the depths of the sea at the most unexpected moments, near the maneuver zones of foreign fleets, they show the commanders of their ships that, despite their invisibility, they still exist. In peacetime, this practice is considered normal, but in case of war, the presence of submarines manifests itself differently. But submariners have their own tactics, and it is almost impossible to hide the movement of surface ships, especially such as large aircraft carriers or nuclear-powered cruisers. It seems that these giants are not afraid of anyone.

Is there a need for this giant?

This is exactly how the nuclear-powered missile cruiser Pyotr Velikiy behaves at sea. " Military Review" - a site dedicated to domestic and foreign weapons systems - introduces its visitors to many technical details of the design of this ship, its performance characteristics, but refrains from analyzing its combat effectiveness in the event of a serious maritime or global conflict. At the same time, the cruiser, laid down in 1986, may no longer meet the requirements of the new millennium; it was designed without taking into account low-visibility technologies and is a large, brightly shining target. It has advantages, but it also has a number of disadvantages, and the maintenance of such a combat unit costs the Russian treasury a tidy sum every year. So does our fleet need the nuclear-powered cruiser Peter the Great, or is it better and cheaper to make do with traditional submarines, missile systems and naval aviation? How successfully will he be able to defend Russia's maritime borders in the event of special foreign policy circumstances? What rivals does he have in the ocean?

These questions require extensive and detailed answers.

Series "Orlan"

In those days, when the USSR fleet was commanded by Admiral Gorshkov, the general ideology of naval strategy was based on large ships, both surface and underwater. The indestructible power of the Soviet Navy was symbolized by numerous nuclear-powered submarines and cruisers, bristling with launchers, radars and antennas. Diesel power plants narrowed the radius of operational use of naval forces. The “Yuri Andropov” (since 1998 “Peter the Great”), laid down at the Baltic Shipyard, was supposed to provide the possibility of a visible presence in any area of ​​the world’s oceans. The nuclear cruiser was not built alone, despite the serious economic difficulties of the perestroika era, the shipyards began a series of four ships of the 1144th project, which received common name"Orlan". “Andropov’s” siblings were “Kirov”, “Frunze” and “Kalinin”, also named after prominent figures of the Communist Party. Subsequent events that began to take place in the country showed that, in setting such a large-scale task of rearmament of the surface forces of the Navy, the country's leadership got a little carried away. Currently, of the entire series, only one nuclear-powered missile cruiser, the Peter the Great, is a combat-ready unit. What will happen to “Admiral Lazarev” (formerly “Frunze”) and “Admiral Nakhimov” (“Kalinin”) is already clear; they are undergoing modernization and will be in service before the end of the decade. The fate of the Admiral Ushakov (Kirov) is sad; the ship is awaiting disposal.

He can't sneak up unnoticed

This ship is not just big. Only aircraft carriers are larger than it. It can sail autonomously for years, making scheduled personnel replacements and replenishing food supplies. The team consists of 727 sailors, petty officers, midshipmen and officers, including 18 pilots and technical personnel servicing helicopters. Speed ​​32 knots. Displacement 26 thousand tons. It should be taken into account that it is almost impossible to ensure the secrecy of its appearance in any area of ​​the world's oceans. And it’s not about the size, or rather, not only about them. Passage through straits or canals also disavows small-tonnage ships, not like the nuclear-powered cruiser Peter the Great. News that this or that aircraft carrier, destroyer or frigate has passed through Suez, the Bosporus or the Dardanelles instantly spreads around the world. So what is the task of this giant if its location is always known, if not from television programs, then from satellite surveillance data?

Large target

It is clear that when such a thing appears off the coast powerful ship any potential enemy will become wary and declare a general alarm. The reaction of the commander of a naval unit, which for some reason will be approached by the heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser Peter the Great, will be the same. If such an event occurs in peacetime, then everything will end with the usual “exchange of pleasantries”, the squadrons will politely bare their teeth with their strike and defense systems, “make noise” with communications and disperse “like ships at sea.” But in case of war, it's will go wherever more intense and dangerous. The enemy will immediately open fire on a large target and do everything to send the cruiser to the bottom. How will Petro the Great respond to the launches of anti-ship missiles, torpedoes, airstrikes and other hostile actions? And will he be able to launch a pre-emptive strike if necessary?

Yes. He has everything he needs for this.

Armament

It is unique not only in size. There are no non-aircraft carriers in the world as armed as the Peter the Great. The nuclear cruiser has on board a huge arsenal, including all possible means of fire and protection against air attacks, underwater attacks, mine threats and other dangers. The “main caliber” are the Granit missiles, located in twenty launchers below deck.

It is impossible to withstand an attack from a swarm of these projectiles; they have an integrated autonomous control system. The flight is coordinated by a “leader” who rises above all other missiles, and if it is hit by enemy missile defense systems, a new leader is automatically “appointed.” In combination with radio interference and decoys, the Granite strike can be considered irresistible.

The S-300F air defense system (in naval version) is supplemented with the Kinzhal and Kashtan anti-aircraft systems. These technical means protect TARK from the effects of anti-ship missiles, including those launched from aircraft. Moreover, they are capable of hitting even ultra-precise laser-guided bombs.

A torpedo attack will also not be successful. In addition to these missile weapons, there is also 130-caliber artillery, capable of hitting at a distance of up to 22 kilometers. To combat enemy submarines, the nuclear-powered heavy cruiser Peter the Great is equipped with ten Vodopad launchers with four dozen RGB-40 anti-submarine guided missiles, and Ka-27 helicopters - two of them - will help detect them. And that is not all.

In general, there are a lot of weapons. There is plenty to fire both defensive and offensive fire from.

Ghost of the eighties?

However, all this does not mean at all that the TARK “Peter the Great” can be called an unsinkable ideal cruiser against which the enemy is powerless. Such weapons simply do not exist, especially since the ship was designed a long time ago, almost three decades ago. During this time, the concept of military shipbuilding changed, the silhouettes of combat ships became different, the unusual outlines of naval Stealth ships appeared, the complex interweaving of antennas disappeared, the shapes were simplified, the contour lines became broken. To some arms experts, the Peter the Great (a heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser seems like an archaic ghost of the era of the seventies and eighties. It has a lot of resonant arrays, radars and communication antennas. And such experts cite the example of the American Orly Burke, a destroyer , built taking into account all modern requirements for stealth and information support.

American rivals

Yes, the American destroyer amazes with its ultra-modern appearance. This is just some kind of transforming robot, it has no protruding parts, and the computing complex provides (according to Pentagon representatives) early detection and very fast operational decision-making. Concerns arise as to how successfully the nuclear-powered cruiser Peter the Great will be able to operate against the Aegis system, which is equipped with Orly Burke-class destroyers.

But not everything is so sad. The fact is that the newest American ships were created based on two main principles: maximum integration of control systems and minimization of costs.

Aegis system

The AN/SPY-1 radar station installed on the Orly Burke uses four phased arrays fixed to the superstructure as an antenna. The entire system is closed to a single processing center, which, of course, provides certain advantages in terms of noise immunity, but at the same time narrows the range of target detection and tracking distances. This drawback is especially evident when it is necessary to repel attacks from low-flying supersonic anti-ship missiles that the Peter the Great possesses. Due to its size, a nuclear-powered cruiser can carry many weapons, and its high-mounted antennas provide long-range detection of even such inconspicuous objects as Orly Burke-class ships (which still cannot be called invisible).

About the antennas of "Peter the Great"

Yes, there are a lot of antennas, and it is because of them that Peter the Great is so clearly visible on radar screens. The nuclear cruiser is equipped with three radar stations, each of which does its part of the job. "Voskhod" (MR-600), mounted on the foremast, performs a survey function. Below, on the mainsail, the Fregat M 2 (MR-750) radar is located; it determines all three coordinates of the target. The Podkata (MR-350) antenna is installed on the foremast; it is capable of detecting low-flying targets - this is exactly the element that is missing in the orderly chain of air defense systems of the American Aegis system. The “tackle” operates in a two-coordinate system and has a high scanning frequency combined with a low elevation angle, which ensures the required performance. Thus, despite its visibility, the Peter the Great TARK has every chance of hitting a much more modern ship of a potential enemy, bringing down its entire rich arsenal on it. He will be able to detect the enemy in advance, and therefore he will not be threatened with a surprise attack. He is also quite capable of repelling missiles; he has everything he needs for this.

Prospects

History knows examples when warships served in fleets for many decades. Well-made hulls, good running and maneuverability and large displacement create the basis for modernizing the vessel and bringing it in line with the requirements of the current moment. There are all signs that the nuclear-powered missile cruiser "Peter the Great", whose technical characteristics can certainly be called outstanding, will be in operation for a long time. It has no analogues; even other similar ships with a nuclear power plant, such as the Virginia or Long Beach, are significantly inferior to our flagship ship in terms of displacement, and therefore in terms of modernization potential. Its power plant is also unique, including two and auxiliary steam boilers, increasing power to 300 megawatts.

It is significant that this miracle of domestic shipbuilding bears the name of the creator of the Russian Navy, who began this good deed with the construction of a modest boat.

It may be decades before the nuclear-powered missile cruiser Peter the Great is removed from service with the Navy, to be replaced by new ships of the third millennium.

The heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser (TARK) Kirov is the lead ship of Project 1114 Orlan, which was built from 1973 to 1989 at the Baltic Shipyard in Leningrad. Today, only one Orlan is in service - TARK "Peter the Great". A total of four Project 1114 heavy cruisers were built. Another ship of this series, Admiral Nakhimov, is currently undergoing modernization.

Today, the heavy cruiser Peter the Great is the largest non-aircraft-carrying warship in the world. According to NATO classification, it is designated as a battlecruiser, that is, “battle cruiser.” It should be noted that Project 1114 cruisers became the first (and only) surface ships of the Soviet fleet with a nuclear power plant (NPP). Currently, "Peter the Great" is the only surface ship with a nuclear power plant, which is currently in service with the Russian Navy.

The history of the creation of the Project 1114 cruiser "Kirov"

In the early 60s, the main task of the surface ships of the USSR Navy was considered to be the fight against enemy submarines, so it consisted of only four small missile cruisers, but the construction of new destroyers and anti-submarine ships was actively underway.

The naval leadership realized the need to create attack ships, capable of performing anti-ship functions. One of the attempts to rectify the situation was to arm the Project 1134 BOD with P-35 anti-ship missiles, which made it possible to reclassify them as missile cruisers.

Also, the Soviet Navy did not have surface ships with a nuclear power plant. The military has long wanted to put the “peaceful atom” into service in the surface fleet: the first work in this direction was carried out back in the 50s. At that time, several preliminary designs for a new nuclear powered cruiser were prepared, but due to their great complexity and cost, they were rejected.

However, after the Cuban Missile Crisis, it became obvious that the Navy needed long-range ocean-going ships capable of for a long time conduct patrols in the farthest corners of the World Ocean.

In 1961, the first nuclear-powered cruiser Long Beach entered the American fleet. Perhaps this event was the impetus for the start of work on the creation of a Soviet heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser.

Since at this time the destruction of enemy submarines was considered a priority, new ship with a nuclear power plant was originally conceived as a BOD. It was planned that it would replace old anti-submarine ships and would be produced in a large series. However, the question immediately arose about the escort ships of the new BOD, which had virtually no air defense systems and was highly vulnerable to enemy aircraft.

At the end of the 60s, a project for a nuclear cruiser appeared, equipped with a powerful air defense system and anti-ship missile weapons.

In the early stages of development, it was planned to create two ships: a BOD and a missile cruiser, which would operate in pairs, covering each other from threats from under and from water, providing a powerful layered air defense system.

Then the idea arose to combine the projects of these two ships, but this required the installation of a new sonar system on the promising cruiser, for which it was necessary not only to significantly increase its displacement, but to increase the power of the power plant.

In 1971, the final design of a new heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser appeared, which received the designation 1114. By the way, this classification was assigned to the lead ship already during construction; it was laid down as a “nuclear-powered anti-submarine cruiser.”

The development of the ship was carried out at the Leningrad Northern Design Bureau, and B. I. Kupensky supervised the work.

From the very beginning, the new nuclear cruiser was considered the favorite brainchild of the commander-in-chief of the Soviet fleet, Admiral Gorshkov, however, despite this, work on it was difficult and slow. Gorshkov demanded that, in addition to a nuclear reactor, the new ship should also have a fossil fuel power plant. At that time, nuclear power in the navy was still new; there was not enough experience in operating nuclear installations in the Soviet Union (or even abroad), and accidents constantly occurred with reactors.

In 1973, construction of the lead ship of Project 1114 began at the Baltic Shipyard in Leningrad; it was named Kirov. It was launched at the end of 1977, and three years later the Kirov was commissioned into the USSR Navy.

The Kirov had truly impressive power: its main anti-ship weapon was twenty Granit anti-ship missiles, capable of hitting the enemy at distances of 625 km. The ship's air defense was provided by the Fort (naval modification of the S-300) and Osa-M air defense systems. The cruiser was equipped with a powerful anti-submarine defense system, torpedo tubes, artillery systems. The Kirov became one of the first warships in the world to carry vertical missile launchers. This not only saved space, but also simplified the launch and maintenance of anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles.

Project 1114 ships were equipped with the latest Polinom sonar system, as well as the most modern types of radar equipment.

Between 1980 and 1988, the Soviet fleet included three Project 1114 ships: Kirov, Frunze and Kalinin. The fourth heavy nuclear cruiser from this series, the Yuri Andropov, was also laid down. All ships after the Kirov were built according to an improved project - 1114.2. They received more advanced weapons systems that were ready at the time of their construction.

“Yuri Andropov” was completed after the collapse of the USSR and adopted by the Russian fleet under the name “Peter the Great”. Of all four ships of the project, it is considered the most “advanced” in terms of the number and range of weapons.

In 1984, the first long-distance combat voyage of the cruiser Kirov to the Mediterranean Sea took place. In the same year, during a fire at an ammunition depot in Severodvinsk, the Kirov was left in the harbor in order to use on-board air defense to shoot down missiles scattering from the fire site.

Since about the mid-80s, long-distance cruises of heavy nuclear cruisers began to happen less and less due to lack of funding. In 1992, “Kirov” received a new name - now it became known as “Admiral Ushakov”. However, this “rebranding” did not change the situation for the better for the ship: all three cruisers of Project 1114 were transferred to reserve and remained there for many years.

In 1999, modernization of the cruiser began in Severodvinsk, but in 2002 it was withdrawn from the fleet. For many years there were debates about what should be done next with the cruiser. In August 2018, the final decision was made to dismantle the ship, and later Rosatom announced a tender for disposal. Unloading waste nuclear fuel from Kirov reactors will be produced at Italy's expense.

In 2012, a decision was made to begin modernization of the cruiser Admiral Nakhimov. The ship will be equipped with new vertical launchers that will allow Admiral Nakhimov to use Onyx, Caliber and Zircon missiles. They will become the main weapon of the cruiser. In addition, the ship's anti-aircraft weapons system will be updated: it will include the S-400 air defense system and new short-range air defense systems. It is planned that the modernization will be completed in 2018 or 2019.

Description of the design of TARK project 1114 "Kirov"

The length of the hull of the heavy missile cruiser "Kirov" is more than 252 meters, the total displacement of the ship is 28,000 tons. Like other ships of Project 1114, it has an extended forecastle. The well-thought-out hull shape and significant displacement provide the Kirov with good seaworthiness, which is very important for any ship in the ocean zone.

The size of the cruiser is truly impressive. The ship has more than 1,400 rooms for various purposes, of which 140 are reserved for cabins for midshipmen and sailors, 30 for crew quarters, the total length of the ship’s corridors is twenty kilometers. On board there are fifteen showers, several baths, a sauna, an excellent medical unit with an outpatient clinic, an isolation ward, an X-ray room, an operating room and a dental office. The crew has a gym, several wardrooms and even their own television studio. The ship's hull is divided into sixteen compartments using waterproof partitions; five decks run along the entire length of the hull.

In the bow of the heavy cruiser there is an antenna for the Polynom hydroacoustic complex, and at the stern there is an under-deck hangar designed to accommodate three Ka-27 helicopters or its modification Ka-29, as well as fuel reserves for them. There is also a lift that lifts rotorcraft to the upper deck.

At the stern of the ship there is a towed hydroacoustic antenna and devices for lifting and launching it.

The heavy nuclear cruiser "Kirov" (like the other ships of Project 1114) has developed superstructures, which are made with the active use of aluminum and magnesium alloys. Most of the ship's weapons are located in its bow and stern.

All Project 1114 cruisers are equipped with anti-torpedo protection; they have a double bottom; for the first time since World War II, these ships received sufficiently developed armor. However, the cruiser does not have waist armor - it is located deep in the ship’s hull and protects its vital parts. The only exception is the thickening of the ship's hull along the waterline (one meter below it and two and a half meters above).

The missile magazines of the Granit complex, the engine room, the premises of the combat information post and the command post, which are located deep inside the hull, were protected by armor. In addition, the helicopter hangar, ammunition and fuel storage for helicopters, and the tiller compartment were armored.

The cruiser "Kirov" has a power plant nuclear reactors KN-3, which are created on the basis of icebreaker reactors. However, KN-3 also has significant differences. Fuel assemblies are filled with highly enriched uranium (about 70%), which makes it possible to extend the life of the core to 10-11 years.

KN-3 is a water-cooled reactor, double-circuit, with thermal neutrons. In the first circuit, bidistillate is used as a coolant, which cools the core and transfers heat to the second circuit, which supplies steam to the turbines. The power of the ship's power plant allows it to supply electricity and heat to a medium-sized city with a population of 100-150 thousand people.

The total thermal power of the two reactors is 342 MW. The cruiser's power plant consists of four steam turbine generators (3 MW) and four gas turbine generators (1.5 MW). Kirov has two additional boilers located in the turbine compartment. They allow the cruiser (without the use of nuclear reactors) to reach speeds of up to 17 knots and travel 1,300 nautical miles.

The cruiser's crew consists of 727 people, including 97 officers.

The main armament of Project 1114 cruisers is cruise missiles P-700 "Granite". They have a launch weight of seven tons, can accelerate to a speed of 2.5 M and carry a warhead weighing 750 kg or a nuclear charge with a power of 500 Kt. The missile's flight range is 625 km. Each Project 1114 cruiser had twenty Granit anti-ship missiles on board. Firing was carried out from launchers that were located on the upper deck of the ship. Initially, the P-700 “Granit” was developed for arming submarines, so before launch the launcher was filled with sea water.

P-700 "Granit" is a third-generation anti-ship missile that has a low profile approach to the target. Due to its high speed and extremely inconvenient trajectory for the enemy, it is very difficult to shoot down the Granit anti-ship missile. The large mass of the warhead makes it possible to effectively destroy even large enemy ships.

The main anti-aircraft weapon of Project 1114 cruisers is the Fort air defense system, which is nothing more than a naval modification of the famous S-300 complex. The Fort's ammunition load is 96 missiles, the launchers are located in rotating drums below the deck. The last of the ships of the project, TARK "Peter the Great", is equipped with a more advanced modification of the complex - "Fort-M".

The second echelon of the ship's air defense system is the Osa-M air defense system, which is capable of hitting enemy air targets at distances of up to 15 km. The height reach is 3.5-4 km. On the cruiser "Peter the Great" the Osa-M air defense system was replaced by a more modern short-range air defense system - the Kinzhal air defense system. The missiles of this complex are unified with the Tor-1M ground system. The ship is equipped with eight Kinzhal launchers.

The last line of air defense of the Kirov cruiser is the AK-630 artillery systems, each of which has six 30-mm cannons.

The Kirov cruiser is equipped with two single-barrel 100 mm AK-100 gun mounts. On subsequent ships of the project they were replaced by one twin 130-mm AK-130 mount.

The Kirov's anti-submarine weapons consist of the Metel anti-submarine missile, with a launcher in the bow, as well as RBU-6000 and RBU-1000 bomb launchers. The ship's mine and torpedo armament is ten 533 mm torpedo tubes.

Assessment of the Kirov heavy nuclear missile cruiser project

To designate many types of Soviet weapons and military equipment, the epithets “unique” or “having no analogues in the world” are often used. In many cases this is true. However, it should be clearly understood that this was often not done out of a good life - the country simply did not have the necessary resources to organize the production of products made on the basis of “standard” solutions.

Project 1114 cruisers can also be called a “unique asymmetrical” response to the adversary. For many years, the leadership of the USSR puzzled over what could be opposed to American aircraft carrier groups.

It was these ships, together with Project 949/949A submarines and Tu-22M missile-carrying aircraft, that were to become the basis of the Soviet anti-aircraft carrier forces.

The ships of the Orlan project carried on board a huge amount of various types missile weapons, but only Granit anti-ship missiles were offensive weapons. Everything else was only suitable for self-defense. However, the effectiveness of using anti-ship missiles to destroy ships of an aircraft carrier group is highly questionable.

The size and cost of one cruiser of the Orlan project were very large, and their strike functions (the ability to hit an AUG) were significantly inferior to the cheaper Project 949 submarines.

During the modernization that the Admiral Nakhimov TARK will undergo, the Granit anti-ship missile complex will be dismantled, and instead the cruiser will be equipped with universal launchers that are suitable for firing Onyx and Caliber missiles. This will turn the potential “aircraft carrier killer” into a multi-role ship capable of performing a wide variety of tasks.

Characteristics

Below are the tactical and technical characteristics of the Kirov TARK:

Standard displacement is 24,300 tons, full displacement is 28,000 tons.

• Length - 252 m.
• Width - 28.5 m.
• Height - 59 m.
• Draft - 9.1 m.
• Powerplant - 2 nuclear reactor KN-3 and 2 additional boilers.
• Power - 140 thousand hp.
• Speed ​​- 31 knots.
• The cruising range is unlimited on a reactor, 1300 miles on boilers.
• Crew - 727 people.
• Armament: P-700 Granit anti-ship missile system, Fort air defense system, Osa-M air defense system, RBU-6000, RBU-1000, 10 x 533 mm torpedo tubes, two AK-100; 3 Ka-27 anti-submarine helicopters.

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