Construction of universal landing ships for the Russian Navy

Wasp

The class
is a class of landing helicopter dock (LHD) amphibious assault ships operated by the United States Navy. Based on the Tarawa class, with modifications to operate more modern aircraft and landing craft, the Wasp
class is capable of transporting virtually the full strength of the USMC Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), and landing them in hostile territory using landing craft or helicopters. also provides air support with AV-8B Harrier II attack aircraft or F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters.
All Wasp
were built by Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi, with the lead ship USS Wasp commissioned on July 29, 1989.
Eight Wasp-
, and as of June 2022, seven are in active service.
as USS Bonhomme Richard
was severely damaged by fire on July 12, 2022 and will be decommissioned and scrapped. [5]

Design[edit]

Wasp class

based on the previous Tarawa class design.
[6] The design was modified to accommodate AV-8B Harrier II aircraft and Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) hovercraft, making the Wasp
the first ships specifically designed to operate them. [7]

Wasp

(left) and Saipan from the
Tarawa
, 1993

The main physical changes between the two designs are the lower position of the ship's bridge in the Wasp

, moving the command and control facilities inside the hull [6], removing the 5-inch (127 mm) Mk 45 naval guns and their sponsons on the forward edge of the flight deck, and extending 24 ft (7.3 m) to accommodate the LCAC.
[ citation needed
]

Each Wasp

has a displacement of 40,500 long tons (41,150 t) when fully loaded, a length of 831 ft (253.2 m), a beam of 104 ft (31.8 m) and a draft of 27 ft (8.1 m). . [8] In terms of propulsion, most ships are equipped with two steam boilers coupled to geared turbines that produce 70,000 shaft horsepower (52,000 kW) to two propeller shafts. [8] This allows the LHD to reach a speed of 22 kn (41 km/h; 25 mph) with a range of 9,500 nmi (17,600 km; 10,900 mi) at 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph) . [8] The last ship of the class, USS Makin Island, is instead equipped with two General Electric LM2500 oriented gas turbines. [9] The ship's company consists of 1,208 people. [8]

Landing operations[edit]

PMD can provide amphibious landings in two forms: by landing craft or by helicopter. [8] On a 266 by 50 ft (81 by 15.2 m) by 28 ft (8.5 m) well deck, [2] the LHD can carry three hovercraft landing craft, twelve mechanized landing craft, or 40 amphibious assault craft vehicles (AAV), another 21 AAV on deck. [8] The flight deck has nine helipads for landing and can fly helicopters and tiltrotors the size of the Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion and MV-22B Osprey. [8]The size of the air combat element varies depending on the operation: a standard air combat element consists of six Harriers or six F-35B Lightning IIs and four AH-1W/Z Super Cobra/Vipers attack and support helicopters, twelve Ospreys and four Super Stallion for transport and three or four Bell UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters. [10] [8] For a full assault, the air group can be increased to 22 ospreys, while Wasp,

operating in sea control mode, or the "Harrier carrier" or "Lightning carrier" configuration carries 20 Harriers or F-35Bs (although some ships of the class operated as many as 24 Harriers) supported by six Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk anti-submarine warfare helicopters. [10] [8] Two aircraft elevators move the aircraft between the flight deck and the hangar; to pass through the Panama Canal, these elevators must be folded. [8]

USS Essex

docking the stern gate with the landing boat

Each ship can accommodate 1,894 USMC personnel; almost the entire strength of the Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). [8] A wasp

-class ship can carry up to 30,800 square feet (2,860 m 2 ) of cargo, and another 20,000 square feet (one thousand eight hundred fifty-eight m 2 ) are allocated for vehicles in the MEU, which typically consists of five M1 Abrams battle tanks, up to 25 anti-aircraft guns guns, eight M198 howitzers, 68 trucks and up to 12 other support vehicles. [8] An internal 6-track monorail system, as well as 6 internal elevators with a capacity of 12,000 lb (5,400 kg) are used to move cargo from the cargo holds to the landing craft on the well deck. [2] [8]

Osa class ship

“There is a hospital with 64 beds and six operating rooms. An additional 536 beds can be accommodated in the Emergency Ward as needed. [8] [11]

Weapons and sensors[edit]

Air traffic control aboard USS Wasp

Armament of the first four Wasp

consists of two Mark 29 octal launchers for RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missiles, two Mark 49 launchers for RIM-116 movable hull missiles, three 20 mm CIWS Phalanx, four 25 mm Mark 38 chain guns and four . 50 . [8] The next four ships, Bataan, Bonhomme Richard, Iwo Jima and Makin Island, have slightly reduced armament compared to their previous sister ships, with one Phalanx and one Mark 38 removed.[8]

Countermeasures installed on the ships include four to six Mark 36 SRBOC chaff and decoy launchers, an AN/SLQ-25 torpedo decoy, AN/SLQ-49 decoy buoys, a Sea Gnat missile decoy, and an electronic warfare suite AN/SLQ-32. . [8]

The sensor suite installed on each ship includes an AN/SPS-48 or AN/SPS-52 air search radar, supported by AN/SPS-49 air search radar, SPS-67 surface search radar, AN/URN. -25 TACAN, as well as several additional radars for navigation and fire control. [8]

Wasp-class landing ships

Universal landing ship-dock of the “WASP”

LHD-1 “Wasp” 05/30/1985 / 08/04/1987 / 07/29/1989 LHD-2 “Essex” 03/20/1989 / 02/23/1991 / 10/17/1992 LHD-3 “Kearsarge” 02/06/1990 / 03/26/1992 / 16.10. 1993 LHD-4 “Boxer” 04/18/1991 / 08/13/1993 / 02/11/1995 LHD-5 “Bataan” 06/22/1994 / 03/15/1996 / 09/20/1997 LHD-6 “Bon Homme Richard” 04/18/1995 / 03/14. 1997 / 09/15/1998 LHD-7 “Iwo Jima” 12/12/1997 / 02/04/2000 / 06/30/2001 LHD-8 “Makin Island” 02/14/2004 / 09/22/2006 / 10/24/2009

The US Navy includes the Wasp amphibious assault ship. It is capable of placing 3 LCAC-1 or 12 LCM6 type hovercraft in docking chambers. In addition, the ship carries 42 CH-46 landing helicopters and 6 Harrier-2 aircraft or 20 Harrier-2 aircraft and 6 SH-60 helicopters. The ship can accommodate 1,700 paratroopers. There is also a hospital with 600 beds for paratroopers delivered here by transport helicopters. When designing the ship, the technical design of the universal landing ship of the previous Tarawa series was taken as a basis, to which a number of changes were made in accordance with the requirements of increasing the aviation group. The ship's width of 32.3 m (according to aircraft lifts - 42.7 m) was left unchanged, which allows passage of the Panama Canal without relocating the ship.

There is an internal communication system with a capacity of 800 telephone numbers. The ship's aviation control centers are located on the flight deck and are protected by armor coated with Kevlar material.

The Wasp dock ship's own weapons are two launchers with Sea Sparrow anti-aircraft guided missiles and eight 12.7 mm machine guns. There are also two 20-mm Vulcan-Phalanx artillery mounts.

The universal landing ship-dock, along with solving traditional tasks, can also be used as the flagship of formations conducting operations to gain dominance in the theater of military operations.

The ship's design also provides for the possibility of changing the composition of the air group in a wide range, as well as the use of SH-60 Sea Hawk anti-submarine helicopters of the Lamps Mk3 system. Based on this possibility, the universal landing ship is supposed to be used to search and destroy submarines, protect sea communications and escort important convoys. Depending on the mission, the air wing may include Harrier-2 anti-submarine aircraft or helicopters (up to 28 units).

Displacement: 41,150 tons. Dimensions: length - 253.2 m, width - 31.8 m, draft - 8.1 m Power plant: twin-shaft steam turbine (two turbines) with a capacity of 70,000 hp. With. Travel speed: 22 knots. Cruising range: 9500 miles at 18 knots. Crew: 1208 people. Landing capacity: 1894 people. Cargo capacity: 2860 m3 for main cargo and 1852 m2 for equipment. Airplanes and helicopters: AV-8B, AH-1W, CH-46, CH-53 and UH-1N, the number depends on the mission being performed. Armament: two eight-round Mk 29 launchers for the Sea Sparrow missiles with a semi-active radar guidance system, two Mk 49 launchers for the RIM-116A missiles (infrared guidance system); three six-barreled 20-mm ZAK "Vulcan-Phalanx" Mk 15 (two on LHD-5-7), four 25-mm AU Mk 38 (three on LHD-5-7), four 12.7 mm machine guns. Electronic warfare/electronic warfare equipment: four or six six-barreled PU decoy systems Mk 36 SRB0C, hydroacoustic countermeasures complex SLQ-25 “Niksi”, decoy launcher “Si Gnat”, buoy decoy system AN/SLQ-49, electronic warfare system AN/ SLQ-32. REV: radar – OVC AN/SPS-52 (or -48) and AN/SPS-49, OHUAN/SPS-67, navigation and fire control, URN-25 receiver of the TACAN radio navigation system.

Construction[edit]

Wasp class ships

were built by Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi. [12] The first ship of the class, USS Wasp, was commissioned on July 29, 1989. [13]

The fifth ship in the class, USS Bataan, was built through a modular assembly and pre-assembly process, which meant the LHD was nearly 75 percent complete at launch. [8] Bataan

was also the first LHD to be specifically built to accommodate female crew members (as opposed to being modified after completion), with dedicated berths for 450 female sailors or Marines. [8]

Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera proposed in 2014 that Japan acquire at least one Osa

"to ensure strong protection of Japan's outer sea islands in the face of threats from China. [14]

A small aircraft carrier with great capabilities. Universal landing ships of Italy and Spain

Recently, even the least ambitious and “aggressive” fleets of the world have been acquiring quite serious landing ships. Today, for many countries, the presence of landing craft (or, even better, amphibious helicopter carriers) in the Navy is becoming a matter of prestige. So, at one time, the measure of the power and technological viability of a state was the presence of a battleship in the military fleet, and then an aircraft carrier.

An aircraft carrier today remains an unaffordable luxury for most countries, an overly expensive “toy,” but a cheaper, but at the same time very representative, universal, suitable for a peacekeeping mission and for “showing the flag,” a landing ship is quite capable and capable budget for many. Moreover, universal landing ships with advanced aviation capabilities are preferable for this role, including for a number of other reasons.

An article of limited scope does not imply a description of all relatively modern landing ships. Otherwise, it would be necessary to spend a lot of time and effort studying even such exotic models as the Shakti Sanchar DK of the Bangladesh Navy (2012), with a displacement of 2,200 tons. Let's leave aside the gigantic US Navy UDCs with a displacement of over 40,000 tons and limit ourselves to considering a very interesting class that has already firmly taken its place in recent years - universal landing ships of medium displacement, which have an aircraft carrier layout - a continuous flight deck, as well as an island superstructure shifted to starboard side. We wrote about the latest innovations in the use of modern landing ships in the article “A new trend in fleet construction - combined UDCs.”

DK Shakti Sanchar Bangladesh Navy (2012)

Without exaggeration, we can say that today one of the world’s “trend setters” in terms of the construction of extraordinary “landing aircraft carriers” are the Italians.

In 2009, the aircraft carrier Cavour joined the Italian fleet. De facto, it is a light aircraft carrier (total displacement 27,500 tons), suitable for transporting a large amount of heavy equipment, personnel of marine units, and also capable of performing the functions of a control ship for diverse forces.

Development of the concept for the future flagship of the Italian fleet began back in 1991. By the mid-90s. Options subsequently appeared, according to which the ship received certain airborne assault capabilities - the hangar deck was equipped with a ramp on the starboard side for loading self-propelled equipment, cockpits designed to accommodate 150–180 marines. The new ships did not fit into the existing classification, so a separate class was assigned to them - Unita Maggiore Per Operazione Amfibe (UMPA), i.e. “large amphibious ship.”

The 1996 budget allocated funds for the development of a new project, classified as Nuova Unita Maggiore (NUM) - “new large ship”. It was very similar to a smaller version of the American UDC Wasp - it had a docking chamber measuring 25 x 14 m, allowing it to accommodate one LCAC-type hovercraft, or pontoons - two LCM-8 or four LCM-6.

Further evolution of the project led to an increase in displacement by 2,000 tons and an increase in design speed to 28 knots. But by the time the contract for the construction of the ship was signed in November 2000, the project had undergone another adjustment. In this version, the landing capabilities were significantly reduced - the docking chamber was eliminated and the volumes allocated for the landing premises were reduced.

This was also reflected in the classification - in the Italian fleet NUM became the first ship (with the exception of the unfinished Aquila) officially classified as Portaerei, i.e. simply - an aircraft carrier (AV).

Thus, as a landing ship, the AB Cavour is not a UDC, but only a military transport with the ability to land equipment and personnel on an equipped coast.

True, there are four rather large boats on it - God knows what, you won’t be able to storm the shore with such forces, but they can deliver Marines to the beaches of any pirate-dangerous point of the World Ocean. The boats will also be indispensable when the ship carries out humanitarian missions, the ability to perform which is now attributed to any landing ship.

On July 12, 2022, Italy laid down another landing ship, this time a full-fledged UDC Trieste, and again with an “aircraft carrier bias.” The ship was launched on May 25, 2022, its delivery to the Italian fleet is scheduled for 2022. The ship is of some interest to us, so it makes sense to consider it in a little more detail.

UDC Juan Carlos I, Spain

The construction of a universal landing ship for the Italian Navy was provided for in the Fleet Law adopted by the Italian Parliament at the end of 2014. In fact, the command of the Italian Navy, after the approval of the law, managed to lobby for a significant increase in the size and cost of warships planned for construction under this act, and as a result, Trieste, by the time the contract was issued for it, “grew” from the 20 thousand tons of total displacement declared by the fleet when discussing the law a year earlier and a length of 180–190 meters up to 33 thousand tons of total displacement and a length of 245 meters, turning into a full-fledged aircraft-carrying ship (referred to, however, as a “multi-purpose UDC”) with the planned deployment of F-35B fighters. It is very noteworthy that in the most authoritative reference book “Jane's fighting ships” for 2016–2022. the ship was announced in its original, “short” version.

The main power plant (GPU) of the ship is combined, built according to the CODOG scheme. It consists of two afterburning gas turbines, two diesel engines and two low-speed electric motors. The total power of the power plant is 127,000 hp. s., almost like the aircraft carrier Cavour (118,000 hp)

To generate electricity, four diesel generators with a capacity of 5,200 kW each (a total of about 28,300 hp) are used.

Full speed is 25, economic speed is 16, small speed (with electric motors) is 10 knots. Economical cruising range is 7,000 miles, endurance is 30 days.

The landing capacity of the ship indicated in open sources is 604 people. During overload, it is possible to accommodate on board more than 700 paratroopers or evacuees (when performing humanitarian missions). The UDC is equipped with a tank hold with an area of ​​more than 1,200 m2, capable of receiving equipment weighing up to 60 tons and a docking chamber measuring 50 x 15 m, accommodating four LCU tank landing boats or one American LCAC hovercraft.

The ship provides a permanent base for 12 large helicopters of the AW101 or NH90 type or, alternatively, six F-35B aircraft and four helicopters. There are nine helicopter positions on the flight deck.

UDC Trieste Italian Navy

Unlike the UDCs of other countries in the world, the Italian ship received powerful weapons, which include 16 Sylver A50 vertical launchers for the Aster 15 or SAMM missile defense system, three 76-mm universal artillery systems Leonardo Super Rapid Strales, as well as three 25-mm and six 12.7 mm remotely controlled units manufactured by Leonardo. Radio-electronic equipment and electronic warfare equipment will also be very serious.

The Italians are also successfully building landing helicopter dock ships. One of these ships is the Algerian amphibious assault ship-dock (LHD) Kalaat Beni-Abbes (hull number 474), which entered service in 2014. It was built by the Italian concern Fincantieri and became the largest unit of the fleet of the Algerian Republic in its entire history - the total displacement of the ship is 8,800 tons. The prototype for it was the Italian San Guisto, introduced into the Italian Navy in 1994 and being the third ship (built according to a slightly modified design) of the San Giorgio class. A significant drawback of the project is the absence of a hangar for helicopters, as well as a reduced docking chamber.

San Giorgio type landing helicopter dock ship (DHVD) (Italy)

Spain is also among the adherents of the “landing aircraft carrier” school. It has Juan Carlos I (entered the fleet in 2010, a year later than Cavour) and the Australian Navy, Canberra (2014) and Adelaida (2015), built according to the same project. Another “Spaniard” is being built for the Turkish Navy, and at the Turkish shipyard Sedef Shipbuilding, Inc. The ship, which will bear the name Anadolu, was laid down on April 30, 2016, and its delivery is scheduled for 2022.

First of all, Juan Carlos I is interesting because Spanish engineers, with the same displacement as the Cavor discussed above, were able to place a docking chamber on the ship for four landing ponies.

True, their task was partly facilitated by the abandonment of traditional power plants and the propulsion-steering complex and the transition to full electric propulsion and azimuthally rotating columns. Such a solution, as is known, allows for a more free layout of the ship’s premises and the location of current generators. The use of rudder propellers (RPP) increases maneuverability, allowing the ship to turn almost on the spot. At the same time, the strength of the attachment points of the propeller propulsion system to the hull structures is not unlimited, and therefore the power of the propulsion electric motors is limited. As a result, the full speed is limited.

Thus, the Spaniards actually managed to implement the theory of a medium-displacement landing aircraft carrier docking ship before their Italian colleagues.

DK Shakti Sanchar Bangladesh Navy (2012)

To be continued

The article was published in the journal “Science and Technology”

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Ships[edit]

• Sea Sparrow missile launched from USS Makin Island
• CH-53E Super Stallion lift pallets from USS Bataan

A ship for all occasions

“Vladivostok” and “Sevastopol”, being built for the Russian Navy, will be able to solve both military and humanitarian tasks. Universal landing ships (UDC) are designed to solve a wide range of expeditionary tasks, which are currently becoming the main ones for the navies of many states. We are talking about participation in international or coalition military and peacekeeping operations in areas remote from national territory. Representing the largest subclass of landing ships, UDCs in terms of combat potential correspond to light and even medium aircraft carriers, which characterizes their importance in the system of modern naval forces.

Domestic terminology regarding ships of amphibious forces is very vague, but it is generally accepted that UDCs (a term that appeared in the USSR in the 70s in relation to American ships of the Tarawa type) are large units that combine the design of an amphibious dock ship and a helicopter carrier. They have an aircraft carrier architecture with a continuous flight deck and a permanent hangar for helicopters, as well as a docking chamber for landing craft and significant landing holds. The creation of such units was initiated by the United States, where these ships were initially designated Landing Helicopter Assault (LHA). The lead ship of the new subclass, LHA 1 Tarawa, was ordered by the US Navy in 1969 and commissioned in 1976 (actually in 1978). Until 1980, four more units of this type were built (LHA 2 – LHA 5). Tarawa-type UDCs were capable of carrying 30 CH-46 or 19 CH-53 transport helicopters in the hangar, had a docking chamber 81 meters long and space for 1900 marines with equipment, that is, a reinforced battalion. The integration of such significant capabilities into one unit required a sharp increase in the size of the ship, the total displacement of which reached 40 thousand tons, the size of an average aircraft carrier.

America

Since its inception, UDCs have become the basis of the expeditionary and amphibious capabilities of the US Navy and have become a role model for the rest of the world's fleets. In the United States, the expansion of the capabilities of amphibious forces was associated with the introduction of LCAC-type hovercraft, which began to enter the fleet in the 80s. This required increasing the size of the ships' docking chambers. Therefore, the next series of UDCs of the Wasp type with a total displacement of 41 thousand tons was built with an increased dock size and was considered mainly focused on landing with the help of LCAC, and not helicopters, unlike Tarawa-class ships. Wasp-class ships, built on the Tarawa hull and retaining their architecture and helicopter capacity, received a new designation - Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD). It should be noted that all foreign UDCs are also considered LHD type ships in the United States.

Another feature of the Wasp-class UDCs was the provision of basing on them vertical take-off and landing aircraft of the AV-8B Harrier II type, which gave the ships the combat potential of light aircraft carriers. When fully equipped with VTOL aircraft, the Wasp is capable of carrying up to 20 AV-8B aircraft and up to six anti-submarine helicopters. From 1989 to 2001, the American fleet received seven UDCs of the Wasp type (LHD 1 - LHD 7), and the last, eighth ship of this type, LHD 8 Makin Island, was built according to a modified design equipped with a gas turbine power plant and commissioned in 2009.

Although the United States was the first to take the step in shaping the appearance of the UDC as a hybrid of an amphibious helicopter carrier and a docking ship, on the next generation of ships they decided to abandon this concept in its pure form. The new America-class ships, designed to replace the Tarawa and also classified as LHAs, do not have a docking chamber and essentially revert to the amphibious assault helicopter carrier type, although they retain significant cargo and equipment transport capabilities. The landing of troops from America ships is supposed to be carried out exclusively by air using MV-22B tiltrotors and CH-53K heavy transport helicopters, with air support from AH-1Z combat helicopters and F-35B aircraft. In total, up to 23 F-35Bs are permanently based on the ship, and a standard air group should consist of 10 F-35Bs, 12 MV-22Bs, four CH-53Ks, four MH-60Ss and eight AH-1Zs.

America-class ships are the basis of Expeditionary Strike Groups (ESG). It is planned to have 11 of them. Each should include one UDC and two landing dock ships (LPD and LSD), which are assigned the main tasks of transporting and landing equipment. The group has a Marine Expeditionary Battalion on board. The US Navy currently operates ten ESGs, each typically consisting of three surface combatants and one nuclear-powered attack submarine.

UDC America is in many ways a development of Wasp-class ships, and its total displacement will reach 45 thousand tons, with a landing capacity of 1,687 people. The ship's gas turbine power plant (GPU) is similar to the Makin Island UDC, but has two additional low-speed electric motors. The lead ship of the new type, LHA 6 America, was handed over for testing in November 2013. An order has been issued for the construction of the second ship LHA 7 Tripoli. Initially, it was planned to build 11 units of the new type, but the current long-term shipbuilding program includes only seven units, and probably no more than four will be built. Since there has been criticism among the US naval leadership regarding the abandonment of the dock chamber on America-class ships, it has now been decided that the dock will be restored starting approximately with the third ship of this type.

The rest of the world

The development of the UDC subclass outside the United States began in the late 90s, which was primarily due to the dramatic change after the Cold War. Western navies shifted their focus from naval dominance to coastal warfare in expeditionary and military campaigns around the world. Participation in humanitarian missions also became an important task. Taking into account the limited economic opportunities, the new landing ships had to have maximum versatility.

Modern non-American UDCs are also considered as means of controlling expeditionary groups of forces and assets or naval formations, which is why they often have increased headquarters capabilities. In addition, in peacetime they are used as training ones. It is considered necessary to have hospitals on board with the ability to quickly increase capacity.

France was a pioneer here, commissioning in 2006–2012 three Mistral-class UDCs, combining the functions of an amphibious helicopter carrier, a docking ship and a control ship, with a total displacement of 21.3 thousand tons. The ships are a kind of smaller version of the classic American UDC. This is a balanced project for specific French requirements - expeditionary ships for long-term operations in remote waters, including use as a command ship, with minimal requirements for the combat component. They have a high degree of automation, were designed largely according to commercial standards and, for the first time in the world among large combat units, are equipped with an electric power plant and steering thrusters. They accommodate up to 500 landing personnel in high habitability conditions (2-, 4- and 6-berth cabins), and headquarters premises can accommodate up to 200 personnel. The capacity for transporting equipment is 110 units, including up to 13 main tanks. There is a hospital with 89 beds. The dock can accommodate four LCM-type landing boats, or two American LCAC hovercraft, or two L-CAT high-speed catamaran “water-cutting” boats. The hangar is designed to permanently station eight NH90 helicopters or six NH90 and four combat Tiger helicopters. The maximum helicopter capacity of 16 units is achieved by placing six more helicopters on standard runways on deck.

The second European ship of the UDC subclass was the Spanish Juan Carlos I, commissioned in 2010. Compared to Mistral, it is a larger (27 thousand tons) ship with enhanced combat characteristics and much greater aircraft-carrying and airborne transport capabilities. In fact, it is being considered as a new light aircraft carrier, adapted to permanently station AV-8B or F-35B aircraft and equipped with a forward take-off ramp. The hangar is designed for seven F-35B, or 12 NH90 helicopters, or eight CH-47. Taking into account the space on the flight and landing decks, the ship is capable of carrying up to 30 aircraft. The docking chamber accommodates four landing craft of the LCM-1E type or one LCAC landing craft. The landing capacity of Juan Carlos I is 900 people and 77 pieces of equipment (including up to 43 main tanks), there are headquarters for 100 people. The area of ​​the landing and cargo decks is 6,000 square meters, which is more than double that of Mistral. The Spanish ship has an electric power plant with rudder propellers, but the power plant includes gas turbine generators and provides a full speed of up to 21.5 knots.

In 2007, the Juan Carlos I project won the Australian Navy competition for the construction of two UDCs, Canberra and Adelaide, with delivery dates in 2014 and 2015.

South Korea became another owner of a full-fledged UDC, having introduced the nationally built ship LPH 6111 Dokdo into the fleet in 2007. With a total displacement of 19 thousand tons, Dokdo has a docking chamber with two LCAC stolports and an below-deck hangar that can accommodate up to 10 UH-60 helicopters. The landing capacity is 720 people and up to 40 units of equipment (including six tanks). The ship carries significant defensive weapons. The diesel engine provides a speed of up to 23 knots. The Dokdo UDC, unlike others, is focused not on overseas expeditionary operations, but on operations in coastal Korean waters. The Navy plans to have three of these ships as flagships of the strike groups being formed. The second ship was ordered in 2012. The possibility of basing F-35B aircraft on these UDCs is being considered.

The construction of UDC national projects currently involves a number of other countries: Germany, Italy and, apparently, China. A tender has been announced in India for the construction of four UDCs. In 2011, Russia also acted as a customer for the UDC, having signed a contract with the French shipbuilding association DCNS for the construction of two Mistral-class ships. The cost of the contract is 1.2 billion euros, while the construction itself is estimated at 980 million euros, and the remaining costs involve the transfer of technical documentation and licenses, training, etc. The parameters of the contract provided for the acquisition by Russia of two UDCs, which are being built in France with the leading role DCNS by the STX Europe shipyard in Saint-Nazaire (the stern parts must be manufactured in St. Petersburg at the Baltic Shipyard OJSC), and an option for two more ships entirely of Russian construction.

The first of the ordered Mistral-class UDCs, Vladivostok, has already been launched and should be delivered to the Russian Ministry of Defense in the fall of 2014, the second, Sevastopol, is planned to be delivered in the fall of 2015. Both will be part of the Pacific Fleet. It is interesting that the contracted ships were included in the lists of the Russian Navy in January 2012 not as UDC, but as landing helicopter dock ships (DVKD).

Combat use

To date, only Tarawa, Wasp and Mistral have experience in combat use. Noteworthy is the extremely wide and versatile use of French ships to solve a wide variety of tasks, despite the relatively short time they have been in service with the French Navy (two since 2007, and a third since 2012). A feature of the combat use of UDCs is their versatility - these units were used in a variety of roles, although never in their original capacity - for landing significant troops.

American UDCs are traditionally actively involved as the core of amphibious or naval formations in various regions of the world. They carry Marine contingents and complement aircraft carriers in offshore operations. For example, during the 1991 Gulf War, LHA 4 Nassau was used as a light aircraft carrier with AV-8B aircraft to support Marine forces on land. In 1999, LHD 3 Kearsarge was used against Yugoslavia as a command ship and at the same time a light aircraft carrier with AV-8B aircraft. LHD 5 Bataan and LHD 6 Bonhomme Richard performed the same functions against Iraq in 2003, and Kearsarge against Libya in 2011. On March 22, 2011, MV-22 tiltrotors from this UDC picked up the pilots of an American F-15E fighter-bomber that crashed during a combat mission in Libya.

Otherwise, the main tasks of the UDC in peacetime, in addition to the “expeditionary presence,” are the transfer of troops, humanitarian and evacuation activities. In all these cases, they play the role of large multi-purpose high-speed transports with significant auxiliary (aviation, medical, etc.) capabilities.

The United States uses its UDCs as flagships for anti-piracy missions off the coast of Somalia, and its significant helicopter air groups remain an advantage. The most famous episode is the release in April 2009 of the captured American container ship Maersk Alabama by special forces parachuted from helicopters from LHD 4 Boxer.

In connection with the upcoming commissioning of two Mistrals by the Russian Navy, the experience of using these ships by France is of particular interest. In a short period of time, the French managed to test various methods of using them. The service of the lead ship L 9013 Mistral began with the evacuation of 1,500 French citizens in July 2006 from Beirut to the Turkish port of Mersin. Including the crew and troops, there were 2,200 people on board. It was reported that the UDC could accommodate a maximum of 4,400 people. At the same time, Mistral delivered 650 troops and 85 wheeled vehicles to the French peacekeeping contingent in Lebanon, including five AMX-10RC cannon armored vehicles and 20 VAB armored personnel carriers and VBL light armored vehicles.

During a long voyage to the Indian and Pacific oceans in 2008, Mistral delivered humanitarian aid from India to Thailand for the population of Myanmar affected by a cyclone (the Myanmar government did not give permission for the ship to enter directly into the country's territorial waters). The most famous was the use by the French of both cash at that time UDC L 9013 Mistral and L 9014 Tonnerre during Operation Harmattan - French participation in NATO military operations against the forces of Muammar Gaddafi in the civil war in Libya in 2011.

The first to reach the coast of Libya was from Toulon on May 17, 2011, UDC Tonnerre. On board were 19 French Army Aviation helicopters - 13 Gazelle, two Tiger NAR and four Pumas. One Gazelle was an unarmed SA.341F control vehicle, eight were equipped with NOT ATGMs (SA.342M1), two were equipped with 20 mm cannons (SA.341F2), two were equipped with Mistral air-to-air missiles. Both combat Tiger NARs normally had only a 30-mm cannon, 68-mm unguided missiles and Mistral missiles. Tiger helicopters of the HAD modification equipped with the Hellfire II ATGM had not yet entered the army aviation at that time. Two Pumas were used in search and rescue roles, although they did not carry any special equipment. Tonnerre has been conducting combat operations with its helicopters against targets in Libya since 3 June 2011, cooperating with British WAH-64D Apache attack helicopters operating from the helicopter carrier Ocean.

On July 12, 2011, Mistral arrived to replace Tonnerre from Toulon to the Libyan coast, and a helicopter air group flew on board from July 12 to 14. As a result, 20 helicopters were deployed on the ship, with two Pumas replaced by specialized CSAR Caracal vehicles. On July 17, Tonnerre departed for Toulon and returned to Libya again to relieve Mistral on September 9, also with the transfer of an air group from Mistral. For ten days, both French UDCs acted together, until Mistral left for Toulon on September 18. In October, additional search and rescue support was provided by three Tonnerre-based US HH-60 helicopters. A hospital was also set up at Tonnerre, and he returned to his homeland on October 25, 2011 after the complete victory of the opposition in Libya and the death of Gaddafi.

In total, during the period of hostilities in Libya, 23 French helicopters operated from both UDCs. 43 group sorties were made, a total of 316 helicopter sorties with 1115 flight hours. SA.342M1 Gazelle helicopters fired 425 (according to other sources - 431) NOT ATGMs, and Tiger HAP - 1618 unguided 68 mm caliber missiles and three Mistral missiles at ground targets. Both types of vehicles also fired 13.5 thousand 20 mm and 30 mm shells from their cannons. They operated almost exclusively at night, using 24-hour search and targeting systems. The destruction of 600 targets was claimed, including 400 vehicles. At the same time, the French helicopters did not suffer any losses.

Taking into account the active use of Mistral in the French fleet as command ships, the experience of the creators shows that the Russian Navy, represented by the Vladivostok and Sevastopol, with a responsible approach to their operation, can obtain truly valuable and multi-purpose units.

Links[edit]

Quotes [edit]

1. Thomas, Ryland; Williamson, Samuel H. (2020). “What was the US GDP then?” . Measuring value
   .
   Retrieved September 22, 2022. US gross domestic product deflator figures follow Measuring Worth
   series.
2. ^ abc "Wasp class LHD-1". Warship Forecast
   . Retrieved November 14 +2016.
3. ^ ab "Navy to scrap USS Bonhomme Richard". usni.org.
4. ^ ab "Fact File: Landing Craft - LHD/LHA(R)". US Navy. April 13, 2016. Archived from the original on October 19, 2016. Retrieved November 11 +2016.
5. "USS Bonhomme Richard fire: Sailors injured, crews fighting at Naval Station San Diego". KGTV
   . July 12, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
6. ^ ab Bishop and Chant, Aircraft Carriers
   , p. 230
7. "Wasp-class amphibious assault ship". Military today
   . Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
8. ^ abcdefghijklmnopqrst Bishop and Chant, Aircraft Carriers
   , p. 231.
9. Leaver, Steve (September 15, 2009). "Fleet goes green with new hybrid ship". San Diego Union-Tribune
   . p. 1. Archived September 29, 2009. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
10. ^ ab "LHD-1 Wasp class". Federation of American Scientists. May 9, 2000. Archived from the original on March 30, 2013. Retrieved April 8, 2011.
11. » USS Kearsarge LHD-3 Loading Characteristics Brochure. Archived from the original on April 3, 2015. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
12. "Northrop Grumman begins production of the eighth LHD 1 Wasp-class ship" (press release). Pascagoula, Mississippi: Northrop Grumman. May 27, 2003. Archived from the original on April 3, 2015. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
13. "Wasp to 'come to life' today at the Navy Yard". Daily Press
    . Norfolk, Virginia. July 29, 1989. Archived from the original on April 4, 2015. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
14. Onodera sets plans to purchase landing craft (archived from the original on July 26, 2014)

Bibliography[edit]

• Bishop, Chris; Chant, Christopher (2004). Aircraft Carriers: The Greatest Naval Vessels and Their Aircraft. London: MBI. ISBN 0-7603-2005-5. OCLC 56646560. Retrieved May 8, 2015.

Why did the US Navy landing group enter the Mediterranean Sea?

The Amphibious Readiness Group (ARG), consisting of the Wasp amphibious assault ship (LHD 1) and the Whidbey Island amphibious transport dock (LSD 41) with Marines from the 22nd Expeditionary Unit, crossed the Suez Canal on Thursday and entered Operation Area 6 th US Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea, the official website of the US Navy reports.

According to him, there are 4 thousand military personnel on board the ships who will carry out tasks to ensure security in the region over the next three months.

#USSWasp ARG Departs @US5thFleet, enters #Mediterranean - https://t.co/xz9Tol6w7n pic.twitter.com/Sp3ex85ui5

— US Navy (@USNavy) December 1, 2016

“This site is vital to our global economy,” said ARG commander Capt. Byron Ogden.

The group returned to the 6th Fleet, which had previously participated in Operation Lightning Odyssey in Libya, conducting airstrikes against militants of the Islamic State banned in Russia (IS) in this African region for three months. country. The missions of the US 6th Fleet, whose headquarters is in Naples, Italy, are formulated on the US Navy website as “ensuring US national interests, security and stability in Europe and Africa.”

The on-duty landing group of the US Navy consists of a ship group and the landing force itself - about 5 thousand Marines, and sometimes US Army troops. All elements of the ARG, including support units, are trained, organized and equipped to carry out amphibious operations, the US Navy website emphasizes.

The basis of such a group is an assault landing ship, reminiscent of a small aircraft carrier, whose task is to deliver troops to a hostile coast and provide them with air cover using AV-8B Harrier vertical take-off aircraft and CH-53D medium transport helicopters, CH-46D medium attack helicopters and combat helicopters. Super Cobra AH-1W helicopters.

In addition to the assault landing ship, the ARG includes an amphibious transport dock (LPD), inside which there are landing ships or hovercraft for direct landing on the coast.

The Wasp series ships are the world's largest amphibious helicopter carriers.

The Wasp has a crew of about a thousand, a group of Marines on board about two thousand, and the carrier group consists of 30-32 CH-46 helicopters and 6-8 AV-8B Harrier attack aircraft.

New US helicopters: faster and further

In the United States, two new generation combat helicopters are being prepared for testing in 2022, designed taking into account...

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The ship is also armed with anti-aircraft artillery and missile weapons. Whidbey Island is an amphibious docking ship with a crew of about 400 sailors and five hundred Marines on board.

“Amphibious forces must be capable of performing missions ranging from humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to major theater operations. They can be configured and deployed to participate in conflicts at various levels and in multiple theaters simultaneously. They are capable of providing a presence that thwarts the adventurous actions of a potential adversary,” the US Navy website says.

The U.S. military believes that standby amphibious groups that may be waiting off enemy shores are “particularly well suited to demonstrate U.S. commitment and resolve to both its friends and allies and its adversaries.”

In terms of the number of personnel, the ARG that entered the Mediterranean Sea is comparable to the entire Russian contingent in Syria. In 2015, Reuters, citing officials in the US security forces and military experts, estimated the number of Russian troops in Syria at 4 thousand people. After this, on March 14, 2016, President Vladimir Putin announced the withdrawal of “the main troops” from the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic.

ARG ships are capable of supporting missions including US special operations forces, according to the US Navy website.

Syria: first US loss

A US Army soldier has died in Syria for the first time since the Special Forces contingent was deployed there...

28 November 17:09

The United States, together with a coalition of Western and Middle Eastern states, has been conducting an operation to combat ISIS in Syria for two years, including the participation of special operations forces on the ground. Last week, the Pentagon officially confirmed the first death of a US military personnel as a result of an ISIS attack in Syria.

According to The Washington Post, the soldier died near the city of Ain Issa, which is located approximately 60 km northwest of the self-proclaimed Islamist capital of Raqqa. The attack was carried out using an improvised explosive device.

The Washington Post estimates the US presence in Syria at 500, mostly supporting a coalition of Arab and Kurdish fighters known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) now advancing on Raqqa.

The first high-profile US ground operation in Syria was carried out in the summer of 2014. As The Telegraf wrote, in early July, the US Special Forces Delta Force landed in Syria 11 miles southeast of Raqqa to search for hostages, including 39-year-old American journalist James Foley, who disappeared in the Middle East in 2012. The operation was unsuccessful, but there were no losses: the commandos were unable to find the hostages and were forced to retreat after a shootout with Islamic State militants. The journalist was eventually beheaded.

The second attempt to attack ISIS on the ground was made by the Americans in May 2015. According to CNN, during a night raid, the military managed to kill Abu Sayyaf, the man in charge of the financial affairs of the Islamic State, who was also called the “Minister of Oil.”

In early November, the SDF announced the launch of an offensive on Raqqa. At least 30 thousand people will take part in Operation Wrath of the Euphrates, SDF leaders said. The attack will be supported by the US coalition from the air. According to Al-Arabiya TV channel, the offensive is led by a specially created coordination council. The first stage of the operation is to blockade the city of 300,000 people by capturing the surrounding areas, then the direct assault will begin.

“Four thousand will not be enough”

However, now the Americans will not drive their landing ships to the shores of Syria, says reserve colonel Viktor Murakhovsky, editor-in-chief of Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine.

“Or for this you have to be a complete idiot, since four thousand will not be enough. We must at least multiply this number by 10. Plus, draw two more aircraft carrier strike groups, and deploy at least two air wings in Saudi Arabia. Just in case - since Russia will definitely react - we will have to deploy a couple of fleets in the North Atlantic. Transfer two army corps to Europe: because it will be possible to receive a response in a completely different place. And nuclear forces will need to be brought into readiness,” the military expert insists.

According to US military doctrine, American expeditionary forces must be able to deploy to any theater of operations within 48 hours, Murakhovsky recalled.

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“For this purpose, advanced units of the Marine Corps have been created, which are constantly located on a rotation basis on landing ships, and an entire group of advanced storage of weapons, military equipment and ammunition has been created on a separate type of special ships. All this is continuously at sea - year-round and around the clock and in different regions of the world. And the one who is responsible from different commands - there is the Euro-Atlantic, Central and Pacific command - each of them has its own such grouping,” Murakhovsky explained.

According to him, the US Navy fleet has been in the Mediterranean since 1945, and it is not surprising that two American amphibious ships have returned there.

“At the Rota base, the Americans permanently have four American destroyers with the Aegis missile defense system on board in Spain. Their presence there was constant and never ceased. And they control the situation not only from the Mediterranean Sea. If we look, the carrier strike group is located near the Persian Gulf - they are not missing anything. They also have an air base on the island of Diego Garcia with aviation permanently located there. And they have a permanent base in Saudi Arabia,” said the military expert.

As a rule, from two to three ARGs are constantly deployed in the Mediterranean Sea, the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean, with another one or two in the Western Pacific Ocean, according to the US Navy website.

Another on-duty landing group is based on the islands of Sasebo and Okinawa in Japan. While some ARGs are completing their assigned tasks, other groups are on the move or undergoing major repairs. In most cases, amphibious assault teams are deployed under the protective umbrella of a U.S. Navy carrier battle group.

External links [edit]

• Extensive information at GlobalSecurity.org
• Seaforces.org