CAN CHINA WITH RUSSIA MAKE US AIRCRAFT USEFUL?

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CAN CHINA WITH RUSSIA MAKE US AIRCRAFT USEFUL?

Сообщение HainanWel.com(e)! » 07 мар 2017, 14:44

The US Naval Command is absolutely confident that US aircraft carriers and their airborne wings will be able to conduct combat operations and fly in areas protected by a zone access / blockade weapon (A2 / AD). Russia, China and, to a lesser extent, Iran are developing multi-level anti-ship and air defense systems capable of preventing the US Navy from approaching their coast.

According to the command of the US Navy, the A2 / AD system has existed since the first days of the history of wars and battles, when a primitive man was fighting with stones and spears. Over time, the methods of prohibiting access / blocking of the zone were improved in connection with the development of technology, and the range and damaging power of weapons increased. In place of stones and spears came bows and arrows, then muskets and cannons. Thus, the invention of anti-ship long-range cruise and ballistic missiles is just another technical stage in the development of A2 / AD.

"This is the next act," said Chief of Staff of the US Navy, Admiral John Richardson, giving an interview on August 25 in his office, The National Interest. - This A2 / AD, well, it definitely is the target for some of our rivals. But the achievement of this goal is quite another matter. It will be much more difficult. "

As noted by many US Navy commanders, including Richardson and Rear Admiral DeWolfe Miller, Director of Aircraft Armament Management, the access / lock zones are protected by Chinese anti-ship ballistic missiles DF-21D and DF-26, and Also Russian supersonic anti-ship missiles "Bastion-P", are not insurmountable "iron domes". And the formidable anti-aircraft missile systems, such as the Russian S-400 and the Chinese HQ-9, are not in a position to completely prohibit the flights of decked aircraft in cover zones.

Richardson gave an unambiguous answer to the question of whether he is confident in the ability of aircraft carriers and their aircraft to conduct combat operations within the A2 / AD zones, defended by anti-ship cruise and ballistic missiles, as well as modern air defense systems. "Yes," he said, but because of the need to preserve military secrets, he did not specify how they would do it. "This is a whole complex of possibilities, but it seems to me that we talk too much openly about what we are doing. I would be more attentive to talking about such topics, so as not to give our opponents any advantages. "

Meanwhile, Miller, who interviewed The National Interest on August 23, directly responded to criticism of modern deck aviation. The essence of this criticism boils down to the fact that after the removal of the Grumman A-6 Intruder and the KA-6 tanker from the armament, the operational range of the naval aviation has seriously decreased. "I do not think so," said Miller. - I believe that the range of the carrier strike group actually increased in comparison with what was before. And if we look at the accuracy of the strikes being struck against us and compare it with what I started with - A-6 and A-7 - then the precision of the deck aviation has also grown substantially. "

Miller explains the improvement in the flight, technical and combat characteristics of aviation units by the advent of new technology, such as improved container-type sighting systems, long-range weapons used outside the reach of enemy weapons, and the naval system of integrated fire control and air superiority conquest (NIFC- CA). The NIFC-CA system, the first versions of which are already in use, allows any component of the strike group to act as a detection or a means of destruction for another component of this group. For example, the EA-18G Growler deck of Boeing can transmit target designation data to the F / A-18E / F Super Hornet aircraft, which then uses its airborne weapons and attacks these targets.

The aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt became the first ship to use the original version of the system of integrated fire control and the conquest of air supremacy by NIFC-CA, Miller said. Soon it will be installed on another aircraft carrier. True, Miller refuses to call NIFC-CA a system. According to him, this is a new technology that allows combining existing means and opportunities, and provide a comprehensive picture to all who need it. This means that in time, additional combat equipment and devices will be connected to NIFC-CA, providing an even more comprehensive view of the theater of operations.

Although Miller and Richardson are quite satisfied with the current state of deck aviation, with the emergence of a single F-35C fighter of Lockheed Martin in the air wing and the MQ-25 Stingray unmanned tanker, the strike power of aircraft carriers will increase substantially. Miller very highly appreciated the F-35C, although the sailors are very cool about the capabilities of this single-engine invisible fighter.
The main task of the MQ-25 will be refueling in the air with the aim of increasing the range of deck aviation. He will have a secondary task: conducting reconnaissance and surveillance. According to Miller, replacing the Super Hornet and acting as a tanker, the MQ-25 will increase the strike power of the aircraft carrier due to the fact that it will allow six F / A-18E / F aircraft to fulfill their main tasks. "Simply by including the MQ-25 in our air wings, we will increase the strike power of deck aviation," Miller said. "The constant conduct of reconnaissance and surveillance will increase the survivability of the carrier strike group, because inquisitive eyes will appear around it, which is very important in conducting military operations in disputed waters."

The carriers themselves are also developing and improving, going a long way from the first atomic attack aircraft carrier Enterprise and Nimitsa, which became the first of the ten ships of the CVN-68 class, which today form the basis of the carrier fleet. Soon, the fleet's combat composition will include the aircraft carrier Gerald Ford (CVN-78), which represents a quantum leap in technology. It will have a huge capacity for generating electricity, it will use the new technology of take-off and landing aircraft, and it will have great potential for development. Thanks to ships like "Ford" aircraft carrier fleet will retain its importance for many years to come.

Miller said that the dangers for aircraft carriers have existed since the birth of naval aviation. They were especially serious during the Cold War, when the Soviet Union had whole regiments of Tu-22M3 bombers, as well as the 949 Granit submarines with powerful cruise missiles, whose main task was to search for and destroy American aircraft carriers. The Navy found ways to counter the Soviet threat then, and the aircraft carrier fleet will be able to adapt to the conduct of hostilities in the future.

"If this interview took place 22 years ago, threats would still exist," Miller said. - The nature of the war and the concept of prohibiting access / blocking the zone have not changed, I want to emphasize this. I do not want to underestimate anything, but we are improving the means of information warfare, electronic warfare, combat equipment, weapons systems, which were mentioned earlier. Plus, we are preparing people to apply our available resources and resources. Our aircraft carrier groups will create safe areas, we will fight in these areas, and we will have highly maneuverable forces. "

Richardson also believes that aircraft carriers will retain their importance for the foreseeable future. He noted that the Enterprise first entered service in the Caribbean crisis in 1962, but it retained its importance and usefulness for many years in a changing international situation, after a series of upgrades. Even on the day of decommissioning in December 2012, the Enterprise as a combat ship was as efficient as it was during its first time out at sea. The same will be with the aircraft carriers of the Ford type. "This is our forecast," Richardson said. "They will certainly make a big contribution."
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