How many aircraft carriers in the world per year. The most grandiose aircraft carriers in the world. The most powerful and largest aircraft carrier of the Russian Federation

Modern armed forces must be mobile - months-long campaigns on war elephants and half-year military galley expeditions are a thing of the distant past. Now, when the bill goes not even for days, but for hours, there is nothing more effective for armies than aircraft carriers. And the only thing better than an aircraft carrier is a large, very large aircraft carrier. In this material, "RG" will talk about ships that cause envy even among blue whales.

"Shinano"

The Japanese giant can hardly be attributed to the modern one, because in 1944 he sank safely during his first assignment. But what you should not doubt is its colossal, especially for that time, size. Its length was 266 meters, and its displacement was 68,060 tons. In order for you to realize the size of this hulk, imagine the Titanic. So this legendary liner was only three meters longer than the Sinano, and in terms of displacement it lost 10 thousand tons.

Initially, the Japanese was supposed to be the fourth in a series of Yamato-class battleships, but the designers' plans were redrawn by the Battle of Midway, where the Imperial Japanese Navy lost four brand new aircraft carriers and a whole group of smaller ships. The half-finished "Sinano" was decided to be converted as soon as possible into a vessel capable of carrying aircraft.

Haste made itself felt during the first and last battle of the giant. In November 1944, she was torpedoed by an American submarine. The watertight bulkheads had been installed incorrectly and were leaking, and the crew was inexperienced.

"Sinano" sank 7 hours after the attack and 17 hours after leaving the port.

"Varyag" or "Liaoning"

A giant with a very interesting and slightly sad fate was laid down at a shipyard in Nikolaev in 1985, and launched already in 1988. Most of the technical devices on the ship were absent, and the overall readiness of the combat ship could be estimated no higher than 60 percent. After the collapse of the USSR, it went to Ukraine, which until 1998 invested in it exactly as much money as was necessary to keep it afloat, no more.

In 1998, a giant with a length of 304.5 meters and a displacement of 59,500 tons was sold by official Kiev for a ridiculous amount of $ 20 million. The buyer was a private Chinese firm that announced its intention to turn the unfinished aircraft carrier into an amusement park and casino. But if there were such plans, then they were abandoned almost immediately: 20 million for the crown of the creation of Soviet designers is an insignificant price, so the PRC government nationalized the ship and completed it. Thus, by 2011, the People's Republic of China entered the pool of countries that have aircraft carriers in service.

"Admiral Kuznetsov"

The largest and most powerful aircraft-carrying cruiser in Europe and Asia began to be built in the same Nikolaev in 1982. Named after Nikolai Gerasimovich Kuznetsov, Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union.

In all its characteristics, the aircraft carrier was advanced: the deck was lengthened to allow the takeoff and landing of the Su-25, Su-27 and MiG-29, and the hull was built in a unique way from blocks weighing up to 1400 tons. Aerofinishers, the optical landing system "Luna" and the side lifts of the aircraft first appeared on it. The length of the "Admiral" is more than three football fields, it is like the Eiffel Tower without a spire - 306 meters. At the same time, a whole small air army can be on such a colossus - 25 aircraft and 25 helicopters.

Unlike most standard aircraft carriers, the armament of the Admiral Kuznetsov is far from modest: 12 launchers 4K80 SCRC "Granit", 8 launchers "Kortik" with an arsenal of 256 missiles, 6 six-barreled 30-mm artillery mounts AK-630M for 48 thousand shells and 4 six-barrel launchers of the Kinzhal air defense system. Radar is also on top - the Beysur complex, Buran-2 and the Rezistor flight control radar station, and the Kuznetsov crew is almost 2000 sailors and officers. "Kuznetsov" is a real beauty and pride of Russia.

By 2015, the ship will replace all carrier-based Su-33 fighters with multifunctional MiG-29K. Until 2017, the ship will undergo a major overhaul.

"Nimitz"

This American Gulliver is named after Chester W. Nimitz, Commander-in-Chief of the US Pacific Fleet during World War II. The aircraft carrier "Nimitz" was laid down back in 1968 and became one of the first ships of this type with a nuclear power plant. Participated in the infamous failed special operation "Eagle's Claw" in 1980. In May 1981, an incident occurred on board: a landing Prowler fighter crashed, killing 14 people, and about 50 were injured.

The aircraft carrier has gigantic dimensions - 332 meters in length and a displacement of almost 100,000 tons. But these figures did not bring him success in 2008, when two Russian Tu-95MS teased the "floating fortress" as part of a training flight. One of them flew at an altitude of only 600 meters above the Nimitz, and even the F / A-18 fighters raised up in alarm did not embarrass our pilots.

"Enterprise"

More than half a century ago, in 1960, the CVN-65 Enterprise was launched, which still remains the longest warship of all time - 342 meters! Also, "Big E" became the world's first nuclear aircraft carrier, and the crew of this big man was a little less than 5,000 people. In total, it was planned to create 6 such ships, but the release of the first Enterprise, which cost $ 451 million, shook the US economy, so the rest of the ships in the project were abandoned.

The aircraft carrier has always been positioned as the pinnacle of the country's naval development and took part in all conflicts and wars of the Stars and Stripes. From the Caribbean crisis to the Vietnam War, from the confrontation between North and South Korea to Yugoslavia and Iraq. Unpleasant incidents did not bypass him either, on January 14, 1969, due to the negligence of the crew, a rocket spontaneously exploded on one of the Phantom aircraft. The ensuing fire destroyed 15 more fighters, killing 27 people and injuring 349. In total, more than 100,000 people served on the aircraft carrier in 52 years.

The ship was decommissioned in 2012 and will be scrapped by 2015, despite numerous protests from former sailors who urged the government to turn the legendary ship into a floating museum.

To date, there are a large number of giant aircraft carriers. The main requirement for a modern army is mobility. It is for this simple reason that there is nothing more efficient than aircraft carriers, which can carry dozens and a large number of people on board. Let's take a look at the largest aircraft carriers in the world with you. Some of them still perform their function today, while others have long been decommissioned and serve as museum exhibits.

The largest Nimitz-class aircraft carrier

It is safe to say that the Nimitz-class aircraft carriers are considered the largest in the world. With a length of 333 meters and a flight deck width of more than 76 meters, these giants can accommodate about 90 pieces of air equipment. Among them are 64 fighters and 26 helicopters. The total crew of the Nimitz aircraft carriers is 3,200 people. From here, 2,800 flight personnel and 70 command personnel can be singled out. Almost all ships have the same technical characteristics, design solutions and weapons on board. It should be noted that the Nimitz aircraft carriers can operate for about 20 years without replacing the energy source of the power plant. Simply put, it can be sent for 20 years on a long voyage. The first ship of the line was launched in 1975 and had the same name "Nimitz".

A more detailed description of the Nimitz-class aircraft carriers

A few words must be said about the ship's power plant. It consists of the main and auxiliary systems. The main one includes two water reactors, each of which feeds 2 turbines. A feature of a water reactor is that it uses ordinary pressurized water as a coolant and moderator. Today, in the world, this type of aircraft carrier is the most popular and effective. If you add up the power of four turbines, the result will be a device for 280,000 horsepower. The auxiliary installation is 4 diesel engines with a total capacity of 10,700 horsepower. These largest aircraft carriers in the world are equipped with weapons to protect against air enemies and underwater threats. In the first case, 3 anti-aircraft missile systems are installed, as well as 4 anti-aircraft guns of 20 mm caliber. To protect against torpedoes, there are two 324 mm torpedo tubes. At present, 10 Nimitz aircraft carriers have been built, the last of them is the George W. Bush, which we will now consider.

The aircraft carrier "George Bush" - the most powerful warship in the world

This ship is the latest development of the Nimitz project. It has a number of distinctive enhancements that make it truly unique. As you can understand, this aircraft carrier was named after the 41st President of the United States of America - George began in 2003 and cost the US Treasury almost $ 6.5 billion. In 2009, "George Bush" was officially adopted. Today it is one of the largest and most powerful aircraft carriers in the world. The length of the giant is 332.8 meters with a displacement of 110 thousand tons. It can reach speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour and carry 90 pieces of military equipment on board. Many call it the modern "Noah's Ark". Due to the fact that the designers managed to move the wheelhouse and antennas to the edge of the deck, it turned out to slightly expand the runway, which is very important for a ship of this purpose. Well, now let's look at the other largest aircraft carriers in the world, because there are quite a few of them.

About Enterprise in detail

Of course, one cannot fail to mention the longest ship in the world, which was launched more than half a century ago. This is the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier with a crew of almost 5,000 people and a length of 342 meters. The government planned to release 6 Enterprise ships, but after the first one cost $450 million and significantly affected the US treasury, the rest were abandoned. For many years, it has been said that the Enterprise is the pinnacle of the military development of the army. During the service, the aircraft carrier has been in many conflicts, from Vietnam to North Korea. For 52 years of operation, more than 100,000 people served on the Enterprise, so we can safely say that this ship is worthy of attention. In 2012, it was written off and is still being dismantled for scrap, the process is planned to be completed by the beginning of 2015.

The sad story of "Shinano"

If this Japanese ship cannot be called something ingenious from a design point of view, then it can be attributed to the giants without a twinge of conscience. During the execution of her first mission, this cruiser sank, it happened back in 1944. The length of the ship was about 266 meters, and the displacement was almost 70 thousand tons. But the active conduct of hostilities did not allow the constructs to 100% complete the ship, so it was launched and sank within 17 hours after leaving the port. It was torpedoed, and since the watertight partitions were initially installed incorrectly, and the team had no experience, the ship was at the bottom already 7 hours after the torpedo hit.

Great "Admiral Kuznetsov"

Among Europe and Asia, there is a ship named after Admiral of the Navy Admiral Kuznetsov, which is one of the largest and most powerful. The development of this giant began back in 1982 in the city of Nikolaev. Judging by the technical characteristics, the Admiral Kuznetsov was supposed to become an advanced aircraft carrier. The deck of the ship was somewhat elongated to allow the Su-25 and Su-27 fighters to take off. It is noteworthy that it was on this cruiser that the Luna optical system and side lifts of fighters were first used. The length of the ship is 302 meters, and 25 helicopters and the same number of planes fit on board. If we call the most ambitious aircraft carriers in the world in terms of weapons and radar equipment, then the Admiral Kuznetsov will be among the leaders. On its decks, 12 Granit launchers, 8 Kortik launchers, 6 AK-630M artillery mounts and 4 Dagger launchers are installed. Such a large number of weapons, as well as a huge ammunition capacity, allows the ship to fire continuously for a long time. To date, this operating ship is undergoing a complete replacement of Su-33 fighters with MiG-29K, and a major overhaul is planned for 2015.

The history of the cruiser "Varyag"

We have already listed many of the largest aircraft carriers in the world, but it is worth mentioning a ship called Varyag, or Liaoning. It began to be built in Nikolaev in 1986 and completed in 1988. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the cruiser went to Ukraine. Until 1998, they only kept it afloat and did not invest in development, repairs, etc. Later, it was decided to sell the aircraft carrier for only $ 20 million, which was just a ridiculous price. Its length is 304 meters with a displacement of 60 thousand tons. The Chinese private company that bought the Varyag completed and modernized it, so that it still floats and successfully performs its tasks.

Conclusion

So we examined with you the most famous aircraft carriers in the whole world. Of course, what was said is just a drop in the ocean. There are also such famous ships as Theodore Roosevelt 317 meters long, Ronald Reagan - 332 meters and others. Almost every modern country is trying to build the most powerful fleet possible. Many of the world's operating aircraft carriers can carry on board a small army of planes and helicopters, which are ready to take off at any moment.

US aircraft carriers

With all the variety of modern warships, none of them makes such an impressive impression as the US aircraft carriers. Their grandiose size perfectly matches the image of the most powerful superpower in the history of mankind. It is now difficult to imagine that once these ships were considered secondary and auxiliary. Nevertheless, in order for the importance of aircraft carriers to be fully realized, it took many decades. Today, the future of the sea giants is again in doubt, but these symbols of unrestricted power are unlikely to fade in the coming years.

The history of the creation of an aircraft carrier

On November 14, 1910, an event took place that at first might seem like nothing more than another step in the triumphal development of the newly born aviation: a small aircraft took off for the first time from the deck of the American light cruiser Birmingham. It was piloted by Eugene Ely. At the beginning of the next year, 1911, the same pilot managed to land his airplane on another ship, the Pennsylvania cruiser.

Of course, this achievement in itself might not have led to the subsequent appearance of aircraft carriers, but Eugene Ely, most likely, made his flights for a reason - after all, the very idea of \u200b\u200busing aircraft for war at sea was no longer new at that time. She was most likely born in France - it was from this country that the American naval attaché sent a report to Washington in 1908, which outlined the foundations of the very concept of future ships.

A much clearer presentation of the same thoughts was contained in the book "Military Aviation", written by the French engineer Clement Ader. This man, about 13 years before the Wright brothers flew, had built a flying airplane with a motor of his own design. However, describing the ship he invented with a flat deck “cleared of all sorts of obstacles,” Ader hardly showed supernatural insight - the idea, one might say, was in the air along with the planes themselves, which in those years did not yet require long runways.

An alternative way to bring aviation into the war at sea was the use of hydroplanes. At first, this path looked the most promising. Shortly before the outbreak of the First World War, in May 1914, the British Admiralty bought the hull of a bulk carrier being built at the shipyard from Blyth Shipbuilding with the aim of its subsequent conversion into an experimental floating air base.

The ship received a hangar and a flat deck, which was intended not for takeoffs and landings, but for starting engines and repairing aircraft. In addition, cranes, quite powerful for those times, were installed, with the help of which the hydroplanes that had landed on the water could be lifted aboard a ship that became part of the British fleet under the name Ark Royal.

The first attempt to create an aircraft carrier with a full landing deck was also made by the British. The experience gained during the operation of the Ark Royal, as well as the significant “anti-submarine” combat potential of aviation, which manifested itself during the First World War, forced British naval commanders and shipbuilders to think about creating another aircraft carrier. The basis for this ship was the battlecruiser Furious. It was originally intended to carry seaplanes, like the Ark Royal.

When Furious was handed over to the British Navy at the end of June 1917, she was equipped with only a relatively small flight deck. Meanwhile, even during the operation of the Ark Royal, it became clear that the landing of seaplanes on the water and their subsequent lifting on board is possible only in relatively calm weather. Of course, this limited the capabilities of aircraft carriers.

On August 2, 1917, one of the aircraft stationed on Furious performed the world's first landing on the deck of a moving ship. Despite the success of this experiment, it was clear that in order to carry out safe flights, the runway should be significantly lengthened. Therefore, the ship underwent significant modernization - the main mast disappeared from its decks, the stern gun was removed, the hangars were equipped with special elevators for lifting aircraft. The main thing was the appearance of a rather large runway for those times with a length of 91 meters.

The Furious air group after modernization amounted to 20 aircraft - quite a lot for 1918.

Almost simultaneously with the conversion of the battlecruiser, British shipbuilders carried out the construction of the ship Argus, which became the first aircraft carrier of the classical layout. Like Ark Royal, it was a converted civilian vessel - the Italian passenger liner Conto Rosso, acquired by the British Admiralty in August 2016.

The main difference between the "Argus" was a large flat flight deck, which occupied the entire upper part of the ship. This allowed the pilots to take off and land in much more favorable conditions than on the Furious. In addition, it was on the Argus that brake cables first appeared to reduce the mileage of aircraft, flat horizontal chimneys and many other innovations that later became typical for this class of ships.

It should be noted that for all its merits, the Argus has always been regarded more as an experimental, experimental ship, which was primarily due to its “civilian” origin and low speed. A significant drawback was the absence of any superstructures above the flat upper deck. Therefore, after the end of the First World War, it was decided to build the Hermes ship, which, unlike all its predecessors, was originally designed as a carrier-based aircraft. The Hermes entered the British fleet only in 1920.

Thus, several different ships can claim the title of the world's first aircraft carrier at once - and they are all British. The championship could have gone to the United States, but for some reason this did not happen.

There were projects for the creation of aircraft carriers in Russia. The author of one of them was one of the first Russian aviators, Captain Lev Matsievich. Unfortunately, this man died in the fall of 1910 during a demonstration flight, and his project did not receive any development.

The evolution of aircraft carriers

Despite the rather significant progress achieved during the First World War and immediately after it, the further development of aircraft carriers in the 20s and 30s of the last century proceeded at a rather slow pace. This was primarily due to the lack of a coherent concept for the use of a new type of ship. The aircraft carriers were supposed to be used for reconnaissance, searching for submarines and protecting the fleet from coastal-based aircraft. Huge heavily armored battleships continued to be considered the main striking force.

The first attempts to create aircraft carriers in the United States ran into resistance from the fleet command, which extremely low estimated not only the combat, but also the operational capabilities of airplanes. Only in 1922, American sailors received a ship from which planes could take off. It was a converted cargo ship "Jupiter", built in 1911 and originally designed to transport coal. After modernization and refitting, she was turned into the aircraft carrier CV-1 "Langley".

It is difficult to say how much longer the US would have needed to build full-fledged aircraft carriers if it were not for the Washington Treaty, signed in 1922. In accordance with this document, the leading naval powers, which, along with Great Britain and the United States, also included Italy, France and Japan, assumed obligations to limit the number of battleships and battlecruisers of large displacement.

In those years, Lexington and Saratoga ships were built at American shipyards. Both were designed as battlecruisers and were subject to the Washington Treaty. The only way to keep them from turning into a pile of scrap metal was to convert them into aircraft carriers. That is how, almost by force, the CV-2 and CV-3 appeared in the US Navy.

Japanese shipbuilders did the same then, turning the Kaga battleship and the Akagi battlecruiser into aircraft carriers.

During the 30s of the last century, a new type of large aircraft carriers was created in the United States, called Yorktown (in accordance with the name of the lead ship). It turned out to be very promising and allowed further development of an even more advanced Essex type. All aircraft carriers built according to these projects were no longer the result of any alteration. At the same time, however, it cannot be said that the appearance of new ships was accompanied by a significant revision of military doctrine.

Events developed in approximately the same way in Japan - despite the fact that this country abandoned the restrictions imposed by the Washington Treaty and got the opportunity to build any ships, aircraft carriers were still underestimated. The situation has not changed even after the appearance of the rather successful Soryu and Hiryu.

By the beginning of the Second World War, the distribution of aircraft carriers among the fleets of different countries of the world looked like this:

USA - 8 ships, one of which ("Langley") was converted into air transport. Of the seven others, two were the result of battlecruiser conversions;
France - one aircraft carrier "Béarn", converted from a battleship back in the early 20s;
Japan - 6 ships;
Great Britain - seven aircraft carriers, including the old Argus, Furious, Eagle, Hermes and Korages. More modern was only the Ark Royal, launched in 1937.

Combat operations at sea, which unfolded starting in 1939, demonstrated the significantly increased “anti-ship” power of aviation compared to the period of the First World War. A good example was, in particular, the attack of aircraft taking off from the new English aircraft carrier Illastrious on Italian battleships in the Bay of Taranto. It was this attack that became a kind of prototype for the much larger defeat of the American battle fleet at Pearl Harbor in December 1941.

A few more cruel lessons were taught to the battleship supporters, including the destruction of the Repulse and the Prince of Wales on December 10, 1941. In this remarkable case, not aircraft carriers, but coastal aircraft acted against the British fleet, but this did not change much - it became clear that even the most powerful armor could not protect the recent "masters of the ocean" from air attack.

The decisive events were the events of 1942 - the battle in the Coral Sea and the battle at Midway Island. In both cases, the main participants in the battles were American and Japanese aircraft carriers, striking each other from a great distance. Ordinary surface ships did not solve anything.

Under these conditions, the main factor in victory was the economic power of the United States, which allowed this country to build dozens of new aircraft carriers in a relatively short time. Japan could not oppose anything to this, which eventually led to its complete defeat. The emergency conversion of the world's largest battleships of the Yamato series into aircraft carriers could not reverse this situation.

In the Atlantic, the situation was somewhat different. Here, the "escort" role of aircraft carriers became paramount, since the main enemy was German submarines. The United States and here were on top, having managed to establish a fairly large-scale production of small auxiliary aircraft carriers. They were made most often on the basis of bulk carriers or tankers.

After the end of World War II, the Soviet Union became the main potential adversary of the United States. Since the navy that the USSR had was relatively small, large-scale naval battles were not foreseen. For this reason, a number of attempts were made to turn American aircraft carriers into a means of delivering strategic strikes against Soviet territory.

It was assumed that after the transition of the Cold War to the “hot” phase, the aircraft carriers would come as close as possible to the shores of the USSR, after which the A-3 Skywarrior and AJ Savage bombers with nuclear bombs on board would rise from them. This concept was very doubtful from the very beginning, and after the appearance of submarine missile carriers, heavy strategic aviation and intercontinental missiles, it had to be completely abandoned.

At the same time, the Soviet navy by the 60s had grown significantly, which raised the question of the return of American aircraft carriers to their original role - they were again supposed to become an effective tool for gaining dominance at sea. For this, new, more powerful and large ships were needed. The concept of a "supercarrier" was born, equipped with a nuclear reactor and capable of an indefinitely long voyage. The first such ship was CVN-65 Enterprize, commissioned in 1961. Then the construction of Nimitz-class aircraft carriers began - real monsters with a displacement of about 100 thousand tons. Today, they are the main striking force of the American fleet and the subject of national pride of the United States.

Modern aircraft carriers in the USA

CVN-65 Enterprize was, by the standards of the 60s, downright a “golden” ship - 451 million dollars were spent during its construction and testing, which horrified the US military command. With this in mind, it was decided to abandon the original plans, which envisaged the launching of a whole series of new nuclear aircraft carriers. The situation changed after the Enterprize took part in the Vietnam War, clearly demonstrating its advantage over its older "rivals" - it could stay in a given area for an arbitrarily long time without being distracted by refueling.

As a result, they returned to the concept of a "supercarrier", but on a different level - it was decided to build a series of ships of a more thoughtful design. If CVN-65 was driven by eight nuclear reactors, then the aircraft carriers of the new series, later called Nimitz, had only two nuclear installations.

In addition, a special production cycle for the manufacture of these ships was developed, which made it possible to drastically reduce the time of their construction and significantly reduce overhead costs.

A total of 10 Nimitz-class aircraft carriers entered the US Navy. All of them remain in service today. In addition, in 2009, Gerald R. Ford, the lead ship of the new series, was launched. In general, this aircraft carrier is similar to its predecessors, but the design and equipment have been noticeably improved.

10 Nimitz-class ships

Of course, American supercarriers did not appear all at once, they were built one after another, gradually increasing the US naval power. The manufacturer of these ships was Newport News Shipbuilding, whose shipyards also produced more than half of all American nuclear submarines.

USS Nimitz (CVN68)

The construction of the very first aircraft carrier in the series began in June 1968. It took a little less than four years, after which the huge ship, the total displacement of which reaches 104,112 tons, underwent a number of different checks and tests. The solemn ceremony of entering the aircraft carrier into the Navy, one of the participants of which was US President Gerald Ford, took place on May 3, 1975.

This ship was named in memory of Chester Nimitz, an American admiral who commanded the Pacific Fleet during World War II.

The first episode of the combat use of an aircraft carrier was its participation in an attempt to free American citizens held hostage in Iran (Operation Eagle Claw). As you know, this attempt ended in complete failure, to which, however, "Nimitz" had nothing to do.

In 1981, the aircraft carrier became a direct participant in the "incident in the Gulf of Sidra", the victim of which were two Su-22 aircraft of the Libyan Air Force, shot down by F-14 fighters taking off from the deck of the Nimitz. Ten years later, the ship was used for raids on Iraq during the well-known Operation Desert Storm.

In 2003, the aircraft carrier Nimitz, whose characteristics still met the requirements of the time, was again involved in striking at the supporters of Saddam Hussein. As you know, the new war ended with the occupation of Iraq, which has not yet fully restored its state sovereignty.

The most tragic episode in the history of this ship was an incident that happened back in 1981. Then an EA-6B Prowler crashed onto the deck of an aircraft carrier. As a result, 45 people were injured and 14 died. One of the causes of the disaster was the use of marijuana by members of the deck crew.

Apparently, it is CVN-68 that will become the first Nimitz-class ship to be retired. In accordance with the new plans of the command of the Navy, the US Navy should have only 10 aircraft carriers, and now there are 11.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

The second ship of the Nimitz class was named after US President Eisenhower, who is also known as the commander-in-chief of the Allied expeditionary forces during World War II.

This aircraft carrier was built a little longer than the Nimitz - more than five years, starting in 1975. It was introduced into the navy in 1977. In subsequent years, this ship almost did not get into the news chronicle, although it participated in a number of campaigns and combat duties. Like the Nimitz, this aircraft carrier was involved in air strikes against Iraq during Operation Desert Storm.

For a year and a half, starting in the summer of 1995, the ship was subjected to an extremely expensive modernization. The total costs amounted to at least three billion US dollars.

During the "zero" years, "Eisenhower" was repeatedly sent on combat duty to the Persian Gulf. In 2016, the aircraft carrier was in the Mediterranean Sea, acting as a kind of counterbalance to the Russian ship grouping, dispersed near the coast of Syria. Luckily, there were no clashes.

Currently, this aircraft carrier is undergoing a series of tests after the next repair. It is assumed that the ship will be able to return to combat service next year.

Carl Vinson

The third Nimitz-class aircraft carrier entered the US Navy in 1982. Its construction began seven years earlier and ended in 1980. Interestingly, Congressman Carl Vinson, who headed the US Naval Committee for a long period, was still alive when the ship named after him appeared in the shipyards.

Unlike its "elder brothers", "Carl Vinson" did not take part in Operation Desert Storm, since in the 80s he visited the Middle East only occasionally, having made most of his trips within the Pacific and Indian Oceans. One of the F-14 fighters, which were part of the air group of this ship, just in those years took part in the filming of the film Top Gun.

The first episode of the combat use of "Karl Vinson" took place in 2001, when the aircraft carrier was involved in attacking the Taliban in Afghanistan. Two years later, the ship was also used during the war against Iraq. In 2011, the remains of Osama bin Laden, “terrorist No. 1,” were brought aboard the Carl Vinson, whose corpse was then drowned in the Arabian Sea.

In April 2017, this aircraft carrier was used by US President Trump to exert psychological pressure on the leadership of North Korea. At the same time, the American leader essentially lied, saying that the Carl Vinson was heading into the Sea of Japan, while in fact the ship was moving in the exact opposite direction.

In May 2019, one of the crew members was arrested aboard the aircraft carrier, accused of spying for Russia. Subsequently, the detainee admitted his guilt.

Theodore Roosevelt

The fourth Nimitz-class ship, named after US President Theodore Roosevelt, was significantly different from its predecessors. This gave journalists a reason to talk about a new type of aircraft carrier, but the subsequent series of four other ships did not receive an official separate designation.

The Theodore Roosevelt, under construction since 1980, was commissioned into the US Navy in 1986. Of all the aircraft carriers that took part in the strikes on Iraq in 1991, as part of Operation Desert Storm, the greatest load fell on this ship. The planes that took off from it dropped over two thousand tons of various ammunition on targets during four thousand two hundred sorties.

The Theodore Roosevelt was no less actively used during the NATO attack on Yugoslavia in the spring of 1999. The total number of sorties then amounted to 4,270, and all aircraft returned safely to the aircraft carrier.

The modernization of this ship took place in 2007, after which it was returned to service. The aircraft carrier was involved in the fight against Somali pirates, but there was no information about any specific combat episodes.

In 2016 and 2018, Theodore Roosevelt made trips to the Mediterranean Sea, acting as a mock enemy for the Russian air group in Syria. In the spring of 2019, this ship took part in large-scale maneuvers off the coast of Alaska, which were closely monitored by Russian Tu-95 aircraft.

Abraham Lincoln

In the spring of 2019, the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, named after one of the most famous US presidents, became the reason for a small media scandal. This ship was called by the American Ambassador Huntsman "one hundred thousand tons of international diplomacy", which, in the context of other statements of this politician, looked like a brazen threat to Russia.

The aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln was built from 1984 to 1988 and entered service in 1989. He was not involved in Operation Desert Storm, however, in 2003, the ship was still used to strike at Iraqi territory.

For some reason that is not entirely clear, it was this aircraft carrier that became the character of the well-known tale "about a lighthouse and a ship." In addition, the Lincoln, like the Carl Vinson, was used by filmmakers. With his participation, the famous blockbuster "Transformers" was made.

In August 2019, an emergency occurred on board the aircraft carrier - the pilot of the E-2D aircraft made an error during the landing approach, as a result of which four F / A-18 Super Hornet fighters received heavy damage.

George Washington

The sixth Nimitz-class ship generally differed little from its two immediate predecessors, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Like these ships, it got its name in honor of the President of the United States - but only the very first, George Washington, one of the founders of the country itself.

The construction of the aircraft carrier continued from 1986 to 1990. This ship was put into operation on a holiday - July 4, 1992. The George Washington did not receive significant combat use, although, like other aircraft carriers, it repeatedly visited the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea.

In 2008, the ship “moved” to Japan, to the Yokosuka base, which previously housed the old aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. This caused mass protests among the local population, since nuclear reactors were placed on board the George Washington, which the people of Japan do not like very much.

In 2012, the aircraft carrier made a trip to the South China Sea, becoming the strongest irritant for China, which is involved in a territorial dispute in this region. Other participants in the conflict were Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan and Malaysia, but no armed skirmishes occurred. A year later, "George Washington" was used to deliver humanitarian aid to the people of the Philippines, affected by a devastating typhoon.

In 2016, there were reports that the aircraft carrier would be equipped with unmanned tankers. Apparently, the relevant work was included in the planned repair of the ship, which is currently ongoing. The duration of this repair will be about four years, and the amount of costs exceeds four and a half billion dollars.

John C. Stennis

The USS John Stennis, named after a US senator, was the first Nimitz-class ship to be built in a modular fashion. This means that it was assembled from separately manufactured elements, the number of which is 161. Thanks to this technology, the construction period was more than halved - the aircraft carrier was laid down in 1991, and launched already in 1993. At the same time, the commissioning of this ship, for unknown reasons, was somewhat delayed.

The first campaign of "Stennis" took place in 1998. The aircraft carrier proceeded to the Persian Gulf through the Suez Canal, where, together with the George Washington, it took part in Operation Southern Watch. In the same year, the first planned repair of the ship began.

In November 1999, the team managed to run the aircraft carrier aground, which, however, caused relatively moderate damage to it. In the first decade of the twenty-first century, this ship repeatedly made trips to the Persian Gulf, but it did not take a direct part in the hostilities.

In 2012, the John Stennis received a distress signal from a ship that had been attacked by pirates. A helicopter was sent from the aircraft carrier, after the appearance of which the pirates tried to escape, but a cruiser from the AUG arrived in time and detained them.

In subsequent years, this ship repeatedly appeared off the coast of Iran. It is expected that soon it will be sent to the docks for overhaul and modernization. This will happen immediately after returning to its place in the combat formation of the aircraft carrier "George Washington".

Harry S Truman

This aircraft carrier, named in honor of US President Harry Truman, who received this post shortly before the end of World War II, was built over a three-year period, starting in 1993. In 1998, he was officially introduced into the Navy.

Like other American aircraft carriers, this ship was often used for combat patrols in the waters of the Persian Gulf. In 2003, Harry Truman was used for the filming of the film Tears of the Sun, which starred Bruce Willis and Monica Bellucci. Over the next 13 years, the ship repeatedly made various campaigns, but did not participate in hostilities.

In 2016, planes that took off from the deck of the Harry Truman carried out a series of strikes on targets of terrorist groups in Syria. Initially, it was assumed that government troops would also be bombed, but this did not happen.

In the spring of 2019, the media received reports that this aircraft carrier would soon be withdrawn from the fleet and decommissioned. The US government's desire for cost savings was cited as the main reason. The reliability of this information cannot yet be assessed.

In September 2019, "Harry Truman" was supposed to go on another trip at the head of the ship group, but this did not happen, as there were breakdowns on board, the elimination of which is currently ongoing.

Ronald Reagan

US President Ronald Reagan, who held office in the 1980s, was still alive when the nuclear aircraft carrier named after him was built. It happened in 2001. The ship is somewhat different from the earlier members of the Nimitz class.

The changes, in particular, made it possible to increase the stability of the aircraft carrier in conditions of significant unrest. In addition, the maximum allowable mass of aircraft landing on the flight deck has been increased. At the same time, the number of brake cables has been reduced to three.

Ronald Reagan's home port was the Japanese port of Yokosuka (originally based in San Diego). Basically, this aircraft carrier is used in the Pacific Ocean. In 2018, a remarkable incident occurred: it turned out that part of the ship’s crew was using LSD in the service. Ironically, it was Ronald Reagan who once initiated a campaign against the distribution of drugs among military sailors.

In August 2019, the aircraft carrier arrived in the Philippines on a friendly visit, but for some reason it was obviously overloaded with armed aircraft, which was immediately noticed by local journalists. It should be noted that the Chinese authorities are quite nervous about the presence of American warships in this region.

George H. W. Bush

The last Nimitz-class aircraft carrier became a kind of "transitional" ship. Some innovations were tested on it, which were then supposed to be used in the construction of the next generation of aircraft carriers. The name was given in honor of George W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States, who himself took part in the naming ceremony.

Construction began in 2003, and in 2009 the ship was commissioned. For the American budget, this aircraft carrier cost $6.2 billion, which significantly exceeded the cost of building its immediate predecessors, which cost $4.5 billion.

An incomplete list of innovations that appeared on the George W. Bush is as follows:

A new, lighter deck covering has been used;
Increased hangar capacity;
Upgraded propeller;
The hull of the ship is made convex, which reduced its effective dispersion surface (ESR);
Aircraft maintenance scheme has been changed;
There are new places to store aviation fuel.

At the same time, the composition of the air group has somewhat decreased - on the earlier Nimitz, it could reach 90 aircraft, while only 68 aircraft (including helicopters) are placed on board the George W. Bush.

The purpose of the first combat campaign of the new aircraft carrier was the traditional visit to the Persian Gulf. A few months after returning, in July 2012, the ship was sent for a major overhaul - clearly unscheduled. Information was then leaked to the press about a number of shortcomings, among which were ridiculous ones - for example, a malfunctioning sewer system.

In 2014, against the backdrop of the referendum in Crimea, the Ukrainian press circulated deliberately absurd gossip about the imminent arrival of “George Bush” in the Black Sea for almost two months.

In February 2019, the aircraft carrier was sent for another scheduled overhaul. The duration of the work was supposed to be ten months, but at the end of the summer it was reported that the ship would be able to return to service at best at the end of 2021. What this is connected with is completely incomprehensible.

Newest aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford

In 2009, the construction of the lead aircraft carrier of a new class began in America. This ship, named after President Gerald Ford, under whose reign the first Nimitzes were once launched, was supposed to be a new milestone in the history of the American navy, but so far she has not managed to live up to these expectations.

The dimensions and displacement of the new aircraft carrier almost do not differ from those of the Nimitz-class ships, but the designers did not strive for this. The main goal was to improve the performance of all onboard equipment, starting with the power plant. In particular, the stock of nuclear fuel, initially placed in two reactors, should now be enough for the entire period of operation of the ship, which, according to calculations, will be 50 years. At the same time, the power will increase by 25% or more.

Improved electronics will make it possible to reduce the number of aircraft carrier crew by 40% compared to Nimitz-class ships, and new-design electromagnetic catapults will make it possible to significantly increase the "productivity" of the flight deck, increasing the daily number of sorties from 120 to 160.

In addition, the ship is equipped with the latest radar stations, and the main aircraft of its air group should be the F-35 multipurpose stealth fighter.

In 2017, the completion of sea trials of the Gerald Ford was announced, after which the aircraft carrier was commissioned into the fleet. However, it soon became clear that not all problems had been solved. In 2019 alone, the ship had to be urgently returned to the port three times due to various breakdowns. Until now, "Gerald Ford" makes its trips "empty", since the air group is still not composed.

Meanwhile, overhead costs, which looked clearly excessive even at the time of the launch of the ship on the water, continue to increase. The command of the fleet hardly likes this - after all, they were assured that the operation of a new generation of aircraft carriers would be much cheaper than using the Nimitz. The problems are compounded by the lack of knowledge of the F-35 aircraft. Apparently, the Gerald Ford will most likely have to be equipped with F / A 18 fighters. It is not surprising that military experts, counting how many aircraft carriers the United States has, often do not take this ship into account at all.

Specifications

Since all Nimitz-class aircraft carriers were built according to a single design, their main characteristics differ only slightly.

It should be taken into account that in addition to the main crew, the ship accommodates the personnel of the air wing and the flight crew - this is another 2,480 people. The nuclear fuel available in the reactor is enough for 13 years of operation and more than a million miles of "run".

Design features

The hull of modern American aircraft carriers was manufactured (starting with the John Stinnes) according to a modular scheme. Its configuration has remained generally unchanged since the Second World War - a massive "box" made of steel sheets welded to each other and covered with a flat flight deck on top. On the starboard side is the so-called "island" - a superstructure from which flight control and the ship itself are carried out. The total weight of the supporting structures of the aircraft carrier exceeds 60,000 tons.

The flight deck area reaches 18,200 square meters. Its cover consists of interconnected sheets of armor. If necessary, any of these elements can be dismantled and replaced.

At the very bottom of the aircraft carrier is fuel for aircraft, as well as a power plant consisting of two nuclear reactors. Above it are nine service decks, and on the tenth is an aircraft hangar. The total area of this premises exceeds 6,800 square meters. The height of the ceilings is about eight meters.

In the event of a fire hazard, the hangar is divided by special partitions into three isolated compartments.

The next deck of an aircraft carrier is called the gallery. Part of it is reserved for residential cabins, but the main purpose of this space is different - there is a combat control post, and a control center for arresting gear and catapults.

Lifting aircraft from the hangar to the flight deck, which is located directly above the gallery, is carried out using four elevators. Three of them are on the starboard side, two ahead of the superstructure and one behind.

Catapults that provide simultaneous takeoff of two aircraft are steam (on the newest aircraft carrier Gerald Ford they are electromagnetic). There are four such devices. The speed of acceleration of the aircraft with the help of a catapult is up to 200 km / h.

The main propulsion system of the ship is composed of two Westinghouse A4W/A1G nuclear reactors and four steam turbines. In addition, there is also an “emergency power” source on board - diesel engines with a total capacity of 10,720 horsepower.

The landing strip of an aircraft carrier is directed somewhat to the side, which allows pilots who make a mistake to go around.

Combat weapons and aviation

The basis of the strike power of these ships, of course, are the aircraft placed on board. A typical air wing composition is as follows:

Multipurpose fighter-bombers F/A-18. The most modern version of this aircraft is the F/A-18F SuperHornet. The total number of cars - 48;
EA-18G Growler - electronic warfare aircraft. The total number is 4 units;
E-2C Hawkeye - early warning aircraft. The total number is 4 units;
MH-60 Seahawk - anti-submarine and rescue marine helicopters. The total number is 10 pieces.

As an add-on, two C-2 Greyhounds can be on board. An increase in the number of percussion machines is allowed.

In the past, heavy two-seat F-14 fighters were also based aboard the Nimitz. They were designed to intercept anti-ship cruise missiles and their air carriers (for example, Soviet Tu-22M3 bombers).

In addition, some shipborne weapons systems were installed on Nimitz-class aircraft carriers. In particular, RIM-7 Sea Sparrow medium-range and RIM-116 Sea Ram short-range anti-aircraft missile systems could be used to destroy air targets. Their characteristics look like this:

At the closest line of defense, cruise missiles that have broken through can be met by fire from six-barreled M61A1 automatic cannons with a caliber of 20 mm, placed in the Mark 15 Phalanx installation. They are capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to one and a half kilometers, firing at a speed of 3,000 rounds per minute.

It should be noted that this whole complex of defensive weapons is hardly any effective against Soviet-made supersonic heavy anti-ship missiles such as Granit or Kh-22.

Late Nimitz-class aircraft carriers were also equipped with Harpoon anti-ship missile launchers and two triple-tube torpedo tubes.

Aircraft carriers of Russia and the USA - comparison

Generally speaking, the aircraft carriers of Russia and the United States are so different from each other that any comparison between them looks at least stretched. Comparing "Admiral Kuznetsov" with any of the "Nimitz" is hardly correct. These are ships of completely different "weight categories". The displacement of the Russian aircraft carrier is only 46,540 tons, and the number of aircraft on board does not exceed 52 units, including 24 helicopters.

In addition, the Admiral Kuznetsov does not have a nuclear reactor, it is a ship with conventional diesel engines. The only, and even then very relative, advantage of the Russian aircraft carrier is the presence of twelve launchers for the Granit anti-ship missiles. Despite the venerable age of this weapon, it still poses a more than serious threat to any surface target today.

It must be borne in mind that the Kuznetsov was not created as an analogue of the Nimitz, its tasks were much more modest - the ship was supposed to provide air cover for Soviet nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs). In addition, it could also be used to search for enemy submarines.

Even before the Admiral Kuznetsov, the Soviet navy included several aircraft carriers designed to use vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. Unfortunately, the Yak-38 attack aircraft created for these ships did not become full-fledged strike machines, and the development of the new Yak-141 ceased after the collapse of the USSR.

Today, there are several new projects for the Russian aircraft carrier, but it is likely that they will never be implemented. The point here is not even the lack of the necessary technologies and production experience, and not the lack of funding - the main problem is serious doubts about the need for Russia of these ships themselves, especially those that meet the criteria of a "supercarrier".

The entire history of the combat use of the Nimitz indicates that they were used primarily against weak regional states located at a great distance from the United States. It is hard to imagine that Russia will be doing something similar in the foreseeable future. Even the much more powerful USSR did not extend its military activity so far. On the other hand, if the Soviet leadership had at its disposal even two dozen ships like the Nimitz, how could this help during the war in Afghanistan?

In the course of some large-scale nuclear conflict, one cannot expect much benefit from aircraft carriers either - they may not even be remembered. Given all this, it is not difficult to predict that the plans to create the Russian "Nimitz" and "Gerald Fords" are unlikely to advance beyond the most general plan.

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America has long been recognized as the country with the most powerful weapons. It is there that the largest aircraft carrier fleet in the world is located.

To date, the United States of America has eleven operational aircraft carriers, ten of which are in service with the navy and one under construction. All 10 aircraft carriers were built from Nimitz-class ships, which replaced the failed previous ones. Before the Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, there were several other types, for example, the Midway class of 1952, the Sangamon escort aircraft carriers of 1942, the Forrestal ships from 1955, the Kitty Hawk, developed back in the 1960s (notably that only four ships of this type were produced), "Saipan" from the 1940s (there are only two ships). All listed models are currently withdrawn from service and are no longer produced.

Registered combat vessels in the American Navy as of today:

"USS Nimit" number CVN-68 is the first aircraft carrier, which is now located in Everet;
"Dwight Eisenhower" number CVN-69;
"Carl Vinson" number CVN-70, located in San Diego;
"Theodore Roosevelt" number CVN-71;
"Abraham Lincoln" with the number CVN-72, until 2015 will be in Norfolk for the recharging of the nuclear reactor core;
"George Washington" number CVN-73, sent to Yokosuka;
"John C. Stennis" number CVN-74;
"Harry Truman" number CVN-75;
"Ronald Reagan" number CVN-76;
The George Bush, CVN-77, is the last Nimitz-class ship in operational condition.

All these aircraft carriers are equipped with a nuclear power plant, have a displacement of about 106,000 tons, and operate as part of aircraft carrier strike groups. They are intended for the defense of naval ligaments and the destruction of surface targets. The armament of such ships consists of fighter-bombers, early warning aircraft, electronic warfare, transport, as well as anti-submarine helicopters. Airborne armament consists of anti-aircraft, rocket launchers and an artillery complex. All vessels of this class have a tail number, which indicates that this ship is a multi-purpose ship with a nuclear power plant and has a serial number in a special list of the US Navy.

The first US aircraft carrier entered service in 1975 and the last in 2009.

The eleventh US aircraft carrier under the proud name "Gerald Ford" with the serial number assigned to it CVN-78 is being built in the new Ford class. The construction of these nuclear multi-purpose ships has been launched since 2009. They are an improved version of the Nimitz-class aircraft carriers. The differences in them lie in a significant increase in size and improvement of weapons. Ford-class ships are planning to introduce the latest developments and elements of stealth technology. Because of this, the crew of the new ship will decrease by 500-900 people. The aircraft carrier Gerald Ford is scheduled to be completed in 2015. In addition to it, it is planned to launch two more ships of similar models to replenish the US fleet. After that, according to a special program developed by the Secretary of the Navy of America, one ship will be produced every five years until the number of new ships in the fleet is ten.

The Gerald Ford is the first aircraft carrier to be built entirely in 3D design. In addition, significant changes were made to the internal content of the vessel:

the area intended for aircraft departures has been expanded;
a nuclear reactor after modernization will be able to operate continuously for up to 50 years without replacing fuel rods;
the ammunition will consist of bombs, air-to-ground missiles.

These aircraft carriers will be able to carry about ninety helicopters and planes, as well as other aircraft. In the US, it is planned that ships of this class will replace the old ones, which are approaching the final operating life of 50 years.

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