evaluation criteria of military power of the state change, but the presence of the country's combat ready Navy is invariably one of them.For the past century, a symbol of the "big stick", which can be hit even across the ocean, is an aircraft carrier.The world's largest ship of this type is in service with the US Navy.Rather, he is ten, the same type.The series started "Nimitz".
Series "Nimitz»
Despite the general idea of the initial project, the ships of the same series may differ materially depending on a year of launching.Nevertheless, the main parameters, namely tonnage (102 thous. Tonnes), part of wing (70 units), the number of crew (up to 6 thousand people.). Power power plant (280 thousand. L. C.) And speed (up to30 knots) for all ships of class "Nimitz" about the same.Series has ten ships, the last of them is named in honor of US President George HW Bush, who served as a pilot in the war.
Such a huge amount of expensive metal, which gives the militant forms, produces a great impression.Note, however, that the purpose of this armada is the ability to concentrate the air force near the coasts of states whose armies were unable to provide serious opposition.
«Enterprise»
At the end of 2012 was withdrawn from alerting other aircraft carrier, the largest in the world, at least in length."Enterprise" has a somewhat smaller displacement than "Nimitz" (93.4 thousand. T.), But high speed (34 knots).On its deck and below deck hangar could be up to 90 aircraft.He served in the US Navy more than half a century, took an active part in the Vietnam war and even suffered losses, though not as a result of combat the effects of anti-systems of the enemy, but because of operational disturbances caused by accidental start-aircraft missiles, explosion and spilling burning kerosene.
In North Vietnam in the late sixties it was not possible to strike a major naval targets, but if this problem has become urgent, there is no doubt that the Soviet Union was able to put its regional ally appropriate types of weapons with which it was possible towould be to put on the bottom of even the largest aircraft carrier.The bulk of the US air strikes made by raising bombers from land bases.
big ship - the big torpedo!
In a fiction novel Belyaeva (a hyperboloid) is the scene of the destruction of a large squadron of Engineer Garin.Tycoon Rolling death shocked that he still considered the personification of military power.He does not understand how this could happen.At about the same emotions experienced and the Americans, learning about "Black Thursday" during the Korean War.Then the B-29 bombers, recently symbolized the invincibility of the US Air Force, were powerless to resist the flock of small, nimble and fast MiGs, appeared out of nowhere and hiding God knows where, leaving behind a trail of smoke fall from the sky "flying fortresses".
How effective weapon in the XXI century will be a carrier?The largest ship in the world can lead to the bank of the country, for whatever reason, refuse to follow acceptable to America's political course and scare the population living there.But if the army of this state would be more "Iskander" Do not suffer the sad fate of the aircraft carrier group "flying fortresses" in the Korean sky?And if not obsolete military doctrine of the "big stick"?
fate of carriers in Russia
Perhaps there are reasons for which we are not even trying to build the largest aircraft carrier.In Russia in protecting their own interests often act asymmetrically.Recent developments in the Black Sea, in particular, demonstrated the ability of our aircraft (obviously, not only them) to remotely disable enemy air defenses by using a compact and inexpensive (compared to vehicle), electronic warfare equipment.No need to be a science fiction writer to imagine the consequences of such an impact on a large aircraft carrier group.Any aircraft carrier, the largest in the world, modern and powerful, without being able to repel the attack from the air, turn into a big target on which impunity "work out punches" any, even the most advanced aircraft.
It is because of the uselessness of the domestic "Admiral Kuznetsov", built in the Soviet Union, apparently, will remain alone.It really is too expensive, uneconomical, and in combat may not be very effective.Russia has other, more economical and effective opportunities to combat aircraft carrier connections.
