Now the US Navy has ten aircraft carriers - most recently there were 11, but the Enterprise was decommissioned. For forty years, ships of this class did not leave the American stocks. The most modern aircraft carrier "Gerald Ford" in 2016 should be put into operation in order for the natural decline to be replenished. Naturally, during its construction, the latest achievements of technology were taken into account. The ship will serve half a century, during which time a lot can happen.
Aircraft carriers as part of the US global strategy
Already during the Second World War, aircraft-carrying ships turned from just floating airfields into formidable combat units of the fleet. However, in the European maritime theater of operations, their role was not very important, they were too large a target, and there was no particular need for them. But against Japan they were widely used, the need for tactical air support away from the American coast affected. Then there was Korea and Vietnam, during these regional wars a circle was drawncombat missions, suggesting that the use of aircraft carrier formations is most effective if the enemy does not have a serious anti-ship potential. For this reason, during the years of the Cold War, the United States preferred conventional ground air force bases, which sought to move as close as possible to the borders of the USSR and the Warsaw Pact countries. The conclusion from this is simple - the newest aircraft carrier "Gerald Ford" is a means of implementing the "big stick" policy, which is already more than a century old, and will serve as a means of intimidating small recalcitrant states located far from the coast of the United States.
President Ford
Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. was certainly an outstanding political leader of the era of the 70s, and even managed to serve the people of the United States in the presidency. However, the name of the new ship and the entire subsequent series, in which it occupies the title place, already at the design stage, which began in 1996, raised objections from Pentagon leaders and ordinary Navy officers. For all its merits, according to many naval hawks, the ex-president, who died in 2006, does not deserve to have an aircraft carrier named after him. Gerald R. Ford was not distinguished by belligerence, was a supporter of détente in relations with the Soviet Union, and besides, he became the only president who was not elected according to the procedure adopted in America, but took office "automatically" after the resignation of Nixon, who got dirty at Watergate. Another proud name was proposed, maybe not very original, but impressive,"America". But, despite the objections, when laying down, they still called the aircraft carrier "Gerald Ford".
Project
The idea was particularly ambitious. After such a long break, something special was required, demonstrating the unfading glory and titanic power of the American fleet, the most powerful in the world. Various solutions were proposed, including the most revolutionary ones. The new ship was originally going to be built according to the Ste alth technology, giving its contours the angularity characteristic of the "invisibles". However, having considered the estimated costs, the country's leadership nevertheless decided to confine itself to the hull of the already proven Nimitz project with some justified changes and focus on the technological aspects of the equipment. The newest American aircraft carrier Gerald Ford already cost the budget, according to the most conservative estimates, 13 billion, which is twice as much (even taking into account the falling purchasing power of the dollar) than the costs of previous similar projects. The amount, by the way, is not final.
Comparative Efficiency (Nimitz)
With, in general, similar characteristics (displacement 100 thousand tons, flight deck dimensions 317 x 40 meters) with the latest series of aircraft carriers currently in service, this ship has a number of unconditional advantages. Without dwelling on the economy, one can evaluate what the sailors are primarily interested in, namely the combat capabilities that the aircraft carrier Gerald Ford will have. Characteristicsit is as follows:
- The number of aircraft in the air wing is 90.
- Number of sorties during the day - from 160 (normal) to 220 (maximum, in combat conditions).
It is the last indicator that is the main argument of the critics of the project. The outdated "Nimitz" could "shoot" into the sky and receive 120 aircraft per day (in normal mode) on its deck. Combat efficiency increased by only 30% while the cost of the aircraft carrier Gerald Ford doubled.
How much does it cost to drop a bomb?
Americans count everything. For example, the fact that over the past decade, naval aviation has sent 16,000 bombs and missiles to the heads of the Serbs, Iraqis, Libyans and other "bad guys". Dividing this figure by the number of aircraft gives the figure 18 (how many bombs were delivered on average to the target by each combat unit of equipment). But that's not all, there is also data on the cost of dropping each individual ammunition - $ 7.5 million. Too expensive? So, if we take into account the price of the F-35C carrier-based aircraft, which is going to be equipped with the Gerald Ford aircraft carrier, and the cost of its maintenance, then this amount can grow several times. The ship itself is also twice as expensive. Therefore, in order for the budget not to crack, measures are needed to save money. And they were accepted, moreover, on a fundamentally constructive level.
How to save money on an aircraft carrier?
The main items of expenditure in the operation of a warship include the cost of maintaining the crew, fuel,depreciation and activities related to training and combat work. When designing the aircraft carrier "Gerald Ford" (Gerald Ford), the wishes of the country's leadership and the command of the fleet were taken into account to reduce the crew and operating costs compared to the "Nimitz". The main “money eater” on ships with a nuclear power plant is the reactor (there are two of them on the Ford), especially at the time of replacing energy-generating elements. The service life of an aircraft carrier is 50 years, and all these years it can do without recharging. Nuclear fuel loaded into the core during construction takes half a century.
As for the crew, it has been reduced by a thousand people, and consists of 2500 crew members. This is achieved by automating many operations. And still, the operation of the ship during its service will cost over 22 billion.
TTX and weapons
The next Gerald Ford-class aircraft carrier project (CVN-77) will be named John F. Kennedy. Over the next twelve years, four ships of this type are planned to be placed on combat duty. Not much is known about them, but some data has been published. The course of the aircraft carrier is 30 knots (nautical miles per hour) with an unlimited cruising range, the draft is 7.8 meters. Deck 25. Superstructures are designed to minimize the effective scattering surface (ESR), as a result, the aircraft carrier "Gerald Ford" on the radar screens will "shine" as relativelysmall destroyer. Composite materials (including damping noise) and radio absorbing coatings are widely used in the design. The ship has powerful radar and navigation equipment, flight support systems, satellite coded communications and much more, including the Aegis system. The basis of the air wing will be the F-18 Super Hornets, and possibly the F-35C, if their production is resumed. The newest American aircraft carrier is designed to use a wide range of unmanned vehicles. Shipborne air defense is based on SM-3 "Standard" missiles with rather modest characteristics.
How scary is Ford?
The ship impresses with its size, displacement, the number of aircraft on deck and below it, and its electronics. Of course, with his appearance, the American fleet will become even stronger. However, the very fact of the emphasis on the strike capabilities of the air wing to the detriment of protection against a possible air (including missile) attack suggests that, unlike many other weapons systems, the US aircraft carrier Gerald Ford is not being built to threaten Russia.. The Russian fleet is much (many times) inferior to the American one in terms of total displacement, but at the same time it has an effective structure that allows you to keep these sea giants at a safe distance.
Aircraft carriers are punitive weapons, they are of little use for a real battle with a strong enemy.
