Underwater aircraft carrier: description, history, characteristics and reviews

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

The very concept of "submarine aircraft carrier" contains a definition. It is a submarine with aircraft on board. This underwater vehicle began to appear at the beginning of the 20th century in Germany and was used to transport and subsequently launch hydroplanes from it. This technology was most developed during the Second World War by Japan.

Initial idea for submarine aircraft carriers in Germany

Even back in 1915, the Friedrichshafen hydroplane was launched from the deck of the German submarine U-12. In 1917, in the same country, the Brandenburg seaplane was placed and tested on board a diesel boat.

Before the Second World War in Germany, a project was created for the III and XI series submarine aircraft carrier, for which the Arado-231 aircraft was developed and created. From the III series (the ships - the heirs of the submarines of the First World War) were quickly abandoned. The XI series had the best maneuverability when sailing on the surface, finances were allocated for it immediately before the war, but the war made its own adjustments, it was also abandoned.

High speed wasbased on the principles of the German W alther boats. This invention is already 3/4 centuries old, but not all states can still bring it to life.

From the history of Japanese aircraft carrier submarines

Many countries with access to the sea, between the world wars, thought about how to create such submarines that could simultaneously be aircraft carriers. Japan has managed to develop such a concept called "Sen Toki". The first bomber to be deployed was the Seiran submarine. The main idea of this aircraft carrier was the effect of surprise. The emergence of the idea of these underwater units dates back to the beginning of the war in the Pacific. It was that it was necessary to build something grandiose, surpassing the rest in its scale, something that could simultaneously serve as a means of transportation and a means of launching aircraft, ensuring their unexpected appearance for opponents. After the attack, the aircraft had to return to its original position, the crew to evacuate, the aircraft carrier to submerge.

In 1942, with the help of a Japanese submarine aircraft carrier, an attack was made on the US state of Oregon, which were able to drop two incendiary bombs. They were supposed to cause global fires in the forests, but something went wrong and the planned effect was not achieved. At the same time, this type of attack had a great psychological effect, since this method was not known.

In 1945, Japan planned to use these aircraft carriers to makebacteriological warfare against the United States. There were both opponents and supporters of this idea. In the end, common sense won out when General Umezu vetoed the operation plan, explaining that germ warfare would harm not only Americans, but all of humanity.

Submarine aircraft carriers for various reasons, including because of the adventurous inclinations of the military leadership of Japan, did not enter into real hostilities. After the surrender of Japan, they were delivered to the US base at Pearl Harbor, and in 1946 they were put out to sea and shot with torpedoes so that no secrets would go to the Russians, who demanded access to these aircraft carriers.

Submarines-aircraft carriers in Japan were able to take up to 3 aircraft - torpedo bombers and bombers on board. During World War II, 56 aircraft-carrying submarines were built, 52 of them in Japan. By the end of the Second World War, there were 39 such devices left, and they were all Japanese.

Summary of some Japanese aircraft carriers

Japanese submarine aircraft carriers were mainly represented by the I-400 submarine and other analogues close to it. These were the largest submarines until the 70s of the last century. On the deck of these boats were giant hangars that housed bombers. The boats had a snorkel - a device that provides engines with air when diving, detectors of working enemy radars, their own radars and giant fuel tanks, with which you could go around one and a half timesEarth.

The main weapon was three M6A1 Sheiran torpedo bombers located in the hangar and launched by an upper-deck catapult.

The planes were equipped with additional fuel tanks, with which it was possible to hit the target up to 1500 miles (with their natural technical death at the end). They had floats, although they were in the hangar without them and with folded wings.

In 2005, an expedition from the United States found the sunken submarine I-401 near the island of Oahu. She was examined, and it was decided to make a submarine out of her. However, at the stage of 90% completion, construction was stopped.

Shark nuclear submarines

The nuclear submarine aircraft carrier "Shark" was developed in the USSR. They were the largest submarines in the world. The terms of reference were issued in 1972 as a counterbalance to the US Ohio submarines, which began to be built almost simultaneously. The Akula was supposed to be equipped with R-39 missiles, which had a longer flight range compared to the American counterpart, more blocks and a throwable mass, but was longer and heavier than the American, so it was necessary to develop a new generation of missile carriers.

The name "Shark" came from the first boat of this series - TK-208, which had an image of a shark below the waterline in the bow.

The nuclear submarine aircraft carrier is characterized by a smalldraft of the ship, a large margin of buoyancy, which allows it to be used as an icebreaker.

The main nuclear power plant is designed on a block basis and includes 2 water-water reactors and two steam turbines.

R-39 missiles were only equipped with "Shark" boats, their range was 8300 km with multiple warheads. The submarine is equipped with Igla-1 MANPADS.

A total of 6 ships of this series were built, three of which were scrapped.

US nuclear submarine "Ohio"

The Ohio submarines include 18 third-generation U. S. MIRVed submarine aircraft carriers. Initially, they were equipped with Trident-1 missiles, which were later replaced by Trident-2. The main part of the missile carriers is concentrated in the Pacific Ocean.

These boats were created as a response to the impossibility of delivering with impunity a preventive nuclear strike by the US against the USSR as a "realistic deterrent". The ship is single-hulled with four compartments. Quiet operation.

According to the START-2 treaty, the first four ships of this type were converted into carriers of Tomahawk cruise missiles.

Comparative characteristics of "Ohio" and "Sharks"

The Ohio outnumbers the Shark in terms of the number of missiles, but the American boat is designed for duty in southern latitudes, whileRussian aircraft carrier submarine may be in the Arctic.

The Ohio has an incremental upgrade capability that allows one type of ballistic missile to be used.

Shark's underwater displacement is 50,000 tons, Ohio's - 18,700 tons, underwater speed - more than 30 and 25 knots, respectively.

Akula has 20 missiles, Ohio has 24 missiles. The Akula has 2 torpedo tubes, the Ohio has 4. The Ohio's missile range is higher - up to 11,000 km (the Shark's - up to 10,000). The depth of immersion at the "Ohio" is up to 300 m, at the "Shark" - up to 380-500 m.

Autonomous sailing on the "Ohio" is possible for 90 days, and on the "Shark" - 120.

Status today

Out of 6 Russian submarine aircraft carriers built in the Soviet Union, 3 boats were scrapped, one was modernized, two ships are in reserve.

All "Sharks" were part of the 18th submarine division. She was cut. In 2011, the Ministry of Defense was going to cut the Sharks into metal, having previously written them off, however, in 2014 D. Rogozin said that the shelf life of the boats would be increased to 35 years instead of the original 25, every 7 years the armament and electronics.

The missiles in the Akula nuclear submarine were not completely disposed of, and in 2012 there were reports that the Arkhangelsk and"Sevastopol" from this series, but due to the high cost of modernization, it was decided to abandon this idea.

The first ship of this series, TK-208, will continue to be in service until 2020.

"Borey" and "Borey-M"

Russia is currently building a modern Navy using Project 955 Borey. In 2016, 8 submarines of this project were laid down. An improved modification is called "Borey-M" (project 955A). On board are 16-20 Bulava-30 ICBMs and several cruise missiles. The potential range is 8000 km.

With the help of the Borea sonar complex, enemy ships can be detected at a distance one and a half times greater than similar systems of the most advanced American Virginia submarines to date allow.

The Borea's potential diving depth is 480 m. Food for autonomous existence is enough for 90 days. In terms of water purification systems, the renewal of the air system, and energy supply, the missile carrier can be autonomous for many years.

Project 949 UA

The last described submarines can be called aircraft carriers only conditionally, since they carry missiles, not aircraft. However, in the domestic military-industrial complex there was project 949UA, according to which the three-hull underwater aircraft carrier "Dnepropetrovsk" was conceived. But due to geopolitical events, it was not built. A displacement of about 47,000 tons was planned. A quick-dryingrunway. In 1992, the project was closed by Ye. Gaidar.

Reviews

According to many users, the abandonment of classic aircraft carriers was not only due to financial problems, but also because of their pointlessness from a military point of view. Missile carriers are evaluated differently. Most users and experts recognize them as essential to the country's defense capability.

In closing

Aircraft carriers began to develop at the beginning of the twentieth century in Germany and continued their development in Japan. However, for a number of reasons, for all the grandeur of the idea, they did not have a significant impact on the military development of those countries where they were distributed. Therefore, they were replaced by missile carriers, one of the leaders in the construction of which is our state.