Destroyers are combat high-speed maneuverable ships. Military equipment

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

Destroyers are excellent hunters of aircraft carriers and battleships. They are currently well equipped. In the publication, we will consider American and Russian destroyers.

Origin of the name and first destroyers

Destroyers is an abbreviated name that fully sounds like "destroyer". These are combat warships, the purpose of which is to fight enemy ships, missiles and submarines. They can also serve as guards for ships when they cross the sea. As a rule, destroyers are fast ships, which, in addition to the above, are also used for reconnaissance and artillery support.

Even in the pre-revolutionary Russian Empire, torpedoes were called "self-propelled mines". This is the origin of the name "destroyer". The very first part of the name indicates that this class of ships can operate in a squadron (an association in the Navy that solves operational combat missions). The name came to Russia in the XIX-XX centuries from France.

The prototype of the destroyers (destroyer fighters) was the British ram destroyer "Polyphemus". Another prototype is considered Japanesearmored destroyer Kotaka.

The very first ships, called "destroyer fighters", were built in the early nineties of the nineteenth century for the British fleet. They were designed for interchangeable weapons: artillery or torpedo launchers could be used, depending on the situation. But tests have shown that both units can be used simultaneously.

United States

The destroyer has long been considered the warhorse of the navy. The American Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is one of the finest warships in the world due to its versatility. Also in terms of displacement, which is equal to 5000 tons, it is the largest surface vessel in the entire post-war history.

Named from famed World War II destroyer admiral Arly A. Burke. Destroyers of this class have a steel structure and unique weapons capable of firing a missile every second. That is, this destroyer can hit almost a hundred targets in a matter of minutes. Ammunition is released in two minutes.

Each American destroyer of this type has four types of missiles: anti-aircraft missiles (guided), anti-submarine, anti-ship and cruise missiles "Tomahawk".

An important role also belongs to electronic sensors, which allow you to aim the weapon at the target with great accuracy.

Ship data is available not only in the United States, but also in Japan, Spain and Norway. Chinese engineers are trying to create a similar ship (very successfully).

Russia

Russian destroyers have many types, among which the most famous and used and currently is the destroyer "Sarych" (project 956). The construction of ships of this type was carried out at a plant in Leningrad. The speed of the ship can reach almost thirty knots.

Among the main external features of the ship, it is worth highlighting the smooth deck, the sheer of the bow of the hull, which ensures that the deck is not flooded. The strict and ominous appearance of the destroyer suggested a corresponding effect. Due to the "short" hull, Project 956 ships ride the wave well. They have high combat survivability.

"Buzzards" have good weapons: anti-aircraft missile, artillery, anti-ship and anti-submarine, mine, as well as aviation and radio engineering.

A new Project 956 destroyer is currently being developed, but the timing of its construction is not yet known.

Modern destroyers

At the present stage, the design and armament of destroyers is becoming more complicated, so their maintenance has become quite expensive. They are no longer as numerous ship class as before. The largest of them are located in Japan (their displacement reaches ten thousand tons) and can perform tasks anywhere in the ocean. Small destroyers are converted warships. They are in Mexico and Peru and are designed to work only off their coasts.

In the XXI century, there are the following trends in the construction of destroyers: the introduction of elements of "invisibility"; increase in habitability and seaworthiness; increased automation; improving the quality and capabilities of destroyers, which is carried out by reducing their number.