Arley Burke type ships. Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. Design and General Data
...By the age of twenty-five, Vasya had completely sunk and lost the meaning of life. Bad heredity and a reduction in financial support from wealthy parents played a cruel joke on him: in general, a good guy, according to neighbors and acquaintances, he finally “lost the rut” and got hooked on the needle. An emaciated skeleton with a swollen face is all that remains of the former athlete, a candidate for master of sports in freestyle wrestling.
The former contender for the title of winner of regional martial arts competitions has completely lost touch with reality and now attaches importance to things that are, to put it mildly, strange - he occasionally stretches his flabby muscles, offending kids in the yard, and spends most of his time in a comatose state, shaking in convulsions of the next overdose...
As the reader has already guessed, we are not talking about a living person, but about a ship - a destroyer with a guided missile weapon (uh URO) type. The destroyer is unusual in many ways, a recognized record holder for a number of combat characteristics and construction volumes.
62 ships built as of 2013 - the number of American "Burks" exceeds the number of destroyers flying the flags of all other countries in the world combined! At the same time, the construction of "Berkov" continues: two more ships new series IIA+ was founded in 2011. In total, according to plans, series IIA+ will include 9 units. And then even more advanced “Berkes” of series III (Flight III) will pour in like a steel avalanche - twenty units after 2020.
USS John McCain (DDG-56) launched, 1992
This does not take into account foreign “replicas” of the American destroyer - the Japanese Atago and Kongo, the Spanish Alvaro de Basan, the South Korean King Shojong... The situation is taking a simply frightening turn. "Aegis" are spreading around the world like poisonous insects.
The massive appearance of the Berks is the result of maximum standardization and unification of the US Navy: in the near future, only one type of universal destroyer should remain in the fleet, which will replace all existing (or existing) types of missile cruisers, destroyers and frigates.
How fair is such a decision? Will the Aegis destroyer be able to effectively solve the problems of ships of other classes?
The answer is obvious - the destroyer "Burke" will brilliantly cope with the tasks of any frigate, but the economy of any country will "bend" from such "standardization" - a destroyer with a displacement of 10 thousand tons instead of a 4-5 thousand-ton frigate! The Yankees build their ships on unpaid credit, so they don’t think too much about the exorbitant costs of the fleet. Despite the fact that the cost of the latest “Berkes” is estimated at between 1.8...2 billion dollars.
Will the admirals ask for 20 more destroyers? Sure, not a problem…
Scenarios for the development of the US Navy until 2042. The first, optimistic one, assumes a 40-year life cycle for destroyers. The second, pessimistic, with limited funding, assumes a 35-year cycle. The plans are to keep the number of destroyers at 90 units.
Ticonderoga-class cruisers (CG-47) will definitely be decommissioned by 2028. Burkes of series I and II (DDG-51) are gradually being replaced by DDG-51 series III. Zamvolts (DDG-1000) - narrow band, series of three experimental destroyers DDG(X) - a new generation destroyer. No one even knows what he will look like yet
Why is the domestic BOD not inferior to Burke?
90 missile launchers. The Aegis combat information and control system, which combines all detection and communication means, a weapons complex and systems for combating the survivability of the ship. Reliable and efficient power plant. Housing built using stealth technology. A multifunctional robot ship capable of destroying targets on land, under water and in the air.
However, first impressions are deceiving. Admiration when meeting the Arleigh Burke quickly gives way to suspicion about the discrepancy between its declared combat capabilities and the real state of affairs.
After all, created as a “castrated” version of the Ticonderoga missile cruiser, the Burke destroyer initially did not have high performance and was a “step back” in terms of creating surface combat ships. The only thing that attracted the admirals to this project was the declared low cost and efficiency: according to initial calculations, the destroyer was supposed to retain 2/3 of the capabilities of a cruiser at 1/2 of its cost. But even these figures turned out to be overly optimistic.
Launched to the sound of fanfare, the lead USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) turned out to be far from the idea of an “ideal” destroyer.
Truth is known through comparison. To understand the main problems faced by American sailors, I propose to take for comparison its Soviet/Russian peers - large anti-submarine ships of projects 1155 and 1155.1.
Even for its intended purpose - as an air defense ship - the design of the Burke raised a lot of questions. First and most important - why does the super destroyer have only three target illumination radars? Of these, there is only one in the front hemisphere. Clear evidence that the destroyer, contrary to its stated qualities, is not capable of repelling massive air attacks.
For comparison, the Soviet BOD, which was never positioned as an air defense ship, was equipped with two antenna guidance posts for ZR95 missiles. Each radar with phased array provided SIMULTANEOUS guidance of up to 8 missiles at 4 air targets in a sector of 60 x 60 degrees.
A small number of radar illumination and a limited number of targets fired are not all the problems of the American destroyer. The leadership of the US Navy ignored the sailors' claims to the AN/SPY-1 multifunctional radar (of course! after billions were invested in the program to create a super radar, there is no turning back).
The main component of the Aegis system is a powerful three-dimensional radar with four fixed phased array antennas, capable of detecting and automatically tracking hundreds of air targets, programming the autopilots of launched anti-aircraft missiles and tracking targets in low Earth orbit.
In practice, it showed the opposite. Despite its ultra-modern appearance and extensive capabilities for controlling airspace at long distances, The AN/SPY-1 radar turned out to be “low-blind” when detecting low-flying targets (LTC)- and rightly so!
Typically, on warships, specialized radars are used to detect high-speed NLCs - for example, the domestic Podkat radar with a narrowly directed search beam and high frequency data updates or dual-band Japanese radar with active phased array FCS-3A, operating in frequency ranges C (wavelength 7.5 to 3.75 cm) and X (wavelength from 3.75 to 2.5 cm).
The Americans probably believed that they were smarter than everyone else, so they tried to solve the problem of detecting NLCs using the multifunctional AN/SPY-1 - one radar for all occasions! At the cost of enormous effort, the programming team managed to “drown out” the interference and teach the AN/SPY-1 to scan with a narrow beam over a small elevation angle. But how effective was the AN/SPY-1 in this mode?
There is still no information in the open press about the Aegis hitting supersonic air targets at extremely low altitudes - probably the American Burkes have never learned to deal with such threats. A fired "Mosquito" or Russian-Indian "Brahmos" is highly likely to break through the air defense/missile defense system of the destroyer and hit the target.
In addition, the AN/SPY-1's ability to detect NLCs is limited due to the poor location of the antenna devices: unlike other ships, where they try to place antenna posts on the tops of masts, the AN/SPY-1 phased array antennas hang on the walls of the superstructure, like paintings in the Tretyakov Gallery.
This gives the ship a stylish, modern look, but reduces the detection range of the NLC (radio horizon problem). Finally, as follows from the specifics of the operation of the radar itself, four fixed phased arrays are not the most The best decision when repelling massive attacks from one direction. One of the grids becomes overloaded with information, while the other three are inactive.
By now, the Arleigh Burke with its AN/SPY-1 is completely outdated - modern British Darings, French-Italian Horizons or Japanese Akizukis are head and shoulders superior to the American destroyer in air defense capabilities, especially in matters of intercepting high-speed NLCs.
Destroyers of other navies have long used radars with active phased arrays (SAMPSON, S1850, FCS-3A). Anti-aircraft missiles are flying with might and main active heads homing (European PAAMS air defense system with Aster family missiles). But the Americans have nothing like that! Burke still uses outdated technology with the low-blind AN/SPY-1 radar and the Standard-2 and RIM-162 ESSM semi-actively guided missiles. Moreover, as mentioned above, the destroyer has only three AN/SPG-62 illumination radars, capable of simultaneously targeting only one missile.
The presence of SM-3 supermunitions, capable of hitting targets at extra-atmospheric altitudes, gives the destroyer nothing in real combat - the three-stage SM-3 interceptor is useless against aircraft and low-flying anti-ship missiles.
That's it. The superhero turned out to be in fact a “frare” with very mediocre characteristics.
If the capabilities of the destroyer Burke to repel air attacks can be defined as “average,” then its anti-submarine and anti-ship capabilities are assessed as “below average,” or even “none at all.”
For example, the first 28 destroyers (Flight I and II) did not have a helicopter hangar at all - only a landing pad at the stern. At a time when domestic BODs carried two anti-submarine helicopters on board!
Further comparison of the anti-submarine (ASW) capabilities of the first "Burks" with the BOD pr. 1155 (code "Udaloy") is like a "one-sided game."
Our BODs were equipped with a grandiose hydroacoustic station “Polynom” weighing 800 tons. Detection range of submarines, torpedoes and sea mines under favorable hydrological conditions it could reach 40-50 km. Even the most modern modifications of the American AN/SQS-53 sonar can hardly boast of such characteristics.
On board the BOD there were eight anti-submarine missile torpedoes with a launch range of up to 50 km (Rastrub-B/Vodopad-NK), not counting auxiliary equipment in the form of RBU. For comparison: the modernized American RUM-139 Vertical Launch ASROC missile-torpedoes are capable of hitting targets at a range of no more than 22 km. From point of view real conditions, 22 and 50 km are no longer of particular importance, due to the difficulty of detecting submarines at such distances. However, the numbers speak against Burke...
The anti-submarine capabilities of Aegis destroyers have increased noticeably only since the IIA series (the lead destroyer, Oscar Austin, was commissioned into the Navy in 2000). The entire aft section of the ships of this series was completely reconfigured, where two hangars appeared to accommodate Sea Hawk helicopters of the LAMPS III PLO system.
As one of the readers of Military Review cleverly put it, modern ships are not designed for naval combat. They are designed for comfortable service of contract soldiers in peacetime.
This statement fully applies to Arleigh Burke-class destroyers - Wi-Fi, swimming pools and restaurant meals, 4.4 sq. m. meters of living space for each sailor... The only thing that the ship's designers forgot about is that the destroyer must be able to conduct sea battle. But the modern “Burke” is absolutely not capable of this.
BOD "Admiral Chabanenko" (project 1155.1), accepted into the Navy in 1999.
The new Vodopad-NK PLUR complex, launched through conventional launch vehicles, made it possible to place eight supersonic Moskit anti-ship missiles on board. The bow battery of 100 mm guns has been replaced with a twin automatic 130 mm AK-130 mount. Rapid-fire AK-630 replaced with 2 ZRAK "Dirk"
In addition to the general “fragility” of the design, characteristic of all modern ships (the destroyer Cole failed after a boat with 200-300 kg of explosives exploded next to its side, 17 sailors died, 34 were wounded. Complete loss of speed and combat effectiveness - it’s not hard to imagine that will occur in the event of a direct hit on a US Navy destroyer by the most modest anti-ship missile) - in addition to low survivability and resistance to combat damage, The modern Burke is completely devoid of anti-ship weapons!
The presence of a universal “five-inch gun” and the theoretical possibility of firing missiles at surface ships can be neglected.
How so?
Very simple. The destroyers of the first series were equipped with two formidable naval combat systems:
- specialized subsonic anti-ship missiles "Harpoon" (firing range 130 km, speed 0.85 M, warhead weight 225 kg) in two quad Mk141 launchers at the stern of the destroyer;
- BGM-109B TASM anti-ship missiles, which are a modification of the well-known Tomahawk SLCM. The TERCOM relief guidance system has been replaced with an active radar seeker, similar to the Harpoon missiles.
Despite ridicule about its subsonic speed (0.75M), the anti-ship Tomahawk was a difficult-to-detect lethal munition, flying on the cruising stage at an altitude of only a few meters above the crests of the waves (unlike the Soviet monsters P-500/700/1000, which soared up a couple of tens of kilometers). Low speed and obsolescence of data center was compensated special regimes flight on the final section of the trajectory (search with a “snake”). Finally, the flight range is half a thousand kilometers and combat unit weighing 450 kg - 2-3 times more than conventional small-sized anti-ship missiles (exotic bulky "Granites" and "Vulcans" do not count).
During the 1990s, a number of BGM-109B Tomahawk Anti-Ship Missles were routinely carried in vertical launch bays on board U.S. Navy destroyers and cruisers.
Standard Arleigh Burke Series I stern layout.Two AN/SPG-62 illumination radars to cover the aft corners (behind the chimneys), a Phalanx carriage (the complex itself was dismantled for technical reasons), Mk.141 inclined launchers for the Harpun anti-ship missile system and, finally, UVP cells with "Tomahawks"
Alas, by now “Burke” has completely degraded. Due to the disappearance of the only worthy enemy - the USSR Navy, the anti-ship Tomahawk turned into unnecessary ballast. The BGM-109B was completely retired in the early 2000s.
On IIA series destroyers, the installation of anti-ship missiles was generally considered an unnecessary and useless exercise. As a result, Burke lost its last weapon, the Harpoon anti-ship missile. Of course, the sailors did not think of giving up missiles - everything was decided for them by the fleet command, which sought to reduce the already exorbitant costs.
As a result, a shameful situation has arisen: any Iranian corvette or MRK can “hit” the defenseless “Burke” with a pair of anti-ship missiles, and the American destroyer will not even have anything to snap back at.
Realizing their helplessness, the sailors made a fuss. The result of the debate was the LRASM (Long Range Anti Ship Missle) project - the development of a subsonic stealth anti-ship missile long range based on the AGM-158 JASSM aircraft cruise missile launched from Mk41 UVP cells.
Instead of a high-speed “race to the bottom,” LRASM relies on an “intelligent” breakthrough of the enemy’s air defense/missile defense system - high autonomy, stealth, complex evasive maneuvers, and jamming. Expected that new rocket will enter service with the US Navy in the second half of this decade.
In the meantime... the Americans are helplessly clenching their fists at the sight of Iranian missile corvettes.
Another moment of degradation of the Arleigh Burke - the last destroyers enter service without close-range self-defense systems. The usual one was recognized as an obsolete weapon, and in return the destroyer received... an empty space. It was initially assumed that the radar-guided anti-aircraft guns would be replaced by the RIM-116 Rolling Airfame Missle (RAM) - a 21-round launcher on a Phalanx carriage; rocket design - fuselage from the aircraft Sidewinder + infrared seeker from the Stinger MANPADS. The complex is suitable for hitting air targets at a range of up to 9 km.
However, it was decided to save money on the self-defense air defense system. "Burke" lost its last line of defense.
USS Spruance (DDG-111) is a Series IIA destroyer. At the stern is an outdated Phalanx. There is emptiness in front
At the moment, the strike weapons of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are limited to Tomahawk cruise missiles - many modifications with different guidance algorithms and types of warheads. In this category, American destroyers have no equal - the Burke in its “strike” version is capable of taking on board 56 Axes. A powerful missile launcher for local combat operations, capable of finishing off the air defense of any “banana republic” with one salvo. The main thing is not to get close to the shore, otherwise you can get hit hard by counterfeit Chinese C-802 anti-ship missiles and other “wonderwaffes” that have proliferated around the world in extraordinary quantities. There is no hope for AN/SPY-1, and instead of the good old Phalanx, the Americans now, sorry, have a bare butt.
Lots of plans
I wonder how the Yankees are going to fight on these, even now outdated, “tubs” for the next 50 years? After all, no matter how much the Pentagon puffs itself up, the US Navy will not have any other destroyers in the near future (three experimental Zamvolts do not make a difference).
Even if we assume the emergence of promising DD(X) destroyers in the 2030s, the Burkes will remain the backbone of the US Navy's surface component until at least mid-century. And according to a number of forecasts, the last of the Burke destroyers will leave the active composition in the 2070s! No other type of ship in history has remained in service in the “first line” for such a long time.
Changing the gun barrel length from 54 to 62 calibers will not get you off here. As well as the addition of various high-tech systems (for example, MASKER, which supplies air bubbles to the bottom of the ship to reduce hydroacoustic signature). Autonomous robotic mine detectors RMS, active rockets, five armored bulkheads in the superstructure... no! We need something fundamentally different!
The Yankees really hope for the Third Series (Flight III). There is no exact information on these ships. Surely even the developers themselves have not yet decided on the appearance of the modernized Burke.
But one thing is already clear - the AN/SPY-1 radar will be retired. Instead, there will be a radar with an active AMDR phased array or something similar - extremely energy-intensive, for monitoring the upper layers of the atmosphere and LEO. Having suffered a fiasco with the “universal” destroyer, the Yankees are increasingly inclined to the idea of transforming the Berks into floating missile launch sites for the national missile defense system.
There are plans to redesign the engine rooms - instead of gas turbines, the destroyers will be equipped with full electric propulsion. If necessary, one of the helicopter hangars will be donated to install an additional generator.
A 155-mm long-range AGS cannon instead of a bow gun, active defense systems based on laser weapons, new types of missile ammunition, target designation from F-35 fighter radars...
Testing and small-scale assembly of SM-6 anti-aircraft missiles are in full swing. Raytheon promises to deliver the first large batch to the Navy in 2015. The Yankees, 10 years late, still hope to adopt active-guided missiles.
The “degradation” of the destroyer Burke is nothing more than a cruel joke. The modern American destroyer really does not shine with its performance characteristics, but sooner or later quantity turns into quality. The Yankees do have a lot of destroyers, and even more plans to modernize them.
In June 2011, the US Navy announced its plans for the future of US Navy destroyers. Promising Zumwalt-class destroyers turned out to be too expensive for mass production, so it was decided to leave the Arleigh Burk project as the main Navy destroyer. In addition, the fleet will be replenished with ships of the Orly Burke type until the early thirties of this century. During this time, American shipyards will assemble two dozen destroyers. Based on the usual service life of ships for the United States Navy, it can be assumed that the last ship of the Orly Burke class will be withdrawn from the fleet only in the seventies of this century. Apparently, the US Navy command has its own considerations that allow these destroyers to be included in such a distant future.
To ensure an advantage over the USSR Navy in the mid-70s, American sailors wished to receive destroyers of a new project. The recently appeared "Spruances", although they were modern ships, still did not have great prospects and required, if not replacement, then at least a serious addition. In addition to this, Spruance class destroyers, despite the available weapons, were listed in official documents as ordinary destroyers, and the time and situation required full-fledged guided missile destroyers (with guided missiles). Work on shaping the appearance of the new ship and the technical specifications for it took several years, and the development competition began only in 1980. It took about three years for seven shipbuilding companies to create competitive preliminary designs, after which three competitors remained: Bath Iron Works, Ingalls Shipbuilding and Todd Shipyard. The third company was never able to gain the “attention” of the competition commission, which is why the construction of the first two ships of the new project was entrusted to Bath Iron Works and Ingalls Shipbuilding, respectively. The project, as well as its lead ship, was named after Admiral Orly Albert Burke, who commanded various destroyer formations for most of the Second World War. The contract with Bath Iron Works for $322 million was signed in April '85. However, the total cost of the lead destroyer turned out to be several times higher. Taking into account all electronic equipment, weapons, etc. it cost the Pentagon 1.1 billion.
Construction of the USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) began in late 1988, and it entered service on Independence Day 1991. Subsequently, two dozen more similar ships were built by two shipyards - Bath Iron Works and Ingalls Shipbuilding. The first two dozen ships of the new project were made in accordance with the first version of the project, which was named Flight I. However, soon after the start of construction of the lead project of the first series, American shipbuilders began modernization. As a result, the destroyer USS Mahan, ordered back in 1992, was completed as the first ship of the second series. The construction of destroyers of the Flight II version was on a more modest scale: only seven ships. It is alleged that the small second series was initially considered as a transitional link from the first to the third. This is what happened, but contrary to logic, the new version of the project did not have a three in the index, but the designation IIA. This line turned out to be the most numerous. At the moment, 34 Orly Burke series IIA destroyers have been built and their construction continues. The total number of ships according to the old plans was supposed to be 75 units, but so far only 62 are ready. Most likely, those 24 destroyers that will be ordered later will be made according to the next version of the project.
All existing series of ships - I, II and IIA - have only minor differences in design. They are caused by the peculiarities of the installed equipment and the peculiarities of the operation of helicopters. The rest of the design is similar. The Orly Burke of all three series are single-hulled ships with a long forecastle. It is noteworthy that the vast majority of the ship's hull parts are made of high-strength steel. The fact is that after the Second World War, American shipbuilders began to actively use aluminum parts in the design of ships of this class. In engineering terms, this was a good start, but the experience of battles involving aluminum ships forced a return to steel. Only some parts, such as masts, are made from aluminum on the Orly Burke destroyers. The low-drawing hull has a relatively small frame camber in the bow and a relatively wide middle part. This hull shape slightly increases water resistance, but improves stability and reduces pitching. On ships of the IIA series, a bow bulb was added, which compensated for the deterioration in flow due to the peculiarities of the hull contours. Waterproof bulkheads divide the internal volume of the hull into 13 compartments. Interestingly, the lower decks have a layout that allows you to move around the ship without restrictions without going to the upper deck. This was done so that the crew would not be at risk in the event of the enemy using weapons of mass destruction. In addition to specially designed interior spaces, the crew is protected from chemical, biological and nuclear weapons is carried out by a special ventilation system with multiple filtration of air taken from outside.
The Orly Burke became the first American destroyers whose hull and superstructure were made using stealth technologies. To reduce radar signature, the outer surface of the ship's superstructure consists of several large, even panels mated at sharp angles, which leads to noticeable scattering of radio waves. Chimney casings are made in a similar way. In addition, the exhaust power plant Before release, it passes through a special mixing chamber, where it is mixed with atmospheric air and cooled. As a result, Orly Burke-class ships have almost half the radar and thermal signature of their Spruance-class predecessors. The use of large parts that help reduce visibility, among other things, made it possible to make the ship's design modular. Thanks to this, 10-15 weeks pass from the keel of the ship to its launching.
Twin-shaft power plant Orly Burke destroyers of all series are equipped with four LM2500 gas turbine engines manufactured by General Electric. Each engine is equipped with a thermal insulation circuit, which reduces fuel consumption by almost a quarter, and is mounted on shock-absorbing mounts that reduce noise. The entire power plant of the ship is a single module, which, if necessary, can be dismantled entirely. The maximum possible power of the power plant is in the range of 100-105 thousand horsepower. Destroyers of all series have three Allison 2500 gas turbine engines as backup engines. The power of the main and backup engines is transmitted to two shafts that rotate five-blade variable-pitch propellers.
Destroyers of the Orly Burke project are capable of speeds of up to 32 knots, but maximum range navigation is achieved at an economic speed of 20 knots. In this case, destroyers of the first series can travel up to 4,400 nautical miles, and ships of series II and IIA - half a thousand miles more. At the same time, some American sources claim that reducing the speed to 18 knots can increase the cruising range to six thousand miles. However, there are some doubts about this.
The first 28 ships of the Orly Burke class (series I and II) had a crew of 320-350 people: 22-25 officers and 300-330 sailors, warrant officers, etc. The difference in numbers was due to some differences in weapons and the number of helicopters. On the IIA series ships, the required number of crew in a number of services was revised and a maintenance group was added for two helicopters. All this led to an increase in the crew to 380 people (32 officers). The Americans especially note the fact that designers and ergonomic specialists participated in the layout of the living quarters of the Orly Burke ships. Thanks to this, with an area of about four square meters per person, it was possible to create all the necessary conditions for normal living.
The weapons of the Orly Burke destroyers include many systems, but its basis is the Aegis control system (pronounced “Aegis”). This multifunctional combat information and control system (CIUS) combines a whole range of detection, control and destruction means. Aegis includes a multifunctional phased array radar, air and surface target detection radar, and equipment electronic warfare, communication equipment, etc. In addition, the Aegis has a number of subsystems for outputting information, transmitting data to other ships and direct weapons control systems.
The basis of the weapons of the Orly Burke destroyers are missiles of various types. In the bow and stern of ships of all series there are universal Mk 41 silo launchers. On ships of series I and II, the bow and stern launchers have 30 and 60 cells, respectively. On the IIA series, the number of cells increased to 32 and 64. One cell can accommodate a transport and launch container with a BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missile, an SM-2 or SM-3 anti-aircraft missile, or a block of four containers with RIM-7 Sea Sparrow anti-aircraft missiles . The launcher's equipment makes it possible to simultaneously prepare 16 missiles of various types for launch and launch them at a rate of one missile per second. In addition to launchers, the Mk 41 has several cranes for loading TPKs with missiles. However, the features of the crane equipment and the design of the destroyer do not allow reloading Tomahawk missiles or SM-2/3 from supply ships. Loading of such weapons is possible only in the base conditions. This drawback is compensated by the flexibility of the weapon range: if the ship is to attack ground targets, then it will receive Tomahawks; if the ship will perform air defense functions, it will be loaded with Sea Sparrow or SM-2/3.
The “main caliber” of artillery weapons of destroyers is the 127-mm Mk 45 installation. At the same time, the Mk 45 Mod was installed on the first 30 copies of the Orly Burke. 2, on the rest - Mk 45 Mod. 4. An installation with bulletproof armor can aim a 127-mm rifled gun within the range from -15° to +65° vertically and in almost all directions horizontally, of course, with the exception of the sector covered by the ship's superstructure. The rate of fire of the Mk 45 with conventional projectiles reaches 20 rounds per minute, and in the case of guided ammunition it drops by half. The maximum firing range of an unguided projectile is the Mk 45 mod. 4 is 35-38 kilometers. When using an ERGM guided active-missile projectile, this figure increases to 115 kilometers. The artillery cellar of the Orly Burke destroyers can accommodate 680 rounds of various types of ammunition. It takes about 15-16 hours to load this entire number of shells.
The Orly Burke anti-aircraft artillery can be equipped with various types of weapons. On ships of series I and II, as well as on the first few destroyers of series IIA, six-barreled 20-mm Mk 15 Phalanx CIWS anti-aircraft guns with a rate of fire of up to 3000 rounds per minute were installed. Fewer ships were equipped with 25-mm Bushmaster automatic cannons, and almost all Orly Burke have several (from three to six) on board. heavy machine guns Browning M2HB. Despite their original purpose, the M2HB and Bushmaster are ineffective for air defense. Therefore, they are used only for training personnel and firing at small targets, such as light boats and motor boats.
To destroy more serious surface targets, destroyers of all three series have two built-in Mk 32 torpedo tubes with a total ammunition load of six torpedoes. These could be Mk 46 or Mk 50. When creating the Orly Burke destroyers, the main emphasis was on missile weapons, so reloading the torpedo tubes by the crew after shooting all six torpedoes is not provided. In early versions of the project, engineers considered the possibility of using depth charges on the Orly Burke, but even this tactical and technical solution did not reach Flight I.
One SH-60 helicopter could be based on the deck of ships of the first and second series. Next to the landing site there was a kerosene tank and a small “warehouse” with weapons - nine Mk 46 torpedoes. On helicopters intended for deployment on the Orly Burke destroyers, the LAMPS-3 anti-submarine system is installed, integrated into the general Aegis BIUS. Due to the limited capacity of the ships of the first two series, they did not have any means of maintaining or repairing the helicopter, other than those available on board. Thus, any more or less serious breakdowns resulted in the ship being left without rotorcraft “eyes.” When creating the IIA version of the project, these shortcomings were taken into account and the shipbuilders made a special helicopter hangar in the aft part of the ship’s hull, thanks to which the destroyer’s aviation group doubled. This is what required the introduction of an aircraft maintenance group into the crew. Engineers also increased the size of the arsenal for helicopter weapons: on the Orly Burke Series IIA it can accommodate up to 40 torpedoes, air-to-ground missiles of various types and even several MANPADS.
Destroyers of the Orly Burke class have participated in several military conflicts, starting almost from the very beginning of their service. Iraq in 1996, 1998 and 2003, Yugoslavia in 1999 and several other operations. Due to their large number (sixty ships are currently in service), these destroyers participate in almost every campaign of the American Navy. However, in Russia these ships are better known for the “mission” of the destroyer USS McFaul (DDG-74), which it carried out in August 2008. Let us remember that then, a few days after the end of the notorious “Three Eight War,” this ship brought 55 tons of humanitarian cargo to the Georgian port of Batumi.
In addition to combat successes and an interesting design, the Orly Burke destroyers are, in some way, record holders in the American fleet. The fact is that with a total displacement of about 8,500 tons (series I), 9,000 tons (series II) and 9,650 (series IIA), the Orly Burke is the most massive American warship with a displacement of more than five thousand tons. This fact suggests that this type of ship is an undoubted success of American shipbuilding. The success of the project is also supported by the fact that the Japanese at one time became interested in it. In 1993-95, the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Forces included four Kongo-class destroyers. In fact, these are the same Orly Burke, but modified in such a way as to comply with the legal features of the Japanese fleet.
Like any other project, Orly Burke had to be replaced over time by newer technology. But, unfortunately for the US Navy, the promising project of a guided missile destroyer called Zumwalt turned out to be much more expensive than planned. Thanks to this failure of Zamvolt, Orly Burke will remain in service in the future. When these ships were put into service, it was planned that they would serve for about 35 years. But the lack of possibility of mass production of Zumwalt destroyers forced the command of the American fleet to begin last year the creation of a new version of the project (series III) and outline plans to purchase 24 ships in addition to the 75 already ordered. Together with the assumption regarding the possible duration of service of the Orly Burke until the seventies of the current century, this may help these destroyers set another record. This time regarding service life.
Arleigh Burke-class destroyers (Russian “Arly Burke”) - a type of fourth-generation URO (guided missile) destroyers. Destroyers have been built for the US Navy since 1988, and construction of ships of this type continues. The type was named after the lead ship, the guided missile destroyer Arleigh Burke, named after an American admiral of World War II. The first Arleigh Burke-class destroyer was commissioned into the US Atlantic Fleet on July 4, 1991. After the decommissioning of the last destroyer of the type on September 21, 2005 "Spruance" USS Cushing remains the only type of guided missile destroyer in the US Navy - the Arleigh Burke destroyers.
As of May 2010, the destroyer Arleigh Burke is the largest-scale type of surface combat ship with a total displacement of more than 5,000 tons in the entire post-war history of the fleet. Considering the rather low pace of construction of destroyers in other countries, in the coming years no country in the world will be able to break this unique record.
In addition to the US fleet, four Arleigh Burke-class ships, albeit with a slightly modified design and built to civilian standards (Kongo-class destroyers), are in service with the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Forces. In 2000, it was planned to introduce three more ships into the Japanese Navy by 2010, modernized to the level of series IIA, but currently the construction of these ships has been abandoned in favor of more advanced ones Atago-class destroyers .
Purpose of ships of this type
The main combat missions assigned to Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers include:
- Protecting your own aircraft carrier and ship strike groups from massive missile attacks by the enemy, who uses anti-ship missiles launched both from surface ships and from nuclear submarines with missile systems.
- Air defense of one's own forces (naval formations, convoys or individual ships) from enemy aircraft.
- Combating enemy submarines and surface ships;
- Ensuring a naval blockade of certain areas;
- Artillery support for landing operations;
- Tracking enemy ships;
- Participation in search and rescue operations.
History of the development of the construction of ships of the series
Development history
Development of a new type of guided missile destroyers capable of complementing 31 destroyers "Spruance" type and replace destroyers of previous types, began in the late 1970s and ultimately led to the creation of the appearance of ships of this type and the emergence of a program for their construction. Fundamentally new type URO destroyers were supposed to be a means of achieving superiority for the US Navy over the Navy of the Soviet Union. Initially, the development of a new destroyer design was proposed in 1980 to the designers of seven shipbuilding enterprises. Their number had already been reduced to three companies in 1983: Todd Shipyards, Bath Iron Works, and Ingalls Shipbuilding.
As a result, on April 5, 1985, the Bath Iron Works shipyard received a contract to build the first ship of the Ι series. The contract was concluded for $321.9 million, and the total cost of the first-born destroyer along with weapons was $1.1 billion (in 1983 prices). The Bath Iron Works shipyard also received a contract to build the 3rd and 4th destroyers in the series, and later sought more and more new contracts. The second destroyer of the first series was ordered to a second company, Ingalls Shipbuilding (Todd Shipyards was unable to secure a contract).
Serial construction
After the order for the construction of the first three destroyers (DDG-51 - 53) on December 13, 1988, an order followed for the construction of five more destroyers of the series. This order was followed on February 22, 1990 by a new one for the construction of an additional five destroyers, then the shipyards received an order (dated January 16, 1991) for four more destroyers. Last order on five destroyers of the first series of the ship was received by the Bath Iron Works and Ingalls Shipbuilding shipyards on April 8, 1992, and the last of the five destroyers ordered in 1992, Mahan, was completed as a ship of the Flight II series.
Orders for ships of the II series were distributed as follows: January 19 - 21, 1993 - four destroyers (DDG-73 - DDG-76), July 20, 1994 - three (DDG-77 - DDG-79), and the last of these three destroyers, Oscar Austin, built according to the Flight IIA project.
Orders for the construction of series IIA ships were carried out in the following terms: January 6, 1995 - three units. (DDG-80 - DDG-82), June 20, 1996 - two units. (DDG-83 - DDG-84), December 13, 1996 - four units. (DDG-85 - DDG-88), March 6, 1998 - thirteen units. (DDG-89 - DDG-101), September 13, 2002 - eleven units. (DDG-102 - DDG-112), June 15, 2011 - one unit. (DDG-113), September 27, 2011 - two units. (DDG-114 - DDG-115), option announced for DDG-116.
At the beginning of June 2011, the construction of 75 destroyers of this type is planned, of which 61 ships have already been built and 2-3 new ships are commissioned annually. The last, 61st destroyer of the series, Spruance, was commissioned into the US Navy on October 1, 2011. After the refusal in July 2008 from the large-scale construction of destroyers of the DDG-1000 type, plans emerged to build another 8-11 ships of the Arleigh Burke type in addition to the already ordered 62 and to increase the total number of built destroyers of the series to 70-73 units. The construction of new Arleigh Burke-class destroyers following the USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112) allows US shipyards to continue production of destroyers before they begin. serial production at these enterprises, cruisers of new types CG(X) and CGN(X), which is expected no earlier than 2015 (except for the small-scale construction of DDG-1000 destroyers). In December 2009, the US Navy awarded a $117 million contract to purchase materials for the destroyer DDG-113, and in April 2010, a $114 million contract to purchase materials for the destroyer DDG-114.
In June 2011, it became known that the leadership of the US Navy had decided to increase the order for Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and continue their construction until at least 2031. As part of the 2012 and 2013 programs, it is planned to develop a new improved modification of the destroyer - Series III, according to which, starting in 2016 (from the ship DDG-122), 24 new ships of this type should be laid down. It is planned that ships from DDG-113 to DDG-121 will gradually be “saturated” with Series III technologies.
Construction cost
The cost of building the lead destroyer in 1983 prices was $1.1 billion. In 2004, the average cost of building one ship of the IIA series was $1.1 - 1.25 billion, and the annual cost of servicing one ship (with one repair every two years )= $20 million. By 2009, due to inflation, the cost of one destroyer of the third subseries (Flight IIa) increased to $1.4 billion (equivalent in purchasing power parity to 26.32 billion rubles), and the annual maintenance cost to $ 25 million
The bulk of the funds from the total cost of construction and armament of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers goes directly to the acquisition and installation of weapons systems on destroyers. Thus, 6 destroyer hulls ordered by Bath Iron Works for laying in 2002-2005 cost $3,170,973,112, the cost of 4 hulls ordered by Ingalls Shipbuilding at the same time = $1,968,269,674, from which the average price can easily be subtracted hull of one destroyer, equal to ≈ $500 million, that is, a little more than a third of the total cost of the ship. Thus, almost two-thirds of the cost of commissioning a ship comes from its armament. The most expensive element of the armament of the Arleigh Burke destroyers is the combat system "Aegis" - its cost is approximately $300 million.
The next Arleigh Burke-class destroyer after USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112) (construction is expected to begin in 2009) will cost the US Navy budget $2.2 billion. It is assumed that the average cost of the remaining destroyers of the future series, the construction of which so far only planned, will not exceed $1.7 billion.
The increase in costs is due, in addition to inflation, also to the installation of new weapons systems on ships under construction.
Ship design
Hull and superstructure
Series I
Destroyers of the Arleigh Burke type are typical single-hull ships with a hull aspect ratio (at the waterline) = 7.1 of a long forecastle design. For the first time in many years in American shipbuilding practice, the hulls of ships in the series began to be made almost entirely of high-strength steel, using only individual components and sections of aluminum, in particular, pipes of gas turbine units and the main mast. Experience prompted American designers to return to the use of steel in the construction of ships Falklands War , which revealed the weak security of British ships with aluminum hulls, as well as a number of fires on their own ships (in particular, the fire on the missile cruiser Belknap, which broke out on November 22, 1975 when the cruiser collided with the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy, completely destroyed the superstructure of the cruiser and claimed the lives of 7 people).
The new hull developed for the destroyers of this project has full contours in the bow and a small camber of the surface branches of the bow frames, which is noticeably different from its predecessor - Spruance-class destroyer project . According to the developers of the Arleigh Burke destroyer project, despite some increase in water resistance, this hull form has better seaworthiness. Positive traits destroyers "Arleigh Burke" consist of greater smoothness and smallness of pitching, moderation of flooding and splashing, and small angles of roll of the ship in circulation. The destroyer's hull is low-drawing.
The hulls of the ships are rationally divided by watertight bulkheads reaching to the upper deck into 13 compartments and have a double bottom along their entire length. There are two continuous decks running through the entire ship, not counting the upper one. There is a through passage in the lower decks, allowing the crew to occupy combat positions without going to the upper deck. The camber of the sides has a value of more than 8° over a significant length of the hull length. The height of tweendecks for the US Navy is standard - 2.9 m.
Ships are built according to a modular principle, that is, the hull of a ship during construction is formed from pre-assembled modules (blocks). This facilitates and speeds up the construction process. The complete ship construction process (from keel to launch) takes from 10 to 17 months, with most ships being built in less than 15 months. A certain delay from construction schedules was observed after Hurricane Katrina , which delayed the delivery of several destroyers to the Bath Iron Works shipyard in Pascagoula.
Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers became the first after frigates "Lafayette" type ships, the construction of which uses technology "Stealth" . Destroyers of the Arleigh Burke class are the first ships in the US Navy, which, as a result of the creation of a superstructure architecture made using Stealth technology (with sharp ribs, for greater scattering of radio waves) and the use of coatings that absorb radio energy, have a significantly reduced effective scattering area. In order to reduce thermal field The smokestacks of destroyers are equipped with special mixing chambers in which exhaust gases are mixed with cold air. Reducing the thermal field of ships is achieved by isolating hot areas through the use of an air cooling system for exhaust gases.
Series IΙ
The metacentric height of the 2nd series ships has been increased by reducing the weight of the superstructure. On three-quarters of the hull length of the 2nd series destroyers, the thickness of the metal plating was increased, and fuel efficiency was improved by making changes to the design of the bow of the vessel. The propeller design has also been improved to reduce cavitation noise. In addition, the living quarters of the destroyers of the series were expanded to accommodate air group personnel, as well as female soldiers. In order to increase combat survivability, five armored bulkheads were additionally installed in the ship's hull.
Series IΙA
Compared to the Arleigh Burke destroyers of the first series, the hull was lengthened by 1.37 m - to 155.29 m. The width of the hull remained the same. For the construction of IΙA series destroyers, a previously unused technology is used, in which sections are saturated before they are integrated into the main hull modules. Beginning with the USS Shoup (DDG-86), helicopter hangars are made of composite materials to reduce secondary radar field levels. All Series IIA destroyers are equipped with satellite communications, allowing crew members to call home or use the Internet at any time. All destroyers, starting with USS McCampbell (DDG-85), have a dedicated laundromat. In addition, a number of other, smaller changes were made to the design and equipment of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers of the IIA series.
Power plant
A new phenomenon for American shipbuilding was the two-shaft main power plant installed on the Arleigh Burke destroyers, consisting of 4 gas turbine engines. General Electric LM2500 with a heat recovery circuit that provides an additional 25 percent fuel savings. The main power plant of the ship is mounted on soundproofing foundations and shock-absorbing supports. The power plant (gas turbine, compressor, pipelines) and the soundproof casing are made in the form of a single block (module). The ship's propulsion system allows it to develop full speed speed of at least 30 knots in any sea state. The lead destroyer of Series I, USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51), during sea trials at full hull displacement, achieved a 30-knot speed with a 35-foot (10.67 m) wave and a total shaft power of 75,000 hp. With. Ships of all series have 3 reserve Allison 2500 gas turbine engines (each with a power of 2.5 MW), on which the ships are capable of moving when the power plant fails. The movement of the Arleigh Burke destroyers is provided by 2 five-blade adjustable pitch propellers of the KaMeWa brand.
The maximum cruising range of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers of series I at operational-economic speed (20 knots) reaches 4,400 nautical miles (8,148.8 km), on ships of series II and IIA due to increased fuel efficiency of the ship, achieved through improved bow designs parts of the hull and the placement of additional fuel tanks, the ship's cruising range was increased to 4,890 miles (9,056 km). The cruising range of destroyers at economic speed (18 knots), according to some sources, reaches 6,000 nautical miles (11,112 km). The cruising range of the Arleigh Burke destroyers is assessed as relatively small, especially since for the previous type of destroyers of the US Navy - Spruance-class destroyers it was 6,000 miles at 20 knots and 3,300 miles at 30 knots.
Crew
The crew of series I and II ships consists of 22-26 officers and approximately 300-330 sailors of the rank of warrant officer and below. On the ships of the IIΑ series, the crew was increased to 380 people (the total number of officers increased to 32) due to the appearance on the ships of a special maintenance group for 2 helicopters, consisting of 18 people, including 4 officers. The accommodation conditions for the crew on the Arleigh Burke destroyers are quite comfortable, officers are accommodated in separate cabins, and sailors are accommodated in cockpits. There are 4 m² of living quarters per ship crew member.
Combat survivability
When designing Arleigh Burke-class destroyers Special attention The designers and developers of the project paid attention to the issues of properly ensuring the structural protection and survivability of destroyers of this type. To achieve this, the dimensions of the all-steel superstructure were minimized, the outer surfaces of the superstructure were inclined to the main plane with surfaces lined with reducing EPR radio-absorbing coatings.
Vital combat stations are located below the main deck; REV antenna posts were distributed throughout the ship in order to reduce the likelihood of damage. Control posts for anti-submarine sensors and missile fire control "Tomahawk" placed separately from the BIC. The premises of the power plant, electronic control units and control posts have Kevlar anti-fragmentation protection. In total, more than 130 tons of Kevlar are consumed during construction to protect the main combat posts and units of each Arleigh Burke-class destroyer (including 70 tons of this durable but expensive material used to protect combat posts).
The purpose of protecting mechanisms and equipment below the structural waterline is also served by local anti-fragmentation armor made of high-strength aluminum-magnesium alloys up to 25.4 mm thick. Plates made of these alloys protect the main waveguides, cables and the most important combat posts (upper tiers of superstructures, control rooms, ammunition cellars). The hull and superstructure of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, including the AN/SPY-1 radar antennas), are designed for an overpressure during an explosion of 0.5 kg/cm², which is more than 2 times higher than previously accepted in military shipbuilding USA standard value is 0.21 kg/cm². To reduce hydroacoustic signature, Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are equipped with systems whose functions include supplying air to the underwater part of the ship (Masker system) and to the edges of the propeller blades (PRAIRIE system). As a result of the work latest system a cloud of air bubbles is formed, distorting and smoothing out the acoustic signal of the ship. A ship using the PRAIRIE system can be identified by its wake being paler and foamier than usual. When using the Masker system, the wake does not start under the stern, but from about half the length of the hull.
The project ships received an improved system of protection against weapons of mass destruction. There are no portholes in the hull and superstructures; the ship's ventilation system is equipped with automatic flaps and special filters. All doors along the external contour of the ship are equipped with air vestibules for air insulation purposes. Overpressure is artificially created in the interior spaces of the ship to prevent contaminated air from entering them. Arleigh Burke-class destroyers also have a water protection system and decontamination posts.
Many experts consider destroyers of the Arleigh Burke type to be among the most protected destroyers of the modern fleets of the world. However, the experience of combat operation of ships makes us take a more balanced approach to such statements and allows us to identify a number of significant shortcomings in ships of this project. So on October 12, 2000, an explosion with a power of only 200-230 kg in TNT equivalent on the destroyer Cole, having penetrated the two-level armor protection of the central part of the hull (close to the midship frame), completely disabled the ship’s gas turbine engines, depriving it of power and control. During the explosion, the cockpits were flooded, and one sixth of the crew (56 people) was put out of action (including 17 killed). However, despite the damage received, the ship remained afloat, and the roll that arose after the explosion did not exceed 4°.
The incident with the destroyer Cole once again showed that, despite the lessons of the Falklands and Iran-Iraq wars, not only destroyers of the Arleigh Burke type, but absolutely all modern guided missile destroyers have weak structural protection (or do not have it at all) . Protection individual elements hull, engines and weapons using Kevlar, as Cole's experience has shown, provides only anti-fragmentation or, at best, anti-ballistic protection from light and medium caliber artillery shells. The structural protection of all modern types of destroyers cannot protect against the destructive effects of powerful explosive devices and anti-ship missiles.
To a large extent, the weak structural protection of destroyers of the Arleigh Burke type is compensated by powerful anti-aircraft and anti-submarine protection provided by the capabilities of the multifunctional Aegis BIUS, as well as the introduction of means for reducing thermal and acoustic signature on destroyers of the type. The defeat of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers by a single anti-ship missile or torpedo is almost impossible, given combat capabilities systems "Aegis" generally.
In order to increase the combat survivability of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, it is planned to equip them, starting with the USS Oscar Austin (DDG-79), with mine protection systems. In many ways, the decision to install mine protection systems on ships of this series was due to the incident with the destroyer USS Forrest Sherman (DDG-98), when on August 8, 2007, during the latter’s visit to Sevastopol, a German 480-kilogram gun spontaneously surfaced 300 m from the destroyer. galvanic shock anchor ship mine from the times of the Great Patriotic War with an explosive power equal to 50 kg in TNT equivalent. The mine was safely neutralized by the joint actions of divers from the Russian Black Sea Fleet and the Ukrainian Navy. As a result of the actions to defuse the mine, the American destroyer was not injured.
Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are equipped with two 24-foot (7.32 m) semi-rigid inflatable search and rescue boats (RHIB or RIB) stored on dinghies on the starboard side. A commercial crane is used to launch and retrieve RHIB boats. The equipment of the Arleigh Burke destroyers also includes 15 life rafts, each designed for 25 people.
Armament
Aegis system
Aegis (English: Aegis combat system) is a multifunctional combat information and control system (CIUS), which is an organizational and technical combination of shipborne means of illumination, destruction and control based on the widespread introduction of automated combat control systems (ACCS). In addition, the system is capable of receiving and processing information from sensors of other ships/aircraft of the formation and issuing target designations to their launchers. Thus, the system can support the air defense commander of the formation, although it cannot fully automate all air defense functions. In a typical case, however, this role is played not by destroyers, but by guided missile cruisers.
The main components (subsystems) of the Aegis multifunctional weapon system:
- helicopter subsystem LAMPS;
- LAMPS Mark Z helicopter subsystem equipment;
- Radar for detecting air and surface targets;
- friend-foe identification station;
- AN/SLQ-32 electronic warfare subsystem;
- navigation equipment;
- BIUS PLO with internal GAS ;
- digital radio link terminal equipment (LINK-11);
- automated command and control subsystem (Mark 1);
- automated coordinated control subsystem ship systems weapons (Mark 1);
- block radar control with headlights;
- antenna and transmitter part of a multifunctional radar;
- automated subsystem for testing operation, searching and localizing faults;
- information display subsystem;
- radio communication equipment;
- terminal devices of a digital radio communication line;
- launcher for passive jamming subsystem;
- automated artillery fire control subsystem;
- SAM "Aegis";
- launchers for ship-based missiles, missiles and anti-ship missiles;
- automated fire control subsystem KR "Tomahawk" ;
- automated fire control subsystem Anti-ship missile "Harpoon" ;
- anti-aircraft artillery complex "Vulcan-Phalanx" ;
- automated fire control subsystem for anti-submarine weapons.
The main components (subsystems) of the Aegis multifunctional weapon system are closely interconnected. The means of management and control of the system are general, that is, they are used in the interests of each element and the entire system as a whole. These tools include the OMVK and the display subsystem.
The Aegis system also includes a display subsystem, which can include up to 22 multifunctional consoles (MFP) with tactical situation displays, including four commander’s (the latter display a generalized situation). The display equipment is located in the ship's combat information center (CIC). Functionally, the display equipment is divided into the following circuits: processing tactical information, assessing this information and making decisions, air defense, anti-submarine warfare, combating surface ships and striking the shore.
Nomenclature of weapons of the Arleigh Burke destroyers
The armament of the Arleigh Burke destroyers of different subseries differs quite significantly. The main weapons of all 53 active ships of this type are 2 Mark 41 VLS vertical launch units (VLS). The standard set of UVP weapons for destroyers of the first two subseries consists of 74 anti-aircraft missiles RIM-66 SM-2 , 8 cruise missiles BGM-109 Tomahawk (and 8 RUM-139 VL-Asroc anti-submarine missiles in a multi-purpose version or from 56 BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles and 34 RIM-66 SM-2 and RUM-139 VL-Asroc missiles in an attack version.
On series IIA destroyers, the total number of missiles carried by the ship increased from 90 to 96. The standard set of UVP weapons for destroyers of the third series consists of 74 RIM-66 SM-2 missiles, 24 missiles RIM-7 Sea Sparrow (four per cell), 8 BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles and 8 RUM-139 VL-Asroc anti-submarine guided missiles.
Artillery
The main artillery armament of ships of the Arleigh Burke type is lightweight 127 mm Mark 45 artillery mount . In mod. 2 it is installed on the first 30 destroyers of the type (DDG-51-DDG-80), in the mod. 4 - on all other destroyers, starting with USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG-81). Standard ammunition for the Mark 45 Mod artillery mount. 2 - 680 unitary rounds of Mark 68, Mark 80, Mark 91, Mark 116, Mark 127 or Mark 156. Horizontal range - 23 km, maximum rate of fire - 20 rounds per minute. The weight of the gun mount is only 24.6 tons.
Weight and rate of fire of the Mark 45 Mod artillery mount. 4 remained the same as in previous modifications. The firing range of high-explosive fragmentation shells has been increased from 23 to 37 km, and ERGM and BTERM active-reactive ammunition with a flight range of up to 116 km has been added to the ammunition load. Standard ammunition for the Mark 45 Mod artillery mount. 4 was increased due to changes in the design of the artillery cellar. There are the following options for completing the ammunition of an artillery mount - 700 high-explosive fragmentation rounds or 400 active-reactive ERGM rounds or (in a mixed ammunition configuration) 232 high-explosive fragmentation rounds + 232 ERGM or BTERM rounds. It usually takes 16 hours to fully reload the artillery magazine of the Arleigh Burke destroyers.
Anti-ship and anti-submarine weapons
On the ships of the first two series, two quad units are installed in the stern Anti-ship missile "Harpoon" . The main anti-submarine weapons of the Arleigh Burke class ships are helicopters of the LAMPS-III system. Onboard weapons are anti-submarine guided missiles (ASLMs) RUM-139 VL-Asroc . They are capable of hitting submarines at a distance of up to 20 km from the PLUR carrier ship.
As auxiliary anti-submarine weapons, the destroyers of all three series have two built-in Mk. torpedo tubes. 32. Ammunition - 6 anti-submarine torpedoes Mk. 46 or Mk. 50. The maximum firing range of torpedoes is 10 km. There is no provision for recharging them. On series IIA ships, the Harpoon anti-ship missile systems were abandoned due to the requirement to reduce the cost of the ship. The torpedo tubes on the IIA series ships were retained.
Air defense
The main component of the air defense of destroyers is the Aegis air defense system, which bears the same name as the multifunctional control system. The air defense system may include, depending on the distribution of ammunition, from 34 to 74 anti-aircraft missiles Standard-2ER for missiles RIM-67B (1981, maximum firing range - 128 km), RIM-67C (1981, maximum firing range - 185 km), RIM-156 (Standard-2ER Block IV, 1999, maximum firing range - 240 km), currently all new destroyers are armed with anti-aircraft guided missiles Standard-3 with a launch range doubled (up to 500 km) and a launch altitude virtually unlimited by the Earth’s atmosphere (up to 250 km).
It was mandatory to install two rapid-firing six-barreled anti-aircraft artillery mounts of the caliber 20 mm "Vulcan-Phalanx" , designed to finish off anti-ship missiles at a distance of up to 1.5 km, if they break through a sufficiently powerful ship’s air defense system. One ZAK is located directly in front of the setting and one behind it. On the ships of the IIA series, the Vulcan-Phalanx anti-aircraft artillery complexes (ZAC) were abandoned due to the requirement to reduce the cost of the destroyers of the project, but they were nevertheless installed on the first 6 ships of the IIA series. Instead of the Vulcan-Phalanx ZAK, the armament of the destroyers of the IIA series includes a self-defense anti-aircraft missile system RIM-7 Sea Sparrow (24 missiles in 6 containers of the VLS Mark 41 system).
Tactical strike weapons
Each Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is armed with up to 56 cruise missiles. BGM-109 Tomahawk Block 3 (with a launch range of up to 1250-1609 km in the tactical (non-nuclear version) and 2500 km in the strategic (nuclear) version. In 2004, the Tactical Tomahawk cruise missile was successfully tested (but was not delivered to ships) (a modernized version of the Tomahawk, English Tactical Tomahawk Block 4).
Aviation
On ships of series I-II, due to the lack of a helicopter hangar, only 1 helicopter can be temporarily based SH-60 Sea Hawk . The ammunition store, located next to the helipad, stores weapons for the helicopter (up to 9 Mark-46 torpedoes). There is also an aviation fuel tank. But maintenance or repair of helicopters is not provided.
Additional weapons
As anti-sabotage, as well as auxiliary anti-aircraft weapons, the Arleigh Burke destroyers are equipped with 4 12.7 mm M2HB machine gun . As an option, it is possible to install 25-mm Bushmaster assault rifles. They have a small elevation angle and are unsuitable for anti-aircraft fire.
Overall Project Assessment
Destroyers of the Arleigh Burke class are generally considered one of best types destroyers with guided missile weapons. In relation to destroyers of the Arleigh Burke type, there are even such assessments as “one of the best ships end of the 20th century." Ships of this type are capable of successfully operating in a variety of conditions, both in peacetime and during periods of their participation in wars and military operations, while performing a wide variety of tasks: from missile strikes across enemy territory to the anti-aircraft, anti-ship and anti-submarine defense of ships and naval formations of the US Navy. During the design of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, American designers managed to achieve a rare harmony of seaworthiness, well-thought-out naval architecture and powerful strike weapons.
Having become a kind of role model, Arleigh Burke-class destroyers from the moment of their appearance determine the development path for ships of the destroyer class in almost all major navies of the world, with the exception of the fleets of India, China and Russia. At the same time, it should be noted that for American shipbuilding, Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are already a “passed stage”; to replace them, the construction of Zamvolt-class destroyers has begun on an experimental basis, which, in turn, will become a kind of “testing ground” for testing promising ship technologies and new ship weapons systems. However, until the mid-2030s (before the start of mass withdrawal from combat personnel US Navy destroyers II series) Arleigh Burke-class destroyers will form the backbone of the American fleet.
The first Arleigh Burke I-class destroyer entered service Navy Navy USA in 1991. The contract to build the ships was divided between two companies, Litton and Ingalls SB.
The ships of the Arleigh Burke I series are the main and most numerous representatives of the class EM Destroyer V Navy Naval forces USA - by the end of the 90s it is planned to have Navy Naval forces about 50 such ships.
When starting to create a destroyer of the Arleigh Burke I type, the Americans proceeded from two fundamental points: the ship must have high survivability and have the Aegis MFSO. The composition of the weapons was the same as on Ticonderoga, only reducing the total number of MK41 container cells from 122 to 90. Compared to Spruence, the speed decreased slightly. Other innovations include a gas turbine power plant with a heat recovery circuit, which allowed for 25 percent fuel savings, an improved system of protection against weapons of mass destruction (in particular, all doors along the external contour are equipped with air vestibules), a device for discharging torpedoes, and an artillery control system. fire with laser rangefinders.
EM Destroyer type "Arleigh Burke I" are designed like cruisers URO Guided missile weapons type Ticonderoga, for zonal protection against air attacks of NK formations (primarily AUG Carrier strike group), landing groups and convoys, combating PL Submarine and enemy NK, artillery support for landing operations, tracking the ships of a potential enemy, ensuring a naval blockade of certain areas, as well as participation in search and rescue operations. At the same time, "Arleigh Burke I", compared to Ticonderoga, has smaller dimensions, better stability parameters and combat survivability (due to the increased width of the hull, the absence of AMG in superstructure designs and a more rational division of the hull into waterproof compartments).
For the Arleigh Burke I, a new hull was developed with full contours in the bow and a small camber of the surface branches of the bow frames. According to experts Navy Naval forces USA, despite some increase in water resistance, this hull shape has better seaworthiness. These include the smoothness and smallness of the pitching range, moderation of flooding and splashing, and small roll angles during circulation. The ship's hull is made of steel, with a characteristic forecastle extended far aft. It is divided into 13 compartments by watertight bulkheads extending to the upper deck and has a double bottom throughout, as well as two continuous decks not counting the upper one. The camber of the sides is more than 8° over a significant part of the length, the hull is low-slung. During the tests, the ability to maintain a speed of 30 knots in hurricane winds and waves of up to 9 points was demonstrated.
When designing the Arleigh Burke I, special attention was paid to issues of structural protection and survivability. For this purpose, the dimensions of the all-steel superstructure were minimized; its outer surfaces were inclined to the main plane with surfaces lined with radio-absorbing coatings to reduce the ESR. To reduce the thermal field, the chimneys were equipped with special mixing chambers in which exhaust gases are mixed with cold air; vital combat posts were located in the ship's hull; AP REV was distributed throughout the ship in order to reduce the likelihood of damage. Premises GEM Main power plant, REV and control posts have Kevlar anti-fragmentation protection. To protect mechanisms and equipment below the water level, local armor made of high-strength aluminum-magnesium alloys up to 25.4 mm thick is also used. Plates made of these alloys protect the main waveguides and cables, as well as the most important combat posts (power supply rooms, ammunition cellars and the upper tiers of superstructures). The ship is equipped with a system of collective protection against weapons of mass destruction. Also to reduce hydroacoustic signature EM Destroyer equipped with air supply systems under the Masker bottom and to the edges of the PRAIRIE propeller blades.
The main means of illuminating the air and surface situation is a multifunctional Radar Radar station AN/SPY-1D with four headlights. To provide all-round visibility, they are mounted on the outer surfaces of the bow block of the superstructure. Radar Radar station capable of detecting and tracking air targets at distances of up to 400 km. Data on the elements of movement of air targets is transmitted to BIUS and a system for displaying information, as well as a system for developing recommendations to the ship commander for decision-making. From BIUS Combat information and control system Information about air targets transferred to the SU by shooting SAM Anti-aircraft missile systems And ZAK Anti-aircraft artillery complex Mk 99, which have three Radar Radar station AN/SPG-62, designed to control SAM Anti-aircraft guided missile and illumination of the bombarded computer centers. System SAM Anti-aircraft guided missile Mk 99 can control 18 simultaneously SAM Anti-aircraft guided missile. Systems for displaying information and making recommendations to the commander can also receive information from Radar Radar station AN/SPS-67 about air and surface conditions, from GAK Hydroacoustic complex SQQ-89(V)4 about the underwater situation and from the AN/SLQ-32 complexes about the radio technical situation. In addition, these systems can receive information from other NK and aircraft. Based on the information received, decisions are made on the use of one or another weapon.
The peculiarity of "Arleigh Burke I" in contrast to other American EM Destroyer And KR Cruise missile URO Guided missile weapons is the lack of a helicopter hangar. There is only runway Airstrip with RAST forced landing system.
EM Destroyer type "Arleigh Burke I" took part in all conflicts of the late 20th - early 21st centuries. The presence of VPU on ships made it possible not only to provide tasks Air defense Air defense And PRO Missile defense AUG Carrier strike group, but also participate in striking the shore.
Summarizing the above, we can conclude that Arleigh Burke I-class destroyers are truly successful high-class ships, capable of operating equally successfully in a variety of conditions when performing various tasks. American shipbuilders managed to achieve a rare harmony in the ship's seaworthiness, its architecture and armament. EM Destroyer The Arleigh Burke I class can easily be called one of the best ships of the late twentieth century.
A worthy continuation of the Arleigh Burke I series was the Arleigh Burke II series and the Arleigh Burke IIA series.
DDG-51 Arleigh Burke 1991DDG Guided Missile Destroyer (US destroyer)-52 Barry 1992DDG Guided Missile Destroyer (US destroyer)-53 John Paul Jones 1993DDG Guided Missile Destroyer (US destroyer)-54 Curtis Wilbur 1994DDG Guided Missile Destroyer (US destroyer)-55 Stout 1994DDG Guided Missile Destroyer (US destroyer)-56 John S. McCain 1994DDG Guided Missile Destroyer (US destroyer)-57 Mitscher 1994DDG Guided Missile Destroyer (US destroyer)-58 Laboon 1995DDG Guided Missile Destroyer (US destroyer)-59 Russell 1995DDG Guided Missile Destroyer (US destroyer)-60 Paul Hamilton 1995DDG Guided Missile Destroyer (US destroyer)-61 Ramage 1995DDG Guided Missile Destroyer (US destroyer)-62 Fitzgerald 1995DDG Guided Missile Destroyer (US destroyer)-63 Stethem 1995DDG Guided Missile Destroyer (US destroyer)-64 Carney 1996DDG Guided Missile Destroyer (US destroyer)-65 Benfold 1996DDG Guided Missile Destroyer (US destroyer)-66 Gonzalez 1996DDG Guided Missile Destroyer (US destroyer)-67 Cole 199610/12/2000 in Yemen, in the port of Aden, an explosion occurred on board a ship. At first it was reported that the cruiser was attacked by a boat loaded with explosives.
In one of our articles we already touched on the topic of American destroyers. There we gave general information about the entire history of destroyers, and now we decided to give a complete picture of the modern Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, which is the only (not counting 2 Zumwalt-class destroyers) representative of the family of destroyers of the American fleet. I called it “the only one” because the destroyers of the Zumwalt series did not live up to the expectations of the Navy command and have a high construction cost, which led to their removal from service. mass production(it is planned to build a maximum of 1 more destroyer of this type). As a result, it was decided to continue the serial construction of the Arleigh Burke warships.
History of creation
The time of the Cold War consists of changes, confrontations and warmings. By the end of the 1960s, the governments of the Soviet Union and the United States came to a general agreement that the risk nuclear war could lead to disastrous consequences for both sides and the world in general. Therefore, since the early 1970s, the emphasis has been more concentrated on discharging nuclear weapons. However, the rivalry did not end there, but simply moved from weapons of mass destruction to conventional ones.
Design
From the navy's point of view, the US wanted to maintain its advantage. But the destroyers built in the 1970s, the Spruance, did not meet the standards of the changed policy. The main disadvantage of the Spruance destroyers is the lack of missile control. After the advent of the guided missile system, the Navy Command decided to create a new type of destroyers to complement the Spruance destroyers and replace the old ones. The first project of a destroyer with a guided missile system appeared in 1980. This project was supposed to give America a significant advantage over destroyers. Seven shipbuilding companies proposed their projects for a new type of ship. In 1983, only 3 companies remained, and in 1985, 2 shipyards won the construction tender: Bath Iron Works and Ingalls Shipbuilding.
Construction
This type of destroyer was named “Arleigh Burke” by the ex-chief of naval operations (Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations) Admiral Arleigh Burke, who proved himself to be a true leader and strategist during the Second World War and the Korean Wars. The first ship also received the admiral's name.
The destroyer "Arleigh Burke" was built in a year and was launched into the water in 1989 with the participation of the ex-leader's wife (the complete construction process of the ship took a little more than a year), and entered service with the US Navy on June 4, 1991 ( I was under testing for 2 years). The admiral himself was present at the ceremony.
After successful tests of the destroyer, which took place from September 1, 1989 to June 1, 1991, mass construction of this type of combat vessel was approved. Bath Iron Works and Ingalls Shipbuilding received an order for another twenty ships of the Arleigh Burke class.
Like all military equipment, Arleigh Burke is not a cheap pleasure. On average, the price of each ship cost America a little more than 1 billion. dollars (1.1 billion in 1985, 1.25 billion in 2009). Moreover, there are costs for maintaining ships. Every 2 years, destroyers undergo planned repairs, where from 20 to 25 million dollars are spent on each. If we consider that the American fleet consists of 62 Arleigh Burkes, then every 2 years an average of 1.4 billion is spent on repairs. dollars.
general characteristics
The latest model of the destroyer has a length of 153.9 m, a width of 20.1 m, a displacement of 8,900 tons, a power of 108,000 hp, maximum speed 32 knots, range 4,400 miles (at optimal speed 20 knots).
Design and General Data
The Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are slightly different from the Spruance in terms of technology, material, weapons and the hull itself.
The Arleigh Burke family is divided into 3 models (“I”, “II” and “IIA”). Each model is an indicator of modern technologies and weapons, as a result of which the destroyer was modernized, changed internally or externally. Therefore, to describe the design to you, we will analyze each of the models separately. We will examine topics related to general data and differences in the hull here, and we will examine the topic of weapons separately.
Model "I"
The construction of the building takes place according to a modular system, i.e. First, individual blocks are prepared, then they are assembled into one whole. This was facilitated by the design of the ship itself, which was designed using Stealth technology. The Arleigh Burke are the first destroyers built on the stealth principle. In this regard, the very concept of the ship consists of sharp corners and a minimum of unnecessary things on the open deck, which increases the scattering of radio waves. Moreover, ships of this type are equipped with a radio wave absorption system. The chimneys of a ship have a similar system for reducing heat waves. Hot air mixes with cold air before it leaves the pipe, thereby reducing their visibility on enemy thermal radars. Due to the innovations listed above, the Arleigh Burke has 2 times less visibility on radar and thermal radars than its predecessors, the Spruance. And the modular system made the construction of the building only 10-15 months.
According to general characteristics, the Arleigh Burke is a classic single-hull ship with an increased length along the waterline and a low-drawing hull. Following the lessons learned by the Allies (Great Britain) in the Falklands War, as well as incidents (fires on ships) that occurred in the US Navy, the ship's hull for the first time for a long time became steel again (before that it was aluminum). The bow of the new hull has full contours, and the branches of the bow frame have a small camber. Despite the fact that because of this, the destroyer may have lost a little in speed and range, it gained better stability (the pitching range decreased) and seaworthiness.
Due to the danger of weapons of mass destruction, the design of the Arleigh Burke guided missile destroyer allows personnel to reach any part of the ship without going onto the open deck. The destroyer consists of 13 compartments, 3 decks (2 internal and 1 open) and has a double bottom (increases the quality of survivability).
A total of 21 I-model destroyers were built.
Model "II"
In general, this model does not have any special changes from the first. Here is a list of all the innovations of the new model:
- Improved crew living conditions;
- Reduced fuel consumption due to minor changes to the nose;
- Reduced cavitation noise thanks to new system screws;
- Increased metacentric height;
- Increased armor thickness.
In total, 7 destroyers of the II model were built.
Model "IIA"
The third model has significant changes both in the body and in the construction technology. First, the technology of connecting already saturated modules began to be used, which clearly simplified its construction. The length of the hull was increased by 1.37 m, the width remained the same. Due to this small change in length, they were able to install a full-fledged hangar for servicing the helicopter. Experts consider this one of the main changes in the new model because... the lack of a hangar compromised air mobility, submarine protection, reconnaissance and support capabilities if the helicopter failed. Accordingly, the ship's crew (the group servicing the helicopter) has increased. Moreover, satellite communications and the Internet appeared on the ship.
A total of 34 IIA model destroyers were built.
Armament of the destroyer Arleigh Burke
There are many different weapons systems and installations on board the main destroyer of the US Navy, but of all, I want to highlight the Aegis control system, with the advent of which the role of destroyers in the armed forces system has radically changed. Therefore, of all the weapons, the first thing we will do is disassemble it.
Aegis Control System
With the advent of Aegis control system technology, destroyers were able to independently destroy any targets in the air, on land or water. "Aegis" is a multidisciplinary combat information and control system, which is responsible for integrating shipboard information, control and destruction systems. In other words, the Aegis system is a central bank of all data that comes from many ship subsystems, thanks to which a clear picture of actions appears. Of course, the bank is important for almost all systems/subsystems, but especially for the ship's weapons system.
However, according to some experts, this multifunctional “miracle” has its drawbacks. They are mainly associated with the low-blind AN/SPY-1 radar, which does not respond well to low-flying targets.
Artillery
The main artillery piece of the Arleigh Burke family is the 127 mm Mark 45 class artillery mount. At different periods of time, these installations had different characteristics. These days, a 127mm Mark45 Mod 4 class mount is used, which allows it to fire 20 rounds per minute at a maximum distance of 37 km. (high-explosive fragmentation) up to 115 km. (“ERGM” and “BTERM”) depending on the class of the projectile.
Flak
Anti-aircraft artillery has been modernized the most. While in “I” and “II” the models had 6-barreled Vulcan-Phalanx complexes, now the destroyers are equipped with 24 RIM-7 Sea Sparrows. The main weapons are Standard-3 cruise missiles with a range of up to 500 km. and “Tactical Tamahawk” with a maximum engagement range of up to 2500 km. Each destroyer carries up to 56 Tamahawk cruise missiles.
Mine and torpedo weapons
The main anti-submarine safety system is LAMPS-III class helicopters. Onboard weapons include the RUM-39 VL-Asroc class PLUR and the Mk32 torpedo system. On latest model The destroyer was withdrawn from service with the Harpoon-class anti-ship missiles due to financial aspects.
Aviation weapons
After the modernization of the hull and the appearance of a helicopter hangar on the deck, it became possible to maintain 2 SH-60 Sea Hawk class helicopters. These helicopters can fire Hellfire and Penguin air-to-surface missiles, Mark-46/51 submarine-launched torpedoes, and provide air support to allied forces.
Interesting incidents that happened to "Arleigh Burke"
Arleigh Burke-class destroyers have been in operation for more than 25 years and have completed many missions. Basically it was tactical exercises, but sometimes also military services that took place in hot spots of the last 3 decades. Therefore, we will examine only some cases.
The destroyer "Cole" and the terrorist attack in Aden
The destroyer USS Cole, which belonged to the first Arleigh Burke model, had an incident in 2000 that showed the world that the armor of destroyers is not so strong. When the Cole docked in Aden, Yemen, to replenish food supplies, it was later subjected to a terrorist attack. The explosion of 200-250 kg of explosives by suicide bombers on the left side created a hole 6 * 12 m, as a result of which 17 people were killed and 39 were injured. The engine compartment, cabins, dining room, and propeller shaft fell into disrepair.
"Donald Cook" and the Russian Air Force
While the Donald Cook was in the Baltic Sea in 2014, a Russian SU-24 fighter flew around the destroyer more than 10 times and used an electronic attack, subsequently causing the Aegis control system to malfunction.
Destroyer "Porter"
After using Tamahawk cruise missiles, Porter successfully neutralized a Syrian military base in April 2017.
Project evaluation
Of course, Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are considered high-class representatives of their kind. However, everyone knows perfectly well that nothing ideal exists. Therefore, despite the shortcomings of this type of destroyer, we can say that the Arleigh Burke are worthy combat ships of our time.