American aircraft carriers in the Black Sea. Putin: if NATO ships do not leave the Black Sea within three days, they will find themselves at the bottom! Why is US Navy aircraft carrier George W. Bush dangerous? Americans are sure he is “unsinkable”
For the third day now, the Ukrainian media have been writing that the American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier George W. Bush is about to enter (or will enter) the Black Sea. Bush" with tail number CVN-77. The Kiev Times continues to explore the information field of the situation. The official page of the aircraft carrier is on the public portal of the US Department of Defense.
CVN-77 is home to the US Naval Aviation Wing, codenamed CVW-8 (AJ). The working motto of the ship, named after the now living 41st President of the United States, is: “Freedom at work!” (“Freedom at work”). As befits a large enterprise or any other department with a staff of 6,000, the “man and steamship” “George Bush” has its own page on the social network Facebook, on which he often shows his location in ports and many photos from on board the ship.
Theoretically, up to 90 aircraft such as airplanes, helicopters and drones can be based on board the aircraft carrier. But at the moment, taking into account the fact that the aircraft carrier was crossing the Atlantic, its air wing includes 68 aircraft and helicopters. By aircraft type, CVW-8 (AJ) has on board:
48 F/A-18 Hornet fighter-attack aircraft;
4 E-2C Hawkeye early warning aircraft;
4 electronic countermeasures aircraft EA-6B Prowler;
4 C-2A Greyhound transport aircraft;
8 SH-60 Sea Hawk helicopters;
flight and technical personnel of the CVW-8 (AJ) air wing - 2480 people;
But, despite its loud motto “Vox Maris” (“Voice of the Sea”), now this ship is quietly standing, putting itself in order after a long trip to the Black Sea. Let us recall that the “Voice of the Sea” ensured the security of the Olympics in Sochi, and left the Black Sea early in the morning of February 27, having stood in line for some time at the entrance to the Bosporus Strait. And the events on the Crimean Peninsula with “unknown armed people” began precisely on the night of February 27, when the electronic reconnaissance regime on board the Mount Whitney was greatly weakened.
There is one more American ship of the 6th Fleet left in the Black Sea - the Taylor destroyer USS Taylor, tail number FFG 50. Alas, this Oliver Perry class guided missile destroyer does not have its own website, but there are good photos and episodes from this ship . But now he was very unlucky - on February 12, he ran aground in the Turkish Black Sea port of Samsun, and seriously damaged the only propeller. When it will be sent for dock repairs outside the Black Sea, none of the crew knows. In the meantime, its former commander was fired for the incident in Samsun harbor on February 25, and the fate of the ship is unknown. The media predicted that by the end of 2015 the destroyer would be decommissioned from the US Navy. But because of this accident, this write-off may occur much earlier. So for now there are no US Navy ships in the Black Sea, and it is unknown when they will be.
But where did the rumors come from that a US aircraft carrier squadron would enter the Black Sea?
Exclusively due to the incompetence of authors in the media. In the entire history of the Cold War and the subsequent period, not a single aircraft carrier of the United States or any other NATO country entered the Black Sea. One of the reasons for this is funny - an aircraft carrier with its mast with radars simply does not fit under the bridges across the very narrow Bosphorus. The main reason is the too great risk of being hit by anti-ship missiles from land, sea and air. And planes for conditional bombing of targets in Crimea can be lifted from the Aegean Sea at the entrance to the Dardanelles Strait. But this requires the consent of NATO members - Turkey or Greece and Bulgaria - for the overflight of US Navy aircraft. It is unlikely to be received in the near future - this is a long and complex process, and these countries are not inclined to get involved in someone else’s conflict.
Let's assume that the country's consent is obtained and such a US Navy operation is still planned. Alas, it cannot be kept secret. For a relatively successful start to such an operation, it is necessary to introduce ships of the American squadron through the Dardanelles and the Bosporus into the Black Sea. For what? To support the operation, divert the attention of the Black Sea Fleet and other Russian armed forces in the Caucasus and Kuban. In addition, it is necessary to provide for the evacuation of downed pilots from the water by helicopters and much more. In general, an aircraft carrier group with its aircraft will not be enough. To do this, you need to connect other forces and deploy them at airfields in Romania and Bulgaria. But can this be done quickly and unnoticed among the multimillion-dollar Istanbul? Unfortunately no. Therefore, the idea of bombing someone in Crimea with carrier aircraft from the George W. Bush is more of a beautiful plot for a computer game than a real plan of military action.
And another fun fact. The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier "George Bush" is a Nimitz-class ship (the young carrier aviation pilot George W. Bush himself was just beginning to serve in the Pacific Fleet, commanded by Admiral Nimitz) - the last in its series (10th), which was named after a person who is still alive.
Well, there is also a certain historical paradox - the then human President George Bush Sr., speaking from the rostrum of the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR in early August 1991, said a lot of things against the hasty collapse of the USSR and the declaration of independence of Ukraine. His argumentation was provided by the then US Ambassador to the USSR (1987-1991) Jack Matlock, who has not changed his opinion one iota to this day. So it is unlikely that the ship "George Bush" will take part in the conflict over Crimea between Russia and Ukraine.
A video of the aircraft carrier George W. Bush allegedly entering the waters of the Black Sea has appeared online, although most likely these are just rumors.
Information about the largest American aircraft carrier, the George W. Bush, which is supposedly about to approach the shores of Crimea and will become a decisive factor in resolving the conflict, is currently the most discussed on the Internet. Users share photos and videos and write dozens of posts.
Judging by these data, the US aircraft carrier George W. Bush has already entered the Black Sea and headed for Crimea.
The aircraft carrier George W. Bush is a whole floating armada of warships, submarines, airplanes and helicopters. He is accompanied by seventeen escort ships and three submarines. Each submarine has 24 missile silos for launching nuclear warheads. The aircraft carrier George W. Bush is considered the most advanced warship in the world. It carries 90 aircraft on board. These are helicopters of various types and F-22 Raptors.
It is objectively known that on March 4, Greek television discovered an aircraft carrier in the port of Piraeus. From there, in order to get to the shores of Crimea, he needs to cross the Aegean Sea, the Dardanelles Strait into the Sea of Marmara, and only then pass the Bosporus.
- Read on topic: US officials: Sanctions against Russia will be introduced this week
There are several factors that indicate that the aircraft carrier George W. Bush will never enter the Black Sea. Firstly, the strike radius of an aircraft carrier is 2000 miles from its location. Now the distance to the Crimean peninsula from the last confirmed location of the aircraft carrier is 600 miles, that is, it does not need to get any closer. The next factor against the presence of an aircraft carrier in the Black Sea is that it makes no sense for it to be in such a limited water area under the close proximity of tracking and attack means.
To prove this information, some users publish not even photographs, but a video of the ship, which, according to them, is the George Bush, along with helicopters, fighter jets and submarines. It turns out that the aircraft carrier is going to Crimea almost to forcefully resolve the political crisis. As evidence, recent statements by the leadership of the United States and NATO are cited that all military cooperation with Russia is being curtailed, and with Ukraine, on the contrary, they are ready for even closer cooperation. But do not forget that almost all information about “George Bush” is unofficial and unconfirmed. Thirdly, the presence of an aircraft carrier in the Black Sea is a violation of the 1937 Montreux Treaty, which prohibits any aircraft carrier from entering the Black Sea. The Montreux Convention, concluded in 1936, defines the rules for the passage of ships through the Dardanelles and Bosporus straits, which are under Turkish control. Significant restrictions on class and tonnage have been introduced for warships of non-Black Sea powers.
What is certain today is that on the morning of March 6, the missile destroyer Thruxton entered the Black Sea. In the Black Sea waters, the destroyer will conduct “scheduled exercises” with the Romanian and Bulgarian navies. The exercises are conducted to increase the level of cooperation in the field of security.
The US State Department admitted that the crew of the American destroyer Donald Cook was demoralized after meeting with a Russian Su-24 bomber that did not have bombs or missiles on board. We found out why this happened and what else Russia has that is inspiring.
On an unnamed frequency
On April 10, the American destroyer Donald Cook entered the Black Sea. On April 12, a Russian Su-24 front-line bomber flew over the destroyer. On April 14, after a generally ordinary incident - our planes do not regularly approach the ships of a potential enemy in neutral waters - the Pentagon made an extremely emotional statement, accusing Russia of violating its own traditions and international treaties. It was mentioned that the crew of the Donald Cook was demoralized after the meeting with the bomber; a number of media reported that 27 American sailors wrote reports of dismissal from the fleet. What scared the destroyer crew so much?
The Donald Cook is not the rusty Zaporozhye submarine, but a fourth-generation US Navy destroyer whose main weapon is guided missiles. This is the most massive post-war ship with a displacement of more than 5,000 tons: 62 have been built since 1988, with 13 more planned. The Cook's main weapons are Tomahawk cruise missiles with a flight range of up to 2,500 kilometers, capable of carrying nuclear warheads. In conventional and attack versions, the destroyer is equipped with 56 or 96 such missiles, respectively.
The 380 people who make up the ship's crew are reliably protected. The Donald Cook's combat posts are surrounded by Kevlar - each ship carries 130 tons of this expensive but durable material. The small superstructure is covered with material that absorbs radar radiation. Below the waterline, the destroyer is protected by armor made of high-strength magnesium-aluminum alloys. To reduce underwater noise, air is supplied to the edges of the propellers. As a result, a cloud of bubbles is formed, distorting and smoothing out the hydroacoustic “portrait” of the ship.
Finally, the Donald Cook is equipped with the latest Aegis combat information and control system - among other things, it integrates the air defense systems of all ships on which it is installed into a common network, allowing it to simultaneously track and fire at hundreds of targets. On the edges of the destroyer's superstructure there are four huge antennas of a universal radar, replacing several conventional radars. Along with the Tomahawks, fifty anti-aircraft guided missiles of various classes are waiting in the universal launchers at the bow and stern.
It would seem that the appearance of such a ship in the Black Sea should cause shock and awe. And so it happened, but from the wrong side. The Russian Su-24 front-line bomber that arrived at the Donald Cook did not have bombs or missiles on board. Under the fuselage hung one container with a Khibiny electronic warfare system. Having approached the destroyer, the Khibiny turned off its radar, combat control circuits, data transmission systems - in short, they turned off the entire Aegis, just as we turn off the TV by pressing a button on the remote control. After this, the Su-24 simulated a missile attack on the blinded and deafened ship. Then another and another - a total of 12 times.
When the bomber took off, the Donald Cook hurriedly headed to the Romanian port to calm her nerves. He did not approach Russian waters again. The Americans are accustomed from afar, in complete safety, to crush poorly armed detachments of some desert partisans with missiles. And if that doesn't work out, they don't play.
Soldiers of the invisible front
The more complex the electronic system, the easier it is to disrupt its operation using electronic warfare methods and means. - said the head of the research center for electronic warfare and assessing the effectiveness of reducing the visibility of the Air Force Academy Vladimir Balybin. - To win a modern war, it is not enough to achieve air supremacy. It is also necessary to ensure information superiority.
In addition to the Khibiny, the domestic military-industrial complex produces many different devices capable of discouraging both regular enemy units and bandits and terrorists. The Airborne Forces began to receive Infauna complexes. Installed on an armored personnel carrier or other military equipment, the complex finds and jams enemy radio communications in the HF and VHF bands, and “puts to sleep” remotely controlled landmines. They will certainly explode - but only after a column of Russian military personnel passes over them and moves away to a safe distance.
"Infauna" has one more function - optical sensors placed on the sides of the vehicle detect flashes of shots and give the command to set up a smoke screen to shield the column from fire. The "Judoist" information security complex, among other things, finds and neutralizes electronic devices that have been unauthorized connected to data transmission channels.
The product "Lesochek" performs the same functions as "Infauna", but is much more compact - it can be carried in a backpack or suitcase. With such a case it is convenient to go to important business negotiations - the most advanced security service will not be able to eavesdrop on them. For businessmen, there is a civilian version of "Lesochka" - it can be mounted in the trunk of a Mercedes.
If the “Lesochek” product had been working in General Romanov’s UAZ in Grozny in 1995, the explosion of the vehicle of the commander of the internal troops might not have happened, said Balybin.
The basis of the radio-electronic protection of tactical formations of the Russian Army is the Borisoglebsk-2 complex. It includes an automated control center and four types of jamming stations - in a single algorithm they find sources of enemy activity on the air and jam them.
The “Resident” device finds and blocks satellite and cell phones, subscriber GPS navigation systems. It proved its effectiveness during the conflict in South Ossetia, disorienting Georgian drones. In Chechnya, the head of the electronic warfare department of the Voronezh Air Force Academy, Vladimir Khrolikov, fought with terrorists:
We had tracking stations throughout the territory. As soon as there was activity on the air, we made a note and passed it on to the gunners. Dzhokhar Dudayev, as you know, was destroyed by a missile aimed at the signal of his satellite phone. In Grozny, electronic warfare specialists neutralized radio-controlled landmines rolled into asphalt.
The re-equipment of Russia's strategic nuclear forces with the latest electronic warfare systems is proceeding at an accelerated pace, said Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Rogozin. If the army and navy as a whole will be re-equipped by 70 percent by 2020, then the electronic warfare capabilities of the strategic potential will be updated by 100 percent.
Electronic warfare is what allows our smart weapons to operate and other people's smart weapons to fall asleep. And that’s right,” the Deputy Prime Minister noted.
After the incident near the Kerch Strait with Ukrainian armored boats, statements have been repeatedly heard from Washington that the US Navy fleet could be sent to the Black Sea to the Kerch Strait and even the Crimean Bridge as a show of force. Is this possible and how will Russia respond to such a demonstration?
First, let's look at which fleet can send the United States to the Black Sea.
What ships can the US send to the Black Sea?
Aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines cannot enter the Black Sea in any case - this is contrary to the rules of the Montreux Doctrine. Theoretically, cruiser, destroyer and frigate class ships can be sent to the Black Sea. But there is one significant “but” here.
The fact is that, according to the same Montreux Doctrine, the total tonnage of warships of non-Black Sea countries in the Black Sea should not exceed 30 thousand tons.
That is, it can simultaneously be 3 Ticonderoga-class cruisers (displacement 9.3 thousand tons each) or 3 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers (displacement 8.5 thousand tons). Or 7 frigates “Oliver Hazzard Peri” (displacement 4.2 thousand tons).
A combination option is also possible - for example, several frigates, a cruiser and/or a destroyer.
Launch of a Tomahawk cruise missile from a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiserSuch a fleet could well be considered large. Especially when you consider that Russia does not have a single cruiser in the Black Sea (the only “Moskva” has gone for modernization). Russia does not even have a single destroyer class ship. And there are only 4 small frigate-class missile ships (they often go on patrol in the Mediterranean Sea to the shores of Syria).
How dangerous is such a fleet?
US Navy cruisers and destroyers are equipped with Aegis systems. Also, all of them are armed with Tomahawk-type cruise missiles, with over a hundred such missiles on board a cruiser, and from 8 to fifty on board a destroyer. And frigates carry various missile weapons of other classes.
This is a serious threat. Including a threat to the security of the Crimean Bridge if the purpose of the demonstration of force is this strategic object.
How can Russia respond to the threat of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Crimea?
By owning Crimea, Russia, in fact, militarily “owns” the Black Sea. All ships of other countries can only “squeeze closer” to the eastern Georgian, southern Turkish or western shores belonging to Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine.
Crimea and especially Sevastopol and the South Coast are, in fact, a huge unsinkable aircraft carrier almost exactly in the middle of the Black Sea, from which the straits are controlled and all directions are covered. Moreover, mine launchers for anti-ship missiles in Russia are under reliable protection of rocks, while self-propelled launchers for anti-ship missiles easily change their location and are also difficult to vulnerable.
So, as the US Navy sailors themselves wrote, they develop an uncomfortable feeling of anxiety even while passing through the Bosporus Strait. Because they are taken under control (that is, “targeted”) by the radars of the anti-ship missile launchers of the coastal defense of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Crimea.
Every foot that any NATO ships travel is tracked by our systems from the moment they enter the Black Sea.
Underground Coastal RK “Cliff” – location and rangeOur “Utes” anti-ship missile complex, “hidden” in a Sevastopol rock bunker, with “3M44 Progress” missiles with a range of 460 km is capable of destroying any warship with one shot.
The missiles of the Bal and Bastion complexes, depending on the class, operate at a distance of several hundred kilometers. They can work against ground targets and as anti-landing defense.
DBK "Utes" on combat duty near Sevastopol Complex "Bastion" during exercises in CrimeaIn addition, everyone remembers how in April 2014, our front-line bomber with an electronic warfare system on board completely took out all the electronics of the American destroyer Donald Cook, which entered the Black Sea to “flex its muscles.” This blinded and immobilized the ship, turning it into a barge - or, more simply, into an uncontrollable light surface target. This “experiment” can be easily repeated if necessary, but only with newer electronic warfare systems.
Also, do not forget about the capabilities of the Black Sea Fleet itself. It has submarines of the “Varshavyanka” type, the noise level of which is lower than the noise level of rough seas. They are so invisible that NATO has given them the nickname “black holes.”
In addition, the Black Sea Fleet has small ships (corvette class) with Caliber missiles, which are also “not a gift”, judging by their combat use in the operation in Syria.
conclusions
Some liberal and Ukrainian commentators on social networks are still waiting and believing that aircraft carriers and formidable cruisers of the US Navy will come to the aid of Ukraine in the Black Sea and even in the Azov Sea and in the Kerch Strait near the Crimean Bridge.
Published 03/05/14 08:02The United States sent the aircraft carrier George W. Bush, 17 ships and 3 submarines to the Black Sea, the press claims.
Has the aircraft carrier George W. Bush entered the Black Sea?
The American side sent its aircraft carrier George H. W. Bush towards the Black Sea. The overseas government explained these actions. It is known that the ship has already entered the Greek port of Piraeus.
“In response to the Russian invasion, the United States sent a strike group on an aircraft carrier towards the Black Sea to be able to respond to developments on the Crimean Peninsula in Ukraine,” according to the Turner Radio Network RSS Feed website.
The aircraft carrier George W. Bush is accompanied by 17 others intkbbach ships and three submarines that passed through the Aegean Sea on March 3. It is reported that the aircraft carrier "George Bush" will be in the Black Sea on March 7.
According to some reports, there are 90 pieces of military equipment on board the aircraft carrier, including airplanes, helicopters and F-22 Raptors. In turn, each submarine has 24 missile silos for launching nuclear warheads.
Please note that this site, Turner Radio Network RSS Feed, can hardly be called a trustworthy information resource. Thus, among other news, the site posted a video dated March 4, 2014, where supposedly Russian troops have already invaded Ukraine and are fighting with all their might against the Ukrainian self-defense forces.
American fleet in the Black Sea: the aircraft carrier George W. Bush will not be able to pass
However, according to a source at the Russian Navy General Staff, the US aircraft carrier George W. Bush will not be able to pass through the Black Sea straits.
“Ships of this class, belonging to non-Black Sea states, according to the Montreux Convention, do not have the right of passage through the Black Sea straits,” Interfax quotes the words of a Navy representative. Thus, this statement refutes information that the aircraft carrier George W. Bush will be able to proceed to the Black Sea.
According to a representative of the department, “so far there is one violator of the Montreux Convention - the US Navy frigate Taylor, which was stuck in the Turkish port of Samsun due to a propeller failure.” The ship was supposed to leave the Black Sea on February 26, but this did not happen.
Aircraft carrier "George Bush": characteristics
The American aircraft carrier George W. Bush is a Nimitz-class vessel that has a significant number of improvements compared to the 9 previous ships of this project.
The aircraft carrier George W. Bush is named after the 41st President of the United States, who is the father of George W. Bush.
The ship was laid down on September 6, 2003, launched on October 9, 2006, and included in the fleet on January 10, 2009.
The aircraft carrier George W. Bush has the following innovations and improvements:
The ship's "island" has been reduced in size, and its windows are equipped with armored glass, new radars and communications installations.
Gas traps on deck have been updated. In the aviation fuel storage and distribution system, it was possible to achieve a level of semi-automatic control of the refueling process. The latrine flushing system now has a vacuum system. Also, the aircraft carrier George W. Bush has upgraded its electronics and communications systems.
