China shows an example of increasing the power of Russian destroyers
The first month of the special military operation passed with limited use of the Navy. The main contribution of sailors to the demilitarization of Ukraine so far goes along the line of hitting important military infrastructure facilities with launches of high-precision missiles of the 3M14 "Caliber" family from surface ships and submarines. Strikes on ground targets are also carried out by multi-purpose Su-30SM fighters of naval aviation and Bastion coastal missile systems. The flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, the missile cruiser "Moscow" and its escort participated in the demilitarization of the garrison of the island of Zmeiny. Everything went quickly and efficiently here: all Ukrainian border guards voluntarily laid down their weapons, saving their lives.
Russian ships were approaching the port of Odessa, demonstrating their presence. Thus, they forced the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to maintain large garrisons in coastal cities in readiness to repel the sudden landing of the amphibious assault. In a word, the sailors diverted the enemy's attention to themselves, which helped the tankers and motorized skirmishers advancing from the Crimea in the directions of Kherson, Energodar and Melitopol. Together with them, marine detachments marched in responsible directions. The Berdyansk port, liberated from the nationalists, was used to unload armored vehicles from landing ships and deliver supplies to the group fighting for Mariupol. At the end of March, reports came about the suppression by ship fire of a number of enemy targets near the coastline in the Odessa and Mykolaiv regions.
Not in full force
During the first four weeks of the special operation, the Russian command did not fully use the fire and amphibious capabilities of the fleet. Meanwhile, cruisers and destroyers of the Black Sea Fleet were actively involved in the shelling from the sea of the troops of Nazi Germany and its satellites, which made a significant contribution to their defeat during the Great Patriotic War. Why are ships of these classes not involved in this way today during a special military operation for demilitarization and denazification?
There is no answer to this question yet. Perhaps this is due to the absence in the composition of the grouping of ships of Project 956 "Buzzard" assembled in the Black Sea – the only type of destroyer squadron that has been preserved in our fleet. He is known for the enormous power of barrel artillery, represented by a pair of highly automated two AK-130 gun turrets. In total, four barrels of 130 mm caliber are capable of bringing down up to 6 tons of shells on the enemy in a minute.
The only AK-130 installation in the Black Sea Fleet is on the flagship "Moscow", but it is hardly reasonable to use the 11,500-ton cruiser as an artillery support ship for the amphibious assault. Smaller ships carry 76- and 100-mm guns, which have good characteristics, but are significantly inferior in firepower to cruisers and destroyers with 130-mm guns of the main caliber.
The Project 956 Sarych destroyer was developed by the Northern Design Bureau (SPKB) in St. Petersburg. According to the drawings of this enterprise, more than 550 ships with a total displacement of more than 1.5 million tons have been built since 1946 . At the same time, all the ships of Project 956 were built on the same site – the Leningrad plant named after A.A. Zhdanov, currently – JSC Severnaya Verf.
In the period from 1980 to 1993, the industry transferred 17 destroyers to the domestic fleet, in subsequent years – none. Most of the ships of Project 956 have already been cut into metal, several more are waiting for their turn. The Restless became a museum ship. On the Pacific Ocean, the "Stormy" (under repair at the "Dalzavod" in Vladivostok) and the "Fast" have been preserved, but they have not been at sea for a long time. The flagship of the Baltic Fleet "Persistent" is located at the 33rd ship repair plant (O. Kotlin), and Admiral Ushakov is being repaired at Zvezdochka (Severodvinsk).
It turns out that our fleet has no combat-ready destroyers. On this topic, the ships of project 956 could be closed. But China does not give – the only country in the world where they were supplied through military-technical cooperation.
The destroyers of the 956E/EM projects represent the most powerful domestic rocket and artillery ships ever sold abroad. Today, the PLA Navy is the only foreign operator of Russian guided missile destroyers.
Back at sea
Russia and China concluded a deal on two destroyers of the 956E project at the end of the last century. The construction was carried out using the production reserve. "Hangzhou" entered service in 1999, "Fuzhou" – in 2000. They differed from their "sister ships" except for export versions of missiles and electronic equipment. This was followed by the second batch, built according to the improved 956EM project: Taizhou in 2005 and Ningbo in 2006.
At the time of delivery, they represented the strongest ocean-class surface ships of the PLA Navy. The destroyers went to sea a lot and were pretty worn out. The Naval command decided to carry out their repair in factory conditions and at the same time to rearm.
According to the Shanghai website eastday.com, to date, both destroyers of the original 956E project have undergone a comprehensive modernization, and soon a pair of EM of the 956EM project will undergo similar work.
The publication reports that the Hangzhou was the first to be repaired. The ship with the tactical number 136 left the plant at the end of 2019, and in March of this year took part in naval exercises of the PLA Navy. By that time, the work was completed at Fuzhou. In an updated form, the destroyer (onboard 137) was also involved in the March maneuvers of the fleet forces.
Both ships are subordinate to the Command of the Eastern Theater of Operations, which issued a corresponding press release. And central television showed a report from the maneuvers, paying special attention to Fuzhou. The video footage shows that the appearance of the ship has undergone significant changes.
Missile Weapon Upgrade
According to Chinese experts, the ship has acquired a much stronger weapon, is better adapted to the combat control system of the PLA Navy. They note that during the modernization, Fuzhou received the latest HHQ-16 anti-aircraft system with a vertical launcher for 32 missile cells. It replaced the single-girder launcher of the Russian air defense system "Calm" (the export version of the "Hurricane"), which is guided in two planes.
The HHQ-16 is classified as an anti-aircraft missile system designed to destroy air targets at short and medium range. It is capable of protecting the ship from a massive enemy air strike using missiles, aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles. The complex can hit both aerodynamic and ballistic targets.
According to its characteristics, the HHQ-16 is close to the Russian "Calm-1", in fact being its full analogue. If the "Hurricane" can simultaneously aim missiles at four to six targets, then the "Calm-1" with its multi-channel system – up to 12. This allows the destroyer to repel a coordinated attack simultaneously from several directions. Due to a more rational layout of ammunition storage sites, the number of missiles (9M317M or similar) stored on the ship has increased.
Instead of the Russian anti-ship missiles P-270 of the Mosquito complex, the ship received eight YJ-12. They are also supersonic, but locally developed and manufactured.
Thus, the destroyer is now completely re-equipped with Chinese missiles (there are no Russian missiles left on it). Expert Wei Dongxu from Beijing drew attention to this circumstance. In his opinion, expressed in an interview with the Global Times newspaper, HHQ-16 and YJ-12 have great firepower. It turns the Project 956 EM into a much more valuable combat unit both in terms of shock and defensive capabilities.
In addition to new weapons, Fuzhou received updated electronic systems during the modernization. Journalists eastday.com we made such a conclusion based on the composition and shapes of the ship's radio antennas. Their appearance indicates that Fuzhou now has the latest radar, electronic warfare, secure communications and combat control systems, and can better coordinate its actions with the crews of other PLA Navy ships.
Monotonous work
At the turn of the century, the Hangzhou and Fuzhou represented the largest and most powerful warships of the PLA Navy. The Type 52C/D EMS built in parallel with them in China were smaller in displacement (6200 versus 8000) and carried less powerful weapons.
In the two decades since then, the destroyers of the 956E project have lost the palm. In terms of displacement, they are inferior to aircraft carriers, amphibious helicopter carriers and universal dock ships, in terms of the power of missile weapons - type 055 cruisers (built since 2014, in service since 2020).
The fleet command came to the conclusion that it was necessary to repair and re-equip destroyers of Russian origin. It started in 2014 and lasted for eight years.
The main task set for the local industry was to extend the stay of the Project 956E destroyers in the PLA Navy for another one and a half to two decades. To do this, individual ship systems are replaced with Chinese ones. Part of the electronic equipment is now made according to the model that has been tested on type 052D destroyers developed by Chinese specialists with the assistance of Russian ones.
Perhaps the most important change in terms of armament was the re-equipment of ships with vertical launchers. This direction of modernization of ships of the "Buzzard" type coincides with the project 956U, proposed earlier by the developer of the ship JSC "Northern Design Bureaus".
According to one of the options worked out by the engineers of the SPKB, the destroyer received universal 3S-14 vertical launchers for Kalibr and Onyx missiles. The drawings were made in such a way that new ships would be built according to the 956U project and those already in service would be finalized. However, these plans failed to materialize due to underfunding of the Armed Forces at the turn of the century.
Developing this direction, SPKB proposed project 21956. It was presented as a scale model at the 2007 International Naval Salon in St. Petersburg. Conceived as a further development of the Buzzard, Project 21956 was distinguished by an elongated hull, from 145 m to 163 m (along the waterline). As a result, the total displacement increased to 9 thousand tons. Armament – long-range missile systems "Caliber" and S-300F "Fort". Another major difference was to be the transition from steam boilers to a gas turbine power plant.
The ships of Project 956 are not designed for anti-submarine operations, but they can stand up for themselves in a dueling situation with a submarine. Photos from the website www.81.cn
Boiler turbine problem
The ships of project 956 were designed for the use of KVG-2 boiler units, consisting of a boiler and turbocharging equipment that pumps air into the furnaces to increase efficiency. Fuel – fuel oil. Due to the low cost, it promised significant savings in operation. The disadvantages of the "fuel oil system" include the formation of thick black smoke at elevated operating modes. This burns out the remnants of fuel formed during operation at idle and low speed. Having taken 1,740 tons of fuel oil into the internal tanks, the destroyer could travel 4 thousand nautical miles with an economic course of 18 knots. If necessary, it could reach a maximum speed of 32 knots.
Starting from the second half of the 1980s, more advanced KVG-3 units were installed on the next buildings, and their modified versions and an upgraded boiler water treatment system were installed on Hangzhou and Fuzhou. Taizhou and Ningbo received KVG-3D powered by diesel fuel. They differ in tubes made of other structural materials. The same units were later used on the Indian aircraft carrier Vikramaditya, accepted by the customer from the Sevmash software in 2013. The next step in the development of this direction was the KVG-4 boiler units manufactured for the flagship of the Russian fleet – the heavy aircraft carrier cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov. The replacement of boilers is included in the list of works performed by the industry during the repair of the ship, which has not yet been completed.
Turbocharged boilers require professional preparation of boiler water. Unfortunately, neglect of technology was common in the difficult 1990s. "The inept personnel, first of all conscript sailors, ruined the destroyers," the SPKB employees regret. Improper operation has led to poor technical condition of the boilers. Tubes burned, valves clogged, as a result, ships failed. That's how most of the ships of Project 956 lost their combat readiness. The problem is non–compliance with the instructions of the developer and manufacturer. It was necessary to carry out complex repairs, including the replacement of pipes on boilers.
Steam turbine power plant is a complex technical structure, requires an appropriate approach and culture of operation. First of all, good training and discipline of the personnel. This was stated in one of the conversations with journalists by the former General Director of the SPKB Vladimir Spiridopulo.
According to Vladimir Ilyich, the power plants of the ships exported are in excellent condition. First of all, thanks to the attitude of Chinese and Indian sailors to the equipment entrusted to them, the high discipline and training of the crews. They properly prepare boiler water for the boiler turbine power of the ship. Accordingly, there were no complaints about power plants from abroad.
A bundle in the work
The destroyers of Project 956 were developed by the SPKB simultaneously with the large anti-submarine ships of Project 1155. They were built on parallel lines and had to operate in pairs. The BOD was engaged in the fight against submarines, the destroyer – with surface ships.
At the same time, in a solo voyage, the ship was not completely defenseless from threats from under the water. On board there was a Platinum-S sonar and a Ka-27 anti-submarine helicopter. The destroyer could hit the submarine they found by firing 533-mm homing torpedoes or using a pair of launchers of unguided RBU-1000 missiles.
The preliminary design was approved in 1972, that is, half a century ago. The main building was laid in March 1976. A couple of years later, the "Modern" went on the water, two years later – went to the Baltic Sea for testing. NATO reference books gave the new type the designation "Sovremenny Class".
The Soviet Fleet adopted the "Modern" in the summer of 1982. It took another couple of years before the crew fully mastered the new technology, and the industry brought the onboard systems to the right condition.
The "Modern" was intended to replace the destroyers of Project 56, created on the basis of the experience of the Great Patriotic War and built until the end of the 1950s. They had in common the artillery of the main caliber, consisting of a pair of double-barreled turret installations of 130 mm caliber. However, the outdated SM-2–1 was inferior to the AK-130 in terms of rate of fire by more than six times!
According to the plan of the naval commanders, the destroyers of project 956 were supposed to ensure the landing of the amphibious assault. Resistance to the actions of the Marines was suppressed by the accurate fire of 130 mm guns. The guidance was carried out using an automated MR-184 system with a radar channel. The well-proven combination of AK-130 and MR-184 subsequently found application on the cruisers of projects 1144 and 1164, as well as the BOD of project 1155.1.
During the passage by sea and when landing on the shore, the EM of Project 956 protected the Marines from air strikes with the help of the Hurricane anti-aircraft complex. To do this, the ship had two launchers with a total ammunition of 48 9M17/9M38M1 type missiles.
If necessary, these missiles could also be used against radio-contrast sea targets of small and medium displacement. When large enemy ships appeared, heavy missiles of the Mosquito complex were launched. They were located four in each of the two onboard launchers. Adopted in 1984, the complex consisted of missiles weighing about 4 tons, accelerated to a speed three times faster than sound. The firing range is up to 120 km. Later, the improved Mosquito-M complex with the corresponding indicator of 170-200 km entered service.
Target detection
The detection of targets is carried out by mast radars of the "Frigate" family. When shooting at a long distance (outside the radio horizon), it is necessary to obtain the necessary data for aiming beforehand. To do this, it was possible to use the Ka-27 anti-submarine helicopter (or its export version Ka–28), or better yet, the Ka-31 radar patrol. For him, the destroyer had a so–called "telescopic hangar", in fact - a folding shelter. It was intended only for temporary storage of aircraft.
The hangar for permanent storage of the Ka-28/Ka-31 helicopter, along with increased fuel reserves and means of aviation destruction, appeared only on the final two ships of the series. They turned out to be "Taizhou" and "Ningbo", built by order of the PLA Navy. The AK630 short-range artillery systems have given way to the Kortik anti-aircraft missile and artillery complexes with 9M311 missiles. To free up space and avoid overloading, the aft artillery tower had to be removed. Despite this, the total displacement increased by 500 tons, to 8,500.
According to open sources, China paid $885 million to Russia for a pair of destroyers of the 956E project, and another $ 1.4 billion for two EM of the improved 956EM project.
Arriving at the duty station in 2000, the Hangzhou with a total displacement of 8000 tons became the largest warship of the PLA Navy. In terms of firepower, it was significantly superior to the recently (in 1998) commissioned destroyer of the Shenzhen Type 051B with a displacement of 6,100 tons.
The Taizhou and Ningbo delivered in 2005-2006 turned out to be even larger and more perfect. In addition to a full-fledged helicopter hangar, they were distinguished by more modern anti-aircraft systems, including a new version of the "Calm". By and large, it represents the naval version of the Ground Forces air defense system of the Buk line. During the development of the complex, its indicators have consistently improved. Thus, the maximum range of shooting at an aerial target has increased from 25 km to 70 km.
Modernization issues
The comparative operation of the Russian Navy of large displacement warships with various energy sources has shown that the simplest and most reliable in operation is a gas turbine installation. Therefore, the military department decided first of all to modernize the gas turbine BOD of project 1155.
A similar topic on project 956 was proposed by the industry, but did not find support. The final refusal of further operation of destroyers will upset the balance between the number of combat-ready BOD and EM. Meanwhile, according to the plan of the Soviet naval commanders, the ships of projects 1155 and 956 were to operate in pairs. They were designed by designers so that together they could solve the tasks of anti-submarine, anti-aircraft defense, destruction of enemy surface and coastal targets.
Having lost their combat capability, the destroyers of project 956 deprived the fleet of the opportunity to conduct a powerful artillery preparation before the amphibious landing. Having not received orders for the modernization of combat-ready destroyers and the construction of new ones according to the 21956 project, Russian science and industry engaged in the development of the next-generation Leader ship of the far sea zone. At first, the Krylovsky Center dealt with the topic. For the first time, a scale model of a next-generation destroyer was openly exhibited in 2015 at the International Naval Salon in St. Petersburg. It also talked about plans for the delivery of the lead ship in 2022. Unfortunately, its construction has not yet begun.
Meanwhile, the example of China shows that it is possible to modernize combatant ships with a good cost–efficiency ratio. In defense of this statement, we can cite "Hangzhou" and "Fuzhou", which completed repairs with modernization and again went to sea for the next maneuvers of the PLA Navy. They received a completely new missile weapon, retaining the 130-mm rapid-firing guns. Apparently, the Chinese admirals continue to rely on the artillery power of these ships during amphibious operations. Indeed, rapid-fire artillery will be useful to support an exciting marine infantry bridgehead, when destroying coastal targets, suppressing enemy artillery and other cases.
According to the site 's reports eastday.com Now Taizhou and Ningbo are in line for modernization. Experts express the opinion that they will receive new weapons systems, including long–range cruise missiles CJ10 - the Chinese equivalent of the American Tomahawk and the Russian "Caliber". If this information is correct, then in the course of modernization, these ships will gain tremendous strike power. Universal vertical launchers are suitable for storing and launching such missiles, according to the type of those that are placed on type 055 cruisers. In their cells, several types of missiles can be stored – anti-ship, anti-submarine and shock missiles for hitting ground targets.
Vladimir Karnozov
