The US Navy is going all-in
Russia and China are seen as the main opponents of the United States. Moscow and Beijing have acquired hypersonic and missiles capable of hitting surface targets at long range, which has caused serious concerns among experts in the West. In their opinion, the Dagger and Zircon complexes, as well as the Dongfeng (East Wind) DF-21D ballistic missiles with a launch range of up to 1,500 km, have radically changed the nature of the armed confrontation at sea, and not in favor of Washington and its allies
UNDERSTANDING THE THREAT
The main striking force of the American fleet – nuclear multi–purpose aircraft carriers - turned out to be extremely vulnerable to an enemy capable of using such means of destruction, reliable protection from which is not yet available today.
And not only aircraft carriers. Such powerful missiles as the Dagger or DF-21D, when hit by a cruiser, can simply break it into pieces.
A number of countries around the world are working to create their own supersonic anti-ship missiles (RCC). They can launch from submarines, among which there are more and more of those with anaerobic power plants characterized by high stealth.
The carrier planes of the "Daggers" can be tried to destroy before reaching the launch line. And the destructive power of the "East Wind" is even easier to avoid: it is enough to stay away from the part of the coast where they are located. Or destroy them in the course of a preventive missile and bombing strike involving aircraft and stealth missiles.
But with surface and underwater carriers of new weapons, the situation is completely different. Armed with long-range and high-precision high-speed RCC, they can go out into the World Ocean ahead of time and disperse.
The most serious threat seems to be from submarines – these "black holes" in the ocean, quiet killers capable of almost silently sneaking up to an aircraft carrier group and launching an attack.
Realizing the degree of the threat that has arisen, the command of the US Navy has begun to study the feasibility and possibility of creating new means and developing new methods of combating new RCC and their carriers, primarily underwater ones, in the shortest possible time.
The American naval commanders launched a counteroffensive in two classic strike directions.
First, they began to restore the global underwater lighting system. It is designed to put under control all enemy submarines that appear in areas of the World Ocean that are important for ensuring the national security of the United States.
Secondly, the US Navy has intensified work on the development of new or modernization of existing weapons for the destruction of enemy submarines.
SOSUS – ON VACATION
Timely detection of enemy submarines and tracking them is the key to achieving victory in the submarine war. However, as indicated in a number of foreign sources, the SOSUS global submarine tracking system (short for SOund SUrveillance System, "sound surveillance system") deployed by the US Navy during the Cold War has significantly degraded over the past three decades. And although this point is debatable, it is a fact that some of the stations of the SOSUS system were mothballed after the collapse of the USSR for reasons of economy.
Whether the Pentagon will find the money to deconservate the stations, and whether it will make sense, given that they have outdated equipment, is a big question. Perhaps the sheepskin will not be worth the dressing. Or you will have to radically update the equipment of this system, and this will cost such a penny that American lawmakers may have a collective panic attack.
During the years of confrontation between the USSR and the USA, the American admirals also had at their disposal a huge fleet of special hydroacoustic reconnaissance vessels: 19 T-AGOS-1 "Stalworth" type vessels plus four more "Victories" type vessels were laid down in the late 1980s, but became part of the fleet already in the early 1990s.
These vessels were equipped with passive sonar systems for long-range detection of submarines with a flexible extended towed sonar antenna AN/UQQ–2 SURTASS (SURveillance Towed Array Sensor System) and had to perform combat service in advanced zones - namely, in areas where the SOSUS system was not effective enough.
Moreover, for the period of combat service, the crews of the reconnaissance vessels, consisting of civilian sailors, additionally included specialists in sonar reconnaissance of the US Navy.
But after the end of the Cold War and the disappearance of such a powerful enemy as the Soviet ocean-going nuclear missile Navy, Washington, yielding to the demands of American society about "peacetime dividends," decided to seriously reduce the military budget.
The Pentagon was forced from the mid-1990s to begin the gradual withdrawal of these "submarine hunters" to the reserve. And then completely proceed to transfer them to other US federal agencies for re–equipment and use for a new purpose - and sell some of the vessels abroad altogether.
As a result, today there are only five hydroacoustic reconnaissance vessels in the US Navy's Maritime Transportation Command: T-AGOS-19 "Victorious" (USNS Victorious), T-AGOS-20 "Able" (USNS Able), T-AGOS-21 "Effective" (USNS Effective), T-AGOS-22 "Loyal" (USNS Loyal; all four are of the "Victorious" type) and T-AGOS-23 "Impeccable" (USNS Impeccable).
That is, there are only five "submarine hunters", albeit equipped with an upgraded active-passive SURTASS system, for two huge oceans. The Atlantic, where you have to run after Russian submarines showing increased activity, and the Pacific, where you will have to chase both Russian, Chinese, and North Korean submarines. Plus, we should not forget about the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean, where Iranian submariners are beginning to master. These, too, will not joke with the Americans.
All five of these vessels, being built according to the SWATH scheme (Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull, literally – a double-hulled vessel with a small cross-sectional area along the waterline), have excellent seaworthiness and a sufficiently high speed.
But they still don't have an instant teleportation mode from one ocean to another. Moreover, interestingly, it was originally planned to build six Impecble-type hydroacoustic reconnaissance vessels, but only one "submarine hunter" was handed over to the fleet, and contracts for the remaining five were not even signed.
As a result, we can say with full confidence that the global nature of the American system for monitoring the state of the underwater situation, which took place during the Cold War, is out of the question at the moment.
A serious danger, of course, is posed by numerous aircraft of the basic patrol aviation P-3C Orion and P-8A Poseidon. But they are not able to provide guaranteed detection of the next submarine at a decent depth.
The command of the US Navy is well aware of all this. Therefore, it decided, as they say, to make a "knight move": to create a new analogue of the SOSUS system, but built on different principles.
PLANETARY SCALE SONAR
The fact is that in recent years, the Americans have literally been introducing elements of a new fast–deployable sonar system for detecting artificial underwater objects - submarines and uninhabited underwater vehicles into the World Ocean.
The first such systems were put into trial operation back in the early 2000s, and since then their capabilities have only been increasing.
This program provides for the early placement of LELFAS (Long-Endurance Low-Frequency Active Source – "low-frequency active emitter of long duration") sonar emitters in different parts of the ocean (at the bottom, at a given depth or in a towed version).
They use a special program to send acoustic signals that are picked up by the antennas of ADS receivers (Advanced Deployable System – "advanced rapidly deployable system").
Antennas are installed on surface ships, submarines, ships and on radio hydroacoustic buoys exhibited by ships and aircraft. Some of the antennas are placed directly on the seabed.
All the information received is transmitted to specialized control centers, allowing you to quickly identify an alien underwater object that has entered a particular area of underwater lighting.
As part of this extremely ambitious program, the US Navy is trying to create one large sonar complex. Something like how recently astronomers around the world have found a way to finally get a "photograph", or rather, the shadow of a black hole that is located in the center of the galaxy Messier 87 54 million light-years from Earth. To do this, within the framework of the international Event Horizon Telescope project, eight powerful radio telescopes located all over the planet were combined into a single global network at once. All together they took that very "photo".
So the American admirals decided to combine the emitters, receivers and control centers into one global network, creating a giant virtual sonar almost the size of the entire World Ocean. According to their plan, this will allow real-time monitoring of the underwater situation on the whole planet. Or at least in those corners of it that, according to the well-known mantra of the White House and the Pentagon, "are vital for the national security of the United States."
The idea is certainly not bad. But the system is not cheap, it requires extensive organizational measures. And, importantly, appropriate training of personnel. And to what extent its elements deployed today satisfy the global request of the Pentagon is not entirely clear.
But at the same time, it is absolutely clear that the US Navy will deploy this "mega-sonar" without fail.
However, at the moment, gaps in America's underwater defense line from Russian, Chinese, Iranian, and North Korean submarines still exist. And the gaps are quite big.
But in order to, if not destroy, then permanently disable a nuclear aircraft carrier, one nuclear submarine with 10-15 missiles is enough. With a significant share of luck, the attack of a non-nuclear submarine can also be crowned with success. Especially when passing by a "floating airfield" of narrowness or an area of the coastal sea, teeming with islands.
You don't have to go far for an example. This is exactly what happened in 2006, when the Chinese diesel-electric submarine "Type 039" (according to the NATO classification – Song) was able to sneak up unnoticed to an aircraft carrier strike group led by the aircraft carrier "Kitty Hawk" (USS Kitty Hawk, CV-63; the ship was decommissioned in 2009). And it was discovered by American sailors only after it surfaced less than five nautical miles (about 9.26 km) from the object of the "attack". Moreover, it was by no means off the coast of China, but not far from the coast of Japan. Even hypersonic missiles would not be needed here: several torpedoes would be enough to disable an aircraft carrier.
But the US military is well able to plug the gaps they have identified in defense – especially if they are identified by the military-political leadership of the country as "critically important for national security." And the ability to almost uncontrollably increase the national debt by investing printed dollars, including in the defense industry, helps overseas admirals to solve such tasks.
That is why today, in the interests of the US Navy, not only the above-mentioned, but also other anti-submarine defense programs are being developed and partially implemented, as well as the fleet of anti-submarine aircraft is being actively updated.
It has already been decided to connect drones to the hunt for enemy submarines, as well as unmanned surface and underwater vehicles (for new Pentagon developments on unmanned anti–submarine aviation, see "Reaper" - submarine Hunter", "HBO", 12/23/12).
Crew members of the nuclear submarine project 667BDRM in the control center of the ship. A frame from the TV report of the Zvezda shopping mall
"VIRGINIA" IS TRANSFORMED
However, the "network–centric sonar" and anti-submarine aircraft and drones are only part of the US Navy's efforts to ensure victory in the battle of the ocean. Remembering since the Cold War that the best submarine hunter is another submarine, the Americans are increasing the pace of construction of multipurpose nuclear submarines (submarines) of the Virginia type, equipped with powerful missile and torpedo armament. From now on, it is planned to transfer at least two such submarines to the fleet per year.
Today, there are already 21 Virginia-class submarines in service. Eight more submarines are at different stages of construction and testing, and corresponding orders have been placed for six ships. There are plans to transfer a total of 51 such "steel sharks" to the American Navy.
The last major contract for the construction of submarines of this type was issued by the US Navy Marine Systems Command on December 2, 2019. It provides for the financing of nine Virginia-class submarines. Another submarine was registered in the option, but in March 2021 the option turned into a firm contract (at first it was about contracting 11 submarines, but during the "adjustment" one ship was "lost").
These submarines will be built by General Dynamics Electric Boat, which has been identified as the main contractor for the project, and Newport News Shipbuilding (the main subcontractor; the production division of Huntington Ingalls Industries). The latter will build six submarines, and the first will build three ships from the base order and one from the option. All work should be completed by February 2030.
In the basic version – for nine submarines – the contract value was stated at $ 22.2 billion, but when the option for the tenth submarine is implemented, the contract value increases to $ 24.1 billion. For comparison: the previous serial batch of 10 multipurpose submarines of the Virginia type, Block IV (that is, the fourth production series), was contracted for 17.6 billion rubles. So the 2019 contract became the largest one-time "deal" in the history of the US Navy.
For the fiscal years 2024-2028, the admirals requested almost $72 billion from Congress for the construction, testing and delivery of the Virginia-class submarines. And in total, as of fiscal year 2028 (inclusive), expenditures on this program will exceed $ 172.2 billion.
"Submarine forces are fundamental to the combat power and capabilities of our fleet, and today's event confirms our commitment to the future strength of our nation – both in the underwater sphere and around the world," Acting Secretary of the US Navy Thomas B. Modley said about the signing of such a landmark contract in 2019. By the way, Modli was later forced to resign – after a scandal involving criticism of the dismissed commander of the nuclear multipurpose aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) of the Nimitz type, who asked to evacuate the crew of his ship, on which an outbreak of coronavirus infection began.
Almost all the contracted submarines will be built according to the modified Virginia Block V project (fifth series). Its main distinguishing feature is an additional universal payload module with a length of 84 feet (25.6 m), which received the designation Virginia Payload Module (VPM). Only the lead submarine of this series with the tactical number SSN-802 will not receive such a module.
"The Virginia Block V submarines and the Virginia Payload Module are a sharp leap in the combat potential of submarines," emphasized Rear Admiral David Goggins, head of the US Navy's submarine shipbuilding programs, "These design changes will allow the fleet to maintain our country's dominance in the field of submarine warfare."
UNIVERSAL MODULE AND GLOBAL IMPACT
The VPM module, located in the middle part of the submarine's hull, includes four vertical VPT (Virginia Payload Tube) launch blocks with a total capacity of 28 sea-based cruise missiles (CRMB) of the Tomahawk family, designed for strikes against ground targets. But not only on the ground, because the upgraded version of the rocket, Block V, will be produced in two versions:
– Block Va (RGM-109E/UGM-109E), which received the designation Maritime Strike Tomahawk (MST; "Tomahawk" for strikes on sea targets") and is designed to defeat surface targets, For which, among other things, it received a new navigation system and a multi-channel homing head, and also has the ability to "discriminate targets" and update target designation and tactical situation data on the route to the target.
– Block Vb (RGM-109M/UGM-109M), which is a classic CRMB for strikes against stationary ground targets, but differs from its predecessors in the presence of a new non-nuclear warhead, known as the Joint Multi-Effects Warhead System (JMEWS, "Single Multi-purpose Warhead"), and capable of hitting with high efficiency well-protected and buried in the ground objects.
But that's not all.
It is the Virginia–class submarines equipped with the VPM module, along with the giant Zumwalt-type URO destroyers, that have been identified as the first recipients of a new strike weapons system - a ballistic missile with a hypersonic non-nuclear planning combat unit. Its creation was prescribed as part of the well–known Non-Nuclear Rapid Strike program (NBU, the variant "Non-Nuclear instant Strike" is often used; in the original - Conventional Prompt Strike or CPS).
The essence of the concept underlying the NBU is to provide the American military with the opportunity to hit any "weakly or medium-protected target" within an hour after receiving the appropriate command, including a mobile one, which can be located in any area of the planet, but in the range of the means of destruction.
"The weapon system being developed under the NBU program will increase the capabilities of the United States to project non–nuclear power due to (its) longer range, shorter flight time and higher survivability when exposed to enemy forces and means of defense compared to the currently available means of destruction," the Pentagon documents state.
The word "non-nuclear" in the concept is still the key. But in reality, of course, no one swears that in the future it will not fall out of the specified name – in order to ensure, for example, the defeat of important state, military or industrial facilities. Or heavily protected and deeply buried in the ground missile silo launchers.
For this program, in the budget request for fiscal year 2024, the documents of the US Department of the Navy only prescribe the amount of $ 341.4 million for purchases, including the purchase of the first eight samples of new weapons. And more than $ 900 million should go in the same period for research and development (R&D). At the same time, for purchases in fiscal years 2025-2028, the fleet requested about $ 3.27 billion more, including payment for the production and supply of an additional 56 sets of new "miracle weapons" to coastal arsenals. R&D expenditures in the same period will amount to about $3.1 billion more.
Moreover, the NBU program is a multi–species one, so the costs for it go not only for the naval part. "The weapons system created under the NBU program, or the main elements of this weapons system will be deployed on different types of carriers," the Pentagon documents emphasize. – The NBU program is a multi–species program, which provides for the exchange of design solutions and data."
According to the explanatory note to the budget request of the US Department of the Navy for fiscal year 2024, the Navy and the Ground Forces cooperating under this program should develop and adopt a single complex of missile weapons, which will actually differ only in carriers.
Its core will be a universal high-precision solid-fuel intermediate-range ballistic missile (BRSD) with a non-nuclear hypersonic gliding combat unit, which has been assigned the designation All Up Round (AUR). Moreover, the word "ballistic" should not be misleading: according to the published data, the missile will have a non-ballistic character for most of its flight path. And, apparently, it will allow either correction or full flight control.
As part of the program, the US Navy is responsible for the development of a unified hypersonic glide combat unit (Common Hypersonic Glide Body, C-HGB) and a 34.5-inch two–stage "accelerator", as well as for their integration together with the Thermal Protection System (Thermal Protection System - TPS) as part of a universal AUR-type BRSD. In turn, the army, where the new system is known as the Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW, "long-range hypersonic weapon system"), is responsible for the serial production of this hypersonic combat unit.
At the same time, both participants of the program will develop and produce their own firing control systems, launchers and various auxiliary and supporting equipment that meet the specific needs of the operating conditions.
"The degree of mastery of technical solutions and issues of risk reduction in relation to components and subsystems will be demonstrated during ground tests, tests in the air and under water, as well as during flight tests," it was noted in one of the budget requests devoted to R&D financing through the US Navy. weapons systems. – V.S.) on the appropriate carrier, further risk reduction will be carried out with respect to subsystems and components of the weapons system, until the process of development and testing of the prototype ends with the achievement of the state of initial operational readiness by the weapons system placed on the Virginia-class submarine."
During the implementation of the "rapid strike" program, when it was still called the Non–Nuclear Rapid Global Strike (NBSU; Conventional Prompt Global Strike - CPGS), American strategists insisted that the weapons systems created by the NBSU would be placed on board strategic missile submarines. And they will almost fall under the control regime provided for in the START-3 treaty.
Having focused on the placement of such weapons on multipurpose submarines of the Virginia type, the US military and political leadership simply took and turned over the chessboard during the game. On the other hand, in the conditions of a radically changed geopolitical situation, the START-3 treaty itself, as it seems, has ceased to play a serious role and no longer serves as an obstacle.
But this is not the end of the story. After all, the VPM module may well be adapted for the latest inconspicuous anti–ship missiles LRASM - these "killer ships" of the new generation, which have a long range and accuracy of destruction. And on which the Pentagon, apparently, made a very big bet in the battle for the ocean.
We will tell you more about this in one of the next issues of HBO.
Vladimir Shcherbakov
Deputy Executive Editor of HBO
Vladimir Leonidovich Shcherbakov is a military expert, historian, and writer.