Who will win the battle of these two ships? Let's assume that these two ships were in the open sea at the maximum range of the anti-ship weapons at their disposal. We are talking about a distance of 480 kilometers.
Kyle Mizokami
Due to the deteriorating relations between Russia and the West, the issue of confrontation between large surface ships has become relevant again. After more than 10 years of waging land wars in the Middle East and Central Asia, the US Navy has finally begun to invest again in the implementation of its main mission - in an arsenal that allows sinking enemy ships. The US Navy is expanding its arsenal and at the same time commissioning a new class of ships - the Zumwalt missile destroyers, whose main task is to provide support for ground operations.
Meanwhile, Moscow is still trying to decommission its Kirov-class cruisers. These giant ships, which are more than 30 years old, are equipped with slightly outdated, but generally effective weapons, and they are still able to perform their main task - to attack very large enemy ships, mainly aircraft carriers.
What happens if these two ships meet in a one-on-one battle.
The Zumwalt-class ship is the most modern destroyer of the United States Navy. Three ships of this class - Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, Michael Mansoor and Lyndon B. Johnson - were specially designed to provide naval artillery fire support. These ships are the first truly inconspicuous vessels of the US Navy, and their straightened, angular shapes make them invisible to enemy radars.
The Zumwalt-class ships have a displacement of 14 thousand tons, which makes them the largest destroyers of the US Navy. Their size and weight are for the most part a consequence of their low visibility, which requires that almost everything be hidden under an outer shell capable of deceiving radars. The 185-meter-long Zumwalt destroyer is believed to have a radar signature equivalent to a small fishing vessel and is capable of reaching speeds of 30 knots.
Another factor explaining its weight is a set of sensors and guns. The AN/SPY-3 multifunctional radar station provides a more efficient search compared to previous systems, and it is capable of targeting Standard SM-2 ship-to-air missiles. The Zumwalt-class destroyers are equipped with 80 vertical launch shafts for launching SM-2, modified Sea Sparrow guided missiles, ASROC anti-submarine missiles and Tomahawk guided missiles.
Although the Zumwalt destroyer may not be able to provide territorial air defense, it is quite capable of protecting itself. The US Navy has placed an order for 18 SM-2AUR missiles, most likely to equip the first ship of this class. In addition, it is also possible to install four modified shorter-range Sea Sparrow missiles in each launch tube, given that theoretically the maximum deployment is 320 modified Sea Sparrow missiles.
Given the gradual atrophy of the potential to combat surface targets and the focus on conducting land wars at the beginning of the 21st century, it is not surprising that the Zumwalt destroyer lacks anti-ship capabilities. These inconspicuous destroyers are not equipped with Harpoon missiles - these missiles do not fit into the launch shafts, and they can only be launched using special launchers that are usually deployed on the main deck.
Two 155-millimeter artillery launchers, with a range of up to 134 kilometers and a firing rate of 10 shells per minute, are a means of combating surface targets and can cause enormous damage to modern lightly armored surface ships.
The Russian Kirov-class cruiser, acting as a Zumwalt opponent, is a relic from another era. These ships, which were created in the late 1980s to quickly neutralize American aircraft carriers, are designed to conduct offensive operations. At the same time, they have a powerful air defense capability.
Kirov-class cruisers are the largest warships (not counting aircraft carriers) ever built in the post-war era. The length of each of them is 252 meters - this is almost the length of the battleships Bismarck and Iowa during World War II - but their weight is only 24 thousand tons. This is largely due to the fact that they are powered by nuclear energy, not boilers and turbines, as a result of which the maximum speed of Kirov-class ships reaches 32 knots.
Another reason is that the heavy guns on the Kirov ships (nine 16-inch guns of the battleship Iowa together weighed 1,075 tons, and this is not counting the weight of the turret, armor and ammunition) were replaced with missiles. To carry out the offensive function, Kirov is equipped with 20 giant anti-ship missiles P-700 Granit. Each such missile reaches a length of 10 meters and weighs more than 6800 kilograms, which, in fact, turns them into unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Granit has a range of 480 kilometers, develops a speed of Mach 2.5 and is equipped with a warhead weighing 750 kilograms. Initial guidance data can be transmitted from another platform, for example, from the Kirov itself, from the Kirov helicopter or from a patrol aircraft such as the Tu-95. This data can even be transmitted from the Legend marine space reconnaissance and targeting system.
Kirov cruisers also have an effective arsenal of defensive missiles that reliably protect the vessel. 96 S-300F long-range ship-to-air missiles provide an outer layer of air defense, 192 3K95 missiles and 40 4K33 missiles provide a layer inside it, and finally, these cruisers are equipped with six AK-630 short-range weapon systems.
If these two ships come together in a one-on-one battle, which one of them will win? Let's assume that these two vessels were in the open sea at a distance of the maximum range of the anti-ship weapons at their disposal, that is, at a distance of 480 kilometers, since this is the range of the Granit missiles of the Russian cruiser Kirov. Unlike previous scenarios, we will assume that neither ship initially knows the exact coordinates of the enemy, but that eventually one of them will discover the other. Kirov has the Legend marine space reconnaissance and targeting system at its disposal, but Legend is a satellite with an onboard radar, and Zumwalt is an inconspicuous destroyer with a radar signature equivalent to a small fishing vessel.
Both ships are actively searching for each other, and helicopters are helping them with this from the air. In such a situation, the American inconspicuous destroyer has an obvious advantage over the majestic, but not equipped with stealth technology, Russian cruiser. Zumwalt helicopters will be the first to detect Kirov and transmit its exact coordinates to their lead ship. Kirov will detect the helicopters, but will not be able to quickly determine the exact coordinates of the Zumwalt destroyer.
Theoretically, the low visibility of the American Zumwalt may allow it to approach the Kirov at a range of its guns. On the other hand, the Russian cruiser will want to stay as far away from the American as possible and strike from a long distance. Unfortunately for the Russian side, all Kirov systems - from satellite guidance to its Granit missile guidance devices - are controlled from radar. Kirov can launch its missiles in the direction where it thinks Zumwalt is located, and then the Granite missile homing systems will have to independently search for the American destroyer by its tiny signature on the radar.
If the Granit missiles manage to detect the Zumwalt, the American destroyer has air defense capabilities to deal with them. Since it is equipped with at least 18 SM-2 medium-range missiles and several dozen modified Sea Sparrow short-range missiles, the Zumwalt destroyer will probably be able to shoot down most of the Granite missiles.
Will Zumwalt be able to strike with his guns? It depends on the situation. A long-range projectile for hitting ground targets, with a maximum range of 134 kilometers and launched by an advanced artillery system, will fly to its target in 161.89 seconds. Even if Zumwalt knows the exact coordinates of the Kirov at the time of launch, these projectiles will fly too slowly to hit a moving cruiser. GPS navigation of this artillery system is also unlikely to help, unless the Kirov moves along a predictable trajectory at a constant speed. This may work for the first salvo, but as soon as the Kirov begins to move in a zigzag, it will become impossible to aim at it.
The result of this scenario is a draw. Neither ship will be able to accurately aim at the enemy. In the future, new weapons such as long-range anti-ship missiles will provide the Zumwalt with a noticeable advantage. In addition, 155-millimeter projectiles that can be aimed at a target from an unmanned vehicle will also be useful.
Neither Zumwalt, unable to get close enough to the enemy to strike at him with their guns, nor Kirov, unable to use their radar-guided weapons, will be able to defeat each other, and they will have to continue the fight another time.
