In recent years, whenever the Russian Navy has held large-scale military activities, it has always sent out cruiser formations. Among them, there are not only the small number of aircraft carriers and weak capabilities, but also the long-term love of cruisers. In fact, among the navies of the world today, only the United States and Russia have guided missile cruisers. Because the two countries have chosen different paths in the development of cruisers, it has a great impact on the future direction and combat capabilities of the two navies.
American and Russian cruisers differ greatly in their combat performance and missions due to their different strategic environments and operational requirements.
The missions are very different
After World War II, the United States developed eight levels of cruisers; the former Soviet Union also built seven levels of cruisers. Although both the United States and Russia regard cruisers as the focus of naval weapons development, they have different combat missions.
The U.S. Navy no longer emphasizes the cruiser’s independent combat capability in the open sea, and assigns the cruiser to the aircraft carrier formation, together with the destroyer, to provide cover for the aircraft carrier. In order to adapt to such tasks, the development of U.S. cruisers focuses on improving comprehensive combat capabilities. For example, the active “Ticonderoga”-class cruisers are equipped with the “Aegis” system and other advanced electronic and weapon systems, with air defense, anti-submarine, and anti-submarine systems. Comprehensive combat capabilities such as ship and shore attack.
The main combat mission set by the Russian Navy for the cruiser is: to provide cover for its own nuclear submarine to dive out of the ocean, and to implement anti-submarine operations against the enemy’s large nuclear submarine.
Each has its own strengths in technical performance
Due to the different combat missions, the U.S. and Russian cruisers have adopted different design concepts during the development process. Taking the U.S. Ticonderoga-class cruiser and the Russian Kirov-class cruiser as examples, it can be seen that the respective characteristics are more obvious. .
Judging from the hull platform, the American “Ticonderoga”-class cruiser is 172.8 meters long, 16.8 meters wide, with a full load displacement of 9407 tons to 9957 tons, and a battery life of 6000 nautical miles. The Russian Kirov-class cruiser is 252 meters long, 28.5 meters wide, has a full load displacement of about 24,300 tons, and a battery life of 14,000 nautical miles. The data shows that the “Kirov” class cruisers have the advantages of large tonnage, strong power, and long range.
From the perspective of anti-ship operations, the U.S. Ticonderoga-class cruisers are equipped with Harpoon anti-ship missiles and Harpoon extended-range anti-ship missiles, with a maximum range of 130 kilometers and a flying speed of Mach 0.9; Russia The Kirov-class cruiser is equipped with 20 ss-n-19 anti-ship missiles with a range of 550 kilometers and a speed of Mach 2.5. The above-mentioned data shows that the anti-ship missiles of the Kirov-class cruisers have a long range, fast firing speed, great power and obvious advantages.
From the point of view of anti-submarine warfare, the anti-submarine weapon system of the “Ticonderoga” class cruiser is the “Aslock” anti-submarine missile vertical launch system, two triple-mounted torpedo tubes, and two sh-60b straightLift; the anti-submarine weapon system of the “Kirov” class cruiser has 1 ss-n-15 anti-submarine missile launcher, 2 five-unit 533 mm torpedo launchers, 1 10-tube depth-water bomb launcher, and 1 12 Tube rocket type depth charge launcher, 3 “Ka-27” anti-submarine helicopters. Data show that the anti-submarine weapons of the “Kirov” class cruisers have advantages in quantity and firepower.
From the perspective of air combat, the “Ticonderoga”-class cruiser is equipped with the “Aegis” system, with a maximum range of 370 to 457 kilometers against air. It can monitor 400 batches of targets, track 200 batches of targets, and intercept 12-18. Targets, a variety of ship-to-air missiles constitute a three-layer protection system: far, medium and near; the “Kirov” class cruiser air combat weapons mainly include sa-n-6 ship-to-air missiles, sa-n-9 ship-to-air missiles, and sa -N-4 ship-to-air missile and 6-seat artillery combined air defense system. Data show that the US cruiser has a high degree of automation in air-to-air combat, with a large number of defensive targets and a wide range; the Russian cruiser has many weapons, long range, and strong firepower. The air defense capabilities of the two sides are difficult to distinguish between the advantages and disadvantages.
From the perspective of information operations, the “Ticonderoga” class cruiser has a complete information system system, which can not only meet the needs of single-ship operations, but also has the ability to exchange information in theaters, formations, and multiple arms.
The overall combat power “generation difference” is obvious
The performance comparison analysis of the American and Russian cruisers shows that the cruisers of the two countries have their own strengths. However, from the perspective of system combat capability, the American “Ticonderoga” class cruiser has a huge advantage.