Destroyers. Destroyers - a universal warship

On the eve of the First World War, the most rapidly developing class of warships were destroyers. In just ten years, they tripled or quadrupled in size, and in terms of armament they began to approach light cruisers. In this regard, the US Navy was somewhat behind other leading navies in the world - but very soon the power of American industry made it possible to catch up. In 1917, the United States began construction of the most numerous destroyers in history, called “flashdeckers” - “smooth decks”.

America is building destroyers

If the “fighter” - destroyer of the early twentieth century in all countries of the world carried one 76-mm gun, several small-caliber guns and two or three torpedo tubes with a caliber of 15–18 inches, then in the early 1910s, when the displacement of new destroyers had already exceeded thousand tons, they received three or four 102 mm guns and up to eight or nine torpedo tubes. The caliber of torpedoes increased to 533 mm (21 inches), and most importantly, the destroyers began to be equipped with steam turbines, and their maximum speed increased from 27–30 to 32–37 knots.

American "thousand-ton" Cassin-class destroyers, laid down in 1912, carried four 102/50 mm guns and four twin-tube 457 mm torpedo tubes (two per side), but developed a speed of only 29 knots - in the era of the First the world was already in dire need of this. Like their predecessors (the 750-ton destroyers of the Smith and Paulding classes), they had a high forecastle and four smokestacks - while the forecastle became noticeably shorter, and the stacks were moved closer to it, rather than placed in the center of the ship.

Destroyer DD-63 Sampson, design view.

A total of 26 thousand-ton destroyers were built (from DD-43 to DD-68), which belong to four successive series: Cassin (eight ships), O'Brien, Tucker and Sampson (six each). ships). The last three series were built during the First World War and carried 533-mm torpedo tubes; on the Sampsons the torpedo tubes became three-tube.

All these ships had an important drawback - low speed by the standards of the First World War. This was due to economic considerations: back in 1912, when designing the Tucker, the Navy's Bureau of Construction and Repair estimated that 40,000 horsepower turbines would be required to achieve a 35-knot speed. s., and the cost of the ship’s hull and engines (without weapons) will be $1,900,000. At the same time, the cost of ships of the first two series with a machine power of 16,000–18,000 hp. With. was within $800,000.

But turbine units became cheaper, and the speed of ships in all countries increased. Therefore, in March 1915, Congress approved the construction of six new destroyers with a speed of at least thirty knots and a cost (excluding weapons and supplies) of no more than $925,000 each - provided , that three of these destroyers will be built on the Pacific Coast. The ships were laid down in the summer of 1917, received numbers from DD-69 to DD-74 and are known as the Caldwell class. Five of them were put into operation before the end of the First World War.

On top of this, in October 1915, the commander of the Atlantic Destroyer Flotilla, Captain W. S. Sims, made a report noting that small destroyers consumed fuel too quickly, especially in high seas, and that war games showed the need for high-speed destroyers with a long range.

The destroyer DD-74 Manly in the Panama Canal, 1920s.
Photo from the US National Archives

With the same silhouette, the architecture of the new ships changed dramatically: the forecastle design was replaced by a hull with a smooth deck that gradually rose towards the bow. That is why the ships began to be called smooth deckers - “flash deckers”. The destroyers had a completely new hull design: the width at the midships increased, the draft decreased slightly. As a result, by increasing the displacement by a hundred tons, it was possible to dramatically increase the seaworthiness of the ship. The armament remained the same: four 102-mm guns and four three-tube 533-mm torpedo tubes with a standard design displacement of 1020 tons and a normal displacement of 1125 tons. In addition, according to the project, each destroyer received two new 28-mm anti-aircraft guns - however, from -due to a shortage of such guns, they had to be replaced with one or two short-barreled 76/23-mm anti-aircraft guns. In practice, the displacement of the ships turned out to be noticeably greater than the design one: for example, “Guin” and “Caldwell” had a normal displacement of 1262 tons and a total displacement of 1379 tons.

Theoretical drawing and cross-section of a “four-pipe” destroyer along the midship frame

The placement of the weapons also changed: the two central 102-millimeter guns, which previously stood on the sides immediately behind the forecastle section, were now moved to a hinged platform between the second and third pipes - to where the first torpedo tube had previously been located on the starboard side. Now these guns could operate in any weather and at any speed. To protect the deck from flooding, the entire space from the bow deckhouse to this area was covered with a bulwark. Later, on most “smooth-deck” ships, the space from the side to the gun platform was covered with a light wall, turning it into a kind of light central superstructure. This superstructure, flush with the sides, has become a characteristic detail of the silhouette of all “smooth decks”; on the third series (Klimson type), its side walls became more substantial, portholes appeared in them, and the transition of the front wall into the bulwark received a smooth bend.

Model of the destroyer DD-139 Ward.
flickriver.com

All torpedo tubes were moved to the stern, placing them between the last pipe and the aft wheelhouse. This arrangement was not very successful - two devices per side, while the devices on one side could not fire at the opposite side.

The power of the power plant increased to 18,500 hp. s., but this was not enough to reach a speed of over 30 knots. However, they did not expect anything else from the ships - the entire series was built as an experimental one by five different companies. The destroyers Conner and Stockton (DD-72 and DD-73) had White-Forster boilers and direct-drive Parsons turbines, as well as a three-shaft installation (the cruise turbine worked on the middle shaft); the other four ships are Thorneycroft boilers and Parsons twin-shaft geared turbines. Geared turbines showed power up to 20,000 hp. s., making it possible to reach a speed of 32 knots during testing. In addition, the lead Caldwell had an experimental electric drive for the cruising turbine. The destroyers were even different in appearance: “Gwin”, “Conner” and “Stockton” each had only three chimneys (the chimneys of two boilers were discharged into the middle, wider one).

On July 21, 1916, the American Senate passed the Law on a Large Fleet, which required the laying down of 10 battleships and battlecruisers, 6 cruisers, 30 submarines and 50 destroyers within three years - $500 million was allocated for these purposes. Now it made no sense to save on machine power Moreover, the speed of the new destroyers had to match the speed of the “capital” ships planned for construction: Lexington-class battlecruisers and Omaha-class scouts. Therefore, the project was redesigned: new machines with a capacity of 27,000 hp were installed in the same building. With. While maintaining the same weapons, the standard design displacement increased to 1090–1150 tons - in practice it turned out to be even larger, especially after the strengthening of anti-aircraft weapons.

More the better

Initially, it was planned to build fifty destroyers (DD-75 to DD-124). However, the Naval Emergency Fund Act of March 3, 1917 (a month before the United States entered World War I) allowed the construction of more ships. Ultimately, 111 destroyers were built, known as the Weeks class (DD-75 to DD-185), and another 156 as the Climson class (DD-186 to DD-347). Thus, a total of 273 ships of the “smooth-deck” type were built - the largest series of destroyers in the world.

Climson-class destroyer. Lateral view and longitudinal section as of the 1920s.
Photo from the US National Archives

The main design difference of the second series was the increase in power of the power plant to 26,000 hp. With. Thanks to progress in the design of turbines, its weight increased by only one hundred tons, and the speed of the ships increased to 35 knots. However, ships from different shipyards varied greatly in the quality of construction. According to the technical specifications, the cruising range with a displacement of 1150 tons was supposed to be 2500 miles at 20 knots and 3600 at 15 knots. In fact, for the destroyers of Beth Iron Works (the developer and most careful builder), it was up to 5,000 miles at 15 knots and 3,400 miles at 20 knots. At the same time, destroyers manufactured by Bethlehem Steel could not travel 2,500 miles at 15 knots. In addition, the ships produced by Beth Iron Works were distinguished by the highest quality of workmanship and the best performance characteristics. Together with ships designed by the same company, laid down at other shipyards (59 units in total), they were unofficially called the "Liberty" type or "long-range destroyers", although not all other builders maintained the original quality.

Destroyer DD-280 "Doyen", side view and longitudinal section.
Photo from the US National Archives

Destroyer DD-280 Doyen, top view.
Photo from the US National Archives

Destroyer DD-280 Doyen, cross sections.
Photo from the US National Archives

On the other hand, the powerful Bethlehem Steel company, which was engaged in the construction of battleships and cruisers, managed to obtain an order for the construction of the remaining planned destroyers according to its own design. Instead of the long-proven Parsons turbines and Thornycroft boilers, Curtiss turbines and Yarrow boilers were installed here (as in the Beth Iron Works project). During operation, they proved to be very unreliable, often broke down, and required a lot of money for repairs. As a result, in 1929, of the 163 Bethlehem Steel-built destroyers in service, 60 were cheaper to write off than to repair.

The third series (162 ships of the Climson type) was designed in 1917–1918 as escort ships designed to combat German submarine cruisers. Therefore, they initially decided to reduce the displacement to 750 tons, the speed to 27–28 knots, remove half of the torpedo tubes, but equip the ships with 127 mm guns. However, the prospect of creating a completely new hull did not arouse enthusiasm among the manufacturers, and the sharp deterioration in performance did not arouse enthusiasm among the General Council of the Fleet. It was decided either to reduce the displacement by making the vehicles lighter, or to install reinforced weapons on the same hulls with an increase in displacement, but without a sharp decrease in speed. It was even planned to completely remove the torpedo armament, which anticipated the appearance of escort destroyers of the Second World War. In addition, it was necessary to reduce the excessively large turning radius of the destroyers with minimal changes in the hull design. However, as a result, everything came down to only minor changes to the hull, an increase in the fuel supply by 100 tons and, as a result, an increase in the total displacement to 1700 tons. On a number of ships, the rear 102-mm gun was raised to the aft superstructure, and in its place a 76-mm gun was installed mm anti-aircraft gun.

Destroyer DD-231 Hatfield, armed with 127 mm guns.
navsource.org

However, the idea of ​​arming ships with 127-mm guns was not forgotten: as a result, the first five destroyers from the third series, built at the New York Shipbuilding shipyard (DD-231 to DD-235), received such installations: all of them were laid down in June - July 1918 and went into operation in the spring - summer of 1920. They had no other differences from the other ships in the series.

Finally, the idea arose to install twin 102-mm guns on the destroyers - such an installation was developed even before the United States entered the war. In fact, it consisted of two 102-mm cannons mounted on one stand at a short distance from each other (the bolts opened in different directions). As a result, only two ships received them: DD-208 Howei and DD-209 Long.

In different modifications and different fleets

Of course, in peacetime the American fleet did not need such a number of destroyers. The first ships to be scrapped were those equipped with the unsuccessful Jarrow boilers - mainly from the third series. A total of 91 destroyers were decommissioned by the end of 1939: two of the Caldwell type; 32 - “Wicks” type; 57 - Climson type. Nine more ships were lost on one day - September 8, 1923, when an entire detachment of destroyers jumped onto the rocks in the Santa Barbara Channel.

Options for converting flash deckers in 1939–1942.

Options for converting flash deckers in 1943–1945
Shchedrolosev V.V. Destroyer “Active”

The remaining ships became good material for experiments. At the end of the 30s, 8 “smooth-deck” type destroyers were converted into high-speed minelayers, 18 into high-speed minesweepers, 6 into high-speed landing transports; 14 - to seaplane floating bases. Two boilers were removed from transports and seaplanes; on the remaining boilers, the ships developed a speed of 22–25 knots.

Destroyer "Active". In the background is the battleship Arkhangelsk (formerly the English Royal Sovereign)
Shchedrolosev V.V.. Destroyer "Active"

In September 1940, fifty destroyers were transferred to Great Britain in exchange for a 99-year lease of military bases in different parts of the ocean. In 1941–1942, on parts of the remaining destroyers, the 102 mm guns were replaced with six 76 mm universal guns, two torpedo tubes were removed, and 12.7 mm machine guns were added. But there were still so many ships left that they decided not to modernize all of them, limiting themselves to removing two aft torpedo tubes and installing 20-mm Oerlikons in their place. They did not even strengthen the anti-submarine weapons - only six new K-type bomb launchers were installed instead of outdated Y-type bomb launchers. Conversions into minelayers, minesweepers and high-speed landing transports continued during the war - it is interesting that in 1945, some of the ships were converted back into destroyers, which suddenly became in short supply due to high losses.

The destroyer "Deyatelny" fires from a bow 102-mm installation
Shchedrolosev V.V. Destroyer “Active”

The British subjected the destroyers handed over to them to a deeper modernization. First of all, their anti-submarine weapons were strengthened: eight bomb launchers and a sonar station were installed. Nine of the English “smooth-deckers” were transferred to the Soviet Union to pay for the ships due for reparations from Italy. Strictly speaking, eight ships were transferred, and the ninth was intended for spare parts, but it was also put into operation. One of them - "Active" (formerly "Churchill", formerly DD-198) - was sunk by a German submarine on January 16, 1945. The remaining eight returned to the British in 1948–1949 and were immediately scrapped.

In general, the “smooth-deck” type destroyers turned out to be seaworthy and reliable ships. They did not have time to take part in the First World War, and by the beginning of the Second World War they were extremely outdated, but were still actively used as escort and anti-submarine ships, having served in three fleets: American, British and Soviet.

References:

1. Shishov A. A. US destroyers. Part 1. History of creation and service. 1916–1922. - St. Petersburg: Fortress, 2001.
2. Shchedrolosev V.V. Destroyer “Active”. - St. Petersburg: Gangut, 2001 (“Midship-frame”, No. 2).
3. Dashyan A., Patyanin S., Mityukov N., Barabanov M.. Fleets of the Second World War. - M.: Collection; Yauza, Eksmo, 2009.
4. Friedman N.U.S. Destroyers. An Illustrated Design History. - Annapolis, 1982.
5. Silverstone P. H., US Warships of World War I. - Ian Allan, 1970.

Destroyers of the "K/S" group ("standard 1000-ton destroyer")

Ships of the "K/S" group. known as "standard 1000-ton destroyers", were the mainstay of the British destroyer force during the First World War. They served as part of the Grand Fleet, were part of the Dover Patrol and the Harwich Forces, participated in the protection of the Otrant barrage, and escorted convoys.

In total, from 1912 to 1924, the British fleet was replenished with 262 destroyers, which were a consistent development of the successful “K” type, built in England under the 1911-1912 program. On subsequent types, individual improvements were made to the project, taking into account the experience of operation and combat service of previously built destroyers. So already on the next type "L" after the "K" two ships were experimentally equipped with a more economical power plant (PP), which included a turbo-gear unit, and on the "M" type ships built under the 1913-14 program gg. The speed has been noticeably increased (from 29 to 34 knots). On some of the M-type destroyers being built as part of the “emergency military program”, in order to increase efficiency, cruising turbines are equipped with a gearbox. Starting with type "R". The TZA occupies a strong place in the power plants of British destroyers, having finally replaced the direct drive turbine. On the next type, “Modified R,” in order to improve seaworthiness, the interior was redesigned, which made it possible to move the navigation bridge several meters aft and lighten the bow.

Almost all the ships of the "K / S" family were scrapped in the twenties and thirties, and by the beginning of the Second World War, only 12 units remained in the fleet: one type "R" and eleven type "S".

"R" class destroyers

"SKATE"

Brief description:

Ships of the "R" type became the first serial British destroyers to include TZA as part of their power plant.

The decision that all newly built destroyers should have TZA was made by the Admiralty in July 1915. At the same time, an order was issued for the first 26 ships of the new "R" type. With the exception of the new power plant, they repeated in almost every way the earlier "M" type, which was built in England since the beginning of the war in a huge series numbering more than 100 units. Destroyers of this type had a normal displacement of about 1000 tons (from 883 to 1055 tons depending on builder), full speed of 34-35 knots, armament, consisting of three 102-mm guns and two twin-tube torpedo tubes. Not inferior, and in some ways superior to the German destroyers, the "M" type ships still did not fully respond. requirements of the Admiralty: the low efficiency of the power plant used on them, in which the turbine directly transmitted power to the propeller, did not allow solving the problem of increasing the cruising range without a significant increase in displacement. Attempts to solve this problem were made in England even before the start of the First World War, when on some destroyers. cruising turbines were tested, and it was even planned to equip one of the ships with a high-speed diesel engine. Success came on two “L” type destroyers (“Leonidas” and “Lucifer”), equipped with a power plant, which included a gearbox that reduced the speed of the turbine. The experience of their successful year-long operation in wartime conditions led to the already mentioned decision to equip all newly built ships with power plants with TZA.

Other changes compared to the M type were very minor and did not go beyond the usual intra-type differences characteristic of British destroyers of the time. To improve seaworthiness, the forecastle was slightly raised in the stem area and the bridge was moved 9 feet (approximately 2.7 m) towards the stern. This entailed a change in the position of the anti-aircraft "pom-pom" from the section of the forecastle to the former searchlight platform between the torpedo tubes.

Comparative tests of the lead ship of the Romola series with the destroyer Norman, belonging to the previous type M, confirmed the efficiency of the R type: at 18 knots it spent 15%, and at 25 knots - 28% less fuel than its opponent, equipped with direct drive turbines. Taking into account the slightly increased oil reserves of the "R" type, this advantage became even more noticeable: the cruising range at the specified speed increased by 17.8% and 40%, respectively. The higher efficiency of the "R" type served as the impetus for the start of the design of the corresponding them as a leader, which later transformed into the famous "V" type destroyers.

In December, an order followed for the next 10 destroyers of the "R" type (including the Skate), and three months later for the last 15. The ships entered service within a year (from the autumn of 1916 to the autumn of 1917 g.) and managed to take an active part in the final stage of the war. Losses amounted to 8 units. After the war, one was sold to Siam, and the rest in 1926-37. - for scrapping.

Pre-war modernizations:

In the mid-30s. "Skate" was converted into a minelayer. The stern 102-mm gun and the second torpedo tube were replaced with mine rails designed to receive 40 minutes. It was as a minzag that the last surviving representative of the "R" type entered the Second World War.

Displacement: standard - 900 t, full - 1222 t

Dimensions: 80.8(pp)/84.1(nb) x 8.1 x 3.0/-m

Power plant:

Twin-shaft TZA Brown-Curtis, 3 Yarrow boilers (P = 17.5 kg/cm2)

Power: 27,000 hp

Fuel capacity (full): 296 t

Cruising range (at speed): 3440 miles (15 knots)

Crew: 90 people.

Weapons:

Artillery:

2x1 - 102 mm/45 Mk .IV guns in P.IX mounts

1x1 - 40 mm (2-lb) anti-aircraft gun ("pom-pom")

5x1 - 7.7 mm machine guns

Torpedo:

1x2 - 533 mm torpedo tube

Anti-submarine: none

Mine: 40 min

Fire control system:

Three-meter rangefinder MQ .I

Central guidance system - "Light Type Director" (LTD)

"R" class destroyers

S-class destroyers

"SABRE", "SALADIN", "SARDONYX", "SCIMITAR", "SCOUT", "SHIKARI", "STRONGHOLD". STURDY", "TENEDOS", "THANET", "THRACIAN"

Brief description:

In March 1916, the Admiralty, developing the "standard 1000-ton destroyer" type, issued an order for the construction of 26 ships of the "Modified R" class. Their main difference from the "R" type was the redevelopment of the boiler rooms, which made it possible to bring the chimneys of two boilers into a common chimney, due to which the number of pipes was reduced from three to two. As a result, the bridge was moved towards the stern, removing it from the stem. Officers who served on destroyers insisted on this, noting the importance of having a “dry” bridge in all weather conditions. The price of more comfortable conditions was a decrease in survivability caused by the adjacent placement of the two largest waterproof compartments.

Another important innovation introduced on the Modified R type was the 102 mm Mk .V main gun in a new deck mount with an elevation angle of 30° versus the previous 20°, which gave an increase in firing range of more than one mile (2000 yards).

The "Modified R" type was returned to at the beginning of 1917, when, after a year's break caused by the construction in 1916 of two series of destroyers of the "V / W" group, the Admiralty determined the technical requirements for the destroyers of the 1917 program. The Controller of the Admiralty proposed a return to type “Modified R”, arguing that with all the advantages of the “V” type, these ships have a speed lower by two knots, are more expensive and require more time to build.

The return to ships of smaller displacement was supported by a number of Admiralty officials, and after some changes were made to the project in April 1917, an order was issued for 24, and two months later for another 33 ships, designated type "S". According to the Admiralty project, 45 units were built (later the order for two was cancelled). Firms Thornycroft and Yarrow, whose projects traditionally differed from the Admiralty, received orders for five and seven units, respectively.

Basically, the "S" type repeated its prototype. The differences primarily concerned the bow end: in order to increase seaworthiness, the forecastle deck rose noticeably towards the stem, mating with the side plating not at a right angle, but forming a smooth transition, rounded in the section of the frames. Due to this, the shape of the forecastle was somewhat reminiscent of the so-called. "turtledeck" (turtle-shaped or carapace deck), used on the first fighters.

The remaining changes concerned the armament, to which the 102-mm Mk .IV guns were returned (but on new CP .III machines), equipped with a central aiming system. Based on the experience of the Dover patrol destroyers, the "S" type, in addition to the usual torpedo tubes in the center plane, was equipped with two more single-tube 381-mm torpedo tubes on the side at the forecastle section. They were intended for use at the bow heading angles in short-term night battles, when the sudden appearance of the enemy did not leave time to turn around to use standard torpedo tubes.

Some of the "S" type destroyers managed to take part in the First World War. Their experience in the North Sea and the English Channel revealed that their seaworthiness was worse than that of the "R" type, caused by the shape of the forecastle and the location of the 381 mm torpedo tubes. In order to at least somehow eliminate this drawback, the side devices were removed from most of the destroyers, and the forecastle was extended towards the stern.

After the end of the war, destroyers of this type, together with representatives of the "V / W" group, formed the basis of the flotillas of the active fleet. The type suffered no losses during the war, but in the early twenties four were lost to collisions, mine explosions and groundings. Five ships were transferred to Australia in 1919, and two more in 1928 to Canada. Beginning in the early thirties, S-class destroyers began to be intensively scrapped, and by the beginning of the Second World War, only eleven units remained in the British fleet. Pre-war modernizations:

In 1924, Shikari was converted into a control vessel for the target ship Agamemnon. The destroyer had no weapons. Its weapons were replaced by remote control equipment. Saber was disarmed in 1937 for use as a target ship. Both of these destroyers were re-armed to standard status at the start of hostilities.

In 1938-39 The destroyers Stronghold, Sturdy and Thracian were converted into high-speed minelayers of the Scapega type. The stern main battery guns and torpedo tubes were removed from them, which made it possible to place 40 mines.

Tactical and technical elements:

Displacement: standard - 905 tons, full - 1220 tons.

Dimensions: 80.8(pp)/84.1(nb) x 8.1 x 3.0/3.3 m.

Power plant:

Twin-shaft TZA Brown-Curtis, 3 Yarrow boilers (P = 17.5 kg/cm2).

Power: 27,000 hp

Speed: part load: 36.0 knots, fully loaded: 32.5 knots.

Fuel capacity (full): 301 tons.

Cruising range (at speed): 2750 miles (15 knots)

Crew: 90 people.

Weapons:

Artillery:

3x1 - 102 mm/45 Mk .IV guns in SR.III mounts (on "Stronghold", "Sturdy" and "Thracian" 2x1)

1x1 - 40 mm (2-lb) anti-aircraft gun ("pom-pom")

5x1 - 7.7 mm machine guns

Torpedo:

2 * 2 -533 mm torpedo tubes (not available on "Stronghold", "Sturdy" and "Thracian")

Anti-submarine: ASDIC. 2 BM and 1 BS (most of them, including mines, do not have anti-submarine weapons).

Mine: 40 min (only on "Stronghold", "Sturdy" and "Thracian").

Fire control system:

Three-meter rangefinder MQ .I

Central guidance system - "Light Type Director" (L TD)

"S" class destroyers

"Shikari" and "Sardonyx" were completed by the state shipyard in Chatham, "Sabre" and "Saladin" were completed by Fairfield. "Thracian" was completed at the government shipyard in Sheerness.

Project 956 destroyers are third-generation Soviet destroyers, whose construction lasted from 1976 to 1992. The ships of this project became the last destroyers built in the USSR. Project code 956 is “Sarych”, in NATO they were called Sovremenny class destroyer - after the name of the first ship of this series, the destroyer “Sovremenny”.

The construction of Project 956 ships was carried out at plant No. 190 named after. Zhdanov in Leningrad, the customer of the latest ships of the series was already the Russian Navy. Today, the Russian fleet includes six Sarych destroyers: three in service, two in reserve, and another ship undergoing scheduled repairs.

After the collapse of the USSR, the laying of new ships of Project 956 "Sarych" was stopped due to insufficient funding, two ships were completed for the Navy of the People's Republic of China under the export project 956-E (1997-2000), and in the 2000s more were manufactured for the Chinese two Sarychs according to the modernized project 956-EM.

Initially, it was planned that Project 956 destroyers would become the most popular not only in their class, but also in the entire Soviet fleet. In total, they planned to build about fifty of them. In total, 17 destroyers of the Sarych project entered service with the USSR Navy (and then Russia).

History of creation

A destroyer (destroyer) is a class of multi-purpose, high-speed maneuverable ships capable of solving a large number of combat missions: fighting submarines, destroying enemy aircraft (including missiles), working on enemy surface ships, covering formations of ships and escorting convoys. Destroyers can also be used in landing operations, patrol and reconnaissance duties, and laying minefields.

The first destroyers appeared at the end of the 19th century. At that time, their main task was to destroy enemy destroyers using powerful artillery weapons. The prefix “squadron” meant that these ships could operate as part of a naval formation in the sea or ocean zone.

Destroyers were actively used during the First and Second World Wars. The wide range of tasks that these ships could solve significantly increased their importance in the fleet. The displacement of modern destroyers is approximately equal to the cruisers of the Second World War, but is much more powerful than them. The role of destroyers grew even more after the advent of missile weapons.

In the early 60s, the active development of the surface fleet began in the USSR. In the 50s, a large number of large surface ships were disposed of, and the main emphasis was placed on the submarine fleet and missiles. This was a clear mistake.

In the 60s, the USSR Navy became an ocean-going one; it was given a number of new tasks: protecting patrol areas of Soviet missile submarines, tracking enemy strategic submarines, detecting and reconnaissance of enemy aircraft carrier groups, controlling sea communications, and conducting foreign policy actions.

Aircraft-carrying ships would be best suited to perform such tasks, but their construction was very expensive. Large anti-submarine ships (BODs) became the Soviet alternative to aircraft carriers, but they had to be covered by escort ships, which were sorely in short supply. In addition, the destroyers that were in service with the USSR Navy at that time were already considered obsolete. The ships of projects 3-bis, 56, 68-K and 68-bis did not have missile weapons and could not compete on equal terms with their foreign counterparts. All of the above was especially clearly demonstrated by the large ocean maneuvers “Ocean”, carried out in 1970.

The Soviet fleet needed a modern destroyer, possessing powerful artillery and missile weapons and capable of operating both as part of naval groups and independently.

The creation of such a ship was provided for in the shipbuilding program for 1971-1980, which was adopted in 1969. The military wanted the new destroyer to be able to take part in landing operations, destroy small targets on the shore, suppress enemy anti-landing defenses, and provide air defense in the landing zone. The future destroyer was called a “landing fire support ship.” The Project 56 destroyer was chosen as its prototype, so the new project was assigned the number 956.

Work on the creation of a new destroyer started in 1971 and progressed rather slowly.

The fact is that the customers changed the purpose of the ship several times right during the design process. The program to create the American destroyers Spruance, the first truly multi-purpose ships of the US Navy, had a strong influence on the Soviet military. It was the emergence of such a program among the Americans that contributed to the transformation of the “landing fire support ship” into a multi-purpose destroyer.

In addition, the Project 956 destroyers were planned to be used in conjunction with the Project 1155 BOD. Soviet strategists believed that together they would be more effective than a pair of American Spruance destroyers.

The preliminary design of the new ship was developed by the Leningrad TsKB-53 (Northern PKB). As the work progressed, the designers were given more and more new tasks, the ship's armament options and the type of its power plant were constantly changing. The developers were limited by the capabilities of the shipbuilding plant named after. Zhdanov, where they planned to build new destroyers: its length should not exceed 146 meters and width - 17 meters.

A total of thirteen versions of the pre-design designs were produced, all of them were carefully studied from the point of view of combat effectiveness and cost.

As a result, the following requirements were put forward for the future destroyer:

• steam turbine power plant (EP);
• the presence of anti-ship missiles "Moskit" in the armament;
• SAM "Hurricane";
• placement of a helipad for the Ka-252 on the deck of the ship;
• presence of AK-130 gun mounts.

The preliminary design was approved by Admiral Gorshkov at the end of 1972. However, even after this, changes continued to be made to the project. The steam turbine power plant was replaced by a boiler-turbine power plant, which is recognized by many experts as a rather unfortunate decision.

The Platina State Joint Stock Company was chosen as the main sonar system of the future destroyer. It was not possible to install the more advanced Polynom complex on the Sarychi due to the significant weight and size characteristics of the latter.

For this reason, the Project 956 ships were never able to approach the anti-aircraft defense capabilities of the American destroyer Spruance, but the Soviet ship was significantly superior to its opponent in terms of artillery power.

The result of all the improvements and changes was an increase in the ship's displacement by a thousand tons. The development of the destroyer 956 project cost the Soviet budget 165.6 thousand rubles.

On November 1, 1973, the design of a new ship began, the following year with the shipyard named after. Zhdanov, an official contract was concluded for the construction of ships. The cost of detailed design was 2.22 million rubles.

In June 1975, construction began on the first ship of Project 956, the destroyer Sovremenny. The Sarych project was completed in 1993, when the last ship from this series was accepted by representatives of the Russian Navy.

Initially, in 1976, it was planned to build from 32 to 50 Sarych destroyers, that is, Project 956 was to become one of the most massive in the history of the Soviet fleet. In 1988, the number of ships was reduced to twenty units. However, a total of 17 destroyers of this project were transferred to the Soviet and Russian fleets. On average, each Project 956 destroyer took four years to build.

There was an attempt to establish production at the 61st Communard shipyard in Nikolaev. They even began to build a new boathouse there and received documentation from the Northern Design Bureau, but in 1986 this idea was abandoned, and the two destroyer hulls that had already been laid down were mothballed.

Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, 14 destroyers of Project 956 were transferred to the navy, and three more ships were being completed for the Russian Navy (“Restless”, “Nastoichivy” and “Fearless”).

The construction of Project 956 Sarych ships was carried out using a sectional hull assembly method. The cost of one destroyer (at the time of construction of the lead and two subsequent ships) was more than 90 million rubles. The cost of building subsequent ships dropped to 71 million rubles.

The destroyer project 956 was created exclusively for the needs of the Soviet Navy. It was the newest ship, and no one was going to sell it abroad. However, after the collapse of the USSR, the situation changed: insufficient funding forced them to look for customers outside. In addition, by the beginning of the 90s, the Sarych’s weapons were somewhat outdated.

In the mid-90s, an export modification of the destroyer, 956E, was created. In 1999, the first Sarych entered the Chinese Navy. It is armed with anti-ship missiles with a slightly longer range (up to 200 km), instead of four AK-630s, it is equipped with two Kashtan missile and artillery systems, there is no aft artillery installation, but it is equipped with a full-fledged helicopter hangar. The ship's displacement has been slightly increased. Until 2006, four destroyers of Project 956E and 956EM were built for China.

Description of design

Domestic and foreign researchers of naval history note that almost all warships created at the Northern Design Bureau have a characteristic “spectacular” appearance. Project 956 is no exception. In descriptions of the appearance of destroyers of this project, the terms “aggressive”, “sinister”, “expressive” are often used. And this can hardly be considered an accident.

Warships are not only a tool for conducting combat operations at sea, they are also a serious geopolitical instrument, a symbol of the power of the country whose flag they represent. The navy is a means of political persuasion and influence, a demonstration of the achievements of the country's scientific and technological development and the power of its economy.

Naturally, the “expressiveness” of the ship’s external appearance should not reduce its combat effectiveness. However, the Project 956 ships are fine with this: most experts believe that the destroyers of this series are an example of an excellent combination of high functional qualities and aesthetic perfection.

The Sarych destroyers have a long-deck design with a sheer bow. The shape of the hull reliably ensures that the deck does not flood and provides optimal firing angles for the ship's artillery weapons. The contours of the hull ensure non-flooding in seas up to 6-7 points. The deck aspect ratio is 8.7. The hull of the ship is made taking into account the requirements of reducing the radar signature of the ship, although it should be noted that the Sarych destroyers are not classified as “stealth ships”.

In the bow of the hull, in the keel bulb, there is the antenna of the Platina State Joint Stock Company.

The destroyer's side sail area is 1,700 m2. The decks are placed parallel to the waterline, which simplified the installation of equipment during construction and made the Project 956 destroyers more technologically advanced.

Fifteen main bulkheads divide the ship's hull into sixteen watertight compartments. Project 956 ships have six decks: the second, third and upper decks, the forecastle deck, two platforms, one of which smoothly passes into the second bottom flooring. The main hull structures, reinforcements and foundations are made of low alloy steel. There are two longitudinal bulkheads located from the stern to the engine room; they provide additional rigidity to the aft part of the ship. The destroyer's frames have a significant camber, which increases the stability of the ship.

Project 956 destroyers have high seaworthiness (unlimited seaworthiness). Sailors can use onboard weapons systems in sea conditions up to five. The vessels are equipped with heave stabilizers. When the sea state is six, the destroyers are capable of developing a speed of up to 24 knots.

The superstructures of Project 956 ships are made of aluminum-magnesium alloy; they are connected to the hull and decks using rivets.

The ship's superstructure can be divided into two large blocks: bow and stern. The bow ends with a foremast, and the stern consists of a block with a chimney and a movable hangar on which the mainmast is located.

The standard displacement of the destroyer is 6500 tons, the total displacement is 7940 tons, with overload - 8480 tons.

The power plant of Project 956 destroyers consists of two GTZA-674 boiler-turbine units (total power 100 thousand hp), located in two engine rooms - bow and stern. It should be noted that the Sarychi are the only third-generation warships in the world with a boiler-turbine power plant.

The turbo-gear unit has a control system that is capable of adjusting the rotation speed in different operating modes of the installation. Each engine room contains two boilers and a steam turbine. All destroyers, starting with the seventh (“Stoikiy”), were equipped with more reliable KVG-3 boilers. Despite this, the boilers are called the weakest point of the ships of this series. They are very demanding on the water supplied and quite often fail.

The water treatment system installed on the project ships does not properly ensure water quality, which led to rapid wear of the boilers. Unlike nuclear submarine missile carriers, it is open, that is, it communicates with atmospheric air.

The experience of using high-pressure boilers has shown that the domestic fleet (both Soviet and Russian) is not yet ready to switch to such power plants.

In addition to the main ones, the ship’s power plant also includes an additional emergency boiler, which can produce 14 thousand kg of steam. The destroyer has two shafts and two low-noise propellers. The maximum speed of ships of this project is 33.4 knots. The fuel reserve is 1.7 thousand tons, which provides a cruising range of 3,900 nautical miles.

The steering unit consists of a hydraulic machine and a semi-balanced steering wheel.

Project 956 destroyers are equipped with two steam generators (total power 2500 kW) and two diesel generators (600 kW each), which provide the ships with electricity.

Under normal conditions, the crew size is 296 people, including 25 officers and 48 midshipmen. In wartime, the ship's crew increases to 358 people. The Sarych destroyers have created comfortable living conditions for the crew: single and double cabins are equipped for officers, and double and four-berth cabins for midshipmen. Sailors are accommodated in sixteen cubicles of 10-25 people each. There are more than three square meters of living space per person.

On board there is a separate wardroom for feeding officers, another one is intended for feeding midshipmen, and several dining rooms where sailors eat food. There are several showers and a sauna on board. The crew has a library, a cinema room, cable TV, and there is even a prefabricated swimming pool.

All living and working areas of the destroyer are equipped with an air conditioning system; it provides comfortable working conditions for the crew in the temperature range from −25°C to +34°C. It should be noted that Project 956 destroyers compare favorably with other Soviet and Russian-built ships in terms of living conditions for the crew.

The autonomy of the Sarych destroyers in terms of provisions is 30 days.

Armament

The anti-aircraft missile armament of the Sarych destroyers consists of the M-22 Uragan air defense system, which is a naval modification of the Buk complex. On ships of later construction, the Hurricane-Tornado air defense system was installed. Two anti-aircraft missile launchers are located at the bow (forecastle superstructure) and at the stern (behind the runway) of the ship. The mass of each air defense system is 96 tons, the total ammunition load is 48 guided missiles, which are located in the cellars on special drums.

The characteristics of the Uragan air defense system allow you to simultaneously fire at 4-6 targets at altitudes from 10 to 1 thousand meters and at a distance of up to 25 km. The capabilities of the Uragan-Tornado air defense system are even more impressive: the maximum destruction range is 70 km. The rate of fire is one missile launch every 6-12 seconds. The probability of hitting an aircraft with a salvo of two missiles ranges from 0.81-0.96, a cruise missile - 0.43-0.86.

Destroyers of the Sarych project have powerful artillery weapons, consisting of two twin AK-130 artillery mounts (130 mm caliber) and rapid-fire anti-aircraft artillery, which is the last line of ship air defense. The artillery armament of the destroyers also includes the MP-184 multi-channel fire control system, consisting of a radar, laser range finder, television and ballistic computer.

Each gun mount has a mechanized supply of ammunition, which allows it to fire at a rate of 30 to 90 rounds per minute at a range of over 24 km. The ammunition capacity for each barrel is 500 rounds, of which 180 are always ready for use.

Automation of the processes of loading and supplying ammunition allows you to fire until the ammunition is completely exhausted.

The weight of one gun mount is 98 tons.

The rapid-firing anti-aircraft artillery of Project 956 destroyers consists of two batteries of AK-630M automatic systems. The batteries are located on each side of the ship and are designed to destroy cruise missiles at low altitudes. Each battery includes two six-barreled gun mounts with a rotating barrel block and a Vympel control system. The firing range of the AK-630M is 4 km, the rate of fire is 4 thousand rounds per minute.

The main anti-ship weapon of the destroyer "Sarych" is the "Moskit" anti-ship missiles. The Bespokoiny and all subsequent ships of the project are equipped with the modernized Moskit-M complex. Project 956 destroyers have two fixed launchers, each of which houses four Moskit anti-ship missiles.

The target engagement range of the Moskit is 140 km, and that of the Moskit-M is 170 km. The missiles have a combat mass weighing 300 kg and develop flight speeds of up to M = 2.5-3. The ship can fire all eight missiles in just 30 seconds.

On the upper deck of the destroyers there are two twin-tube torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber. Mine weapons are represented by two RBU-1000 rocket launchers, which can fire at a distance of 1 thousand meters. Bomb launchers are located at the stern of the ship. Their main task is to destroy enemy submarines at shallow depths in the immediate vicinity of the ship. The warhead of each rocket bomb is 98 kg. Project 956 destroyers can lay barrage mines (up to 22 mines can be taken on board).

Project 956 destroyers do not have a permanent helicopter hangar, but a temporary, removable one is provided. The Ka-27 helicopter can be based there. The helipad is located almost in the center of the ship, so it is less affected by pitching.

The helicopter can be used for anti-submarine warfare, and it can also conduct reconnaissance and provide target designation for anti-ship missiles.

The destroyers "Sarych" are equipped with several types of radar stations: "Fregat", "Fregat-M" and "Fregat-MA". For over-the-horizon detection of enemy objects and target designation, the “Bridge” system is used; it can search at distances of up to 200 km. Target designation for the anti-ship missile system is provided by the Mineral system; it has both an active and passive radar channel. The ship can receive target designation from airplanes or helicopters.

Project 9566 destroyers do not have an onboard information and control system; its functions are performed by the Sapphire-U situation tablet.

Project 956 ships are equipped with a complex of electronic warfare equipment, which includes electronic reconnaissance equipment and a jamming system, as well as passive and active countermeasures.

Project 956 destroyers have a well-thought-out survivability system. Fire compartments were created around potentially dangerous areas of the ship (cellars, engine rooms) by strengthening the hull with steel structures.

There is a fire main with several pumps, volumetric fire extinguishing systems, foam extinguishing systems, water spraying of decks and bulkheads. The ship also has systems for rapid irrigation and flooding of cellars.

To eliminate the water threat, the ships of the project have: drainage, dewatering and tank balancing systems. There is an external washing system in case of contamination of external surfaces.

Only artillery mounts and the Moskit anti-ship missile launcher are provided with armor protection (anti-fragmentation).

Project 956 Sarych ships

Characteristics

Project evaluation

The Project 956 Sarych destroyers were created during the Cold War era, and their main opponent in the oceans was the American ship of a similar class, Spruance. This US Navy destroyer and its characteristics had a great influence on the future appearance of the Buzzards. There was a competition between the two superpowers and the Soviet admirals demanded that our ship be no worse.

The first thing that catches your eye is the difference in the power plants of the two ships. Moreover, the Spruance gas turbine power plant looks much more preferable both in terms of characteristics and reliability. An American power plant can reach full power in twelve minutes; a Soviet destroyer needs an hour and a half for this.

The artillery armament is, of course, more powerful than the Soviet ship (it was originally designed as a landing support ship), but the American destroyer is superior to it in anti-submarine warfare capabilities. Initially, the Sarych had more powerful missile weapons, but after modernization, universal launchers for Tomahawk missiles were installed on the Spruance, which gave a significant advantage to the American.

However, currently the main US destroyer is the Arleigh Burke class. This ship was designed in the mid-80s and is significantly superior to Project 956 ships in almost all respects. "Arleigh Burke" is a fourth-generation destroyer, so comparing it with "Sarych" is not very correct.

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Two years later, eleven more more powerful destroyers were built for the British fleet, twelve for France, and one each for Austria-Hungary and Denmark.

Successful actions of Russian mine boats during the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878. and the development of torpedo weapons led to the creation of the concept of a destroyer fleet, according to which large, expensive battleships are not needed for the defense of coastal waters; this task can be solved by many small, high-speed destroyer boats with small displacement. In the eighties of the 19th century, a real “destroyer” boom began. Only the leading naval powers - Great Britain, Russia and France - had 325 destroyers in their fleets. The fleets of the USA, Austria-Hungary, Germany, Italy and other European countries were also replenished with such ships.

The same naval powers began around the same time to create ships to destroy destroyers and mine boats. These “destroyer destroyers” were supposed to be as fast, in addition to torpedoes, be armed with artillery, and have the same range as other large ships of the main fleet.

The displacement of the “fighters” was already significantly greater than that of the destroyers.

The prototypes of destroyers are considered to be the British torpedo ram "Polyphemus" built in 1892, the disadvantage of which was weak artillery armament, the cruisers "Archer" and "Scout", gunboats of the "Dryad" ("Halcyon") and "Sharpshooter" and "Jason" types. Alarm"), a large destroyer "Swift" built in 1894 with interchangeable weapons sufficient to destroy enemy destroyers.

The British built for the Japanese an armored destroyer of the first class "Kotaka" of large displacement with a powerful power plant and good weapons, but with unsatisfactory seaworthiness, and after it a ship for combating destroyers "Destructor" commissioned by Spain, where it was classified as a torpedo

The first destroyers

In the eternal confrontation between the British and French navies, the British were the first to build six ships for themselves, which were somewhat different in appearance, but had similar performance characteristics and interchangeable weapons, in order to alternately solve the tasks of torpedo bombers or destroyer destroyers. Their displacement was about 270 tons, speed - 26 knots. These ships were armed with one 76 mm, three 57 mm guns and three torpedo tubes. Tests have shown that even the simultaneous installation of all weapons does not affect maneuverability and speed. The bow of the vessel was covered with karalas (“turtle shell”), which protected the conning tower and the main battery platform installed above it. Breakwater fences on the sides of the wheelhouse protected the remaining guns.

The first French destroyer was built in the last year of the 19th century, and the American one at the very beginning of the next century. In the United States, 16 destroyers were built in four years.

In Russia at the turn of the century, so-called numbered destroyers were built without names. With a displacement of 90-150 tons, they reached a speed of up to 25 knots, were armed with one fixed and two mobile torpedo tubes and a light cannon.

Destroyers became an independent class after the war of 1904-1905. with Japan.

Destroyers of the early 20th century

At the turn of the century, steam turbines were added to the power plant design of destroyers. This change allows you to dramatically increase the speed of ships. The first destroyer with the new power plant was able to reach a speed of 36 knots during testing.

Then England began to build destroyers powered by oil rather than coal. Following it, the fleets of other countries began to switch to liquid fuel. In Russia it was the Novik project, built in 1910.

The Russo-Japanese War with the defense of Port Arthur and the Battle of Tsushima, in which nine Russian and twenty-one Japanese destroyers fought, showed the shortcomings of this type of ships and the weakness of their weapons.

By 1914, the displacement of destroyers had increased to 1000 tons. Their hulls were made of thin steel, fixed and single-tube movable torpedo tubes were replaced by multi-tube tubes on a rotating platform, with optical sights mounted on it. Torpedoes became larger, their speed and range increased significantly.

The rest conditions of sailors and officers of the destroyer crew have changed. Officers were given separate cabins for the first time on the British destroyer HMS River in 1902.

During the war, destroyers with a displacement of up to one and a half thousand tons, a speed of 37 knots, steam boilers with oil nozzles, four three-pipe torpedo tubes and five 88 or 102 mm guns actively participated in patrolling, raiding operations, laying minefields, and transporting troops. More than 80 British and 60 German destroyers took part in the largest naval battle of this war - the Battle of Jutland.

In this war, destroyers began to perform another task - to protect the fleet from attacks by submarines, attacking them with artillery fire or ramming. This led to the strengthening of destroyer hulls, equipping them with hydrophones for detecting submarines and depth charges. The submarine was first sunk by the destroyer Llewellyn in December 1916.

Great Britain created a new subclass during the war - the “destroyer leader”, with greater characteristics and weapons than a conventional destroyer. It was intended for launching friendly destroyers into attack, fighting enemy destroyers, controlling groups of destroyers and reconnaissance for the squadron.

Destroyers between the wars

The experience of the First World War showed that the torpedo armament of destroyers was insufficient for combat operations. To increase the number of salvos, six pipes began to be installed in the built-in apparatus.

The Japanese Fubuki-class destroyers can be considered a new stage in the construction of this. Their armament included six powerful five-inch high-elevation guns that could be used as anti-aircraft guns, and three three-tube torpedo tubes with Type 93 Long Lance oxygen torpedoes. In subsequent Japanese destroyers, spare torpedoes began to be placed in the deck superstructure to speed up the reloading of the devices.

US destroyers of the Porter, Mahan and Gridley projects were equipped with twin five-inch guns, and then increased the number of torpedo tubes to 12 and 16, respectively.

French Jaguar-class destroyers already had a displacement of 2 thousand tons and a 130 mm gun.

The leader of the destroyers, Le Fantask, built in 1935, had a record speed of 45 knots for that time and was armed with five 138 mm guns and nine torpedo tubes. Italian destroyers were almost as fast.

In accordance with Hitler's rearmament program, Germany also built large destroyers; ships of the 1934 type had a displacement of 3 thousand tons, but weak weapons. Type 1936 destroyers were already armed with heavy 150 mm guns.

The Germans used a steam turbine unit with high pressure steam in destroyers. The solution was innovative, but it led to serious mechanical problems.

In contrast to the Japanese and German programs for the construction of large destroyers, the British and Americans began to create lighter, but more numerous ships. British destroyers of types A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H with a displacement of 1.4 thousand tons had eight torpedo tubes and four 120 mm guns. True, at the same time, Tribal-class destroyers with a displacement of more than 1.8 thousand tons were built with four gun turrets, in which eight twin 4.7-inch caliber guns were installed.

Then the J-type destroyers were launched with ten torpedo tubes and three turrets with six twin guns, and L, on which six twin new universal guns and eight torpedo tubes were installed.

The US Benson-class destroyers, with a displacement of 1.6 thousand tons, were armed with ten torpedo tubes and five 127 mm (5 inches) guns.

Before the Great Patriotic War, the Soviet Union built destroyers according to Project 7 and the modified 7u, in which the echeloned arrangement of the power plant made it possible to improve the survivability of ships. They developed a speed of 38 knots with a displacement of about 1.9 thousand tons.

According to Project 1/38, six destroyer leaders were built (the lead one was Leningrad) with a displacement of almost 3 thousand tons, a speed of 43 knots and a cruising range of 2.1 thousand miles.

In Italy, the leader of the destroyers “Tashkent” with a displacement of 4.2 thousand tons, with a maximum speed of 44 knots and a cruising range of more than 5 thousand miles at 25 knots of speed was built for the Black Sea Fleet.

World War II experience

Aviation took an active part in World War II, including in combat operations at sea. Anti-aircraft guns and radars began to be quickly installed on destroyers. In the fight against already more advanced submarines, bombers began to be used.

Destroyers were “consumables” for the fleets of all warring countries. They were the most massive ships and participated in all battles in all theaters of military operations at sea. German destroyers of that period only had side numbers.

By the mid-20th century, some wartime destroyers, in order to avoid having to build expensive new ships, were modernized specifically for anti-submarine warfare.

A number of larger ships were also built, armed with automatic main-caliber guns, bomb throwers, radar, and sonar: Soviet destroyers of Project 30-bis and 56, English - "Daring" and American "Forrest Sherman".

Missile era of destroyers

Since the sixties of the last century, with the advent of surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, major naval powers began to build destroyers with guided missile weapons (Russian abbreviation - URO, English - DDG). These were Soviet ships of Project 61, English - of the "County" type, American - of the "Charles F. Adams" type.

By the end of the 20th century, the boundaries between destroyers themselves, heavily armed frigates and cruisers were blurring.

In the Soviet Union, since 1981, they began to build Project 956 destroyers (Sarych or Modern type). These are the only Soviet ships that were originally classified as destroyers. They were intended to combat surface forces and support landing forces, and then for anti-submarine and air defense.

The destroyer Nastoychivy, the current flagship of the Baltic Fleet, was also built according to Project 956. It was launched in January 1991.

Its total displacement is 8 thousand tons, length is 156.5 m, maximum speed is 33.4 knots, cruising range is 1.35 thousand miles at a speed of 33 knots and 3.9 thousand miles at 19 knots. Two boiler-turbine units provide a power of 100 thousand liters. With.

The destroyer is armed with Moskit anti-ship cruise missile launchers (two quadruple), Shtil anti-aircraft missile system (2 installations), six-barreled RBU-1000 bomb launchers (2 installations), two twin 130 mm gun mounts, six-barreled AK-630 (4 installations), two twin torpedo tubes with a caliber of 533 mm. There is a Ka-27 helicopter on board the ship.

Of those already built, until recently, the destroyers of the Indian Navy were the newest. Delhi-class ships are armed with anti-ship missiles with a range of 130 km, Shtil (Russia) and Barak (Israel) air defense systems for air defense, Russian RBU-6000 anti-submarine rocket launchers for anti-submarine defense and five torpedo guides for torpedoes caliber 533 mm. The helipad is designed for two Sea King helicopters. It is expected that these ships will soon be replaced by destroyers of the Kolkata project.

Today, the US Navy destroyer DDG-1000 Zumwalt took the lead.

Destroyers in the 21st century

In all major fleets, general trends have emerged in the construction of new destroyers. The main one is the use of combat control systems similar to the American Aegis (AEGIS), which is designed to destroy not only aircraft, but also ship-to-ship and air-to-ship missiles.

When creating new ships, Stealth technology should be used: radio-absorbing materials and coatings should be used, special geometric shapes should be developed, such as, for example, the USS Zumwalt-class destroyer.

New destroyers should also increase their speed, thereby increasing their habitability and seaworthiness.

Modern ships have a high level of automation, but it must also increase, and, therefore, the share of auxiliary power plants must increase.

It is clear that all these processes lead to an increase in the cost of building ships, so a qualitative increase in their capabilities should occur through a reduction in numbers.

Destroyers of the new century must surpass in size and displacement all ships of this type available until today. The new destroyer DDG-1000 Zumwalt is considered a record holder for displacement, it is 14 thousand tons. Ships of this type were planned to be introduced into the US Navy in 2016, the first of them has already entered sea trials.

By the way, domestic destroyers of Project 23560, which, as promised, will begin construction by 2020, will already have a displacement of 18 thousand tons.

Russian project of a new destroyer

According to project 23560, which, according to media reports, is in the preliminary design stage, it is planned to build 12 ships. The destroyer Leader, 200 m long and 23 m wide, must have an unlimited cruising range, operate autonomously for 90 days, and reach a maximum speed of 32 knots. A classic ship layout using Stealth technologies is assumed.

The promising destroyer of the Leader project (a surface ship in the ocean zone) will most likely be built with a nuclear power plant and should carry 60 or 70 stealth-launched cruise missiles. It is also planned to hide anti-aircraft guided missiles in the mines, of which there should be a total of 128, including the Poliment-Redoubt air defense system. Anti-submarine weapons should consist of 16-24 guided missiles (PLUR). The destroyers will receive a universal 130 mm caliber gun mount A-192 "Armat" and a landing pad for two multi-purpose helicopters.

All data is still tentative and may be updated in the future.

Representatives of the Navy believe that Leader-class destroyers will be universal ships, performing the functions of destroyers themselves, anti-submarine ships and, perhaps, Orlan-class missile cruisers.

Destroyer "Zamvolt"

The Zumwalt-class destroyers are a key element of the US Navy's 21st Century Surface Combatant SC-21 program.

A Russian Leader-class destroyer is a question, perhaps not far away, but of the future.

But the first destroyer of the new type, the DDG-1000 Zumwalt, has already been launched, and its factory tests began in early December 2015. The unique appearance of this destroyer is called futuristic; its hull and superstructure are covered with radio-absorbing materials almost three centimeters (1 inch) thick, and the number of protruding antennas is reduced to a minimum.

The Zumwalt-class series of destroyers is limited to only 3 ships, two of which are still at various stages of construction.

Destroyers of the "Zamvolt" type with a length of 183 m, a displacement of up to 15 thousand tons and a combined power of the main power plant of 106 thousand liters. With. will be able to reach speeds of up to 30 knots. They have powerful radar potential and are capable of detecting not only low-flying missiles, but also terrorist boats at long distances.

The destroyers' armament consists of 20 vertical launchers MK 57 VLS, designed for 80 Tomahawk, ASROC or ESSM missiles, two fast-firing anti-aircraft guns Mk 110 57 mm caliber closed type, two 155 mm AGS guns with a firing range of 370 km, two tubular 324 mm torpedo tubes.

The ships can carry 2 SH-60 Sea Hawk helicopters or 3 MQ-8 Fire Scout unmanned aerial vehicles.

"Zamvolt" is a type of destroyer whose main task is to destroy enemy coastal targets. Also, ships of this type can effectively combat enemy surface, underwater and air targets and support their forces with artillery fire.

"Zamvolt" is the embodiment of the latest technologies; it is the latest destroyer launched today. The projects of India and Russia have not yet been implemented, and this type of ship, it seems, has not yet outlived its usefulness.