For the third day now, the Ukrainian media have been writing that the American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier George W. Bush is about to enter (or will enter) the Black Sea. Bush" with tail number CVN-77. The Kiev Times continues to explore the information field of the situation. The official page of the aircraft carrier is at public portal US Department of Defense.
CVN-77 is home to the US Naval Aviation Wing, codenamed CVW-8 (AJ). The working motto of the ship, named after the now living 41st President of the United States, is: “Freedom at work!” (“Freedom at work”). As befits a large enterprise or any other department with a staff of 6,000, the “man and steamship” “George Bush” has its own page V social network“Facebook”, on which he often shows his location in ports and many photos from on board the ship.
Theoretically, up to 90 aircraft such as airplanes, helicopters and drones can be based on board the aircraft carrier. But at the moment, taking into account the fact that the aircraft carrier was crossing the Atlantic, its air wing includes 68 aircraft and helicopters. By aircraft type, CVW-8 (AJ) has on board:
48 F/A-18 Hornet fighter-attack aircraft;
4 E-2C Hawkeye early warning aircraft;
4 electronic countermeasures aircraft EA-6B Prowler;
4 C-2A Greyhound transport aircraft;
8 SH-60 Sea Hawk helicopters;
flight and technical personnel of the CVW-8 (AJ) air wing - 2480 people;
But, despite its loud motto “Vox Maris” (“Voice of the Sea”), now this ship is quietly standing, putting itself in order after a long trip to the Black Sea. Let us recall that the “Voice of the Sea” ensured the security of the Olympics in Sochi, and left the Black Sea early in the morning of February 27, having stood in line for some time at the entrance to the Bosporus Strait. And the events on the Crimean Peninsula with “unknown armed people” began precisely on the night of February 27, when the electronic reconnaissance regime on board the Mount Whitney was greatly weakened.
There is one more American ship of the 6th Fleet left in the Black Sea - the Taylor destroyer USS Taylor, tail number FFG 50. Alas, this Oliver Perry class guided missile destroyer does not have its own website, but there are good photos and episodes from this ship . But now he was very unlucky - on February 12, he ran aground in the Turkish Black Sea port of Samsun, and seriously damaged the only propeller. When it will be sent for dock repairs outside the Black Sea, none of the crew knows. In the meantime, its former commander was fired for the incident in Samsun harbor on February 25, and the fate of the ship is unknown. The media predicted that by the end of 2015 the destroyer would be decommissioned from the US Navy. But because of this accident, this write-off may occur much earlier. So for now there are no US Navy ships in the Black Sea, and it is unknown when they will be.
But where did the rumors come from that a US aircraft carrier squadron would enter the Black Sea?
Exclusively due to the incompetence of authors in the media. In the entire history of the Cold War and the subsequent period, not a single aircraft carrier of the United States or any other NATO country entered the Black Sea. One of the reasons for this is funny - an aircraft carrier with its mast with radars simply does not fit under the bridges across the very narrow Bosphorus. main reason– there is too great a risk of being hit by anti-ship missiles from land, sea and air. And planes for simulated bombing of targets in Crimea can be lifted from Aegean Sea at the entrance to the Dardanelles Strait. But this requires the consent of NATO members - Turkey or Greece and Bulgaria - for the overflight of US Navy aircraft. It is unlikely to be received in the near future - this is a long and complex process, and these countries are not inclined to get involved in someone else’s conflict.
Let's assume that the country's consent is obtained and such a US Navy operation is still planned. Alas, it cannot be kept secret. For a relatively successful start to such an operation, it is necessary to introduce ships of the American squadron through the Dardanelles and the Bosporus into the Black Sea. For what? To support the operation, divert the attention of the Black Sea Fleet and other Russian armed forces in the Caucasus and Kuban. In addition, it is necessary to provide for the evacuation of downed pilots from the water by helicopters and much more. In general, an aircraft carrier group with its aircraft will not be enough. To do this, you need to connect other forces and deploy them at airfields in Romania and Bulgaria. But can this be done quickly and unnoticed among the multimillion-dollar Istanbul? Unfortunately no. Therefore, the idea of bombing someone in Crimea with carrier aircraft from the George W. Bush is rather a beautiful plot for computer game than a real plan of military action.
And further fun fact. The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier "George Bush" is a Nimitz-class ship (the young carrier aviation pilot George W. Bush himself was just beginning to serve in the Pacific Fleet, commanded by Admiral Nimitz) - the last in its series (10th), which was named after a person who is still alive.
Well, there is also a certain historical paradox - the then human President George Bush Sr., speaking from the rostrum of the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR in early August 1991, said a lot of things against the hasty collapse of the USSR and the declaration of independence of Ukraine. His argumentation was provided by the then US Ambassador to the USSR (1987-1991) Jack Matlock, who has not changed his opinion one iota to this day. So it is unlikely that the ship "George Bush" will take part in the conflict over Crimea between Russia and Ukraine.
American aircraft carriers do not have the legal ability to pass through the Bosphorus to the Black Sea, said military expert, deputy editor-in-chief of the Internet publication "Daily Journal" Alexander Golts. In the Black Sea, aircraft carriers will be within the reliable reach of Russian naval missile-carrying aircraft, said Konstantin Sivkov, vice-president of the Academy of Geopolitical Problems. March 6 Secretary of the Council national security and Defense of Ukraine (NSDC) Andriy Parubiy reported the approach of the American aircraft carrier George W. Bush, accompanied by 17 ships and three submarines, to the Bosporus Strait. Parubiy made this statement on the air of Channel 5 of Ukraine. “This is one of the mechanisms for ensuring security in the region,” said the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, noting that the issue of the presence of the American military in the Black Sea was previously discussed during “negotiations with partners.” At the same time, on the night of March 5, an intercontinental missile was launched from the Kapustin Yar test site. ballistic missile"Poplar". According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the missile launch was a “training exercise” and was “successful.” Golts: the United States is unlikely to violate international treaties According to military expert, deputy editor-in-chief of the Internet publication "Daily Journal" Alexander Golts, according to the Montreux Convention of 1936, the regime for the passage of ships is different in relation to the Black Sea and non-Black Sea states, which include the United States. The treaty states that restrictions on class (only small surface ships can pass) and tonnage have been introduced for military ships of non-Black Sea powers. The total tonnage of ships of non-Black Sea states in the Black Sea should not exceed 30 thousand tons with a stay of no more than 21 days. However, the tonnage can be increased to 45 thousand tons if the naval forces of the Black Sea countries increase. However, this cannot radically change the situation, since the tonnage of the George Bush is more than twice as large and amounts to 97 thousand tons. “Thus, aircraft carriers do not have the right of passage through the Bosphorus. Information about the arrival of the George Bush is nonsense. Of course, everything is changing, but the United States is unlikely to violate international treaties,” Alexander Golts told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent. Vice-President of the Academy of Geopolitical Problems, Doctor of Military Sciences, Captain of the First Rank Konstantin Sivkov agrees with the point of view of the military expert. But besides the Montreux Convention, there is military reason refusal to cross the Bosphorus, Sivkov believes. “Only a fool can bring an aircraft carrier into the Black Sea, even with escort ships and submarines. Having passed the Bosphorus, the George W. Bush aircraft carrier will be in the zone of reliable reach of Russian naval missile-carrying aviation. In these conditions, providing a missile defense system is very problematic, since Russian aircraft can carry out missile launches from the territory (land) of the country or not far into the oversea space.U.S. fighters to ensure interception Russian missiles they won't be able to. As for submarines, they will be cramped in the Black Sea. These are ocean-going ships,” Sivkov told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent. Most likely, the expert suggested, the American military group will remain in the Sea of Marmara “under the umbrella” of NATO air defense, “primarily Turkish.” As for the exercises, experts agree on opinions that they are of a “planned nature.” “Nothing supernatural,” said Sivkov. “There is no direct connection between the shootings and the arrival of the aircraft carrier. The fact is that you cannot check the combat readiness of a missile defense system by simply telling them to go to a certain point. To organize an exercise, you need to drag weapons to Kapustin Yar - the only military training ground where air defense exercises are held,” Golts said, noting that the launch of the Topol is also a demonstration of readiness to “respond to challenges with nuclear weapons". Melkov: only military personnel of the Black Sea Fleet are on the peninsula. At the same time, Russia cannot increase the military contingent on the territory of Crimea, said an expert of the Association of Military Political Scientists, Associate Professor of the Department of Political Science and Sociology of the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, reserve lieutenant colonel Alexander Perendzhiev. According to him , only military personnel of the Black Sea Fleet are on the peninsula, the presence of infantry and other types of troops is excluded. “Conflicting reports about Russia’s buildup of military contingent are a “stuffing”, provocative and aimed at discrediting the country in the world community. The messages probe public opinion, accusing Russia of aggressive actions,” Alexander Perendzhiev told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent. In turn, Doctor of Political Sciences, co-chairman of the Association of Military Political Scientists Sergei Melkov also pointed out that with the exception of the Black Sea Fleet, treaties between Ukraine and Russia there is no information about the presence of other troops. “There is a radar base, information intelligence units, small security, but there is nothing large,” Melkov told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent. As both military political scientists note, in accordance with the “Agreement between the Russian Federation and Ukraine on the parameters of the division of the Black Sea Fleet" dated April 21, 2010, signed in Kharkov, Russia "can have in Ukraine no more than 25 thousand personnel, 24 artillery systems with a caliber of more than 100 mm, 132 armored vehicles, 22 aircraft." As noted in agreement, at the main base of the Black Sea Fleet Russian Federation"its headquarters and other governing bodies are located, as well as military formations, enterprises, organizations and institutions of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation."
The US State Department admitted that the crew of the American destroyer Donald Cook was demoralized after meeting with a Russian Su-24 bomber that did not have bombs or missiles on board. We found out why this happened and what else Russia has that is inspiring.
On an unnamed frequency
On April 10, he entered the Black Sea American destroyer"Donald Cook". On April 12, a Russian Su-24 front-line bomber flew over the destroyer. On April 14, after a generally ordinary incident - our planes do not regularly approach the ships of a potential enemy in neutral waters - the Pentagon made an extremely emotional statement, accusing Russia of violating its own traditions and international treaties. It was mentioned that the crew of the Donald Cook was demoralized after the meeting with the bomber; a number of media reported that 27 American sailors wrote reports of dismissal from the fleet. What scared the destroyer crew so much?
The Donald Cook is not the rusty Zaporozhye submarine, but a fourth-generation US Navy destroyer whose main weapon is guided missiles. This is the most massive post-war ship with a displacement of more than 5,000 tons: 62 have been built since 1988, with 13 more planned. The Cook's main weapons are Tomahawk cruise missiles with a flight range of up to 2,500 kilometers, capable of carrying nuclear warheads. In conventional and attack versions, the destroyer is equipped with 56 or 96 such missiles, respectively.
The 380 people who make up the ship's crew are reliably protected. The Donald Cook's combat posts are surrounded by Kevlar - each ship carries 130 tons of this expensive but durable material. The small superstructure is covered with material that absorbs radar radiation. Below the waterline, the destroyer is protected by armor made of high-strength magnesium-aluminum alloys. To reduce underwater noise, air is supplied to the edges of the propellers. As a result, a cloud of bubbles is formed, distorting and smoothing out the hydroacoustic “portrait” of the ship.
Finally, the Donald Cook is equipped with the latest Aegis combat information and control system - among other things, it integrates the air defense systems of all ships on which it is installed into a common network, allowing it to simultaneously track and fire at hundreds of targets. On the edges of the destroyer's superstructure there are four huge antennas of a universal radar, replacing several conventional radars. Together with "Tomahawks" in universal launchers At the bow and stern, fifty anti-aircraft guided missiles of various classes are waiting in the wings.
It would seem that the appearance of such a ship in the Black Sea should cause shock and awe. And so it happened, but from the wrong side. The Russian Su-24 front-line bomber that arrived at the Donald Cook did not have bombs or missiles on board. Under the fuselage hung one container with a Khibiny electronic warfare system. Having approached the destroyer, the Khibiny turned off its radar, combat control circuits, data transmission systems - in short, they turned off the entire Aegis, just as we turn off the TV by pressing a button on the remote control. After this, the Su-24 simulated a missile attack on the blinded and deafened ship. Then another and another - a total of 12 times.
When the bomber took off, the Donald Cook hurriedly headed to the Romanian port to calm her nerves. He did not approach Russian waters again. The Americans are accustomed from afar, in complete safety, to crush poorly armed detachments of some desert partisans with missiles. And if that doesn't work out, they don't play.
Soldiers of the invisible front
The more complex the electronic system, the easier it is to disrupt its operation using electronic warfare methods and means. - said the head of the research center for electronic warfare and assessing the effectiveness of reducing the visibility of the Air Force Academy Vladimir Balybin. - To win a modern war, it is not enough to achieve air supremacy. It is also necessary to ensure information superiority.
In addition to the Khibiny, the domestic military-industrial complex produces many different devices capable of discouraging both regular enemy units and bandits and terrorists. The Airborne Forces began to receive Infauna complexes. Installed on an armored personnel carrier or other military equipment, the complex finds and jams enemy radio communications in the HF and VHF bands, and “puts to sleep” remotely controlled landmines. They will certainly explode - but only after a column of Russian military personnel passes over them and moves away to a safe distance.
"Infauna" has one more function - optical sensors placed on the sides of the vehicle detect flashes of shots and give the command to set up a smoke screen to shield the column from fire. The "Judoist" information security complex, among other things, finds and neutralizes electronic devices that have been unauthorized connected to data transmission channels.
The product "Lesochek" performs the same functions as "Infauna", but is much more compact - it can be carried in a backpack or suitcase. With such a case it is convenient to go to important business negotiations - the most advanced security service will not be able to eavesdrop on them. For businessmen, there is a civilian version of "Lesochka" - it can be mounted in the trunk of a Mercedes.
If the “Lesochek” product had been working in General Romanov’s UAZ in Grozny in 1995, the explosion of the vehicle of the commander of the internal troops might not have happened, said Balybin.
The basis of the radio-electronic protection of tactical formations of the Russian Army is the Borisoglebsk-2 complex. It includes an automated control center and four types of jamming stations - in a single algorithm they find sources of enemy activity on the air and jam them.
The "Resident" device finds and blocks satellite and Cell Phones, subscriber systems for GPS navigation. It proved its effectiveness during the conflict in South Ossetia, disorienting Georgian drones. In Chechnya, the head of the electronic warfare department of the Voronezh Air Force Academy, Vladimir Khrolikov, fought with terrorists:
We had tracking stations throughout the territory. As soon as there was activity on the air, we made a note and passed it on to the gunners. Dzhokhar Dudayev, as you know, was destroyed by a missile aimed at the signal of his satellite phone. In Grozny, electronic warfare specialists neutralized radio-controlled landmines rolled into asphalt.
Re-equipment of strategic nuclear forces Russia is investing in the latest electronic warfare equipment at an accelerated pace, said Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Rogozin. If the army and navy as a whole will be re-equipped by 70 percent by 2020, then the electronic warfare capabilities of the strategic potential will be updated by 100 percent.
Electronic warfare is what allows our smart weapons to operate and other people's smart weapons to fall asleep. And that’s right,” the Deputy Prime Minister noted.
Journalists from the publication “Stock Leader” recently reported in the publication “” about the imminent arrival of an aircraft carrier group of US ships in the Black Sea. Today this event happened.
The American aircraft carrier George W. Bush entered the Black Sea on March 7, 2014, which was immediately reported by the media and a video was posted. The destroyer Thruxton arrived with him in the Black Sea, official version to participate in exercises together with the Bulgarian Navy.
Earlier it was reported in the media that the US Navy aircraft carrier George W. Bush, accompanied by a group of 17 smaller ships and three submarines, was approaching the Black Sea. According to the latest data, the aircraft carrier was in Greece, from where the distance to Crimea is about 600 miles (about 1000 km), while for the effective use of weapons with 100 percent results (according to calculations), the aircraft carrier can be away from targets at a distance of up to two thousand miles (about 3.5 thousand km.).
The United States resolved the issue with Turkey and it allowed US ships of such large tonnage to pass through the Bosphorus.
The formal reason for entering the Black Sea is exercises with Bulgaria.
On March 11, joint exercises will be held in the northwestern part of the Black Sea, in which the navies of Bulgaria, Romania and the United States will take part. The information was announced by the command of the Bulgarian Navy.
From the Bulgarian side, one frigate will take part in the exercises, from Romania - three ships, and from the United States - the missile destroyer Thruxton.
The Bulgarian Navy emphasized that the exercises were planned back in 2013 and are part of the joint training of the navies of the three countries. They are not connected in any way with the events in Ukraine. Sunset American ships to the port of Varna is expected on March 12.
Why is US Navy aircraft carrier George W. Bush dangerous? The Americans are sure it is “unsinkable”.
Americans who are confident in their technical superiority, call their aircraft carrier “invulnerable.” However, our aviation has experience of successful attacks on ships of a similar class.
On October 17 and November 9, 2000, our pilots carried out mock bombing on an aircraft carrier twice without hindrance. It was like this.
The Il-38 reconnaissance aircraft, without attracting the attention of the ship's air defense, being at a distance from the aircraft carrier, recorded the moment the refueling began. A pair of Su-24MRs, covered by two Su-27s, rushed towards the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk, an analogue of the George W. Bush.
When the planes flew over the deck of the aircraft carrier, panic arose there, which was recorded by photography. The Americans hastily cut off the powerful hoses, interrupting the refueling and allowing the planes to take off. But time was lost. According to the pilots, in real combat conditions this could lead to the death of the aircraft carrier. Pilots Alexander Renev, Mikhail Aristarkhov, Igor Radchenko, Vladimir Osipov were awarded orders for this operation.
There is an understanding that the entry of an aircraft carrier into the Black Sea is more likely a means of psychological pressure than military pressure. In all local operations, the Americans used the capabilities of aircraft carriers from long distances without putting them at risk. And in the Black Sea they are a good target for numerous ground-based installations. But as a demonstration of power and confidence, this is a good step, but questionable from a military point of view.
Combat use of aircraft carriers in Iraq.
In the famous Operation Desert Storm, aviation made 1,300 combat sorties per day. At intervals of several hours, groups of hundreds of aircraft struck Iraq. However, what was the contribution of aircraft carriers to this air armada? Alas, not as high as is sometimes written in the media. Carrier-based aviation turned out to be weak before the power of tactical ground aviation.
In 1997, during exercise JTFEX 97-2, aircraft from the aircraft carrier Nimitz set a record of 197 sorties per day, which remains unsurpassed to this day. At the same time, the range of aviation did not exceed 200 miles.
In other operations, the number of flights did not exceed 100 per day. Which does not exceed 10 percent of what is needed to suppress the air defense and ground forces of Saddam Hussein’s far from combat-ready army.
It is also worth noting the quality of carrier-based aircraft, which are significantly inferior in power to ground-based aircraft. The Hornet cannot lift a large-caliber bomb (limited flights from the deck), and its land counterpart, the F-15E, takes to the skies with four 900-kg ammunition.
The contribution of aircraft carriers in local US operations is as follows: Iraq - 17% of all combat sorties, Yugoslavia - 10% of combat sorties, Libya - 0%. In 2011, 150 aircraft from EU air bases carried democracy to Colonel Gaddafi.
In addition, the indefinite autonomy of an aircraft carrier is significantly limited by the period of stay of security and support ships, without which it is impossible combat use aircraft carrier.
Let’s look at the situation of the “Nimites” as of February 2013. 8 out of 10 aircraft carriers display the flag in their home ports. One sails along the coast of the States and another serves in the Arabian Sea. Why? Expensive!
The usual state of a US Navy aircraft carrier is at its home port (see map below). This is a fact - for the most part of their lives, formidable ships sleep peacefully near the piers at the bases, or are in a semi-disassembled state at the docks.
To “show the flag”, sometimes a visit from a cruiser or destroyer is enough. Apparently, this time a spectacular display of the flag was needed, since an aircraft carrier was sent. For reference local war the forces that came are small, but quite enough to show the seriousness of intentions.
Transfer of S-400 systems to Crimea according to media reports:
The United States sent the aircraft carrier George W. Bush, 17 ships and 3 submarines to the Black Sea, the press claims.
Has the aircraft carrier George W. Bush entered the Black Sea?
The American side sent its aircraft carrier George H. W. Bush towards the Black Sea. The overseas government explained these actions. It is known that the ship has already entered the Greek port of Piraeus.
“In response to the Russian invasion, the United States sent a strike group on an aircraft carrier towards the Black Sea to be able to respond to developments on the Crimean Peninsula in Ukraine,” according to the Turner Radio Network RSS Feed website.
The aircraft carrier George W. Bush is accompanied by 17 others intkbbach ships and three submarines that passed through the Aegean Sea on March 3. It is reported that the aircraft carrier "George Bush" will be in the Black Sea on March 7.
According to some reports, there are 90 units on board the aircraft carrier military equipment, including airplanes, helicopters and F-22 Raptors. In turn, each submarine has 24 missile silos for launching nuclear warheads.
Please note that this website, Turner Radio Network RSS Feed, is hardly trustworthy. information resource. Thus, among other news, the site posted a video dated March 4, 2014, where allegedly Russian troops have already invaded Ukraine and are fighting with all their might against the Ukrainian self-defense forces.
American fleet in the Black Sea: the aircraft carrier George W. Bush will not be able to pass
However, according to a source at the Russian Navy General Staff, the US aircraft carrier George W. Bush will not be able to pass through the Black Sea straits.
“Ships of this class, belonging to non-Black Sea states, according to the Montreux Convention, do not have the right of passage through the Black Sea straits,” Interfax quotes the words of a Navy representative. Thus, this statement refutes information that the aircraft carrier George W. Bush will be able to proceed to the Black Sea.
According to a representative of the department, “so far there is one violator of the Montreux Convention - the US Navy frigate Taylor, which was stuck in the Turkish port of Samsun due to a propeller failure.” The ship was supposed to leave the Black Sea on February 26, but this did not happen.
Aircraft carrier "George Bush": characteristics
The American aircraft carrier George W. Bush is a Nimitz-class vessel with significant amount improvements compared to the 9 previous ships of this project.
The aircraft carrier George W. Bush is named after the 41st President of the United States, who is the father of George W. Bush.
The ship was laid down on September 6, 2003, launched on October 9, 2006, and included in the fleet on January 10, 2009.
The aircraft carrier George W. Bush has the following innovations and improvements:
The ship's "island" has been reduced in size, and its windows are equipped with armored glass, new radars and communications installations.
Gas traps on deck have been updated. In the aviation fuel storage and distribution system, it was possible to achieve a level of semi-automatic control of the refueling process. The latrine flushing system now has vacuum system. Electronics and communications systems have also been upgraded on the USS George W. Bush.