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Continuation of the topic of comparing the navies of the leading maritime powers. Previous entries - by tag .

The presented statistical study takes into account everything that is calledcapital ships- warships of the mainclasses, plus frigates and seaworthy landing ships, i.e. that component of the Navy that is capable of projecting force onto remote regions of the world. Ships under construction (not transferred to the fleet before 01/01/2016) are included in the initial data for reference- they are not taken into account either in the total number of ships, or in the total displacement. An exception was made for the third submarine of the "Astyut" type -S121 "Artful", handed over to the Navy on March 18, 2016, which is taken into account with age0,00 . The names of the ships are given in Russian transcription, checked for compliance with their traditional spellings or dictionary phonetic transcription. To determine the surface displacement, the buoyancy margin of the Wangard-type SSBN accepted 12%(similar to Resolution-class SSBNs), Trafalgar-class submarines - 12%, Astyut - 14%.

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7 statistical observations:

1 ) it is sad to see (not out of sympathy for NATO, but from the point of view of a lover of naval history) how low the once powerful fellGrand Fleet, which was stronger than the two navies of the world following it together (two-state standard) - total33 (thirty three! ) main warships with total gross displacement259 thousand. tons (in 12 times less than the USA andthree times - Russia and China).

2 ) after the commissioning (in 2017 and 2020) of the two newest aircraft carriers of the Queen Elizabeth type, the weight of the British fleet, in the literal and figurative sense, will noticeably increase (in the literal sense - up to389 thousand tons), and the gap with the three leading maritime powers will be reduced to8 andtwo times, which, however, will not greatly change the picture of the world as a whole; further growthRoyal Navy and its total displacement is not expected;

3 ) the average displacement of the main ships of the British Navy is still similar to the Russian Navy (7800 and7600 t) and corresponds to a destroyer, but after the transfer of the Queens to the fleet, it should increase significantly and reach the level of a light cruiser (11000 t); given fact characterizes the British Navy asocean zone fleet (unlike, for example, todayChinese);

4 ) Royal Navyyoung enough - the average age of his ships15,7 year that is the golden mean between young PLA Navy (12,6 ) and hardened US Navy (19,2 ) ; against the backdrop of intensively updated fleets, our Navy still looks prettypale (24,6 ), which, no doubt, will be corrected during the implementation of the Military Shipbuilding Program until 2050.

5 ) the share of new ships (commissioned within the last 10 years) - the value "inverse" to the average age, in the IUD Great Britain equals27,3% (in the USA -21,4% , China has39,5% , in Russia -12,6% );

6 ) the most "ancient" types of ships of the British Navy are Trafalgar-class submarines (average age26,4 of the year),Duke-class frigates (20,0 ), Wangard-class SSBN (19,7 ) and the landing helicopter carrier "Ocean" (17,3 ) ; to replace"Trafalgaram" building "Astyuty", starting from 2023 (link 1 ) "Dukes" will be replaced by "general purpose" warships (global combat ships) Project 26 (in fact, already destroyers), "Vangards" - "Successors"(approximately from 2028), there is no information regarding the replacement of "Ocean" (except for this one -link 2 );

7 ) Britain's military shipbuilding seems to be "degrading" along with the Navy - the average construction time for destroyers of the type"Daring" (6,32 years) in2,3 times more than the "Burkov" (2,77 ), and Astyut-type submarines are built in3,6 times longer "Virginia" (9,98 against2,74 , "Artful" -11 years! ) - I recall the legendary "Dreadnought", built "in 1 year and 1 day" (actually in 20months, which is unprincipled), and the unhurried construction of "Ash" at Sevmash no longer causes negative emotions(This, of course, is a joke - we will focus on the leaders, not the laggards).■

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Cockade Norfolk of the Yeomanry Anti-Tank Regiment of the Royal British Armed Forces Cockade Norfolk of the Yeomanry Anti-Tank Regiment of the Royal Armed Forces of Britain Badge for the cap of the Honorable Artillery Service at the Guards Grenadier Regiment Cockade badge for the cap of the Honorary Artillery Service at the Guards Grenadier Regiment t.m. cap badge badge on the cap of the 1st Battalion of the Hampshire Royal Garrison Volunteer Artillery

Badge of the Barbados Infantry Regiment Badge of the Barbados Infantry Regiment t.m. loops Cockade badge of the Army Cadet Corps of Bermuda Cockade badge of the Army Cadet Corps of Bermuda t.m. composite, hinges Cockade badge of the Bermuda Rifles Regiment Cockade badge of the Bermuda Rifles Regiment t.m. loop Options Cockade badge of the shooters of the island

Sign on the beret of the enlisted personnel of the Navy Badge on the beret of the enlisted personnel of the Navy t.m. composite. Loops Royal Marines Commando Officer badge 2 piece Officer beret badge bronze subdued Royal Marines Commando Enlisted badge Enlisted beret badge bronze subdued petty officer petty officer cap emblem for the period of George VI until 1952 . The cap emblem of warrant officer midshipman for the period of George VI until 1952. . Cockade

Badge of the Dental Corps. Royal Army of Great Britain Options Width 35mm. Height 47mm. Cap badge on the cap of the Royal Army Medical Corps Badge on the cap of the Royal Army Medical Corps t.m. George VI. One piece, white metal. Clamp. Cap badge on the cap of the Royal Army Medical Corps Badge on the cap of the Royal

Cap badge on the beret of non-commissioned officers of the Royal Air Force Cockade badge on the beret of non-commissioned officers of the Royal Air Force l.m. hinges composite, crown of Elizabeth II Parameters Cockade badge on the beret of officers of the Royal Air Force Cockade badge on the beret of officers of the Royal Air Force Crown of Elizabeth II t.m. .Silver-plated rim on the crown. Options

Cap badge on the cap of the Corps of Royal Engineers Badge on the cap of the Corps of Royal Engineers t.m. Victoria One-piece stamped. Loops. Queen Victoria reigned from 1837 to 1901. Cap badge on the cap of the Corps of Royal Engineers Badge on the cap of the Corps of Royal Engineers t.m. Edward VII One-piece stamped. Hinges.Silver plated. King Edward VII reigned from 1901 to 1910. Cockade insignia on the cap of the Royal Corps

Badge on the beret of the Royal Corps of Logistics Badge on the beret of the Royal Corps of Logistics t.m. Whole stamped. Clamp Badge badge on the beret of the Royal Corps of Logistics Badge on the beret of the Royal Corps of Logistics l.m. Composite. clamp

Cockade bought on the occasion said the English Cockade of the Royal Navy of Great Britain Cockade badge of the Drake battalion of the Marine Corps division Cockade badge of the Drake battalion of the Marine division t.m. loops, crown of George VI Cockade badge of the HOWE battalion of the British Marine Corps Cockade badge of the HOWE battalion of the Marine Corps t.m. Loop cockade badge on a military cap

Badge on the cap of the fire brigade of the Gwynedd district Badge on the cap of the fire brigade of the Gwynedd district, Wales t.m. loops, composite Cockade badge for the cap of the fire brigade of the Marionis region Cockade badge for the cap badge of the fire brigade of the Marionis district of the community of Gwynedd, Wales. t.m. hinges, composite, enamel Cockade badge for the cap of the fire brigade of Darlington Cockade badge for the cap of the fire brigade of Darlington County

Cap badge for the cap of the Royal Scottish Dragoon Guards Badge for the cap of the Royal Scottish Dragoon Guards t.m. Clamp. Composite Badge badge for the cap of the King of Great Britain Royal Hussars Badge badge for the cap of the King of Great Britain Royal Hussars l.m. 1 type and 2 type t.m. Clip. Painted with black paint. Formed in 1992 from the Royal Hussars and

Cap badge on the cap of the Royal Berkshire Infantry Regiment Cap badge on the cap of the Royal Berkshire Infantry Regiment t.m. clip Cockade badge on the cap of the Duke of the Edinburgh Infantry Regiment Cockade badge on the cap of the Duke of the Edinburgh Infantry Regiment. 1- type l.m. clip, one-piece stamped. Manufacturer J.R.GAUNT B.HAM .2-type t.m. clip, composite. The manufacturer is AMMO UK. Cockade badge on a cap

Metal helmets, widely used in the armies of the world long before our era, lost their protective value by the 18th century due to the massive spread of firearms. By the period of the Napoleonic Wars in European armies, they were used as protective equipment mainly in heavy cavalry. Throughout the 19th century, military headdresses protected their wearers at best from cold, heat or rain. Returning to service steel helmets, or

Auxiliary Troops Lance Corporal 1943 Lance Corporal Royal Military Police October 1943, Naples This military police officer is from the 46th North Midlands and West Riding Infantry Division, which participated in the Italian Campaign. On his head is a steel helmet with a painted stripe and the letters MP Military Policeman. He is wearing a special overcoat designed for motorcyclists,

In English historiography on the topic civil war 1642-1645 many books have been written. And many studies have not lost their relevance until now, although they were written in the last century. A separate issue is the armament of the troops of the Parliament and the troops of the supporters of the king. But what kind of military equipment was used in the army of the new model, and what kind of armor did the cavaliers use? And how did they both come to this? It turns out that even at the end of the 16th century, namely in

Judging by historical sources, the most common type of armor in the 13th century was chain mail, consisting of iron rings connected to each other. However, despite its wide distribution, only a few chain mails dating back to the period before the 14th century have survived to this day. None of them are made in England. Therefore, researchers rely mainly on images in manuscripts and sculptures. To date, the secret of making chain mail has been largely lost, although

The changes that the 14th century brought with it concerned not only armor and weapons, but also the organization of the army. If in 1300 the royal army consisted mainly of vassals called on the basis of feudal law, then by 1400 the main contingent of the army was mercenaries who served under a contract for cash. The feudal conscription, introduced by the Normans, lost its significance for the royal power by the 14th century, but continued to operate at the level of barons. Initially, the system worked

Modern camouflages of the USA and Canada The history of the mass introduction of camouflages in the US Armed Forces, unlike the USSR, began not during WWII, but during the Vietnam War. Before the Vietnam War, camouflage was used only by the US Marine Corps, which is considered a separate branch of the military, and then not in droves. This was a WWII-era camouflage with a similar texture to modern Australian camouflage, see below. The main part of the US Armed Forces in Korea and

PLCE Personal Load Carrying Equipment is the unloading belt system adopted today by the British Army. Despite the widespread use of utility vests and bras, which are more convenient for mechanized companies and urban combat, the PLCE's capacity makes it indispensable for traditional infantry operations, as it can accommodate everything a soldier needs for 48 hours of action. Personal Load Carrying Equipment

PLEASE NOTE Clothing measurements are shown, not body measurements. Armpit width has NOTHING to do with chest circumference. These are different sizes. 1 - Sleeve length from the middle of the neck at the back where the collar is sewn to the back to the edge of the cuff. 2 - Sleeve length from the sewing line of the sleeve to the edge of the cuff. Not measured on raglan shoulders. 3 - Armpit width. Measurement between the points where the sleeve is attached to the side seam. 4 - Height of the back from the bottom to the seam where the collar is sewn to the back.

Coloring for different types of terrain Eng. Multi-Terrain Pattern abbreviated MTP, eng. MTP camouflage pattern applied to modern equipment of the United Kingdom Army. British serviceman in uniform, ICC colors, Afghanistan History

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Dominion armies Private Abyssinian rebel army Private Abyssinian rebel army 1941 The British troops in East Africa in the early years of the war were very successful, which had an extremely beneficial effect on the morale of the soldiers and the mood of the civilian population, when in other theaters of war the Allied forces retreated under pressure Axis armies. In East Africa, two factions

RAF Uniform Firefighter 1945 Air Force Firefighter, Airfield Services 1945 This figure of a fantastic looking soldier is wearing an asbestos suit designed to provide the best possible protection from the heat and fire generated by burning kerosene. Such suits were produced for firefighters at airfields and aircraft carriers.

England ended the First World War with the largest fleet in the world, numbering 44 dreadnoughts and battlecruisers, 59 modern light cruisers, not counting three dozen ironclads, more than a hundred cruisers over 15 years old and over 400 destroyers. The content of such an armada, the country exhausted by the war, was beyond the power, and in 1920 - 1921. the vast majority of old ships were sold for scrap.

The decisions of the Washington and then London conferences to limit the growth of naval armaments, as well as financial difficulties, greatly slowed down the renewal of the material base of the British fleet in the interwar period. Throughout the 1920s. budget appropriations steadily declined and reached their minimum in 1932, amounting to only 50.5 million pounds. Art. (for comparison: in 1922, 65 million were allocated for these purposes). A barely noticeable growth was outlined only in the mid-1930s, and only in 1936 the allocated funds (about 81 million pounds) turned out to be enough to start building the first battleships, and in addition, significantly increase the number of ordered cruisers, destroyers and submarines. Industrial decline in the late 1920s and early 1930s seriously affected the ability of England to carry out the rearmament of the Navy. Part of the shipyards closed, some refocused on production not related to shipbuilding. With the expansion of the military order, the lack of qualified personnel began to affect both in the shops and in the design bureau. Financial constraints have been replaced by production constraints. Therefore, by the beginning of World War II, most of the still largest fleet in the world consisted of physically and morally obsolete ships, and most of the large units laid down before the war were still under construction.

At the time of England's entry into the Second World War, the basis of the British Navy was the Home Fleet, whose main task was to ensure dominance at sea, in coastal waters and on ocean trade routes leading to the British Isles. The Metropolis fleet was based on Scapa Flow and consisted of 5 LCs ("Royal Sovereign", "Ramillies", "Royal Oak", "Nelson" and "Rodney"), 3 LCs ("Hood", "Renown" and "Repulse" ), 2 AB ("Furious" and "Ark Royal"), 7 KP, 17 EM and 22 PL.

To disrupt the attempts of the enemy's light forces to deploy active operations in the southern part of the North Sea, a detachment consisting of 2 KR and 8 EM based on the Humber was detached from the Metropolitan Fleet. This unit ("Forces of the Humber"), formally part of the Home Fleet, was directly subordinate to the Admiralty.

The defense of approaches to the English Channel and the Irish Sea from the west and the cover of military transports going to the ports of France and back was provided by a squadron based in Portland, called the "Channel Force", consisting of 2 LK ("Revenge" and "Resolution"), 2 AB ("Courageous" and "Hermes"), 3 CR and 9 EM.

Sentinel service in the Danish Straits was carried out by 8 CDs of the "Northern Patrol".

In addition, four naval commands (Rosyth, Portsmouth, Sea and Western approaches) were deployed in the coastal waters of England, providing local defensive tasks, combating submarines, and trawling. Rosyte (Rosyth) consisted of 11 EMs and 4 sloops; Portsmouth (Portsmouth) - 6 EM and 7 PL; Norsky (Dover) - 8 EM (in October 1939, the Dover command was deployed at its base); Western approaches (Plymouth and Portland) - 25 EM.

Outside the British Isles, the largest force was the Mediterranean Fleet. According to pre-war operational plans, he was supposed to ensure dominance in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea (the western part was under the responsibility of allied France) and was based mainly in Malta, but shortly before the start of the war he was transferred to Alexandria. It consisted of 3 LK ("Warspite", "Barham" and "Malaya"), 1 AB ("Glorious"), 7 KR, 32 EM and 10 PL. In addition, on the eve of the war, 3 EMs were transferred to the Red Sea to strengthen the defense of maritime communications passing near Italian naval bases in East Africa.

Another branch of the Royal Navy was Ocean Command. Their task was to search for and destroy enemy raiders and patrol in the key navigation areas where the enemy was expected to appear.

North Atlantic Command was based at Gibraltar (2 KR and 9 EM); South Atlantic - to Freetown (8 KR, 4 EM, 2 PL and 4 sloops); American and West Indian - to Bermuda (4 KR, 2 sloops); in Chinese waters - to Singapore and Hong Kong (1 AB ("Eagle"), 4 KR, 15EM, 15PL and 5 sloops); East Indian - on Trincomalee (3 KR, 1 PL and 12 sloops).

In the waters of Australia there were 6 KR, 5 EM and 2 sloops of the Australian Navy, as well as the so-called. "New Zealand Division", which included 2 KR and 2 sloops. In the coastal waters of Canada - 6 Canadian EMs. With the outbreak of war, Australian and Canadian ships came under the control of the British Admiralty.

During the war years, the organization of the English fleet underwent a number of significant changes, in particular, in the summer of 1940, Compound "H" was formed in Gibraltar (LKR "Hood", LK "Resolution" and "Valiant", AB "Ark Royal", 2 KR and 11 EM), designed to replace the fleet of capitulated France in the Western Mediterranean. With the entry into the war of Japan in the Indian Ocean, on the basis of the East Indian Command, the Eastern Fleet was formed, which at the beginning of 1942 consisted of 5 LK ("Warspite", "Royal Sovereign", "Ramillies", "Revenge" and "Resolution"), 3 AB ("Formidable", "Indomitable" and "Hermes"), 7 CR and 11 EM. At the end of 1944, on its basis, the Pacific Fleet was created for the offensive against Japan, which included all the modern ships of the British fleet, released after the end of the war in Europe.

battleships

Battleships of the "King George V" class - 5 units

• Battleship "King George V"
• Battleship "Prince of Wales"
• Battleship "Duke of York"
• Battleship "Anson"
• Battleship "Howe"

Nelson-class battleships - 2 units

• Battleship "Nelson"
  
• Battleship "Rodney"

battleshipstype "Queen Elizabeth" - 5 units

• Battleship

THROUGHOUT the history of Great Britain, the navy has been an important instrument of its foreign policy. The country's leadership constantly took all measures in order to have a strong fleet, which has always been assigned the leading role in achieving foreign policy goals both in peacetime and in wartime. Now the military-political course of Great Britain is aimed at strengthening the unity and increasing the military power of the North Atlantic Alliance as the main factor of European security, at further developing comprehensive cooperation with the United States and the leading states of Western Europe, and ensuring the protection of British interests in various regions.

An important place in achieving these goals is assigned to the Navy, which is characterized by a constant high combat readiness and the ability to quickly deploy its forces in designated areas of the oceans. It is believed that freedom of navigation allows the movement and concentration of fleet forces without violating international maritime law, in fact, Giving to the enemy reasons for organizing retaliatory actions. This circumstance is of no small importance in the conditions of a radical change in the situation in Europe, when more flexible forms of using the armed forces are required to achieve foreign policy goals in areas of interest to the British leadership.

The British Navy, traditionally considered the main branch of the armed forces, is one of the largest in Europe in terms of numbers and combat power. They are subdivided into the navy, naval aviation and marines. The general leadership of them is carried out by the chief of staff of defense, direct - by the chief of staff of the Navy with the rank of admiral (in English terminology - the first sea lord, who actually performs the functions of commander). The chief of staff is responsible for the development and implementation of plans for construction, mobilization deployment, combat use, operational and combat training, improvement of the organizational structure, training and education of personnel. There are 51,000 people in the British navy: 44,000 in the fleet (including 6,000 in the naval aviation) and 7,000 in the marines. Organizationally, they consist of commands (navy, naval in the UK, Naval Aviation, Marine Corps, Logistics, Training) and the Gibraltar Naval Area (BMP).

The Naval Command (headquarters in Northwood) includes a submarine flotilla (two squadrons), a flotilla of surface ships (two squadrons of URO destroyers and four URO frigates), a naval task force (light aircraft carriers, landing helicopter dock ships) and a flotilla of mine-sweeping forces (three squadrons of minesweepers, one - fishery protection and protection of oil and gas complexes).

The naval command in the UK is headed by a commander (Portsmouth), who manages the activities of training centers, monitors the state of naval and air bases, bases and coastal fortifications, and organizes and conducts tests of equipment and weapons. The command is responsible for training personnel, maintaining the mobilization and combat readiness of marine reserve components to an appropriate degree, maintaining a favorable operational regime in territorial waters and the 200-mile economic zone. The fulfillment of these tasks is entrusted to the commanders of the three naval regions - Portsmouth, Plymouth, Scottish and Northern Ireland. In addition, the auxiliary fleet, the auxiliary fleet service and the naval reserve are subordinate to the command.

The Naval Aviation Command (Yovilton) includes combat aviation (three squadrons of attack fighters, seven anti-submarine helicopters, four assault helicopters) and auxiliary (six squadrons).

The Marine Corps Command (Portsmouth) includes the forces of the Marine Corps, the training group, the reserve and the special forces of the Marine Corps. The logistics command is responsible for the comprehensive supply of ships and coastal units, ensuring routine maintenance and repair of equipment, as well as the mobilization deployment of the Navy, and the training command (Portsmouth) is responsible for recruiting ship crews and practicing combat training tasks before entering the ships into the fleet. The Gibraltar BMP is headed by a commander who is responsible for organizing the defense of the naval base in the area and important sections of the coast, maintaining a favorable operational regime in the area of ​​​​responsibility.

In wartime, the naval forces of Great Britain have the following mission: delivering nuclear missile strikes on enemy territory, participating in NATO combined naval forces in operations (combat actions) to gain dominance at sea, protecting ocean (maritime) communications, providing support to land troops in coastal areas, conducting amphibious operations. In peacetime, warships should operate as part of permanent formations of the NATO navies in the Atlantic and in the Mediterranean, as well as a permanent formation of mine-sweeping forces of the bloc. During the threatened period, most of the British Navy allocated to the NATO Joint Naval Forces is supposed to be used as part of the strike fleet of the alliance in the Atlantic, the NATO Joint Naval Forces in the East Atlantic and in the North-West European Theater of Operations. shock and combined navies of the allied countries in the South European theater of operations.

The main goal of improving the British Navy is a significant increase in the combat capabilities of the fleet through a qualitative upgrade of all components. The main direction was to build up the combat capabilities of sea-based nuclear missile forces. In particular, they began to receive a promising sea-based missile system "Trident-2" with a longer range and increased accuracy of fire. In addition, the automatic combat control system for SSBNs in combat patrol areas was upgraded. Increasing the stealth and invulnerability of these boats as a result of the adoption of the Trident-2 BR will expand their patrol area. Higher secrecy will also be ensured by increasing the depth of their immersion, equipping them with modern nuclear power plants and using towed antennas.

Submarine "Trenchang" type "Trafalgar"

In the course of improving general-purpose forces, much attention is paid to the construction of multi-purpose ships with enhanced combat capabilities capable of solving a wide range of tasks, improving methods and means of control, and introducing new technical achievements and scientific discoveries. The core of the fleet's forces will be submarines and surface ships equipped with modern missile weapons and electronic means. For successful interaction with the navies of other NATO countries, British ships and aircraft are equipped with appropriate communication and information exchange systems.

An important direction in the development of the British naval forces remains the construction of nuclear multi-purpose submarines, as well as the improvement of the Trafalgar-class submarine. A larger displacement will make it possible to equip them with new nuclear power plants and advanced hydroacoustic systems. All these submarines will be armed with American-made Tomahawk sea-launched cruise missiles in conventional equipment, thanks to which they can be used in operations to destroy (destroy) enemy ground targets.

Much attention is also paid to the improvement of surface ships, in particular, the requirements for them are being adjusted taking into account the redistribution of the importance of the tasks solved in modern conditions. This is manifested primarily in a change in the approach to the construction of aircraft carriers. Attaching great importance to their use for anti-submarine warfare, the command of the British Navy nevertheless considers it possible to use them to combat enemy aircraft, especially when ensuring the transfer of reinforcement troops (forces) to the European theaters of operations.

The strike power of the surface forces of the fleet is still made up of three light aircraft carriers of the Invincible type, which have been modernized in order to increase the effectiveness of air defense systems and increase by 20 percent. number of aircraft (helicopter) fleet. In particular, the angle of elevation of the springboard was increased, which made it possible to increase the takeoff weight of the Sea Harrier aircraft, and the hangars were also converted to provide basing on aircraft carriers of promising EN-101 Merlin helicopters.

Invincible-class light aircraft carrier R05 Illustrious

Given the possibility of local conflicts arising in modern conditions and the need to use amphibious forces in them, the command retained landing ships in the Navy for landing operations. In this regard, their construction and modernization will be continued. So, in 1998, the fleet was replenished with a new landing helicopter carrier Ocean, which is capable of carrying a squadron of Sea King helicopters (up to 12 units).

With the commissioning of the British Navy in the second half of 2002, the frigate (FR) URO St. Albans is completing a multi-year program for the construction of a large series (16 units) of Norfolk-class frigates. Twelve of them were built at the Yarrow Shipbuilding shipyard (Glasgow), four more at the Swan Hunter shipyard (Wallsnd-on-Tyne). Since the entire series is named after dukes famous in the history of the country (see table), these ships are often found in foreign publications as Duke-class frigates, as well as project 21 frigates

On June 15, 1953, 200 warships, mostly British, anchored in the outer harbor of Portsmouth, demonstrating the power and greatness of the Empire On Which The Sun Never Sets.

The decks burned with a polished sheen, and rows of elegant sailors lined up along the sides loudly greeted the royal yacht. Gun barrels gleamed solemnly, the waters of the Solent shimmered and sparkled with joy, and everywhere, as far as the eye could see, the White Ensign of the Royal Navy fluttered in the wind. And over all this splendor, tearing the snow-white cotton wool of the clouds with their wings, 300 aircraft of naval aviation raced.

The grand naval parade, timed to coincide with the accession to the throne of Elizabeth II, was the last in the British fleet. Neither the high masts nor the gray sides of the ships could no longer protect Britain from the impending catastrophe - the mechanism for the collapse of the empire was launched, and now the arrogant British could only wait for the last colony to separate, and the once great power would finally turn into "small Britain".

And if there are no colonies, then there is no fleet. Great Britain could not afford to keep hundreds of warships just like that, for the sake of the notorious prestige - tormented by economic problems, it radically reduced military spending. Powerful battleships were scrapped together, excess aircraft carriers and destroyers were gradually sold to other countries.

By the early 1980s, the anthem "Rule, Britain, by the seas!" sounded like a mockery of the British sailors. Her Majesty's fleet has degraded to a completely bestial state - the Falklands War has shown that British ships can be safely shot at strafing.

Flimsy frigates dying from unexploded missiles, obsolete weapons and non-aircraft carriers that did not dare to enter the combat zone to directly cover destroyers and landing ships ... Only the traditionally high training of British sailors and the fact that 80% of the bombs that hit the ships did not explode.

Neither the excellent training of the personnel, nor the logistics and combat support system thought out to the smallest detail could make up for the lack of a normal air defense system. The chronicle of the Falklands War describes wild cases when the crews of British ships had to fight off Argentine Air Force jets with friendly volleys from ... rifles. The conclusion is logical - a third of the 80 British ships and vessels that reached the combat zone received various damage from Argentine aircraft. Six of them were sunk.

And this is the result of a collision with some distant Argentina, which has only 5 anti-ship missiles! And what can be expected when meeting with a more serious opponent?

Gloomy reports of the death of ships in the South Atlantic slowed down the collapse of Her Majesty's fleet - frightened by the Argentine bombs, the British rushed "gallop across Europe" to acquire robotic anti-aircraft guns for self-defense of their ships - a month after the end of the war, the first batch of American Phalanxes was ordered. Urgent work began to improve survivability; synthetic interior decoration was replaced by non-combustible materials. New modifications of the destroyers "Type 42" - with the installed "Phalanxes" and increased anti-aircraft ammunition already more or less corresponded to the accepted world standards in their class. The serial construction of Trafalgar-class multi-purpose nuclear submarines continued, the Ark Royal light aircraft carrier, the third ship of the Invincible class, was being completed ...

And yet, through all the British stiffness, the weakness and small size of Her Majesty's fleet clearly showed through. The entire surface component was a replica of real warships - and no matter how hard the British designers tried, it turned out to be impossible to build a full-fledged modern destroyer in a ship hull with a displacement of less than 5,000 tons. The overgrown frigate "Type 42" remained an "ugly duckling" against the background of its American, Japanese or Soviet peers.

rebirth

By the mid-1990s, a new era had begun in the history of the British Navy. “We are few, but we are in vests” - this phrase best describes the modern Royal Navy.
The British, as before, are not able to build ships in large series (in fact, this is not required by the foreign policy situation). But, as for the quality of naval equipment, the Britons create a truly unique, often superior to all world analogues in its class.

Air defense super-destroyers of the Daring type, multi-purpose nuclear submarines Estute, aircraft carriers of the Queen Elizabeth type ... all this is accompanied by excellent training of personnel (only professionals serve) and a detailed scheme for using the fleet: what, where, when, for what .

The number of surface combat units in the Royal Navy, at first glance, can cause a smile: only 4 universal landing ships, as well as 18 destroyers and frigates as of 2013 (another destroyer HMS Duncan is currently undergoing sea trials, its entry into service is scheduled for 2014).
The strange characters in front of the name of each British warship (HMS) are nothing more than an abbreviation for Her Majesty's Ship (Her Majesty's Ship).

Most of the British surface ships belong to frigates "Type 23", also known as the type "Duke". There are 13 units in service, all built between 1987 and 2002.

On the technical side - ordinary, unremarkable ships with a displacement of about 5000 tons, designed to perform escort, patrol and auxiliary tasks around the globe.
The combined diesel-electric-gas turbine power plant (of the CODLAG type) allows you to move at speeds up to 28 knots (it is reported that the lightweight HMS Sutherland developed 34 knots during tests in 2008). Cruising range 7,500 miles (14,000 km) at an economic speed of 15 knots. - quite enough to cross the Atlantic twice.

Crew - 185 ... 205 people, depending on the tasks.

Armament is standard for NATO countries, taking into account some British traditions:
- 8 anti-ship missiles "Harpoon";
- sea air defense system "Sea Wolf" (32 UVP in the bow of the frigate);
- British 4.5-inch universal gun (caliber 114 mm);
- a pair of automated artillery installations "Oerlikon" DS-30M;
- small-sized anti-submarine torpedoes;
- aft helipad, hangar.

Frigate HMS Northumberland

Robust multipurpose ship for low intensity conflicts. The main drawback of the Type 23 frigate is its Sea Wolf air defense system. Despite its formidable appearance and 32 ready-to-launch missiles, the characteristics of this complex are more like a portable Stinger air defense system than a full-fledged ship air defense system. The maximum firing range is 10 km, we can assume that the British Type 23 frigate is completely unprotected from air attacks.

However, in reality, attacking the Type 23 from the air would be very problematic. After all, the “big brother” always walks nearby - the inimitable air defense destroyer of the “Daring” type (aka “Type 45” or type “D”).

"Daring"... In total, since 2003, Her Majesty's fleet has replenished with six ships of this type. The most modern destroyers in the world, in whose design the most advanced technologies in the field of existing naval air defense systems are introduced.

Two radars with active phased array: centimeter - for detecting low-flying targets against the background of water, and decimeter - for monitoring airspace at a distance of up to 400 km.
A fantastic PAAMS anti-aircraft system capable of knocking down cruise missiles rushing at a height of 5 meters at a speed of Mach 2.5. The ammunition of the complex is 48 missiles of the Aster family with an active homing head (another surprise!). The firing range of "Asters" is 120 km.
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The largest ship in the British Navy today is HMS Illustrious- the only surviving Invincible-class light aircraft carrier.

At the moment, in connection with the decommissioning of the Sea Harrier VTOL aircraft, the ship is not used for its intended purpose and is classified as a landing helicopter carrier. It is expected that the old ship, launched back in 1978, will leave the Royal Navy next year.

Also, the British fleet has several more large surface units - two Albion-class helicopter carrier docks and an Ocean-class amphibious assault helicopter carrier. All three ships were built between 1994 and 2004.

HMS Ocean is an analogue of the Mistral - a universal landing ship of similar dimensions, with a solid flight deck, but without a stern docking chamber (landing craft are launched using sloop beams). Air group - up to 18 helicopters: multi-purpose "Lynx", "Merlin" and "Sea King"; heavy military transport "Chinook"; Apache attack helicopters. The interior of the ship is designed to accommodate 830 marines.

HMS Ocean

Albion-class landing craft, unlike the Ocean, they are deprived of a solid flight deck and a helicopter hangar, but they have a dock chamber filled with water, designed for 8 self-propelled barges (4 tank landing and 4 light). Additional landing craft can be launched using davits. The landing ship can transport 400 paratroopers in one flight (up to 700 for a short time), the aft helipad 64 meters long allows for simultaneous takeoff and landing operations of two Merlin transport helicopters.

When the situation goes beyond the colonial showdown with the Papuans and things start to take a really serious turn, it is the turn of the nuclear submarine fleet. Slippery black fish do not know how to "show the flag" and spoil the view at any parade (fu! what freaks!). The only thing these machines can do is cut off sea communications, sinking everyone who meets them on the way, or “cover” targets deep in enemy territory with a volley of cruise missiles. And then, grumbling with displeasure at the refrigeration machines and pumps of the reactor circuits, cross the ocean in a submerged position with a dark shadow to fall asleep again at the pier in Davenport (the British base of the submarine fleet).

In total, the British today have 7 multi-purpose nuclear submarines - five old Trafalgars built in the 1980s and two newest Estute-class submarines.

"Trafalgar" is a modest boat with a surface displacement of 4800 tons (underwater - 5300 tons). Submerged speed - 32 knots. Crew - 130 people. Armament - 5 torpedo tubes, ammunition - up to 30 guided Spearfish torpedoes ("swordfish") with a firing range of up to 30 miles (when firing at shorter distances, the speed of a torpedo can reach 80 knots ≈ 150 km / h).
Since 1998, Trafalgar-class submarines have been able to carry tactical Tomahawk CBMs instead of part of the torpedoes.

Much more interesting story with nuclear-powered ships of the Estute type - HMS Astute and HMS Ambush are already in service, the next four boats are at various stages of construction (for example, HMS Agamemnon was laid down two weeks ago, in July 2013). The seventh "Estiute" - HMS Ajaks is planned to be laid down in the coming years.

HMS Ambush

"Estiute"- the world's most modern project of a multi-purpose nuclear submarine with considerable combat capabilities. Fresh water and oxygen "Estute" extracts directly from the sea water, and the only reason to appear on the surface every three months is a crew change and replenishment of food supplies. Many innovative solutions have been introduced into the design of the boat, it is invisible and inaudible to the enemy, instead of the usual periscope - a multifunctional mast with video cameras, thermal imagers and a laser rangefinder. The British are proud to report that the Astute, without even leaving the base, is able to follow the movement of the Queen Elizabeth II liner along the entire route from London to New York.

The main arguments of the super-boat are 6 TAs of 533 mm caliber and an ammunition load of 38 torpedoes, mines and Tomahawk cruise missiles (at the moment, the British Navy has adopted the Tomahawk Block IV, the most advanced modification of the Ax with the ability to reprogram in flight and attack moving targets).

The British also have more creepy "toys" - four nuclear-powered ships of the Vanguard type, carriers of submarine-based ballistic missiles "Trident-2" - 16 pieces in the womb of each "fish". Everything is simple here - bam! bam! and the end of life on earth.

As for less destructive means, in addition to all of the above, British sailors have 15 mine-sweeping ships, the training destroyer Bristol and two dozen patrol ships, including the icebreaker HMS Protecor.

HMS Protector off the coast of Antarctica

Her Majesty also has her own little secret - Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA). Auxiliary fleet of 19 container ships, tankers, integrated supply ships, amphibious assault ships and floating workshop RFA Diligence, with a displacement of 10,850 tons.

RFA is just the beginning. In crisis situations, the Ministry of Defense begins to requisition ships from private owners. Any means are used, for example, during the Falklands War, the luxury liner Queen Elizabeth was requisitioned from the Cunard Line company as a hospital.

RFA is the most important element of the fleet, allowing Her Majesty's ships to quickly move to any area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe planet and transport expeditionary forces with them. Without these ships, the British would not be able to fight on foreign shores and would be sad under the cloudy sky of Foggy Albion.

Epilogue

At present, the British Navy is stronger than ever in the last 50 years. The Royal Navy is a well-balanced and well-trained tool for any urgent task - from international operations within the framework of NATO to the conduct of hostilities on its own.

In the future, Her Majesty's fleet is expecting some changes - by the end of this decade, the epic with the construction of two aircraft carriers of the Queen Elizabeth type should be completed. The fate of these ships has been rewritten more than once - for example, in 2010 it was assumed that three years after the construction of the lead aircraft carrier would be mothballed and sold to another country (among possible buyers were South Korea and Taiwan). Now plans have changed again - both aircraft carriers may remain in the ranks of the Royal Navy, but will be rebuilt for springboard takeoff; the installation of catapults was recognized as unnecessarily wasteful. What will happen next - time will tell, the lead aircraft carrier "Queen Elizabeth" should come into operation in 2016.

Fleet Tanker RFA Wave Ruler

Vanguard-class strategic missile submarine