British Royal Navy. British fleet. The current state of the fleet

03.11.2021

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The role and place of the British Navy in the overall structure of NATO is determined by:
- the possibility of implementing a policy of "nuclear deterrence" (the presence of strategic nuclear forces in their composition);
- the island position of the United Kingdom and a key position as the "sea gate" of Europe;
- the country's vulnerability to attacks from the sea (from invasion and strikes from the sea against the mother country and dependent territories);
- the presence of remote overseas territories;
- a key role in NATO groupings in the Eastern Atlantic, the English Channel and the North Sea;
- the main role in cooperation with the United States, the stabilization of transatlantic relations and the importance of providing leadership in the WEU in the field of security;
- involvement of the Navy in the fulfillment of international obligations;
- the need to protect sea and ocean communications, economic activities at sea, etc.

In accordance with the governing documents, the country's naval forces are entrusted with the following tasks:
- nuclear deterrence and deterrence;
- striking at key enemy targets, defeating his naval forces;
- landing of amphibious assault forces;
- defense, together with the ground forces and the Air Force, of the coast of the country and the repulse of attacks from the sea and air;
- control of the situation in the designated areas - sea (ocean) and coastal;
- protection of sea communications and areas of oil and gas production;
- escort of national merchant and fishing vessels;
- conducting maritime reconnaissance;
- transfer of troops (forces).

The general leadership of the Navy is carried out by the Minister of Defense through the Chief of Defense Staff and the Admiralty Committee of the National Defense Council, and directly - by the Chief of Staff of the Navy (London). The navy is made up of the navy, naval aviation and marines. Organizationally, the Navy includes the command of the fleet and the naval command in the mother country.
Structure of the British Navy

Fleet Command (commander is located in Northwood, headquarters - in Portsmouth); (the commander of the fleet is also the commander of the NATO command "North"). The commander exercises administrative management of the activities of the fleet through his deputy - the chief of staff of the fleet, operational - through the commander of naval operations of the joint operational headquarters (OOSH).

The commander of naval operations (according to the administrative organization he is the commandant of the marine corps) reports to the commanders of the naval and amphibious forces, who, through the relevant departments of the OOSh, manage the forces and means allocated for independent or joint operations. The Fleet Command includes:
- The Portsmouth Flotilla of Diverse Forces (GVMB Portsmouth), which includes: the light aircraft carrier "Illastries", destroyers URO pr. 42 and 45, frigates URO pr. 23, tank landing ships and auxiliary vessels, as well as three divisions - minesweepers , patrol ships and patrol boats;
- Devonport flotilla of heterogeneous forces (Naval Devonport) - multi-purpose nuclear submarines of the Trafalgar type, URO frigates pr. 22 and 23, landing helicopter carrier Ocean, landing-helicopter dock ships, auxiliary vessels;
- Faslane flotilla of heterogeneous forces (VMB Faslane) - SSBNs of the Vanguard type, submarines of the Estute type, minesweeper division.

The aviation of the fleet includes 14 helicopter squadrons: one - combat helicopters, six - anti-submarine, three - AWACS helicopters, one - search and rescue and three - transport.

The leadership of the Marine Corps (headquarters in Portsmouth) is carried out by the commandant of the MP. It includes: a marine brigade, a special forces detachment of the Navy, a detachment of landing craft, a detachment for the protection of naval facilities, a general training center, an amphibious training center, and a training and testing center. The total number of personnel of the regular forces of the MP is about 7,500 military personnel, the reserve - 1,000 people.

The Naval Command in the mother country (Portsmouth) is responsible for the following issues: manning the naval forces; training and education of personnel, the functioning of training centers; organization of daily activities of the Naval Forces, coordination of their actions with other types of aircraft; maintenance of reserve components in the appropriate degree of combat and mobilization readiness; medical and financial support for the Navy; protection of coastal facilities; organization of interaction with other military and civil services on planning issues and ensuring the protection of naval bases and ports.

The naval forces are armed with: warships - 64 (including four SSBNs, three of which are combat-ready, seven submarines); combat boats - 20; auxiliary vessels - 19; combat aircraft - 24, anti-submarine helicopters - 81. In addition, 10 warships (including three submarines) are in reserve.

Warships of the British Navy are on a rotational basis part of the permanent formations of the joint NATO navies, including permanent groups No. 1 of the NATO Naval Forces and No. 1 of the mine-sweeping forces of the NATO Naval Forces. There are also permanent naval groups in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea.

The naval base system in the UK includes three main naval bases - Portsmouth (main), Devon Port and Faslsein, and base points - Portland, Holy Loch, Londonderry, Dartmouth. An important role in this system is played by the network of seaports (up to 120 large and medium-sized ports). Over 40 of them are general-purpose capable of providing maneuverable and dispersed basing of ships of the main classes. Overseas territories have naval bases - Gibraltar (Mediterranean Sea), Port Stanley (South Atlantic) and on about. Cyprus (Mediterranean Sea). The Naval Base and the PB have sufficient capabilities to provide ship repair and logistics for the fleet, including in the interests of the NATO Allied Forces. Naval aviation is based on two main AVB: Yolvilton and Culdrose. The Marines are stationed at Portsmouth, Plymouth, Poole, Arbroath and Devonport.

British ships are involved in all military actions undertaken by the United States, as well as in all activities carried out under the auspices of the UN and other organizations. In particular, for participation in a peacekeeping operation within the framework of a regional conflict, it is planned to allocate up to eight warships from the country's Navy; in an invasion operation as part of the MNF (by the type of operations in the Persian Gulf zone) - up to 14; and in a large-scale invasion operation within the framework of the national armed forces with the introduction of partial mobilization - up to 45 warships.

The British Navy retains one of the leading positions in the world both in terms of numbers and balance, as well as in terms of combat readiness and level of operational capabilities. They have almost all the components and classes of ships necessary to solve the entire range of tasks, and in terms of their capabilities they are second only to the US Navy. The forces of the fleet are capable, within the framework of the national armed forces (outside NATO), to carry out the entire range of offensive and defensive actions, including gaining dominance at sea, attacking enemy sea and coastal targets, conducting amphibious assault operations, etc.

The weaknesses of the country's Navy are:
- the need to involve civil fleet ships for logistic support and the transfer of forces by sea, requiring the acquisition of ships of the "ro-ro" type;
- low "effectiveness of the naval air defense system with a high level of air threat without the support of ground-based aviation (Air Force) when conducting independent operations at a great distance from the bases:
- inconsistency of mine-sweeping forces with the needs of mine warfare in the case of massive laying of mines in coastal areas for guaranteed protection of sea lanes;
- low availability of space-based systems and means (reconnaissance, communications, target designation, etc.) in the case of combat use of the Navy in remote areas without reliance on US and NATO assets in the implementation of anti-missile defense, the use of long-range precision weapons (SLCM "Tomahawk"), strategic nuclear weapons of the "Tri-Dent-2" system, etc.

The strengths of the Royal Navy are:
- the ability to deploy in any region of the world heterogeneous forces that can operate for a long time together with units of other types of the Armed Forces included in their composition and conduct operations at the operational-tactical level;
- the ability to ensure the intimidation of the enemy using the entire spectrum of strategic, operational-tactical nuclear weapons and general-purpose weapons;
- presence of significant potential for impact along the shore;
- the presence of a sufficient number of highly effective anti-submarine defense systems;
- the possibility of integration into joint structures due to the presence of compatible control systems, intelligence, logistics and other types of support;
- a high degree of freedom of maneuver by the forces of the fleet along almost the entire perimeter of the country's borders, the possibility of conducting blockade and other actions with the massive use of mine weapons, attracting coastal aviation, as well as organizing anti-submarine and other defensive zones and lines;
- the presence of a highly developed basing system, including in overseas territories.

The rather effective use of the Navy within the framework of the NATO Joint Naval Forces is facilitated by the geographical features of the Eastern Atlantic and the North-Western European theater of operations, which make it possible to plan blockade operations and organize anti-submarine and other defensive lines.

Prospects for the development of the Navy. The construction of the British naval forces is carried out in accordance with the "Program for the development of the armed forces for the period up to 2015". According to it, the construction of four (out of seven) submarines of the new generation of the Estiut type continues, which will replace the nuclear submarines of the Swiftshur type. On August 27, 2010, the lead submarine, the Estiut, was introduced into the Navy. The commissioning of the second submarine - "M-bush" - is expected in 2011. The third and fourth ("Artfal" and "Odeishes") are at various stages of construction. In addition, a decision was made to build the fifth and sixth buildings of this type.

In 2010, the lead destroyer of the Daring type URO of the new project - 45 was introduced into the combat structure of the national navies, and by 2014 the fleet should receive five more such ships from the UK, which will gradually replace obsolete destroyers.

To replace the frigates of projects 22 and 23, it is planned to build up to 20 new-generation FRs. The development of the concept of a promising frigate URO within the framework of the Future Surface Combat Ship of the Future (FSC - Future surface combatant) program is being carried out by the BAE Systems* company. The commissioning of the lead ship is expected by 2018.

As one of the ways to increase the strike capabilities of the fleet, the Navy command is considering equipping multi-purpose nuclear submarines with US-made Tomahawk Block 4 sea-launched cruise missiles (SLCMs).

The Ministry of Defense of the country initially signed a contract for the construction of two promising aircraft carriers (with a displacement of about 60 thousand tons, a length of up to 285 m) with a non-nuclear power plant, in which the military-industrial firms of Great Britain and France will take part (it is also planned to build one aircraft carrier for the latter). The total value of the contract is about $12 billion. The commissioning of the first ship ("Queen Elizabeth"), scheduled for 2014, and the second ("Prince of Wales") - for 2016, has been postponed for two years.

Based on this, the command of the British Navy for two years (until 2012) extended the service life of the light aircraft carrier Invincible, and the aircraft carriers Illustrious and Ark Royal - until 2014 and 2017, respectively. But in the spring of 2011, according to the British media, the command of the Navy decided to abandon the construction of the aircraft carrier "Prince of Wales", which would save almost 8.2 billion pounds. This decision was influenced not so much by the cost of the ship itself, but by the high cost of the F-35 carrier-based fighters (created under the JSF - Joint Strike Fighter program), which were planned to be placed on an aircraft carrier. According to the contract of the Navy, countries can no longer refuse to build a ship. However, the military decided to turn it into a landing ship, which will only accommodate helicopters.

In addition, the number of F-35 fighters that will go into service with the British Air Force will also be reduced - instead of 138 aircraft, they will receive only 50. This will save more than 7.6 billion pounds. According to the British media, the cost of each fighter is close to 90 million pounds, and in the future it may be increased.

In addition, the UK will not have to build a new helicopter carrier to replace the Ocean. The latter is scheduled to be retired from the Navy in 2018 and replaced by the Prince of Wales aircraft carrier, saving another £600m.

The fleet's amphibious capabilities are to be increased through the construction of Bay-class amphibious assault ships (four units) to replace the obsolete Sir Bidiver tank landing ships. In order to increase the combat capabilities of the anti-submarine forces of the British Navy, the modernization of the URO frigates of project 23 continues. It provides for equipping them with heavy Merlin NM Mk.l helicopters and installing a new sonar complex.

As part of the MARS program (Marine Logistic Support System for Armed Forces in Remote Areas), it is planned to build from eight to 11 support vessels.

Evaluation and design work on the creation of a new hospital ship continues. According to the plan of the developers, the new ship will have up to eight operating units and about 200 beds on board to provide comprehensive medical care to the wounded, including those affected by weapons of mass destruction. The commissioning of the hospital ship into the fleet to replace the Argus ship is scheduled for 2012.

By order of the British Ministry of Defense, the military industry is developing a new combat support helicopter for the Marine Corps as part of the SABR program. It should enter service in the coming years and replace the Sea King NS.4.

In general, the British Navy by 2025 will retain superiority over all Western European countries in a wide range of indicators, including fleet displacement, air defense equipment, anti-surface combat, anti-submarine and anti-mine defense, and others.
The development and implementation of the UK's plans to improve the Navy will allow them to effectively solve various tasks in the NATO (EU, UN) groupings, including multinational peacekeeping forces, in the forecast period.

The sea is the only empire that can naturally belong to us.

Andrew Fletcher,
(British politician)

Great-power colonial success of England is traditionally associated with its power at sea. As Andrew Fletcher from the city of Saltuna wrote at the end of the 17th century: “The sea is the only empire that can naturally belong to us” (cited by Ferguson N.). However, such statements at that time had to be proved not only verbally, but also by force of arms, and in tough and bloody battles in the oceans and seas with other European rivals.

The Portuguese, Spaniards, Dutch and French, who rushed to distant oceans and seas and entrenched themselves in numerous overseas colonies, had naval forces developed at that time, and some of them (the Spaniards) dominated the Atlantic and the Pacific coast. Yes, and the very geography of the island position of England, it would seem, predetermined the desire of her government to have a strong fleet in order to compete with other European powers for the wealth of overseas countries.

From the point of view of George Trevelyan, Henry VIII Tudor should be considered the founding father of the English navy. It was under him that the English fleet “... was subordinated to independent admiral control and organized as a regular military force paid by the king ... But he not only built royal ships, but also built naval bases in Woolwich and Deptford, where the mouth of the Thames made unexpected invasions difficult; he improved the naval base of Portsmouth and fortified many harbors.

With the beginning of the Elizabethan era (which lasted 45 years while Queen Elizabeth I was on the throne), a new period of intensive construction of naval ships begins. The fleet was very necessary to protect the merchants on sea lanes, creating numerous joint-stock companies for trade with different countries, it was also needed by the crown, which was fighting the monopoly of a powerful and hostile Spain, which forbade trade with its colonies in the New World. Resolute and not disdainful of any means to achieve her goals, Queen Elizabeth Tudor zealously provided any assistance and support to shipbuilders, sailors, and merchants.

In the words of one Victorian historian, John Seeley, in the Elizabethan age, England “fell into the main stream of trade and for the first time began to direct its energy towards the sea and the New World. This was the beginning of expansion, the first symptom of the rise of Great Britain."

In almost all parts of the world and on many trade routes, English merchants encountered a powerful Spanish power that dominated the seas and forbade all Europeans to participate in trade with the New World. The British, along with other Europeans, challenged the worldwide Catholic empire of Philip II. The nature of this struggle immediately took on a national-religious format for the British: it was the struggle of the English defending their right to exist as Protestants against the dictates and attempts to establish a worldwide Catholic empire of feudal-absolutist Spain. It was in this war that the national identity of the British was clearly formed.

Especially since Madrid was the attacking side. The Spaniards interfered in the internal affairs of England, seeking to put the Scottish queen and the Catholic Mary Stuart (wife of Philip II) on the throne. They tried more than once during the conspiracy to kill the hated Queen Elizabeth Tudor. The hatred of the Spanish papists by the English justified their struggle against them by all available means. It came to the point that the Spanish nobles captured at sea were put up for auction by English pirates.

Lacking a powerful fleet and the right to freely trade with the Spanish colonies, the British resorted to the tactics of sea robbery. The very organization of pirate-commercial expeditions took place at the expense of shares of any "shareholders" involved in the super-profitable business: from ordinary merchants and sailors to members of parliament, titled nobility, members of the government and, finally, the queen herself. At the end of the expeditions, the shareholders received their share of the profits, depending on the contribution made.

The desperate courage and military ingenuity of the English corsair merchants were side by side with amazing enterprise in the conduct of their risky "business". The "Cornish gentlemen" were especially famous for their courage and resourcefulness. In the 60s and 70s, the name of John Hawkins, a pioneer in plundering the Spanish colonies, boomed. Other “gentlemen of fortune” followed Hawkins, who combined sea robbery, trade and slave trade with geographical discoveries in their activities: F. Drake, T. Cavendish, M. Frobisher, W. Raleigh, etc.

Francis Drake was especially famous for completing the second circumnavigation of the world after Magellan in 1577-1580. Lucky Drake, with his piracy caused great damage to the Spanish colonies in America and returned home with colossal booty. He generously shared with his queen (60% of the booty belonged to the state), who financed his expedition. Thanks to this, Elizabeth was able to pay off the entire external debt of England and covered the entire budget deficit of the country.

After such damage to the treasury, open war with Spain became inevitable, and it began in 1585. Drake, hated by the Spaniards, with a squadron of 21 ships devastates the Spanish cities in the West Indies. And in 1587, breaking into the city of Cadiz, he destroys up to 30 ships there, intended for the sea campaign of the "Invincible Armada" against England. Finally, in the general battle in the English Channel in 1588, the English fleet (one of the admirals in this battle was the ebullient F. Drake) meets with the heavy Spanish ships of the "Invincible Armada" consisting of 130 ships and smashes it.

The power of the Spanish clumsy galleons with a displacement of up to 1500 tons is inferior to the speed and maneuverability of the English ships, which also had more guns. And well-trained English sailors on private merchant and pirate ships fight much better than the Spaniards. The rout of the Spanish fleet was impressive, and a fierce sea storm completed its rout. More than 5,000 Spaniards thrown ashore were captured by the British.

With the death of the armada, the naval power of Spain was undermined. Dominance at sea began to pass to England and Holland, which opened before them the opportunity to carry out large colonial conquests and accelerate the process of primitive accumulation and the development of capitalism by plundering the colonies. In 1596, English ships again defeated the Spanish fleet in the harbor of Cadiz (Aslanov L.).

At this time, the British used their fleet, which was mainly in the hands of private traders, exclusively for pirate purposes. In the bourgeois English kingdom, the crown and private business went hand in hand and helped each other in every possible way. This subsequently became the key to Anglo-British success and the victory of England over all her insufficiently bourgeois rivals.

But during the years of the Stuarts (1603-1649), the attitude of the government towards the navy changed from its previous all-round support to an attitude that was more disdainful. The ships were idle for a long time at the docks, there were clearly not enough ship crews. And, in general, the naval service at that time was extremely difficult. In 1635, the Englishman Lux Fox described the service of a sailor as follows: “Nothing but patience and suffering ... A hard bed, cold elephant meat, moldy bread, sour beer, wet clothes, a dream of fire” (Quoted by Ferguson N.). To this list must be added scurvy, malaria, and yellow fever in the tropics, to understand how much this service was downright hard labor.

In addition, service in the navy, apart from prestige, did not bring income. Not what it was during the years of war with the wealthy Spaniards. This was largely due to the long peace between the royal houses of England and Spain, whose dynasties also belonged to Catholicism.

The combat capability of the fleet left much to be desired. For example, in September 1627-1628. a large English fleet twice unsuccessfully tried to take the French fortress of La Rochelle from the sea. The failures of the British appeared a little earlier: in an attempt to take Cadiz from the Spaniards in 1625. The piracy of the fast-moving ships of the Dunkirk corsairs of France and the Moslem sea robbers from Sale, operating in the English Channel under the nose of the royal fleet, brought great losses to the English maritime trade.

In 1625–1626 it almost came to the blockade of the English coast. Once, Moroccan pirates at once captured 27 English ships in the waters of the strait. “The sailors were sold into slavery, and England, the recent winner of the Armada, went so far as to supply guns to the bandits in exchange for the Christians they captured” (Contorer D.)

The sluggish foreign policy of London, the rejection of active maritime and colonial expansion had a negative impact on trade and colonial affairs. In particular, the lack of direct state support for their merchants led the Dutch to expel the British from the Moluccas and Sunda Islands. All this clearly shows the direct connection between the development of the fleet and the development of trade and the sovereign status of England itself in the European Table of Ranks. The decline of the fleet under the Stuarts, compared with the brilliant era of Elizabeth, immediately led to the loss of England's former power.

The naval weakening of England played into the hands of her colonial European rivals. At the same time, small bourgeois Holland (“Phoenicia of the new time”, in the words of A. Mahan) turns into a real colonial predator, which, moreover, created the most powerful military and merchant fleet. “The Dutch merchant fleet alone numbered 10,000 ships, 168,000 sailors and fed 260,000 inhabitants. Holland took over most of the European transit trade, and after the conclusion of peace added to this the transportation of all goods between America and Spain and French ports: while its imports were estimated at thirty-six million francs, ”the well-known military theorist Alfred Mahan summarized the success of Holland.

Holland, like England once in its time, is now attacking Spanish galleons with rich booty from the New World on all seas and at the same time successfully knocking out the Portuguese from the many strongholds of Africa and the East Indies, creating its own colonial empire. The envy of the British to the more successful Dutch pushes them towards colonial expansion. Hence the attitude towards the fleet is changing. Charles I, due to the constant lack of funds for new ships, introduces in 1634 the so-called ship tax. Now the state itself, and not the port cities, as before, using the new ship tax, builds and equips warships. Thanks to this tax, the government was able to build up to 40 warships, of which six were 100-gun ships.

It was then that some of the most important types of ships were created, later called linear. The famous shipbuilder Pett, to whom Charles I provided personal patronage, built in 1637 the most powerful ship, the Royal Sovereign, with a displacement of 1680 tons, armed with 110 guns, and then other ships of the Sovereign class (Kontorer D.). However, even with the new built ships, the English fleet was significantly inferior to the Dutch fleet in terms of the number of ships.

Attitudes towards the fleet and colonial policy changed after the revolution and with the establishment of the Cromwell protectorate, more like a military-police regime of the first consul of the French Republic, Bonaparte, 150 years later. Using control over parliament and the army, Cromwell began to pursue an aggressive foreign policy. Its goal was to gain British commercial predominance in the world and create a powerful colonial empire. It can be said that it is with Cromwell that the report on the execution of the majestic plan of all the Anglo-British imperialists, which was fully completed in the 19th century, begins. The fleet is now given paramount importance. From now on, the English fleet “begins to be regarded as a “national” force, as a force that the whole country should take care of ...”. (Kagarlitsky B.Yu.).

But Cromwell wanted more than just developing the ability of the navy to protect English interests and the island of England itself from any invasion from the continent. His plans were precisely imperial and great-power. He stated: "England cannot tolerate anyone's flag other than English flying on the ocean without her permission" (Quoted by Kontorer D.). Such statements, which reflected the dream of all subsequent British imperialists, would in practice be embodied in the detention and search of any neutral ships during the wars fought by England; in the requirement for foreign ships to salute when meeting with an English ship by lowering their flag; in the bombardment from the sea of coastal ports and cities, in any trade and diplomatic complications in which British subjects were involved, and much more.

The desire to assert itself as a leading maritime and colonial power immediately led to a war with the mighty Holland at sea, the reason for which was the refusal of Amsterdam to recognize the terms of the Navigation Act. Parliament supported Cromwell's proposal to put at the head of the fleet battle-tested, but land-based military commanders who immediately received the rank of naval generals: Robert Blake, Richard Dean, Edward Popham. And, oddly enough, such a choice subsequently fully justified itself. The first Anglo-Dutch war at sea in 1652-1654, despite the fact that it was fought with varying success, revealed the strategic initiative of the British (Tunstall B.).

"Naval General" Blake brilliantly showed his naval talent, having won a number of outstanding victories over the strongest Dutch fleet. Having barely won the first war with Holland, England immediately declared itself as a new maritime power. From now on, the government of England was able to effectively use the fleet not only in military conflicts with various powers, but also in colonial and trade conflicts in any corner of the globe. The threat of blackmail in the use of naval power also appeared even then in the arsenal of the British. As the frank imperialist of the early 20th century, Admiral A. Mahan, wrote: “Everywhere in the world, the English fleet demanded recognition of the rights of their power or compensation for its insults - in the Baltic, in the Mediterranean, off the coast of native countries, in the West Indies” (Mahan A. T).

Thanks to such displays of power, the British in the time of Cromwell achieved a profitable trade agreement with Denmark (in trade along the North and Baltic Seas) and with Portugal (in trade with the Portuguese East Indies). And then there was a war with Spain, which Cromwell started with the aim of creating an English colonial system in the West Indies. Even the Victorian historian John Seeley does not hide his negative attitude towards the methods of waging colonial wars of that era: “This war began as the old sea robbers of the time of Elizabeth began their wars - with a sudden landing in St. Domingo, without a preliminary quarrel and without a formal declaration of war” (Quoted in Seeley J.R.). And although it was not possible to capture the Spanish island of Hispaniola from San Domingo, the British captured the island of Jamaica, which later became the center of their colonial system in the West Indies.

The restoration of the Stuart dynasty in 1660 did not become a great "gift" for the officer corps of the Royal Navy, rather, on the contrary: the fleet again ceased to pay due attention. In the words of Mahan, "The navy under Charles II retained for some time the morale and discipline implanted by the iron fist of Cromwell (although the navy later shared the general decline in morals that marked that ill-fated reign)."

But this state of affairs in the fleet was more likely a consequence of the general systemic shortcoming of that political system under the Stuarts in general, than a consequence of the decline of statehood and the economy, as was the case in neighboring Spain. In any case, the English fleet did not just live its own autonomous life, it interacted more actively with the state than before, and, finally, it fought. Moreover, he fought with the strongest maritime power of that time - with Holland - and won victories, as, indeed, he suffered from them, even repeatedly, defeats.

The naval battles between the British and the Dutch were enormous in terms of the number of ships (several hundred in one battle) and the number of crews (several tens of thousands in each battle). Both opponents - England and Holland - were worthy of each other: in terms of the combat effectiveness of the fleets and ship crews, the art of naval tactics of their commanders, they were equal. And if we compare the naval art of such Dutch admirals as Martin Tromp and de Reuther, then it was even higher than that of a number of British admirals.

Naval battles of the second (1665–1667) and third (1672–1674) Anglo-Dutch wars did not reveal a clear advantage for either side, but the overall result of these wars for Holland was the weakening of its military, state power, the reduction of its previously “frantic” trade and colonial expansion. The favorite of the capitalist race Holland ran out of steam, giving way to a fresher and more aggressive capitalist rival - England. Since 1689, a strategic alliance has been formed between the religiously and politically close England and Holland, directed against the hegemony of the French king Louis XIV, in which the roles between the allies were clearly distributed: Holland played the role of London's junior partner.

Since that time, France has been the main naval, colonial and, in general, geostrategic enemy of England until the end of the Napoleonic wars. The war at sea, with France in alliance with Holland, takes on a no less fierce character, but with the only difference that the French fleet is clearly inferior in numbers and in the combat skills of its crews to the combined Anglo-Dutch fleet.

However, the French learned a lot from the British and Dutch, building a fleet that was technically not inferior to their opponents, they also had such skillful admirals as Anne de Tourville, who won more than one victory over squadrons of Algerian pirates and Spaniards, even over the Dutch and the English. Actually, in tactical terms, the French were also not inferior to their opponents: they, like the British and Dutch, adhered to the linear tactics of naval battles of sailing battleships, the goal of which was to “win the wind” and then inflict a decisive defeat on the enemy.

Here is the testimony of sailing navy tactician Brian Tunstall: “When in 1689 the fleets of England and France began a long series of collisions, ending in 1815, their tactics were very similar. Both fleets used a wake column in which each ship followed directly behind the one in front of it. In battle, the enemy ships went in approximately parallel courses in order to develop the maximum development of onboard fire. French tactics, like the English, preferred a jibe (in French - as close to the wind as possible) in a preliminary tactical formation ”(Tunstall B.). Actually, such a tactic of the sailing fleet quietly survived until the very end of the eighteenth century, and only thanks to the innovation of such naval commanders as the Russian Ushakov, the Frenchman Suffren and the Englishman Nelson, it was recognized as unusable.

The fact that the French fleet could not resist the combined Anglo-Dutch fleet became clear to the French after their brutal defeat at sea at the Battle of La Hogue in 1692. This led to a change in war tactics for the French at sea against strong opponents. Now the French made a decisive bet on privateers (corsairs), building a whole privateer fleet in the waters of the English Channel.

The names of such famous corsairs as Jean Bar and Duguet Trouin, each of whom had several dozen captured "prizes", were uttered with horror by the merchants of England and Holland. The tactics of a large-scale corsair war turned out to be justified, the damage to the maritime trade of England and Holland was enormous. The Dutch and English East India Companies were on the verge of ruin. In total, for 9 years of the Augsburg War from 1688 to 1697, French corsairs captured about 4,000 thousand ships (although the Allies managed to recapture some of the ships) (Sozaev E., Makhov S.). But the retaliatory actions of the British in the fight against French privateers and the protection of sea convoys had their results. According to the reports of the House of Commons, "for the entire war that was declared on May 7, 1689 and ended on September 10, 1697", the British managed to capture and sink 1296 French ships and vessels, the lion's share of which belonged to the corsairs" (Sozaev E., Makhov S. ).

At the same time, this war did not reveal the dominance of the Anglo-Dutch fleet at sea, despite a number of victories. Here is how the results of this naval war of the late 17th century are assessed by modern historians: “The uniqueness of it at sea lies in the fact that this time there were no winners; Head won, at Barfleur and La Hog lost. Thus, the question - who will become the "ruler of the seas" - turned out to be unresolved "(Sozaev E., Makhov S.).

However, it was not long to wait: during the long-term War of the Spanish Succession (1702–1714), the English fleet, already then the best in the world in terms of its combat characteristics, with the help of the same Dutch, repeatedly defeated the French and Spaniards in open battles. The logical outcome of this war was that England, which has now become Great Britain (since 1707 after the union with Scotland), fully rewarded itself for all the "burden of war" that it shouldered. London received strategically important naval bases in the Mediterranean Sea, Gibraltar and Menorca, as well as the monopoly right of the Asiento, i.e., under the Treaty of Utrecht. the right to supply slaves to Spanish possessions in America for 30 years.

The result of this war was the lowering of Holland from the status of a great maritime power to a second-class one. The once formidable French fleet after this war was a pitiful remnant, in the figurative expression of Mahan, "it dried up and disappeared, like a leaf on fire." But this war radically changed the situation on the seas for Britain itself. “Before this war, England was one of the maritime powers; after her, she became a maritime power that has no rival. And she owned her power alone, not sharing it with a friend and not constrained by an enemy. She herself was rich, and with her possession of the sea and with extensive navigation, she held the sources of wealth so well in her hands that she did not pose the danger of anyone's rivalry on the ocean, ”- this is how extremely accurately commented on the new naval geopolitical status of Great Britain Alfred Mahan.

The change in the geopolitical status of Britain after this war and its transformation into a great power had a direct impact on the formation of its new British identity. Since the beginning of the 18th century, such symbols of British identity as the national anthem “God Save the Queen!”, the national flag, and the collective image of the national hero John Bull appear.

But it would be a mistake to say that after 1713 Great Britain was the complete mistress of the seas, as happened a century after Trafalgar (1805) and after the end of the Napoleonic wars in Europe. Throughout the eighteenth century, the same France stubbornly and constantly challenged England's right to excel at sea. The British and French navies fiercely clashed over who was stronger in naval battles in the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748), the Seven Years' War (1756–1763), the War of Independence of the American Colonies (1775–1783) and in the wars against the revolutionary and Napoleonic France. And in almost all battles, the British fleet (built mainly from Russian forest!), Having chosen an offensive war strategy, emerged victorious. According to Brian Tunstall, "Except when Pierre André de Suffren commanded the fleet, the French fleet had never attacked or made such an attempt since 1704. Its tactics when meeting with a fleet of equal strength were mainly defensive" (Tunstall B.) .

British sailors, like naval commanders Hook, Rodney, Howe, Nelson, not only established the glory of the British fleet as the best in the world, but also earned the glory of national heroes in their homeland. Service in the navy for officers (but not as for sailors) of the Royal Navy was difficult, but honorable, and from the middle of the 18th century, after an increase in salaries, it became more profitable than in the army (Kagarlitsky B.Yu.). And the Lord of the Admiralty, who led the fleet, was one of the top five government officials in the country.

But, most importantly, now the attitude in society and the state towards the fleet has changed dramatically. He took first place in the military hierarchy of values. The navy has truly become a national asset, because with the help of the most expensive, but also the best navy in the world, Britain was able to secure primacy in colonial trade and balance the claims of continental powers in world geopolitics. From now on, British superiority at sea gave London the preeminent right to dominate world trade and, finally, with the help of its incomparable fleet, to select the best colonies from its rivals and seize new ones, such as India.

THROUGHOUT British history, the navy has been an important tool in the conduct of British 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 in 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 World Ocean. 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 navy (including 6,000 in 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, 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 working out combat training tasks for them before entering 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, 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 increased 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 tasks solved in modern conditions. This is manifested primarily in a change in the approach to the construction of aircraft carriers. While 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

Taking into account 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

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

Submarine "Trenchang" type "Trafalgar"

Invincible-class light aircraft carrier R05 Illustrious

Ships based at Naval Base Portsmouth are included in the 4th. and those based at the Devonport naval base - to the 6th frigate squadron.

As the most modern and numerous warships, the Norfolk-class frigates currently form the basis of the surface forces of the British fleet, represented by destroyers and frigates. The history of their creation and development is very indicative. First, shipbuilders, thanks to increased labor productivity and reduced construction time, managed to significantly reduce construction costs: if the lead ship cost 135.5 million pounds, then the cost of subsequent frigates in this series decreased from 96 million to 60 million pounds (89 million dollars). At the same time, the ships fully comply with the "cost / efficiency" criterion. Secondly (and most importantly), for 12 years. passed between the completion of the construction of the lead and the last frigate, due to significant changes in the military-political situation in the world and in the strategic priorities and views of the military leadership of Great Britain, the intended

rolling and the role of the British Navy in general and frigates in particular. When the St. Albans frigate is introduced into the Bogota forces, it will have to perform completely different tasks that were assigned to the developers of the ship project.

If during the Cold War the British Navy focused mainly on anti-submarine operations in the Atlantic Ocean, now they are intended to project sea power in expeditionary operations of the combined armed forces in any part of the world. Accordingly, the frigates, designed as anti-submarine ships for operations against Soviet submarines on the Iceland-Faroe Islands line, are used in modern conditions to perform an expanded range of tasks and, in fact, become multi-purpose. In 2000 - 2001, they sailed and carried out military service in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas, off the western coast of Africa, in the Persian Gulf, in the Far Eastern seas and in the Caribbean Sea. There are cases when Norfolk-class frigates operated as part of the American and French aircraft carrier strike groups or were part of NATO naval formations.

Another feature of this project is that that at the stages of development, construction and during the operation of ships, various new technical developments were introduced, not only to increase the combat capabilities of the frigates themselves, but also to test and confirm the concepts and technologies that are supposed to be used in the projects of promising ships, in particular destroyers of the type "D" erinth.

ship name	Board number	Shipyard	Construction start year	Year of commissioning	postscript
"Norfolk"					Devonport
"Argil"
"Lancaster"					Portsmouth
"Marlborough"		"Swan Hunter"
"Iron Duke"
"Monmouth"					Devonport
"Montrose"
"Westminster"		"Swan Hunter"			Portsmouth
"Northumberland"					Devonport
"Richmond"					Portsmouth
"Somerset"					Devonport
"Grafton"					Portsmouth
"Sutherland"					Devonport
					Portsmouth
"Portland"					Devonport
"St. Albans"

The crew is 180 people. Frigates of earlier construction (Linder type or Project 22) with a displacement of 2,900 tons were equipped with crews of 260 people. The trend of reducing the crews of surface ships will continue in the future.

The presence of electric motors in the main power plant (MPP) of the ship, providing a low-noise run. and their successful application is considered by British shipbuilders as a factor confirming the promise of the electric propulsion concept.

The experience of equipping these ships with an automated soybean control system (ASBU) and the systematic increase in its capabilities is also planned to be taken into account in the construction of ships of other classes.

The project of the ship began to undergo changes already at the stage of its development. The tactical and technical task provided for the creation of an inexpensive ship with light weapons, capable of observing for 30-40 days at the anti-submarine line, using a sonar with an extended towed antenna. However, given the fact that this line was within the reach of the aviation of the Soviet Navy, it was considered necessary to equip the frigates with an anti-aircraft missile system. The study of the experience of British warships in the Falklands conflict led to the decision to include a medium-caliber gun mount, anti-ship missiles and a ship-based helicopter in the armament of frigates. As a result, along with anti-submarine capabilities, frigates are capable of fighting surface ships, providing fire support to forces operating on the coast, self-defense and defense of nearby ships and vessels from enemy air attack weapons. Sufficiently high seaworthiness of these frigates made it possible to significantly (from one to five and a half months, as, for example, when patrolling in the South Atlantic) to increase the duration of navigation, subject to periodic replenishment of supplies from supply transports or when calling at foreign ports.

The reduction of the “threat” from submarines in the 90s led to the decision not to install a hydroacoustic station (GAS) 2031Z with a towed antenna on the last seven frigates, although it was the presence of the GAS that predetermined at one time the high requirements for reducing the noise level of the ship. To meet these requirements, the power plant is arranged according to the CODLAG scheme, which provides for the combined use of gas turbines, diesel generators and electric motors.

Quiet and economical speed (up to 16 knots) is ensured when the propeller shafts are driven by electric motors, and the highest (28 knots) is achieved when using two gas turbines. Additionally (in order to reduce the acoustic signature), the main equipment of the installation is placed on shock-absorbing platforms and surrounded by soundproof enclosures. Diesel generators are located 5 m above the waterline. Shortened shaft lines, beveled propeller blades, optimized hull contours, the use of a bubble curtain system, the presence of a mechanism vibration control system - all this contributes to achieving a low noise level in patrol mode.

The project provides for measures to reduce the radar and infrared visibility of the frigate. According to Western experts, the effective scattering surface (ESR) of ships of this series is about 20 percent. EPR of a project 42 destroyer close in size due to the inclination of vertical surfaces by 7 °, careful selection of the shape of superstructures, and the widespread use of radar absorbing materials. To reduce the IR signature in the chimneys, a cooling system for combustion products is installed before they are released into the atmosphere.

Due to the insufficient capabilities of the CACS-4 automated combat control system (ASBU) that existed at the time the construction of the frigates began, the Navy leadership made a questionable at first glance, but subsequently recognized as far-sighted decision to wait for the creation of a new SSCS ASBU, including 12 automated jobs. Therefore, the first seven ships were transferred to the flag without ASBU. The equipment of frigates under construction and built with this system began in 1994. The software has been gradually improved over the years. Ultimately, the work made it possible to combine all the means of lighting the situation with the systems of ship's weapons, as well as with the means of intra-ship and external communications.

On the first nine ships, the low-frequency sonar 2031Z with a towed extended antenna is used as the main means of illuminating the underwater situation. Kinetic has developed an additional signal processing unit for this station, allowing the operator to optimize the choice of frequency intervals and the octave format. The bow mid-frequency GAS 2050 operates in both active and passive modes and, in addition to detecting and tracking submarines, is capable of detecting attacking enemy torpedoes.

The torpedo armament of the frigates is represented by two 324-mm twin-tube torpedo tubes, located side by side in the bow of the helicopter hangar.

The main source of data on the air situation is the radar station 996 with an operating range of 2-4 GHz. In this RIS, a multi-beam phased antenna array is used, rotating on the top of the foremast at a speed of 30 rpm and coupled with a “friend or foe” recognition station. Three review methods are provided: normal circular with registration of objects detected at distances over 115 km; optimized for detection of low-flying objects in conditions of natural or artificial interference; long-range vision, in which the radiated energy is concentrated in the lower beam to increase the range. In addition, the ships have the following radars: navigational 1007 (9 GHz), detection of air and surface targets 1008 (2-4 GHz), two 911 missile fire control stations with antenna posts on the bow and stern superstructures, as well as the UAF electronic warfare system or UAT (operating range 0.5-18 GHz).

To combat an air enemy, the frigates are equipped with the GWS26 anti-aircraft missile system, which includes a 32-charge vertical-launched Sea Wolf SAM with a warhead weighing 14 kg and a firing range of 6 km. According to British experts, the ongoing modernization of the complex will keep it in service until 2020.

The GWS60 anti-ship missile system includes a fire control system and two four-shot Harpoon missile launchers with warheads weighing 227 kg and a firing range of about 130 km.

The Mk8 medium-caliber gun mount (114mm) is designed to destroy sea and ground targets at a range of up to 22 - 23 km and air targets - up to 6 km. Its rate of fire is 25 rds / min, the mass of the projectile is 21 kg. In 2001, the Norfolk frigate became the first ship on which the gun mount was modernized: hydraulic drives were replaced by electric ones, the total weight was reduced by 4 tons, the volume of the underdeck space was reduced, and the reflectivity of the tower was reduced (Fig. 3).

The development of a projectile with a range increased to 29 km is nearing completion. The fire control system (FCS) GSA 8B consists of a computer, an operator console and an optoelectronic rangefinder station located on the foremast. This fully stabilized post weighing 227 kg, having a spherical design and including a TV camera, a laser range finder and a thermal imager (8 -12 microns), provides a pointing accuracy of at least 3 m at a distance of 10 km at a sea state of 5 points. In addition, the work of the SLA is provided by two sights installed on the sponsons of the aft superstructure. (Data from the sights can be used for target designation of the Sea Wolf missile.) Artillery weapons! It also includes two single-barreled 30-mm gun mounts DS ZOV. Their rate of fire is 650 rounds per minute, the firing range for air targets is 3 km, for surface targets - 10 km. ready to fire 160 rounds of ammunition

The ship has four six-barreled 130-mm launchers designed to fire chaff and infrared decoys, as well as devices for setting inflatable chaff.

The combat capabilities of the ship are significantly enhanced by the permanent deployment of the Lynx helicopter (Fig. 4), which can be used to destroy submarines with Sting-ray torpedoes or Mkl depth charges. When operating against light ships and boats, the helicopter carries Sea Skew missiles.

In mid-2002, a new helicopter, the Merlin, entered service with the Marlborough frigate. The structure of its on-board radio-electronic equipment includes: a Blue Kestrel radar with a long range of action, a lowering sonar, radio-sonar buoys. acoustic information processing system, Link-11 data transmission equipment. The maximum takeoff weight of the machine is 14,600 kg (Lynx has less than 5,000 kg). "Merlin" is capable of taking off from the deck of a frigate in a sea state of six points. This helicopter will significantly expand both the anti-submarine and anti-ship capabilities of the frigate. In addition, it can be used to transfer 20 people with personal weapons.

With the completion of the construction of the entire series, work on re-equipping frigates and adapting them to new operational needs will not end. To this end, a number of activities are planned to be carried out over the next few years. In particular, at least five more ships will receive Merlin helicopters. From 2006, instead of the sonar station 2031Z, ships during scheduled preventive repairs will be equipped with a new active-passive sonar 2087. This station, being developed to improve the ability to detect low-noise submarines not only in oceanic, but also in coastal waters, combines a low-frequency (500 Hz) variable depth sonar and a passive towed extended antenna (operating frequency 100 Hz). The sonar and extended antenna can be towed at various depths that are optimal for emitting and receiving signals. The contract for the development and manufacture of the first six sets was issued to Thales.

Another program provides for equipping frigates with the SSTD anti-torpedo protection system being developed. In the second half of the current decade, it is planned to install the equipment of the American automated system for controlling the forces and means of air defense of the CEC (Cooperative Engagement Capability) on frigates.

Norfolk-class frigates were built with an 18-year service life in mind. In this regard, studies are already underway on the feasibility of planning their overhaul to extend their service life or develop a project for a promising frigate.

Project aircraft carriers CVF

The Royal Navy is negotiating with major shipbuilders to produce two new generation aircraft carriers for its fleet. One of them has a displacement of 35,000 tons, the other 40,000 tons. Each ship is supposed to be designed for 40 aircraft. The aircraft carriers are to enter service between 2012 and 2015. To obtain energy, it was decided to use nuclear reactors. Based on the overall dimensions of the ships and the power of the power plant, the estimated autonomous cruising range will be about 8,000 miles. According to the calculation, the air group includes 40 units of aircraft, including 30 multi-role fighters, 6 helicopters and 4 reconnaissance aircraft.

Displacement: 30000-40000 tons

Length - n.d.; Width - n.d.; Draft - n.d.

Power plant type: nuclear reactor

Number of shafts: 4

Power: 280000 hp

Speed: more than 30 knots

Speed: n.d.

Cruising range: 8000 miles

Armament

40 units of aircraft (possible placement of 50)

Team: 700 people

Type 45 destroyers

The Royal Navy has ordered 12 Type 45 destroyers to replace the Type 42 destroyers that have been in service since 1978. These twelve new destroyers are due to enter service by 2014. The main contractor for the Royal Navy is BAE SYSTEMS.

The main task of the Type 45 destroyers is air defense. To do this, the ships are equipped with long-range radars, high-precision homing missiles and a system for simultaneous control and tracking of missiles.

The destroyer's weapons system includes Aster 15 and Aster 30 cruise missiles. Missiles of this series are equipped with an on-board computer and an active homing device. The missile carries a warhead of 15 kg, the radius of destruction is more than 80 km. The main 127mm gun is located in the bow of the ship, four 30mm guns are on the sides. A landing deck for one EH 101 Merlin helicopter is mounted at the stern.

Tactical and technical characteristics

Displacement: 6500 tons;

Length - 152, m; Width - 18 m;

Type of power plant - gas turbine

Power: 50mw

Speed: 30 knots

Cruising range: more than 5000 miles

Armament

rocket launchers
1 127mm gun
4 30mm machine guns
1 helicopter
radar

Vanguard-class nuclear submarines

The Vanguard-class submarines are the largest submarines in service with the British Navy. The first boat in the class, the Vanguard entered service in 1993, the Victorious in 1995, the Viligiant in 1996 and the Vengeance in 1999.

Vanguard can carry 16 Trident, Tridet II or D5 missiles - all of them are strategic ballistic missiles. Each missile carries up to 12 independent warheads (MVIR) each with 100-120 kilotons. The range of missiles is over 11,000 km at supersonic speed. Weight - 65 tons.

Four 533 mm torpedo tubes are placed in the bow of the submarine. The arsenal includes wire-guided torpedoes with a 134 kg warhead and active and passive homing. Destruction range - 13 km with active and 29 km with passive homing.

Tactical and technical characteristics

Displacement - 16000 tons

Length: 149.9 m

Width:12.8m Height:n.d.

Power Plant Type: Nuclear Reactor

Number of shafts: n.d.

Power: n.d.

Speed: 25 knots

Cruising range: n.d.

Armament