The struggle for supremacy in the sea zones has the same meaning as the achievement of superiority in the air.
Landing from the sea
The control of the water area is not limited to the free maneuver of warships and the safe movement of transport ships. There is an opportunity to support their own ground forces by landing from the sea. Sometimes there is no alternative to amphibious assault. The well-known operations in Sicily and Normandy, in which the Allies seized the bridgeheads by naval assault forces on German-occupied territory, visually demonstrate the strategic importance of such operations. There are enough examples of the use of amphibious landing in Russian military history. Although Russia did not carry out strategic landing operations, it was preparing to land an expeditionary force in the Istanbul area in 1917.
Soviet landing ships
The first specialized landing ships appeared in the Soviet fleet after the Second World War. The transformation of the fleet from coastal to oceanic required a revision of the concept of its acquisition. Soviet shipbuilders did not have enough experience to create ships of this purpose. Therefore, the first landing ships were laid in Poland, at the Gdansk shipyard. The shipbuilding capacities of the Schihau shipyards of the former German Danzig made it possible to quickly expand the production of a new type of ship. The first and most popular series were the project 701 tank landing vessels. They served in many countries of the Soviet bloc, having proved themselves from the best side.
Problems and Solutions
Medium landing ships are well suited to the tasks of the coastal zone. But the Soviet Navy was increasingly gaining an oceanic look. There was an urgent need for amphibious assault ships capable of operating as a part of squadrons, performing ocean raids, which made it possible to transfer support forces over considerable distances. This task required ships of greater displacement, with significant autonomy of navigation. In 1964, the design bureau of the Nevsky Shipbuilding Plant began project 1174 "Rhinoceros". Such a cipher received a new series of large landing ships (BDK). The names of warships traditionally corresponded to some topic. A series of BDK "Rhinoceros" was named in honor of the heroes of World War II.
Series "Rhino"
The execution of the project required the solution of a significant amount of technical and conceptual issues. It was required to ensure the landing of a significant amount of equipment and personnel in conditions that could not be foreseen in advance. The naval forces to which the new BDK was attached could vary significantly. The need was revealed not only for the high combat stability of the landing platform, but also for the ability to provide support and cover for the landed troops. For these and other reasons, Project 1174 Rhino dragged on. However, everything happened 14 years after the start of development. The first large landing ship went into operation in 1978. In total, we managed to build three units of this project. Currently, only the Mitrofan Moskalenko BDK is in service with the Russian Navy.
Design Features
The displacement of the new ship was about 12,000 tons. Project 1174 "Rhinoceros" allows you to transport and land up to the infantry battalion and about fifty units of heavy equipment. With a cruising range of up to 4000 nautical miles, a crew and landing forces can autonomously be on it for a month. Three decks of the ship and a large feed superstructure in size create comfortable conditions for the placement of fighters and the storage of equipment. Decks are equipped with devices for moving the transported equipment.
Equipment
Landing capabilities allow landing on an unequipped and unsuitable coast. Project 1174 "Rhinoceros" provides several options for this task. For landing on the beach or in shallow water, a retractable bow gate with a retractable ramp can be used. Through them, floating military equipment can be launched without approaching the coastal strip. At the stern of the vessel there is a docking chamber. It is intended for loading non-floating equipment onto landing boats and self-propelled platforms. Thus, the delivery of the military contingent from ship to shore did not depend on the depth of the raid and the accessibility of the coast. At the same time as the surface-based transfer of forces, the Ivan Rogov BDK, the first-born of the series, provided for the possibility of using landing helicopters to quickly land light assault groups and support forces. The helicopter group is capable of delivering up to 64 armed paratroopers to the bridgehead in one flight, providing fire support or evacuation.
Armament
It was assumed that the BDK operates as part of a squadron that ensures its use. Nevertheless, the project 1174 "Rhinoceros" provided for quite serious weapons. The ship could support the landing with artillery and rocket fire. To do this, he was equipped with a 76-mm quick-firing gun mounted in the gun turret on the tank. In addition to medium-sized guns, four six-barreled artillery mounts provide firepower.
A system with a rotating block of barrels of caliber of 30 millimeters creates an enormous density of fire. Its tasks include protecting the object from air and sea attacks. Air defense of the BDK is carried out by a short-range anti-aircraft complex and portable anti-aircraft missile systems, for the launch of which special turrets are provided. Fire support for the landed unit may also be provided by a sea-class Grad missile system. Four sea-based Ka-29 helicopters located on the upper deck should also be included in the armament of ships of the Ivan Rogov type. In addition to the tasks of defense and landing support, these helicopters are capable of conducting anti-submarine warfare and reconnaissance.
Alternative to Mistral
The order in France of four Mistral class universal landing ships was accompanied by an active discussion among specialists and the public. Intense discussion caused the fact of the purchase of large warships abroad, which was puzzling. The Soviet Union built much more complex technical systems and weapons models. Both sides of the discussion had substantiation of their views on the problem. Indeed, Russia has the potential to build a ship of any class.
But the very history of project 1174, which lasted almost fifteen years, shows the complexity and ambiguity of the issue. The ships of Russia are again returning to the oceans, and again the question arises of the appearance of the landing component of the squadron, an instrument for projecting sea power onto land. At the headquarters of the Navy, the desire to get not only a landing ship, but also the operational center of the entire squadron, from which it is possible to control the actions of the group, prevailed.
The landing ship has for this visible advantages over a conventional warship. The advantages of "Mistral" include a perfect system of management and communications. In addition to a comparable landing load, it can carry 16 multi-purpose helicopters, which significantly increases the capabilities of the shock group of the Marine Corps. The names of the Mistral class warships reflected the names of the hero cities of Russia. Opponents raised a reasonable objection that the acquisition of weapons from a country that is a member of the opposing military bloc carries unpredictable risks. And so it happened.
Project revival
The disappearance of the Soviet Union and the ensuing economic difficulties confined the fleet to its bases. The BDK "Alexander Nikolaev" was also written off. This was the second ship of the series. Only one large landing ship remained in service.
The development of landing ships continued to be pursued by failure. The lead vessel of the Ivan Gren series was also stuck on the slipways due to the constant changes in the project. France’s refusal to supply four Mistral UDCs left virtually no choice for the Navy command. Russian ships operating in the ocean zone need an amphibious component. The sad experience of buying a key weapon system from foreigners warns against repeating it. The development of a new project may drag on indefinitely. Therefore, today it is claimed that instead of Mistral, the production of the BDK code for the Rhinoceros will be restarted. Of course, it does not agree with the ambitions of the naval headquarters, who want to have a more developed and universal landing platform, but so far no other solution has been observed.