Many netizens are curious about two questions, namely, once a war breaks out between , how long can the US aircraft carrier group last? Does the People's Liberation Army still have secret weapons?
In this era of over-visual combat, whether it is fighter jets, ships, or launch vehicles, their firepower delivery methods are missiles, . Therefore, needs to introduce the air defense network of the US aircraft carrier battle group to answer the first question . If wants to answer the second question, we need to introduce our army's latest equipment .
Next, the author will introduce these two points separately and answer these two questions.
1. The air defense network of the US aircraft carrier battle group
The air defense network of the US aircraft carrier battle group can be roughly divided into two layers. The first layer is the carrier-based aircraft air defense network composed of carrier-based early warning aircraft, electronic warfare aircraft and fighter . The second layer is the fleet air defense network responsible for the surface ship . Both layers of air defense networks have both soft killing and hard killing methods, and have strong air defense and anti-missile capabilities.
, carrier-based aircraft air defense network
At present, the carrier-based fighter in the United States is mainly divided into the F-18 series and F35C. The combat radius of the F-18 series is about 800km, and the combat radius of the F35C is said to be about 1,100km. Such a combat radius can ensure that it completes long-distance early warning interception and even strike tasks under the support of the carrier-based early warning aircraft.
As a comparison, the range of the Eagle Strike-12 that our army can launch on land-based, ship-based and air-based platforms is about 200km low altitude and 400km high altitude, and the ultimate range of the Eagle Strike-18 that can launch on ship-based and submarine-based platforms is about 600km. It can be seen that the range of our army's active anti-ship cruise missiles is generally smaller than the combat radius of US aircraft carrier-based aircraft. In addition to the high concealment of submarine , which is equipped with the Eagle Strike-18 submarine, the concealment of other anti-ship cruise missile launch platforms of our army is generally not optimistic.
It is worth mentioning that since the range of the active AGM-158C LRASM in the United States is only about 500km, if the US carrier-based aircraft wants to strike against our ships, it must risk going forward to the range of the J-15 carrier-based aircraft , which is our army's air combat patrol. Therefore, the ability of the US carrier-based aircraft to strike our ships is actually not outstanding. The more prominent one is the intercepting cruise missiles launched by our army.
With the support of the carrier-based early warning aircraft, the carrier-based aircraft can actually maintain a high interception rate by relying on its own radar to downward shooting of incoming anti-ship cruise missiles. However, due to the loading of 300kg in my country's Eagle Strike-18 missile weighing 300kg, hitting only one is enough to make large ships lose combat capabilities. If it hits the aircraft carrier deck directly, the aircraft carrier battle group will lose its advantages.
Therefore, although the United States can maintain a high interception rate against my country's anti-ship cruise missiles, its fault tolerance rate is extremely low and cannot withstand the risk of even an anti-ship cruise missile hitting the aircraft carrier deck. As for the anti-ship ballistic missile , it is not something that these carrier-based aircraft can intercept. The warship must be allowed to carry out the anti-missile mission.
, Fleet Air Defense Network Ticongadero
Currently, the main anti-missile ships of the US Navy are divided into "two types and three types", namely 22 Ticonderoga-class missile cruisers, 2 Zumwalter-class missile destroyers, and 70 Arleigh Burke-class missile destroyers. Since only software and hardware are equipped with the Aegis Baseline 9 version and other software and hardware, they have the ability to launch standard-3 anti-missile interceptor missiles, so only about 1/3 of these 94 ships can perform anti-missile missions.
When fighting our army near the coast, due to proper rates and other reasons, the United States can mobilize only a small part of this one-third of the main anti-missile ships, which will greatly reduce its actual anti-missile capabilities. Next, the ability of these three types of ships to intercept my country's anti-ship ballistic missiles will be analyzed one after another to demonstrate the survival and combat capabilities of the US aircraft carrier combat group in wartime.
Ticonderoga-class missile cruisers initially planned to build 30 ships, but only 27 ships were actually produced, and 22 are still in service.Since its first ship, the USS Ticonderoga (CG-47), was completed and put into service in January 1983, the first five ships (CG-47 to CG-51) were only equipped with traditional Mk 26 twin cantilever missile launchers, and could only carry 68 missiles and could not launch Tomahawk cruise missiles, which made them limited combat capability, so they all retired from active service between 2004 and 2006.
1986 to 1993, 22 Ticonderoga-classes from the No. 6 ship Billfort Mountain (CG-52) were successively put into service, and two sets of Mk41 Mod0 vertical launch systems (VLS). Each set of Mk41 can carry 61 missiles, a total of 122 missiles, and can launch multiple missiles including Tomahawk cruise missiles.
It is worth mentioning that although the Ticonderoga class adopts the hull design of the Spreenz class, it is the first surface ship of the US Navy to install the Aegis combat system. With the support of the four-sided AN/SPY-1 phased array radar of the system (CG-52 to CG-58 are SPY-1A, and CG-59 to CG-73 are SPY-1B), this type of ship can automatically search and track 1,000 aerial and water targets within 300km, and can allow ship-based air defense missiles to lock in multiple targets in a short time, while simultaneously attacking some of them.
From 2000 to 2001, some of the 22 Ticonderoga classes from the No. 6 Bunker Mountain (CG-52) were upgraded, and the Aegis system was gradually upgraded to the baseline version 9. During this period, the Ticonderoga class began to integrate the Standard-3 anti-missile interceptor missile and had certain anti-missile capabilities.
Between 2001 and 2013, Ticonderoga's class used the Standard-3 Anti-missile Interceptor to complete 30 intercept medium-range ballistic missile tests, of which 24 were successful, with an interception success rate of 80%. However, according to the report released by the US Department of Defense, if the destruction of incoming warheads is used as the criterion for judging the success of interception, the success rate of the Standard-3 anti-missile interceptor missile is only 20%. It can be seen that the Standard-3 anti-missile interceptor may only make the target deviate from the landing point, but it has not completely destroyed the incoming warheads.
Of course, the hull of the Ticonderoga-class missile cruiser has shown fatigue after all, and its anti-missile capability is not very outstanding. It cannot make a big difference with the smaller tonnage Arleigh Burke-class missile destroyer. Therefore, the author will describe the multi-type anti-missile interceptor missiles carried by the Ticonderoga-class in the chapter of the Arleigh Burke-class missile destroyer. Next, the Zumwalter-class missile destroyer will be analyzed.
, Fleet Air Defense Network , Zumwalter
0, the design of Zumwalter-class missile destroyer began in the 21st century. Its initial development plan was called DDX, which continued many design ideas of the DD-21 project (21st Century Destroyer), which was cut off half of the budget by Congress in 2001. In 2005, it entered the stage of detailed design and integration, and 11 engineering modules were proposed, namely advanced artillery, infrared overall anti-submarine combat system, oblique ship side structure, automatic fire extinguishing system, full-ship cabin periphery vertical launch system, full-computed environment, dual-band radar, all-electric propulsion system, and full-ship pipeline system.
These designs are undoubtedly advanced and highly experimental. They are also representative works of the US Navy's "from sea to land" combat idea at that time. However, the US military soon discovered that it was expensive and cost-effective, so the number of planned construction was repeatedly reduced. It was initially planned to build 32 ships, followed by 24 ships, and then the number was reduced to 7 ships. The final number of planned construction was only 3 ships, codenamed DDG-1000, DDG-1001 and DDG-1002, of which DDG-1002 has not yet been in service.
Zumwalter-class missile destroyer is equipped with 20 sets of Mk 57 vertical launch systems, each set has 4 launch tubes, and a total of 80 missiles can be loaded, including the standard-3 anti-missile interceptor missile. With the support of its X-band AN/SPY-3 phased array radar and S-band phased array radar, it has certain anti-missile capabilities, but its anti-missile capabilities are only comparable to the Arleigh Burke-class missile destroyer with a smaller tonnage than it. It can be said that the design concept of Zumwalter-class was advanced and realistic at the beginning of its design. However, due to the rapid rise of our naval power, this missile destroyer , which focuses on near-shore artillery, is destined to no longer meet the combat needs of the US military.
Currently, the destroyer , which is most in line with the US military's combat needs, is the Arleigh Burke-class missile destroyer.
- Fleet Air Defense Network: Arleigh Burke
Arleigh Burke-class missile destroyer has been built and put into service, 3 have been launched, and 9 are still under construction, and 7 are currently under construction. It is currently the largest large main surface ship built by the US Navy. Although the tonnage of this type of ship is smaller than that of the Ticonderoga class missile cruiser, its latest model is also equipped with relatively advanced electronic systems and missile weapon system , and its combat effectiveness is no less than that of the Ticonderoga class.
The original design intention of this type of destroyer was to build a ship whose cost was only 2/3 of the Ticonderoga class but whose capabilities reached 3/4 of the Ticonderoga class. To this end, the United States also installed the original model of the Arleigh Burke class (Flight I/II configuration) with the previous (VLS) in the Mk 41 vertical launch system, which can launch SM-2 MR missiles and Tomahawk cruise missiles. However, the Mk 41 vertical launch system on the bow of the ship only installed 4 sets of 8 launch modules each. Compared with the 8 sets of 8 launch modules each of the 8 sets of 8 launch modules, the number of vertical launch ports has been reduced by 32, that is, it has also been reduced from 122 of the Ticonderoga class to 90.
Of course, in the subsequent Flight IIA/III configuration, the number of vertical launch ports increased, from 90 in the first 29 and 61 to 96 in the first 32 and 64. This is because it canceled the reload module that was originally one at the beginning and the end, and increased the number of 6 actually available launch tubes.
Flight I Arley Burke class uses a lighter and more advanced four-sided SPY-1D plane array radar. The Flight II/IIA Arley Burke class uses a four-sided SPY-1D (V) plane array radar (the AN/SPQ-9B/X band tracking radar has been added from DDG-118, and the SPQ-9B and AMDR-S radars are controlled by the same controller from DDG-125). However, due to the failure to integrate Standard-2 and Sea Sparrow's fire control system into this type of radar, even the latest Arley Burke class still has three AN/SPG-62 irradiation radars, and its mast is not integrated enough.
The first ship of the Arley Burke class, the Arley Burke, was put into service in 1991. A total of 21 ships were built on Flight I type, with hull numbers DDG51 to DDG-71. The first batch of Flight II models that have been renovated and upgraded for three years have been built in total, with hull numbers DDG-72 to DDG-78. The second batch of Flight IIA, which was renovated and upgraded for 22 years (1994-2016), was built in a total of 56 ships, with hull numbers DDG-79 to DDG-127. The third batch of upgraded Flight III of
was launched in 2016. It plans to further upgrade its Aegis system based on the current ACB12/baseline 9, and switch to the latest SPY-1 and SPQ-9B radars. Its first ship, Ted Stevens, started construction on June 28, 2021 and has not yet been launched.
All Arleigh Burke-class missiles can carry the standard-3 of the mid-stage anti-missile interceptor with a minimum firing height of 100km (divided into Type I, Type IA, Type IB, Type IIA, Type IIB), the standard-6 of the maximum firing height of 33km and the standard-2 of the maximum firing height of 24km. These three missiles together form the anti-missile capability of the Arleigh Burke-class missile.
standard-3 Types I and IA are test and initial respectively. The ones with strong anti-missile capabilities are Type IB, Type IIA, and Type IIB. These three types adopt the design of a three-stage booster rocket carrying kinetic energy impact interceptor. Among them, the first stage of has vector nozzles, the second stage is sufficient fuel, the third stage is double pulse, and the interceptor has direct force control of the side thrust, becoming the shield of the US sea-based mid-section intercept system.
As for Standard-6 and Standard-2, in fact, the engineers come from the same school, and the bullet of Standard-6 is the same as Standard-2, but the improvements have been made on the basis and some performance have been improved. Both adopt the design of a secondary rocket engine, both have vector thrust, and jointly form a sea-based terminal interception system.
. The penetration capability of my country's missiles against the US aircraft carrier combat group
my country's Air Force Air Force has 48 fighter brigades and 7 bomber regiments and 2 bomber brigades, Naval Aviation has 6 fighter brigades and 2 bomber regiments. The number of third-generation aircraft and third-generation and a half-generation (Chinese standard) fighter jets exceeds 1,000, and the number of fourth-generation aircraft (Chinese standard) has just exceeded 100, and the number of medium-sized bombers has reached nearly 200.
As a comparison, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier that came to my country's offshore can carry only 44-48 F/A-18 series combat attack aircraft, 5 EA-18G electronic warfare aircraft , and 5 E-2C/D early warning aircraft. The types, quality and quantity of them are completely incomparable to my country's huge shore-based aviation , which is equivalent to "attacking a city single-handedly"
In addition to aviation, my country's naval shore-based missile forces have also deployed a large number of shore-based anti-ship cruise missiles, and the Rocket Force is equipped with an extremely large number of anti-ship ballistic missiles. These anti-ship ballistic missiles are the most important strike force against the US aircraft carrier battle group.
Dongfeng-21D and Dongfeng-26C, both anti-ship ballistic missiles, both adopt a double-cone configuration and air rudder design, have a high lift-drag ratio, and can use Qianxuesen ballistics or Sanger ballistics with unfixed trajectory for penetration. After the United States and Russia respectively included the non-wave-based configuration of ballistic missiles, ballistic missiles, , with a non-wave-based configuration, into the hypersonic missile , the range of hypersonic missiles was expanded. By this standard, Dongfeng-21D and Dongfeng-26C undoubtedly belong to the category of hypersonic missiles.
Of course, the word hypersonic missile with expanded coverage is no longer synonymous with advanced conditions. So let's discuss the matter and analyze the penetration capabilities of these two types of missiles.
All current anti-missile interception systems face the two major problems of ballistic prediction algorithms and guidance laws that cannot meet the interception requirements and insufficient interceptor performance. Even the trajectory cannot be accurately predicted, and the interception rate will be greatly reduced. From this perspective, my country's anti-ship ballistic missiles have strong penetration capabilities against the US aircraft carrier combat group.
can be seen that because my country's two types of anti-ship ballistic missiles, Dongfeng-21D and Dongfeng-26C, have the higher penetration rate brought by hypersonic and non-traditional ballistics, it is enough to be the first batch of assault firepower to destroy and paralyze the important nodes of the US aircraft carrier battle group, causing it to lose most of its combat capabilities. Immediately afterwards, my country's aviation and ship forces will continue to carry out multiple rounds of continuous strikes on the aircraft carrier battle group, minimizing its combat effectiveness until it is forced to withdraw from the battle situation.
Now let’s go back to the question at the beginning, Once a war breaks out between China and the United States, how long can the US aircraft carrier group last? The author believes that the time the US aircraft carrier battle group can last after the war should be for about one to two weeks . This is because war is a gradual escalation process. It is likely that the initial stage will be a tentative low-intensity confrontation that occurs in the sea. It will take a certain amount of time to escalate to a high-intensity war that requires the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles to strike aircraft carriers and should be in units of days.
In addition, it takes time to repeatedly verify the sea reconnaissance system. It takes time to analyze the general location of the aircraft carrier battle group such as satellite images and water sound monitoring information, to sending an air platform to further locate the aircraft carrier battle group, to repeatedly verifying the location of the aircraft carrier battle group and continuously tracking, and even the calculation of shooting elements. In these operations, except for analyzing satellite images and water sound monitoring information for rough positioning, other operations need to be continued during the war, which also requires time in days.
After my country's anti-ship ballistic missile successfully hit an important node of the US aircraft carrier battle group, the US aircraft carrier battle group will not immediately lose its combat capability, but will not be able to sustain it after my country's aviation and ship forces complete a continuous "finish" attack on them.
To sum up, for various rough speculations, the author believes that once a war breaks out between , considering the escalation of the war and the progress of the war, the US aircraft carrier group should be able to last for about one to two weeks. Of course, it will eventually fall into a situation where it is difficult to continue to withdraw from the battlefield.
. Our army's latest equipment
Many of our army's new equipment are still in the rumor stage. At present, only has one air-launched ballistic missile that can be mounted under the belly of the H-6N aircraft, air-launched ballistic missile , which can be photographed by passers-by in Neixiang, Henan and exposed online. It is reported that this missile was planned to be mounted by H-6N to participate in the 70th anniversary parade of the National Day. It itself has a quasi-intercontinental range. With the support of the bomber range, the strike range of my country's air power can be extended to Alaska. Of course, its code name is unknown at present. This latest equipment of our army is...
