/ world today news/ The United States presented plans for the development of the Navy. The goal is to ensure superiority over rivals. Above all, over Russia and China, which recently conducted maneuvers. However, the ambitious plan has already run into problems.
They chose the first
The published document looks at renewing the fleet by 2052. Its first version last year was criticized on Capitol Hill.
In particular, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Roger Isker, doubts that the industry will go through with the order. The concept has been refined.
Three paths are being considered for further development of the fleet. The Pentagon is going with the first one. This scenario envisages the replacement of Arley Burke destroyers with a new class of DDG, but only from 2032. And before that, it is planned to refine the new platform, to master the operation of all components, so that serial ships do not have damage.
Also promising missile frigates of the Constellation class should be built – one or two flags per year.
As for the submarine force, then they abandoned speed. The transition from Virginia-class multi-role nuclear submarines to advanced SSNs was pushed from the late 2020s to the mid-2030s. For financial reasons.
No restrictions
The second option is the simultaneous purchase of multi-purpose submarines “Virginia” and SSN, which will gradually replace the older nuclear ships. Instead of destroyers, the focus is on coastal unmanned platforms.
The authors admit that the first two options are unlikely to make it possible to obtain 355 flags in 30 years.
Today, the US Navy has about 300 ships and submarines. Growth is hampered by several factors. First, the budget, which is constantly debated in the Senate. Second, the lack of production capacity. As a third option, the authors of the document propose to forget about these circumstances.
If all resources are invested, forgetting about the limitations, then, according to the concept, the target indicator will be reached by 2042. In this scenario, the Navy will buy aircraft carriers once every four years. And perspective nuclear submarines SSN and destroyers DDG – two units per year.
By the way, Beijing, the main geopolitical rival of Washington, is also planning a complete renewal of the navy, as well as the armed forces in general, in 2040. China is a leading naval power that has already demonstrated to the world the ability to build ships of any rank. It is possible that China will push the US to the throne of the “king of the oceans”.
Industry issues
The Americans are not yet launching new ships, but decommissioning “retirees”. They started with two Independent-class littoral combat ships, Jackson and Montgomery. They will be decommissioned in 2024.
The Ticonderoga-class ships, namely Antienam, Laite and Shiloh, are slated to say goodbye to the aging cruiser fleet next year.
A total of 13 pennants will be retired in 2024, the same number in 2025, 14 in 2027 and 13 in 2027.
Of course they will be replaced. But the plan does not specify at what production base. Last year, the head of US Navy Admiral Darryl Caudle said the country’s shipbuilding capacity was not sufficient to repair existing equipment, let alone build new ones.
The U.S. Navy spent $2.8 billion between 2015 and 2019 on shipyard renovations. An increase in their productivity and efficiency is expected. But according to a government report, at four state-owned enterprises over the years, 75% of maintenance work on aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines was not completed on time. With private companies, the situation is better, but they mainly deal with small and medium-sized ships.
The shipyards are very old. For example, the one in Boston is more than 200 years old. Of course, the equipment there has been changed more than once, but the infrastructure no longer meets modern requirements. Admiral Caudle called for more funding for the naval shipyards at Portsmouth, Puget Sound, and Pearl Harbor.
They require repair
The technical condition of the American fleet has long left much to be desired. Back in the fall of 2020, the special committee reported to Congress on multiple issues with surface ships. In recent decades, their combat capability has declined.
Most of the questions are about the engines: they regularly break down, and crews have to deal with repairs – right at sea. On more than 30 ships, engine efficiency has dropped by 20% in five years.
Uncertainty and capriciousness actually put an end to the latest Freedom-class high-speed ships, which often break down while sailing. The defect was recognized as systemic and from 2021 these ships are not being purchased.
There are enough headaches with the Aegis combat information and control system, which, among other things, is also responsible for air defense. The Arley Burke destroyers and the Ticonderoga missile cruisers are equipped with it. However, the program crashes regularly. According to the commission’s conclusion, if the ideal condition of the equipment is equal to one, then the average indicator of combat readiness of “Aegis” does not exceed 0.75.
The devices for taking off and landing ship helicopters are a separate story. Their efficiency decreased from 0.77 to 0.68, and failures could lead to tragedy more than once. Thus, in October 2019, a Seahawk helicopter crashed while landing on the Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier. Fortunately, there were no casualties. The cause of the accident was a fault in the ship’s electrical system, which gave the pilot incorrect descent data.
In addition, fleet maintenance costs are only increasing. But this, according to the military, is not enough. If the problem is not solved comprehensively, including by upgrading the infrastructure, the American fleet will soon lose its combat capability.
Translation: V. Sergeev
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