In the 60-ies of XX century the concept of the IUD in the hypothetical third world war Soviet and Western experts met in completely different ways. For example, admirals from the Pentagon, the main force of the fleet was considered a carrier group, and numerous surface ships of other classes one way or another was considered only as a means of carriers, protection. In the USSR before the surface fleet posed a few other problems — primarily to fight aircraft carrier connections, as well as enemy nuclear submarines near its shores.
HEIRS TO THE DESTROYERS
In the English language has long existed a popular expression “Chinese copy” (“Chinese copy”), meaning illegal the repetition of any industrial product without purchasing a license for its production. But for the 50-year history of military shipbuilding of China, this expression is very true in its literal translation. To this day, almost all combat units of the Chinese Navy are a patchwork of units and systems, carefully copied from Soviet or Western models.
By the mid 80-ies of XX century, the naval experts of the countries of the West had no doubt that the most advanced class of surface ships in the foreseeable future will remain the frigates. These versatile ships-rocket carriers have been very numerous in the seas and oceans under the flags of different countries at the time, swam at least 350 frigates, and their “population” continued to rise steadily. They actually replaced the cruisers and destroyers in most countries of the world, becoming the largest combat units in their fleets. Of course, the attitude towards them has changed: the design and construction of the frigate now began to approach more carefully, trying to avoid the rush and the use of untested solutions.
For several decades the Soviet patrol ships (TFR), formally considered as analogues of foreign frigates and corvettes, it was actually the destroyers — shock military units near the sea area. In fact, their successors and projects 35 159 focused on the fight against submarines, kept many of the “Menomonie” features: the same high speed, the same torpedo as the main weapon, the same “squat” silhouette with minimum add-ons… However, the emergence of the US nuclear submarines with ballistic missiles forced the Soviet Union to reconsider priorities.
The idea to create a small but powerfully armed ship fired the minds of generations of admirals and engineers shipbuilders. And this is understandable: the fact that a small ship is cheaper great, for a long time it was considered axiomatic. So, for the same money marine budget could build a more powerful and numerous fleet. In practice, however, the attempt to implement this plan rarely lead to positive results. Overloaded heavy weapons compact boat, usually worked malamerenda, cramped, had insufficient cruising range and inferior to their larger brethren in survivability… all The more so as the steady appreciation of e-filling and missile weapons saving on steel box was quite unjustified. It would seem that the enthusiasm for “minimalism” in the military shipbuilding should finally disappear.
As a result of mass repressions of 1937 -1938. considerably thinned the ranks of skilled workers, research institutions, including creating new military equipment. With the acute shortage of professional personnel in the USSR in the ongoing struggle “enemies of the people” the country could be without leading experts. In September 1938 at the suggestion of people’s Commissar of internal Affairs USSR L. P. Beria in the NKVD Division was established special design Bureau, renamed in 1939 to the Special technical Bureau of the NKVD of the USSR From July 1941 until its dissolution in may 1953 it was called the 4th special Department of the NKVD (since 1946 — MGB) of the USSR. The main objectives of 4-th special Department were: the use of inmates specialists to perform research and design works on creation of new types of military aircraft, aircraft engines and engines of naval vessels, artillery and ammunition, chemical means of attack and defence, and the procurement of radio communications.
A crushing defeat of Japan in 1945 radically changed the geopolitical situation in the far East, however, does not make this part of the globe calm. A series of bloody wars in China, Indochina and Korea led to the split of Nations and the emergence of new tensions. All this occurred against the background of confrontation between the two superpowers — the USSR and the USA trying to engage the warring regimes in its orbit. So in the camp of the allies of Washington and its former enemy Japan, and longtime enemies of the past — South Korea and Taiwan.
It is well known that warships is not only a means of waging war at sea. And in peacetime the Navy has to solve a wide range of tasks — carry out protection of territorial waters to combat violators of the state border, to carry out diplomatic missions, to “show the flag” and demonstrate the power of his country in “hot spots” of the planet.
In the last issue we talked about some experiments with the construction of submarines made by the British Admiralty during the First world war. It should be noted, is not the most extreme and interesting. Now it is the turn for the most curious products of the “enlightened sailors”. Of course, experimental submarines periodically appeared in most major Maritime powers. But, perhaps, only Britain allowed itself to carry out such impressive “experiments” on a large scale. Despite the obvious dubiousness of many ideas, they did not check on individual units, and immediately launched into a series of, sometimes very significant. As a result, the Royal Navy received the whole batch of submarines with which the admirals just didn’t know what to do. Cost this approach a fair amount of money, but while the Empire could afford such a luxury.
(The end. Beginning at No. 9 in’05). In may 1953, in connection with the liquidation of the 4th special Department (former MGB, and now the Ministry of internal Affairs of the USSR), OKB-5 was closed, and its civilian employees became part of the SKB-5 for the design of long-range boats was established on 22 October 1949 at plant No. 5 Minsudprom of the USSR. Here they continued further development of the boat of the project 183, including in the directions laid down in the OKB-5 MGB.