Karthik S wrote:Isn't that their old strategy since Soviet days? To target CVNs using backfires, bears, blackjacks and supersonic AShM. Wonder why did they even bother to build carriers, given their huge number of submarines as well.
Soviet Naval Officer Maxim Tokarev gave a very interesting perspective "Kamikazes: The Soviet Legacy"
https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/cgi/v ... nwc-review
The Soviet Union planned to send 100 Backfires against every carrier, fully expecting to lose at least half of them. The planning was detailed going in and rudimentary coming out.
“Sir, tell me why we have a detailed flight plan to the target over the vast ocean, but only a rough dot-and-dash line across Hokkaido Island on way back?” “Son,” answered the major calmly, “if your crew manages to get the plane back out of the sky over the carrier by any means, on half a wing broken by a Phoenix and a screaming prayer, no matter whether it’s somewhere over Hokkaido or directly through the moon, it’ll be the greatest possible thing in your entire life!”
While the first wave of attacks were to come from the Air, guided missile attacks from the various surface ships and the cruise missile and attack submarines would also be tasked against the carrier fleet.
"the SSGNs, two for each target carrier, and nuclear-powered attack submarines for support. In sum, up to fifteen nuclear submarines would deploy into the deep oceans to attack carrier task forces"
"It is no secret that the officers of the surface community who served on the guided-missile ships counted on surviving a battle against a U.S. Navy carrier air wing for twenty or thirty minutes and no more"
However, the main problem was not the intricacy of coordination but targeting —that is, how to find the carrier task forces at sea and to maintain a solid, constant track of their current positions. The soviets did not trust their satellite systems at the time and preferred means was the direct tracking ship
All in all, a testament to the immense sacrifices in blood, material, cost that the Soviets estimated would be needed against the US carrier and system.
Tokaraev said that even asymmetric warfare like this to take out those carriers is comparable in costs to a balanced carrier option..
BTW, this post is centric from what it takes/took to vanquish a US carrier fleet; obviously not fro perspective of ambition, fleet mix,size etc. Obviously Soviet Union had vastly more resources and presence and ambitions than Russia and India has a different security context and resource & priority context.
Singha wrote:
to deter american submarines and LRMP a/c from having a free run.
the Moskva was dedicated ASW carrier cum missile ship [helicopeter carriers designed to protect the SSBN in the nuclear bastion against Western attack subs]
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this is exactly the kind of ships we need / Izumo-mki to sanitize the IOR of PLAN subs. a unweildy 65000 catobar CV is of no use as a ASW strike group leader. and it will soak up several DDGs to provide it SAM cover.
better to invest in a half dozen 25000t fast ASW LPH ships with 15 IMRH each and ASW missiles.
@Singha
Izumo was actually originally designed keeping in mind conversion to an aircraft carrier via purchase of F35B, but political factors prevented Japan from disclosing it for a long while [Japan constitution forbids offensive arms, and public opinion is also against it; furthermore, Japanes aircraft carrier hakens back to WW2 days and risked backlash]
India does not have access to competitive VSTOL planes ; and fixed wings of an aircraft carrier give significant power projection capability as well as fleet defense. It's simply different.
Obviously a mistral class or equivalent is more than sufficient for ASW helicopter sortie generation. Of course India is several years away from having sufficient naval helicopters to support this (until NUH/NMRH etc come through), and until then, nuclear submarines, and land based P8is and hopefully underwater fixed sensors will be used along with any helicopters that can be scraped up for our ships (destroyers etc ) . India can also use ASW ships.
Advantage with chopper and sonobuoys is range (except vs P8) and flexibility of basing
You may be aware of all this ... others maybe not
