From the very appearance on Earth, a man was complexed: because because of the inability to resist the forces of nature and conquer the inaccessible air and water elements, because due to the vulnerability to the representatives of the animal world. Years passed, the elements were submitted, Fauna hid sickly, but the habit of proving something "neighbor" remained - because Titanic, Hindenburg and other B41 appear on the light.
This time, it will be about the largest warship in the world: the editorial office of 24cmi will tell about the characteristics and features of the man-made giant and about where he was designed and built.
"Enterprise" and all-all-all
To deal with what a warship is the largest in the world, harder than it seems at first glance. Judging by linear dimensions, then the USS Enterprise Navy aircraft carrier (CVN-65) is some kind. From the nose to the stern of the ship - 342 m, and the width of the extreme points reaches 78.5 m.
This inspiring the respect of the view even on the old photos created by the hands of human titanic, designed by Westinghouse in 1958 and closed on the water in 1960, is able to overcome up to 1 million nuclear miles due to the nuclear power plant at one gas station - such a stroke 12-13 years old.
However, do not forget about the pair "But":
- Enterprise in impressive size is already inferior to the line of aircraft carriers "Nimitz", which also designed and built in the USA, but began to commission 15 years later, on displacement (93.8 thousand tons against 98.5 thousand) and the number The crew (4800 people against 5680), not to mention the outdated power plant with a smaller efficiency.
- The only representative of the 1958 project, which was served in the US Navy for more than half a century and managed to enter the American fleet in the status of almost legends, brought out of operation in 2012 and wrote off in February 2017, when it was already preparing ongoing and in the 2020 final The adoption stage in the fleet of late due to the underdevelopment of the "successor" - the first aircraft carrier of the type "Gerald R. Ford", USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78).
The last mentioned 100,000-ton giant is dedicated to the article - although this representative of the American military vehicle has a smaller crew, this representative of the "Nimitz" type and displacement has a smaller carriage, this is not connected with the lack of design, but, on the contrary, with a smaller number of technical versions required for service Advanced machines and mechanisms.
Yes, and theoretically "Gerald R. Ford" is an advanced ship and corresponding to the new fleet requirements, and subsequent vessels of this class, two of which are collected in the races, allegedly become a replacement for not only the "enterprise", but also outdated "nimitsa".
It was scary on paper
Having understood with the candidates for the title of the largest warship in the world and choosing a winner, it's time to study the study of the latest information: technical characteristics, distinctive features and associated with vessel interesting facts. But it should be started with the creation.
Financing the program for the construction of the air-based courts to come to the change of morally obsolete and approaching the development of the resource to the Entryprise and Nimitz vehicles began from 2001.
For decades, the concept of creating the highest-tech weapons in the world was reflected in the project of the line of ships, which received the name of the 38th US President Gerald R. Ford, - initially even the designation of the developed type was CVN-21, or "aircraft carrier of the XXI century".
At the design stage, it was assumed to implement the latest technical solutions to the project, including the use of elements of stealth technologies and the last developments in the construction of the catapult for shipproof WFP, which would have a positive effect on the automation of mechanisms, systems and nodes, and at the same time reduced operational costs while maintaining and maintained Even increasing the effectiveness of military use.
The creators of the aircraft carrier became the employees of the NorthPort News Shipbuilding of the Norton Grumman military industrial company: here the entire line, which should consist of 10 vessels in the future, constructed and built the first representative. Despite the fact that the official contract for the amount of $ 5.1 billion with the fleet signed only in 2008, the work on the creation of USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) began 3 years earlier - in accordance with a preliminary agreement for $ 2.1 billion
It was planned to finish the construction of "Gerald R. Ford" by the time of the conclusion from the operation of the "enterprise mentioned above, but it was not possible - the" old man "of the CVN-65 project" went back "before and without waiting for the" deputy ". Gerald himself launched into the water in 2013, but the running and operational tests due to the flawlessness of the design continued until May 31, 2017. And then the problems did not disappear.
Specifications
The displacement of the first ship of the CVN-78 project is 98.5 thousand tons (as well as in Nimitz aircraft carriers), but in future ruler vessels, this parameter is supposed to increase to 112 thousand linear dimensions:- The greatest length is 337 m;
- Maximum width - 78 m;
- Height from keel to chototics - 76 m.
The power plant of 2 nuclear reactors produced by the company "Botel" with a capacity of 700 megawatts allows the largest military ship in the world to develop more than 30 nodes (up to 57 km / h). Thanks to the "engine" on atomic fuel, the autonomy of the course is limited only by the reserve of provision, allowing "traveling" to the crew of 4660 people 100 days, and the number of aviation fuel, designed for 30 days of flights.
On the ship deck it is possible to accommodate up to 90 units of aircraft: aircraft (F-35, F-18 "Super Hornet", EA-18 "Groorler", E-2 "Hokai", C-2 "Greyhaound"), helicopters (MH- 60 "C HOC") and unmanned aircraft. The number of departures per day in comparison with the previous generation increased by 15% - from 140 to 160 (in an extreme position - up to 220).
Also on board the aircraft carrier carries a complex of radar weapons and anti-aircraft missiles.
Interesting Facts
With the creation of the first aircraft carrier of the CVN-78 project and its tests are associated with a number of interesting facts. That's just some of them:
one. The aircraft carrier "Gerald R. Ford" became the first ship in the United States, the model of which was fully created using computer technologies of volumetric design, providing automatic modeling of technical process.
2. New reactors differ by 25% greater power than those installed on the aircraft carriers of the last generation. It is also not required to retire fuel - download "from the plant" enough for all 50 years of intended exploitation.
3. The crew reduction through the automation of the operation of systems and mechanisms has reduced the maintenance of $ 4 billion. However, the "gain" "burned" due to the high cost of creation. The "Fresh" airmather Titan Navy has already cost, together with development, refinement, scientific research and tests of $ 17.5 billion and the point is not supplied. For comparison: "Nimitsy", which a new representative of the American fleet on its own characteristics exceeds slightly, went by $ 6 billion.
4. After the descent of water in 2013 it turned out that the main systems work infertifable. Without the redistribution of the project and the subsequent modification of the ship, it was impossible to correct the "caught" defects. So, "treated" it took:
- take-off deck, built with violation of the requirements for the safety of take-off and landing;
- electromagnetic catapult that has failed for every 400 launches with the promised trouble-free leverage of 4 thousand;
- ammunition lifts;
- Aerofinisher, failing after 25 landlocked aircraft instead of 1.5 thousand, promised by the creators;
- Radar.
five. The term of commissioning, originally scheduled for 2014, was repeatedly transferred. The next defect, the "pop-up" in the energy installation during the tests of 2019, again sent the ship to repair, which was planned to complete by October. According to the latest information, the full introduction of a combat unit for which the air has not been formed, until the 2022th seems to be doubtful.