Originally a three-unit class, the Midway, Coral Sea, introduced in 1945 and 1947, and the Franklin D. Roosevelt were the largest aircraft carriers built during World War II and the only ones capable, unmodified. , to ensure the operations of the post-war generation of heavy strike carrier-based aircraft with nuclear weapons. Having served for a long time, all three were subject to modernization programs, differing significantly in detail. Of these, only Midway and Coral Sea remain in service. The first is part of the Pacific Fleet and is based at Yokosuka in Japan. The second operates as the front line aircraft carrier of the Atlantic Fleet and carries reduced air groups from aircraft carriers undergoing repairs. The third ship, Franklin D. Roosevelt, was expelled from the fleet in 1977. Its name was subsequently assigned to a new Nimitz-class aircraft carrier. Due to their smaller size, the Midway-class carriers carry McDonnell Douglas F-4N/S Phantom 2s instead of Grumman F-14A Tomcats and do not accommodate S-3A Vikings. Lockheed or SH-3 Sea King helicopters from Sikorsky. Both ships are equipped with three aircraft lifts at the edge of the deck, but Midway has only two steam catapults, while Coral Sea has three. The ships take 1210 tons of aviation weapons and 4.49 million liters of JP5 aviation fuel for the air wing. Of the two ships, Midway is the more capable, having undergone extensive repairs in 1966, but both would be phased out by the late 1980s, respectively Coral Sea in 1988 and Midway the following year.
Tactical and technical characteristics of "Midway" and "Coral Sea"
- Displacement, t: Midway standard 51,000, full 64,000, Coral Sea standard 52,500, full 63,800;
- Dimensions, m: length 298.4; width 36.9; draft 10.8; flight deck width 72.5;
- Main power plant: steam turbines with four shafts, power, l. With. (kW): 212,000 (158,090);
- Travel speed, knots: 30,6;
- Aircraft: see text;
- Weapons: two eight container launchers (without reloading) anti-aircraft missile system"Sea Sparrow" on "Midway", three 20-mm anti-aircraft guns artillery complex"Vulcan Phalanx" on both;
- Electronics:(at Midway) one LN-66 navigation radar, one SPS-65V radar for detecting air targets and surface (ground) targets, one search radar SPS-43C for detecting air targets, one search radar SPS-49 for detecting an air target, one SPS-48C three-dimensional radar, aircraft landing aids - one SPN-35A, two SPN-42 and one SPN-44, two Mk 115 fire control system radars, one set of URN-29 TACAN radio navigation system, one station set electronic intelligence SLQ-29, four starting devices dipole reflector Mk 36 Super RBOCo;
- Electronics:(on “Coral Sea”) one LN-66 navigation radar, one SPS-10 radar for surface (ground) target detection and navigation, one SPS-43C search radar for air target detection, one SPS air target search radar -30, one set of SPN-43A aircraft landing aids, one LJRN-20 set of TACAN radio navigation system, one set of SLQ-29 electronic intelligence station, four Mk36 Super RBOC dipole reflector launchers;
- Crew:(“Midway”) 2615 people. plus 1800 people - air group; ("Coral Sea") 2710 "people plus 1800 people - air group.
Everything that could previously be seen on TV or in photographs can now be touched with your hands...
American aircraft carrier USS "Midway" CV-41. This is the very first heavy American aircraft carrier. It was launched on March 20, 1945. For more than 40 years he was part of the US Navy. He actively participated in the bombing of North Vietnam and also took part in Operation Desert Storm in 1991. On April 11, 1992, the ship was decommissioned American Navy. And on January 10, 2004, it was moored at the pier in San Diego (California), turning it into the largest aircraft carrier museum.
I first came to San Diego in February 2008. Even at the stage of planning a business trip to this sunny city, I knew about this unusual museum. And on my list of interesting places it was in the first row. It was easy to find on satellite images on Google. And in any guidebook the address of the pier was indicated.
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I must immediately make a reservation that this was not only my first business trip, but also my first trip abroad in general. Before this, I had never left our country. Neither Egypt nor Turkey were on the list of countries I visited. And this only increased the desire to see a foreign aircraft carrier with foreign aircraft on board.
After arriving in the city, checking into a hotel and checking out local stores for products, my friend and I, who, like me, was on a business trip for the first time, decided to go to this museum. Point at GPS navigator has been standing for a long time. With two clicks the route was plotted and we were off. Already approaching the destination, I turned my head, waiting for the ship to appear. And so, turning onto the embankment, we saw huge aircraft carrier, standing at the pier with its stern towards us. Having found a parking spot, we walked around it, taking photographs of every meter of this amazing structure.
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There were many planes on the deck. I knew each of them very well, but I saw them live for the first time. Delight knew no bounds.
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The day was drawing to a close. And it was decided to postpone the excursion to another day. There was a work week ahead.
Over the week we watched several films related to aircraft carriers: “The Final Countdown”, “Top Gun” and of course “Hot Shots”. I've seen them many times already, but before going to the museum I wanted to refresh my memory.
The weekend has finally arrived. I was looking forward to them. After breakfast we went to the embankment. Although San Diego is famous for its sunny weather, on this particular day it was cloudy. The wind was blowing and it was quite cool. Of course, it’s not like in Moscow at the same time of year (February), but we have already managed to get used to the warmth. And for some reason, on this particular day I forgot my jacket at the hotel. But I didn’t notice the cold at all because I was looking forward to the excursion.
Having arrived at the pier and parked the car, we went to buy tickets. The price was $15 + 8% tax ($1.2). That is $16.2. Converted to rubles at the 2008 exchange rate (24.5 rubles), the amount came out to almost 400 rubles. Plus we paid about the same amount for parking the car. There is a special paid parking lot for visitors next to the ship. Along with the tickets, we were given a diagram of the aircraft carrier with indicated routes, door and compartment numbers.
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We boarded. Entrance is via stairs directly to the hangar deck. Upon entering we were photographed with the TBF "Avenger" aircraft. It turned out that this photo could then be purchased upon exit. We were then given an audio guide. Two languages to choose from: English and Japanese.
Once on board, the feeling that you are on a ship disappears. The hangar deck is similar to a regular hangar with many pipes on the ceiling. And the numerous corridors resemble an underground labyrinth. The city is afloat with many different services, systems, compartments and a population of about 4,100 people.
Unfortunately, you can’t go everywhere on an aircraft carrier. There are certain compartments and cabins that are open to the public. The rest of the doors are locked. But don't let this information confuse you. Even after spending 6 hours on board, we didn’t have time to see everything. Therefore, we came here to finish the inspection. And even after getting on board a year later, I found several more places that I had not seen before.
There were several planes on the hangar deck. Plus there were attractions for entertainment, a gift shop and a restaurant.
Hangar deck. At the entrance there is a torpedo bomber TBF "Avenger". On the right are yellow stands with audio guides.
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Hangar deck.
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SBD "Dauntless" carrier-based dive bomber/reconnaissance aircraft.
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Deck-based multi-role attack aircraft A-1H "Skyraider".
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The hangar also displays the cockpits of various aircraft, ejection seats and aircraft engines.
The nose of a carrier-based AWACS aircraft E-2C "Hawkeye".
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The cockpit of the carrier-based AWACS aircraft E-2C "Hawkeye".
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The cockpit of the F-4 "Phantom II" multi-role fighter.
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The cockpit of the deck-based multi-role attack aircraft A-7 "Corsair II".
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Aviation piston engine R-2800 "Double Wasp" from Pratt & Whitney. Two-row 18-cylinder air-cooled engine with a displacement of 46 liters. Installed on such aircraft as the F4U "Corsair" and F6F "Hellcat".
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Aviation jet engine J79 company General Electric. Installed on such aircraft as the F-4 "Phantom II" and RA-5 "Vigilante".
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Life jackets on the hangar deck.
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The hatch through which aircraft spare parts, including aircraft engines, were delivered to the hangar deck. Through the glass you can see how an aircraft engine is being prepared for takeoff. Exhibition with wax figures. The storage facility is located 4 decks below. So standing on glass is a little scary.
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After inspecting the planes and sitting in the cockpits, we went to inspect the internal compartments of the aircraft carrier. All routes were marked with signs. The compartments had numbers written on them that corresponded to the file numbers in the audio guide. You dialed the number and listened to what this place was and what they were doing here. It must be said that the exhibitions were designed very clearly. Many wax figures were used to show the crew's work. This all made us forget that the ship was decommissioned.
One of the internal compartments.
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Meal room.
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The inscription on the wall: " The boss is always right. He may be misinformed, inaccurate, willful, fickle, ignorant, even abnormally stupid, but he is never wrong".
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Operating room on an aircraft carrier.
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Hospital.
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X-ray machine.
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An elevator leading to the weapons bay.
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Workshop. Any parts could be produced here.
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Lathe.
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Sheet rolling machine.
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One of the many corridors of the aircraft carrier.
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A labyrinth of internal compartments.
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Punishment cell.
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Mailbox. Here it was possible to send a letter to land.
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Church.
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Meal room for senior officers.
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Galley.
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Laundry.
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Ironing room.
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After walking through the various compartments with many different services, we went down below the water line, where the carrier's engine control room, steam turbines and much more are located.
Engine control station. The aircraft carrier has 12 steam boilers and 4 turbines.
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Control room steam turbines. Reminds me of a watch store window.
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General principle of operation of a steam engine. This picture is shown to visitors.
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Scheme of the movement of the power plant shafts. Two turbines (high and low pressure) rotate the propeller shaft through a gearbox.
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Diagram of the operation of the steam system of an aircraft carrier.
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High pressure steam turbine. Through the window you can see the turbine blades.
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High pressure turbine blades.
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Main gearbox. It connects to the propeller shaft.
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Often in the compartments we met people who once served on this ship, and now work as tour guides in this museum. You could learn a lot of interesting things from them.
Having climbed back up, we went to the very bow of the ship, where the crew’s living quarters were located.
At the entrance to the living quarters there is a shop. Here you could buy toiletries, stationery, cigarettes, snacks, and even rent a video cassette of a movie.
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Living quarters for junior officers. Here the beds are arranged two on top of each other. There is a separate bedside table.
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From the living quarters there is access to the anchor compartment. The drive for lowering and raising the anchors is located here. And also mooring ropes.
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Anchor compartment. When lowering or raising anchors, it was only possible to be in this room with headphones. We never managed to raise this chain)))
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Here the chain comes out and connects to the armature.
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The very front compartment. These portholes look forward along the ship's course.
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Having finished examining the internal compartments, we finally went to see what makes an aircraft carrier different from ordinary ships - the flight deck.
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The largest American aircraft carriers laid down during the Second World War. Designed in 1940-1943. as an enlarged version of the Essex with an armored flight deck, a larger air group, enhanced anti-aircraft weapons and an improved anti-aircraft system. Satisfying all these requirements led to a sharp increase in the size of the ship, which excluded the possibility of passage through the Panama Canal and thereby reduced its tactical mobility.
The dimensions of the Midway flight deck are 281.6x34.4 m; Structurally, it was still carried out in the form of a superstructure and did not participate in ensuring the longitudinal strength of the ship. The huge single-tier hangar, measuring 210.9 x 28.9 m and 5.33 m high, could accommodate up to 153 single-engine fighters. Two deck elevators had dimensions of 16.5x14 m and a load capacity of 12 tons, the side elevator had dimensions of 17.08x10.4 m and 8.2 tons, respectively. Two H-IV-1 hydropneumatic catapults were installed on the upper deck, which differed from those used on the SS » H-IV only has an increased length of the starting track.
The Mk-5's arresting gear set was designed to stop a 13.5-ton aircraft with a landing speed of 90 mph. Aviation gasoline reserve - 1,254,960 liters.
The ship's surface protection included three armored decks and an armor belt, as well as local armoring of individual rooms. The flight deck was protected by 87 mm thick uncemented armor; the hangar and lower decks were covered with 5 0 mm STS steel. Paradoxically, along with very powerful horizontal armor, the Midway carried equally solid (and absolutely useless!) vertical armor. Remembering the death of the English AV "Glories", the creators of "Midway" tried to provide reliable protection against 203-mm shells, since a meeting with Japanese heavy cruisers was considered quite likely. This is how the ship received a 193-mm armor belt - the thickest ever used on aircraft carriers. True, it was installed only on the left side; on the right, in order to compensate for the weight of the “island,” the thickness of the slabs was reduced to 178 mm and, moreover, they were smoothly cut to the lower edge to 76 mm. The armor belt was attached externally to the 19 mm plating; its length was 156 m.
The armor belt was closed into the citadel by traverse bulkheads 160 mm thick; above were 25 mm traverses. The steering gear had box-shaped protection: 193 mm armor on the sides, 160 mm on the front and rear, 127 mm on the top and 63 mm on the bottom. Unlike the Essex, the conning tower was restored on the Midway. It was covered by 165 mm armor on the sides and 8 7 mm armor on top. The cables of the ship's control system were contained in pipes with 102 mm walls.
The PTZ consisted of 4 longitudinal bulkheads, dividing the space at each side into 4 compartments; 2 of them (external) were filled with fuel oil, 2 others (internal) remained empty and served as an expansion chamber during an underwater explosion. But if on the Essex the thickness of the bulkheads did not exceed 16 mm, then on the Midway one of them - the third - was 32 mm. The width of the PTZ is 5.19 m on each side. According to calculations, such protection could withstand an underwater explosion of 363 kg of TNT.
The ship's resistance to underwater explosions was also increased by the unconventional layout of the engine and boiler rooms, which was reminiscent of that used on the Lexington AB CV-2: the engine rooms were located along the axis of the ship, and the boiler rooms were located to the left and right of them. In fact, each of the 12 KOs served as additional protection against an underwater explosion - in the event that the PTZ system was destroyed.
During sea trials, the Ko-ral Sea aircraft developed a power of 215,520 hp. and speed 33.03 knots. A full fuel supply of 10,000 tons provided an estimated cruising range of 20,000 miles at 15 knots; in fact, due to overload, it did not exceed 15,000 miles. The total power of the power plant is 12,850 kW.
The basis anti-aircraft weapons consisted of new 127-mm Mk-16/0 guns in single Mk-39/O turrets. At the time of entry into service, "Midway" and "Franklin D. Roosevelt" each had 18 such installations and 21 four-barrel 40-mm "bo-force", "Coral Sea" - 14 and 19, respectively. But instead of the 82 barrels envisaged by the project Only 28 20-mm Oerlikons were installed on the Midway, and even those were soon removed. There were none on Coral Sea at all.
The fire control of the 127 mm guns was carried out by 4 Mk-37 control towers; firing 40-mm machine guns - Mk-51 directors. During the service of the ships, the fire control systems were repeatedly changed and modernized. Among the radar equipment, Midway at the time of entry into service had SK-2 and SR-2 radars, a three-coordinate SX and two SG. "Franklin D. Roosevelt" and "Coral Sea" differed from the lead aircraft in the presence of a new SR-3 radar installed instead of SK-2.
In the 1950s AB "Midway" and "F. D. Roosevelt" was thoroughly modernized according to the SCB-110 project. They were equipped with an angular deck, an onboard elevator in the stern and three S-11 steam catapults. The dimensions and load capacity of all three elevators became the same - 17.08xL3.4 m and 33.6 tons. The aviation fuel supply was increased to 2.271 million liters of kerosene and 1.27 million liters of gasoline. The latter was done partly due to the ship's fuel supply, which led to a reduction in the cruising range at 20 knots to 11,200 miles. True, if necessary, aviation kerosene could be burned in the boilers - then the cruising range increased by 1,300 miles.
The armor belt was dismantled - instead, light 37-mm armor was used on top of the boules, as on the Oris-kani. The boules themselves had a width of 1.25 m on each side and performed two tasks at once: they increased stability and strengthened the PTZ. To compensate for the loss of side armor around the ammunition magazines and gasoline tanks, box-shaped anti-fragmentation armor was used.
Modernization of Coral Sea began later according to the improved SCB-110A project. Its main difference from its predecessors was that the bow lift also became onboard. In addition, all 76 mm guns were removed from the ship, and the number of 127 mm guns was reduced to six.
The next radical modernization of the Midway (project SCB-101.66) included the replacement of 3 C-11 catapults with 2 more powerful C-13s, additional reinforcement and expansion of the flight deck, and a complete replacement of aerofinishers and aircraft elevators. The latter became exclusively onboard (as on the Coral Sea); the carrying capacity of each of them increased to 50 tons, and the dimensions - to 19.2x15.85 m. The supply of aviation fuel (kerosene) reached a huge value - almost 4.5 million liters. The electronics were almost completely replaced, and the latest NTDS tactical situation display and control system was installed. It is curious that there was no artillery left on the ship: now air defense was provided exclusively by aviation and escort ships. The radar composition is SPS-10, SPS-30, SPS-43, SPS-58, SPN-6hSPN-10.
The huge cost of re-equipping the Midway ($202 million) forced us to abandon similar modernization of the other two aircraft and limit ourselves to a more modest list of improvements. So, on the Franklin D. Roosevelt, the bow aircraft lift was replaced with a more powerful onboard one, new radio electronics were installed, the catapult on the corner part of the deck was dismantled, but the bow catapults were kept the same. The supply of aviation fuel has not increased significantly either. All this allowed us to meet the total cost of 46 million dollars. Work on the Coral Sea cost even less, since its bow elevator became an onboard elevator during the first modernization in the 1950s.
In 1986, Midway underwent another major rebuild. To improve stability, new boules with a length of 183 m were welded to the hull; the width of AB along the overhead line increased to 44.2 m.
Modern anti-aircraft weapons appeared: two Sea Sparrow air defense systems and two six-barreled 20-mm Vulcan-Phalanx artillery mounts. Along the way, the area of the bilge keels was increased and almost 5,000 tons of steel structures were replaced, and radar equipment was updated ( new radars: SPS-48, SPS-49, SPS-65, SPN-42; of the old ones, SPS-10 and SPS-43 have survived).
The ship's standard displacement reached 56,900 tons, gross - 70,500 tons, and draft - 11.9 m. The number of crew along with aviation personnel amounted to 5,290 people.
Coral Sea underwent two major refurbishments in 1979 and 1983-1984. During the latter (costing $189.5 million), the flight deck was almost completely replaced. The aircraft carrier did not receive anti-aircraft missile weapons, but three 20-mm Vulcan-Phalanx gun mounts appeared on it back in 1980.
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TTX AB "Midway" at the time of entry into service |
| 47219/59901 t, 295.05 (274.3 hp) x 41.45 (34.44 hp) x 10.5 m. PT-4 Westinghouse, 12 PC Babcock & Wilcox, 212,000 hp = 33 kt. 10,000 tons of oil. Armor: belt 193/178 mm (port side/starboard side), traverses 160 mm, flight deck 87 mm, hangar deck 51 mm, lower deck 51 mm, wheelhouse 165 mm, anti-tank gun 32 mm. Crew 2112 people. (+1331 people aviation personnel). 18 - 127 mm/54 zen., 84 (21 x4) - 40 mm auto., 28 (28x1) - 20 mm auto. |
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TTX AB "Midway" as of 1957 |
| 50075/62614 t, 297.85 (274.3 hp) x 64 (36.9 hp) x 10.52 m. PT-4 Westinghouse, 12 PC Babcock & Wilcox, 212,000 hp = 29.5 knots. Armor: belt 37 mm, traverses 160 mm, flight deck 87 mm, hangar deck 51 mm, lower deck 51 mm, anti-tank gun 32 mm. Crew 4060 people. (including aviation personnel). 10 - 127 mm/54 zen., 22 (11 x2) - 76 mm/50 auto. |
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Performance characteristics of AB "Coral Sea" as of 1985 |
| 52500/65241 t, 298.4 (274.3 hp) x 70.4 (36.9 hp) x 10.8 m. PT-4 Westinghouse, 12 PC Babcock & Wilcox, 212,000 hp = 29.5 knots. Armor: as on Midway (in 1957). Crew 2710 people. (+2264 aviation personnel). 3x6 - 20 mm "Vulcan-Phalanx". |
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Composition of the air group |
| 1945 (draft): 64 ist. F4U-4, 4 pages F6F-5N, 4 pages F6F-5P, 64 bombs. SB2C-5. 1952 ("Midway"): 42 ist. F9F, 42 assault. AD-3. 1973 ("Midway"): 24 ist. F-4B, 24th assault. A-7B, 10 assault. A-6A, 4 self-repl. KA-6D, 4 div. RF-8G, 4 self. AWACS E-2B, 4 personnel. EW EKA-ZV, 4 vert. SH-3G, 4 vert. NN-ZA. 1986 (“Coral Sea”): 48 ist./assault. F/A-18,12 assault, and self-rep. A-6E and KA-6D, 4 persons. Electronic warfare EA-6V, 4 self. EW EA-ZV, 4 self. AWACS E-2S, 4 vert. SH-3H. 1991 (“Midway”): 36 ist./assault. F/A-18,12 assault, and self-rep. A-6E and KA-6D, 8 men. Electronic warfare EA-6V, 4 self. AWACS E-2S, 3 transport. myself. S-2A, 4 vert. SH-3H. |
"Midway"
Joined the Atlantic Fleet. It was tested in the Arctic (near Labrador), where the possibilities of use in bad weather were tested. F8F, FR-1 and vert. HNS-1 (3.1946). On September 6, 1947, a captured German V-2 missile was launched from the deck of the Midway: this was the first launch of a ballistic missile from a ship. Reclassified to CVA-41 (10/1/1952) and CV-41 (6/30/1975). Made several voyages to the Mediterranean. sea (1952-1955). Transferred to the Pacific Ocean (around Cape Horn), 6.2.1955 became part of the operational unit TF-77. Modernized according to Project SCB-110 (1955-1957), re-commissioned in 11.1957. At 12.1959 it was damaged by a fire that broke out while stationed at the Subic Bay base in the Philippines. He took part in hostilities in Vietnam, made 4 campaigns in the theater of operations (6.3.65-23.11.65, 16.4.71-6.11.71, 10.4.72-3.3.73, 11.9.73-31.1.75). Underwent a major modernization on project SCB-101.66 (1966-1970); entered service on January 31, 1970. Since 1973, under an agreement with Japan, it was permanently based at the port of Yokosuka. In 10.1972 he suffered from a plane crash and a subsequent fire (5 people died, 23 were injured). At 4.1975 he took part in the evacuation from South. Vietnamese American citizens. On 8/21/1976 he led a formation off the coast of Korea after the worsening of relations between North and South.
Repeatedly made trips from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean (16.4.79-30.5.79, 18.11.79-5.2.80, 17.8.80-6.11.80). In 1980 he took part in a failed operation to free American hostages in Tehran; on the way back he was damaged due to a collision near the Philippines with a Panamanian trade. ship "Cactus". On March 16, 1981, an A-6 attack aircraft from Midway mistakenly shot down a civilian helicopter in the South China Sea. At 8.1989 he again made a trip to the Arabian Sea. Participated in combat operations against Iraq (10/2/90-4/17/91), including Operation Desert Storm (1/16/91-2/27/91). Then he went to Yokosuka. 12-27.6.1991 provided assistance to the population of the Philippines and the personnel of the Subic Bay naval base after the eruption of Mount Pinatubo. In 1992, it was withdrawn from combat service, mothballed and laid up in Bremerton (Washington State).
"Franklin D. Roosevelt"
Joined the Atlantic Fleet. Became the first aircraft on which a jet aircraft landed (7/21/1946). Made a trip to the Mediterranean. sea (1946). Reclassified to CVA-42 (10/1/1952) and CV-42 (6/30/1975). In 1953 - 1956 modernized according to Project SCB-110, re-entered service on April 6, 1956. Transferred to the Pacific Ocean, took part in combat operations in Vietnam (21.6.66-21.2.67). On November 4, 1966, in the South China Sea, it suffered from a fire that broke out while receiving fuel from a refueling tanker (8 people died, 4 were injured). On May 26, 1969, a new fire-fighting system was installed on the ship, capable of extinguishing fire with sea water, foam and chemical composition(soon adopted by other ABs). In 10.1973, during the Arab-Israeli war, he was in the Mediterranean Sea and served as an intermediate point in ensuring the flight from the United States of 50 A-4 Skyhawk attack aircraft transferred to Israel (the planes reached ultimate goal with two landings - on the Azores Islands and on the deck of the Roosevelt located off the coast of Sicily). On October 4, 1976, the first VTOL AV-8A Harrier squadron was formed on the aircraft carrier. Decommissioned on October 1, 1977 and scrapped.
"Coral Sea"
Joined the Atlantic Fleet. Participated in testing new aircraft of various types. On April 21, 1950, the first launch of a bomber carrying nuclear weapons, the AJ-1 Savage, was made from the deck. Reclassified to CVA-43 (10/1/1952) and CV-43 (6/30/1975). In 1949-1957 made 8 trips to the Mediterranean. sea, incl. carried out a “show of force” off the coast of Egypt during the “Suez Crisis” (10-11.1956). Modernized according to the SCB-110A project (1958-1960), entered service in 1.1960. Transferred to the Pacific Ocean, 1960-1963. made 3 long hikes. Actively participated in hostilities in Vietnam, made 8 campaigns in the theater of operations (7.12.64-1.11.65, 29.7.66-23.2.67, 26.7.67-6.4.68, 7.9.68-18.4.69, 23.9.69- 1.7.70, 12.11.71-17.7.72, 9.3.73-8.11.73, 5.12.74-2.7.75). In 4.1975 he ensured the evacuation of Americans from Indochina. citizens. 12-14.5.1975 carried out the search and rescue of the crew of the American motor ship Mayaguez, captured in international waters by the Khmer Rouge. Modernized in 1979 and 1983-1984. He headed the operational unit in the Arabian Sea (5.2.1980 - 30.4.1980). Together with the AB "Carl Vinson", he circumnavigated the world (21.3-12.9.1983), during which he carried out patrols off the coast of Honduras during the aggravation of relations between this country and Nicaragua (8.1983). In 1985-1989 - 3 trips to the Mediterranean. sea. Participated in hostilities against Libya (24.3.86-15.4.86); During Operation Eldorado Canyon, he attacked Tripoli and Benghazi (April 14-15, 1986). On 4/1988 he was in the Caribbean Sea and on 4/19/1988 he provided assistance to the battleship Iowa, which suffered from a turret explosion during firing training. 1/8/1989 arrived to the shores of Lebanon with the aim of demonstrating force in connection with the internal crisis in this country, took part in the evacuation of Americans. citizens. Upon returning to the USA, she was expelled from the fleet (4/30/1990) and sold for scrap (3/30/1993). Dismantling of the ship was completed on August 9, 2000.
Balakin S.A. Aircraft carriers of the world 1945-2001//Maritime Historical Almanac P.8-11
...is it worth taking on ships that will not enter service very soon and will be incredibly expensive?
- President F. D. Roosevelt's opinion on the construction of large aircraft carriers
A 45,000 ton ship would be unreasonably large and unmanageable
- Admiral Chester Nimitz, Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet USA during World War II
If Admiral Nimitz had known that a monstrous project for a 100,000-ton nuclear-powered super-aircraft carrier now bears his name, I fear he would have expressed his opinion in a much harsher form. The modern "Chester W. Nimitz" is a maritime anomaly, an amazing "floating city" pretending to be formidable.
Real weapons are always created to solve a specific problem and must justify their existence. But the point is, there was no justification for building a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier!
Official versions: “power projection”, “protection of sea communications”, “control of the Strait of Hormuz” - suitable only for junior group kindergarten. Unbiased statistics of military conflicts over the past 70 years show: it is impossible to “project force” if there is no force - nuclear aircraft carriers are too weak to influence the course of even a small local war.
When pulverizing Iraq, Libya or Yugoslavia, the United States uses more deadly techniques than several unfortunate Nimitzes with two hundred deck vehicles, whose combat characteristics, as a rule, lower than that of land-based aircraft.
Other tasks nuclear aircraft carriers, related to the “control of maritime communications”, these days are successfully duplicated by simpler, cheaper and more effective means - progress in aviation does not stand still.
When a fighter-bomber is capable of flying from Great Britain to Saudi Arabia- fly like an arrow over the English Channel and Western Europe, in an instant, jump over the Mediterranean Sea, leave Israel, Jordan, and the Great Nefud Desert under your wing, in order to finally land under the walls of the Holy Mecca - in such conditions, the need for “floating airfields” completely disappears.
Especially if life cycle“floating airfield” is estimated at 40 billion dollars! (the cost of building and operating an aircraft carrier for 50 years, excluding the cost of its air wing. Aircraft, aviation fuel, ammunition, pilots and technicians are a separate interesting calculation). And the gigantism and extreme complexity of the design led to the inevitable result - the Nimitz spends 30 of the 50 years of its life in dock.
The above case is the actual relocation of F-111 and F-15E squadrons to forward air bases in the Arabian Desert (winter 1991). The vehicles flew in full combat gear with tons of bombs, air-to-air missiles, anti-tank missiles, targeting and navigation containers and jamming stations - US Air Force in once again practiced long-range combat missions.
Sheikh Isa Air Base, Bahrain. While aircraft carriers rust away at their piers in Norfolk and San Diego, Hornets and Prowlers serve at a forward air base 300 km off the coast of Iran. Question: why, in this case, do you need a ship worth 40 billion dollars?
The task is simplified when the United States has 865 military bases on all continents of the Earth - this does not take into account allied airfields and potentially possible options, with the deployment of aircraft on the territory of third countries. Why drive a 100,000-ton hulk somewhere, waste its precious resource, burn fuel-generating uranium assemblies and pay salaries to 3,000 sailors, if in ANY region of the Earth you can find a dozen first-class airfields with many kilometers of concrete runway and convenient infrastructure.
Simple, fast, cheap, effective. Safe (accident rate carrier-based aviation– this is a separate, deep conversation). And most importantly - POWERFUL. One or two thousand combat aircraft will destroy any enemy in their path. The nuclear-powered super-aircraft carrier Nimitz with six dozen deck-based vehicles was not lying around here - the forces were simply incomparable.
Why did America need 10 useless aircraft carriers? What is the raison d'être for the Nimitz? Who finances a obviously losing project? In my opinion, there is only one explanation:
US National Debt counter at the corner of West 44th Street and 6th Avenue, New York
Nuclear aircraft carrier? Nonsense! You can build a starship with an unpaid loan.
The last aircraft carrier "Midway"
Admiral Chester Nimitz, denying the need to build large aircraft carriers, was primarily referring to the Midway, the largest aircraft carrier ship of World War II. Alas, even 45,000 tons of the Midway’s total displacement seemed to the admiral to be an excessive luxury - he advocated continuing the construction of the 35,000-ton Essex.
The admiral’s doubts are understandable - he was afraid to “cross the Rubicon”, to break the line that separates a normal warship from a stupid “prodigy.” There is a logical limit, after which the progressive increase in the size and complexity of a ship’s design is no longer compensated by an increase in its combat power. The efficiency of the system drops below the baseboard. As a result, the super-ship rusts at its base: it is easier for sailors to rot it at anchor than to use it anywhere.
Subsequent events showed that the 45,000-ton Midway was precisely the limit that should not have been crossed. Optimal sizes and cost, with impressive combat potential.
The aircraft carrier Midway did not have time to take part in hostilities - it entered service a week after the end of the war - on September 10, 1945. Its sistership, the aircraft carrier Franklin D. Roosevelt, was completed by October of that year. The last ship in the series, the aircraft carrier Coral Sea, entered service with the US Navy in 1947. Three more aircraft carriers of this type were dismantled on the slipway due to the end of World War II.
The key difference between the old Midway and the modern Nimitz and Ford: the veteran aircraft carrier was created for very specific tasks!
1943, laying down of the aircraft carrier Midway at the Newport News shipyard... Memories of air battles over the Coral Sea and Midway Atoll are still fresh, carrier-based aircraft were basking in the rays of their glory. The combat radius of piston fighters did not exceed 1000 kilometers, which inevitably required the presence of a certain number of aircraft carriers in the Navy. Even the most daring science fiction writers had no idea about the imminent advent of the era of jet aviation, and refueling in the air seemed like an outlandish aerial acrobatics. Few people suspected the possible existence of nuclear weapons, and only the specialists of von Braun’s team knew what an “intercontinental ballistic missile” was (at least they dreamed).
From this position, the purpose of the Midway was quite obvious: a fast and powerful ship would lead US Navy squadrons into battle; 130 aircraft of its air wing will reliably cover the formation on the high seas, and, if necessary, destroy anyone who dares to approach the squadron. Raid operations on the enemy shore, covering convoys, fierce naval battles with an enemy of equal strength...
Having experienced the meaning of the phrase “battle damage” firsthand, the Americans immediately drew the appropriate conclusions. Three armored decks: flight, 87 mm thick, hangar and 3rd decks - 51 mm thick steel. The mass of horizontal armor reached 5700 tons!
Remembering the death of the aircraft carrier Glories in an artillery battle with German battleships, the Americans equipped the Midway with a vertical armored belt - 19 centimeters of solid metal! There was a conning tower protected by 165 mm armor plates, all important cables were enclosed in pipelines with thick, 102 mm walls.
Defensive weapons (initial version):
- 18 anti-aircraft guns of 127 mm caliber;
- 20 “quad” Bofors assault rifles of 40 mm caliber,
- 28 automatic anti-aircraft guns "Oerlikon" of 20 mm caliber.
Aircraft carrier "Coral Sea" before modernization
Maximum speed – 33 knots (≈60 km/h!). The full fuel supply (10,000 tons of oil) provided a cruising range of 20,000 miles at a cruising speed of 15 knots. - in theory, the Midway could travel around the entire globe without refueling.
The ship's standard displacement is 47,000 tons (project). At the end of its service, the Midway's total displacement increased to 60-70 thousand tons.
A serious ship for serious tasks. No one will dare to laugh at the aircraft carrier Midway and call it a “means for war with the Papuans”!
The reality turned out to be discouraging: a serious war at sea was no longer expected, and the aircraft carrier turned out to be too weak for strike operations against ground targets - as a result, not a single Midway took part in the Korean War (where everything, as usual, was decided by land-based aircraft ).
By the mid-50s, it became clear that the age of piston aviation had come to an end; the increase in size, weight and landing speeds of jet aircraft required additional measures to ensure efficient work carrier-based air wing - "Midways" underwent a global modernization with the installation of an angular flight deck, new aircraft elevators, arresting devices, steam catapults; the heavy armor belt was removed, the “radio-electronic filling” of the ships was updated, one after another the anti-aircraft artillery barrels disappeared - in the age of missile weapons, five-inch anti-aircraft guns seemed an outdated throwback - by the beginning of the 70s, the Midway was completely deprived of defensive weapons, air defense was well provided by deck-based interceptors, and besides, the aircraft carrier always sailed in a tight ring of escort cruisers.
By the way, the Midway underwent numerous modernizations throughout its service life: in the 1980s, to improve stability, the ship had 183-meter boules welded on each side; Around the same time, Midway was equipped modern systems self-defense: two SeaSparrow air defense systems and two Phalanx anti-aircraft guns.
Despite all the vicissitudes in the fate of the Midway aircraft carriers, one thing distinguished them important quality- they were relatively simple, and therefore cheap (as cheap as an aircraft carrier can be).
"Midway" was 1.5 times smaller than "Nimitz" - therefore, it required power point much less power; were not on board nuclear reactors, there were only two steam catapults (on the Nimitz - 4), three aircraft lifts (on the Nimitz -4), the crew size did not exceed 4 thousand people (versus more than 5.5 thousand on the Nimitz). These circumstances should have had the most positive impact on the cost of operating the Midway.
At the same time, the aircraft carrier "Midway" successfully performed tasks on a par with the latest "Nimitz", "Kitty Hawk" and "Forrestal"!
On the deck of the Midway, as well as on the decks of nuclear aircraft carriers, Phantoms, E-2 Hawkeye early warning aircraft, EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare aircraft were based, transport aircraft and helicopters. In the 80s, modern F/A-18 Hornet fighter-bombers appeared. The only difference was in the number of aircraft: the number of Hornets on board the Midway rarely exceeded 30-35 units.
However, the difference in the number of aircraft did not matter: Midway and Nimitz were equally weak for performing strike functions. At the same time, to carry out the primary tasks of carrier-based aviation: control of airspace and ensuring air defense of a squadron in open sea areas, it is not necessary to simultaneously take fifty aircraft into the air - one or two combat air patrols are enough (an AWACS aircraft + its escort of a pair of fighters) and four fighters on duty on deck. The dilapidated Midway coped with this task no less successfully than the super-aircraft carrier Nimitz.
Midway's last combat campaign took place in the winter of 1991 - the ship took part in Operation Desert Storm (at that time, the air wings of six aircraft carriers completed as many as ... 17% of combat missions - the remaining 83% of combat missions, as usual, were carried out by land-based aviation) .
In 1992, the aircraft carrier was expelled from the US Navy, and 12 years later the ship was moored at a pier in San Diego (California) with the goal of turning it into a naval museum.
A short excursion to the USS Midway (CV-41)
Aircraft carriers are majestic ships that personify the combat power of a state. Midway is an aircraft carrier that has been in service with the United States for 47 years. The ship served America without fail and took part in the Vietnam conflict. In 1992, it left the aircraft carrier fleet and five years later it was converted into a museum ship. Today we will take a closer look at this majestic ship, its history, structure, weapons and many other interesting facts.
History of creation
The US Navy aircraft carrier fleet began thinking about building a new class of ships at the end of 1941, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. For some time, the American government and the leadership of the fleet could not come to unanimous opinion Regarding the new, Franklin Roosevelt and Admiral Ernest King believed that it was necessary to build small aircraft carriers. Meanwhile, Admiral Chester Nimitz insisted on the construction of aircraft-carrying ships with a displacement of at least 45,000 tons. Ultimately, Nimitz was able to convince management, and in December 1942, Roosevelt approved a project to build two aircraft carriers with a displacement of just over 40,000 tons.
In October 1943, the laying of the aircraft-carrying ship CV-41 took place in the vicinity. Its construction lasted 17 months. In March 1945, the ceremonial launching of a new aircraft carrier took place, showing great promise for navy USA.
Predecessors
Before the aircraft carrier Midway appeared, the most numerous and powerful American aircraft carriers there were Essex class ships. "Midway" received some features from them: the armor scheme, as well as the layout of aircraft lifts and the "island". As for the external differences, the main ones were a huge chimney and a wheelhouse, which the “older brothers” did not have.
Design
First sketches heavy aircraft carrier, which would one day replace the Essex, were developed back in the 1940s. Development was underway in full swing, despite the fact that until 1942 the prospects for the construction of a giant ship were very vague. The development of this project was greatly influenced by the events of World War II. The strongest arguments in favor of increasing the ship's reservation were the death of the ship Glories (hence the name of the aircraft carrier).
Since the new ship was significantly superior in power to its predecessors, a special classification was invented for it. The aircraft carrier was assigned the CV-B class, which lasted until 1952, until more modern US aircraft carriers appeared, necessitating the creation of a new classification.
Construction
To build the aircraft carrier Midway, which was more than respectable in size, was not easy in those days even for such a developed country as America. Dry docks were best suited for construction, of which there were very few at that time. But fortunately, at the time of signing the drawings for the heavy aircraft carrier project, premises were vacated where construction did not take place battleships"Montana".
The aircraft carrier with the index CVB-41 was ordered by the large shipbuilding company Newport News Shipbuilding. By the way, the name “Midway” was assigned to the ship only in the fall of 1944. Along with it, the class of the same name was represented by two more ships: the Franklin D. Roosevelt and the aircraft carrier Coral Sea. The hero of our conversation was completely ready 23 months after laying. The aircraft carrier Midway, which is a whopping 295 meters long, was an American achievement. At that time, it was considered not just the most powerful combat unit, ready to work in any conditions, but a real work of art. It's time to find out why the USS Midway earned so much respect.
Protection
The aircraft carrier's armor included an armor belt and three armored decks. In addition, there were local reservations for some premises. The flight deck was protected by an 87 mm layer of armor. In addition to horizontal, the ship carried very solid vertical protection. The aircraft carrier was equipped with an armor belt 193 mm thick, which was never repeated on ships of this class. But there are some nuances here. During construction, an impressive overweight of the ship on the starboard side was discovered, so the 193-mm armor was preserved only on the starboard side. On the left side it was reduced to 178 mm and smoothly cut to the bottom to 76 mm.
As for armor above the main belt, there is no reliable data. According to one version, there was armor 50 mm thick, and according to another - only 30-pound plating. The belt was closed into the citadel by means of 160 mm traverse bulkheads. The steering gear was protected by box-shaped armor: on the sides - 193 mm; front and rear - 160mm, top - 127mm, and bottom - 63mm. The conning tower was covered with 165 mm armor on the sides and 87 mm armor on top. The cables of the main control systems were enclosed in pipes 102 mm thick.
Driving characteristics
The ship's power plant consisted of four Westinghouse turbo-gear engines, which were connected to a dozen Babcock and Wilcox boilers. The motors drove four 5.5-meter mushroom propellers with rotation speeds of up to 200 rpm. 10 thousand tons of fuel was enough for the ship to travel approximately 15 thousand miles. During the design, it was planned to achieve lower fuel consumption, but the overload of armor made its own adjustments. The boilers were located in the bow and stern of the aircraft carrier, in watertight compartments. Power plant occupied a total of 26 compartments. On the one hand, this increased its survivability, and on the other, it complicated maintenance. In the future, such a scheme was not used due to difficult maintenance.
The aircraft carrier's speed was 33 knots, which at that time was simply an excellent indicator even compared to smaller ships. It is noteworthy that the ship, like the representatives of the Essex class, maintained its momentum well. This is confirmed by the 4,452-mile journey, which he completed at an average speed of 32.5 knots.
Auxiliary equipment
The main aviation technical equipment of the vessel were two catapults, three lifts and several finishers. The latest (at that time, of course) versions of the Essex were equipped in the same way. In addition, the aircraft carrier Midway was equipped with systems for refueling aircraft maintenance and armament. Thanks to the elongated track, the N-Mk-IV-1 catapults gave the fighter a speed of 145 km/h. It took only 60 seconds to reload the catapult. As for the aircraft finishers, they stopped a 13.5-ton plane flying at a speed of about 90 mph. Two aircraft lifts with dimensions of 16.5/14 m and a lifting capacity of 12 tons were located on the deck. The onboard lift was already four meters high and lifted 8 tons.
The ship's power plant included 8 turbogenerators AC with a power of 1250 kW each. The power supply voltage was 440 V. The generators were installed in waterproof compartments adjacent to the rear of the boiler room. In addition, emergency diesel generators with a total capacity of 2850 kW were located in a pair of isolated compartments. As a result, the aircraft carrier's total power reached a record 12,850 kW. A pair of desalination plants fully provided the ship with water for boiler rooms and domestic needs.
Habitability
The crew of the aircraft carrier included not only the ship's staff, but also the aviation staff. According to the plans of 1943, the crew size was supposed to be 3443 people. Of these, 2,112 people (2,006 sailors and 106 officers) belonged to the naval staff and 1,331 people belonged to the aviation staff. In addition, 140 reserve places were planned in case the ship became a flagship. According to the project, the ship was designed even for more places to avoid overcrowding. However, by 1947 the crew already numbered 4,100 people, whose living conditions left much to be desired. However, all US aircraft carriers suffered from overcrowding at that time.
Armament
The ship was equipped with the most powerful guns ever used on an aircraft carrier. Among them were 18 guns of 127 caliber, 21 of 40 caliber and 28 of 20 caliber. Midway-class aircraft carriers differed significantly from their predecessors in terms of anti-aircraft weapons. Instead of 127 mm guns with a barrel length of 38 calibers, the new ships received 127 mm MK-16 guns. They were developed for the battleship Montana, the construction of which never took place. The gun was mounted in a single turret and had impressive characteristics. The aircraft carrier Midway became the only ship to receive MK-16 guns. Later they were installed on Japanese destroyers"Murasame", but these were guns removed from the Midway during modernization in the 50s.
For close range, the ship was equipped with four-barrel 40-caliber Bofors and single-barrel 20-caliber Oerlikons. At the time of entry into naval forces The US artillery armament of the aircraft carrier consisted of 18 single-barrel and 21 four-barrel installations.
Aviation group
Beginning in 1945, the aircraft carrier carried Chance Vought F4U Corsair fighters. Two years later, the Grumman F8F Bearcat and Grumman F8F Bearcat fighters came on board. In the early 1960s, the ship was equipped with Grumman F9F Panther jets. In 1956, the following aircraft began their service on board the aircraft carrier: F3H Demon, Vought F-8 Crusader, Douglas A-3 and Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. The latter was replaced by the A-7 Corsair II in 1970.
In 1965, all fighters were replaced with new ones - McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II. In 1986, they were replaced by F/A-18 Hornet aircraft. In the early 70s, the Grumman A-6 Intruder bomber and refueling aircraft arrived on board. The SH-2 Seasprite helicopter also served on board the aircraft carrier, which was used mainly for servicing the ship and delivering cargo. He worked in places where it was not possible to moor to a pier. Today, the entire air group is part of the aircraft exhibition.
Radars
The radar equipment of the aircraft carrier Midway was practically no different from that of the Essex. It included two radar stations for detecting air targets, two radars for detecting surface targets, one radio altimeter and large number fire control stations.
Modernization
The ship has been modified several times. The first modernization took place already in 1955. Its goal was to increase the service life of the aircraft carrier and expand its capabilities. The design of the vessel received a number of changes. The main ones:
- The landing strip was turned 8 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft carrier. Thanks to this small modification, it became possible to simultaneously land and take off from the ship.
- Instead of two outdated steam catapults, the ship was equipped with three more powerful ones.
- The brake system has been strengthened. At the same time, the number of brake cables was reduced.
- The deck elevators have been relocated to increase their capacity.
- The “Island” was significantly modernized and equipped with a number of new equipment.
- The ship received a new “assault bow”.
- The number of artillery pieces was reduced to 8.
- The aircraft crane was replaced with a new one - more powerful.
- The volume of aviation fuel tanks has been increased.
- The armor belt was removed in the area of the waterline.
All this led to the vessel’s displacement increasing to 62 thousand tons.
At the end of 1966, the second modification of the aircraft carrier Midway took place, which became the largest comprehensive modernization of the ship in history. The results of the update were:
- Relocated elevators with increased load capacity.
- Reduced number of twin catapults - up to two.
- Reinforced braking system.
- Doubled flight deck area.
- Modernization of the "island".
Thanks to these modifications, the ship remained in service until the 90s. The modernization budget amounted to $202 million.
Service
In February 1946, the ship became the flagship of the first aircraft carrier division. In March of the same year, technology and equipment designed for severe cold weather were tested on the aircraft carrier. At the beginning of autumn, a V-2 rocket was launched from the ship.
The most difficult test for the aircraft carrier Midway was Operation Frostbite, which involved preparing equipment for service in the Far North.
In the summer of 1951, the ship worked to test the transfer of the F9F-5 aircraft in the Atlantic Ocean. The following year, Midway took part in maneuvers with NATO forces. In 1954, the ship practically circumnavigated the world, the final point of which was the island of Taiwan. Here, as part of the US Seventh Fleet, it served as a base for aircraft that covered the evacuation from the island during the first Taiwan crisis.
In March 1965, aircraft from the aircraft carrier attacked military installations in North and South Vietnam. In total, Midway aviators shot down eight aircraft during the Vietnam War. In 1971, after modernization, the ship returned to Vietnam, where its planes mined the approaches to local ports. Ultimately, the aircraft carrier received an award from the President of America for its services in Vietnam.
In 1975, the ship took part in Operation Intermittent Wind. On April 29, Byong-Ly, a South Vietnamese Air Force major, evacuated his family in a Cessna O-1. Heading towards the sea, the plane met the aircraft carrier Midway. After several attempts, the ship established communication with the aircraft. The latter asked for landing. In order for it to take place, the crew had to clear the take-off deck of planes and helicopters. Some of them were even thrown into the water. The plane landed successfully on the deck, and the captain personally praised the pilot for his professionalism and courage. The equipment dropped into the water cost the US Navy $10 million. The aircraft carrier's crew was so impressed by the Vietnamese major's actions that they even helped him find work in America.
In the 80s, the Midway, along with a group of other ships, was repeatedly involved in operations to demonstrate US military concern towards North Korea. In March 1981, two helicopters assigned to the aircraft carrier's flight team rescued 17 people injured when a civilian helicopter crashed. The helicopter itself was also lifted onto the deck.
In June 1990, a tragic event occurred on board an aircraft carrier. There were two explosions on the ship, which led to a fire that raged for about 10 hours. As a result, two crew members were killed and 9 more were injured. The event was covered by more than a hundred international journalists. The media made a big deal out of the incident and it was believed that the ship would retire after this.
In 1989-1991 the ship took part in hostilities against Iraq, in particular in Operation Desert Storm. In June 1991, it helped the population of the Philippines affected by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo.
Transformation into a museum
In 1992, the ship was put into reserve. Until 1998, it was mothballed in the city of Bremerton, Washington. In September 2003, the aircraft carrier set off on its last voyage. The final destination of the route was Broadway Pier in the center of San Diego, where the ship was turned into a museum. The opening took place on June 7, 2004. During the first year of the museum’s operation, more than 870 thousand people visited it, which was twice the expectations of the project leaders.
For such a long service, the ship received many awards. The main one was the block of gratitude from the president. There were also awards for participation in the Vietnamese military operations, the liberation of Kuwait and other operations. Some awards were awarded to the ship more than once.
Conclusion
The aircraft carrier Midway, the characteristics of which we reviewed today, has become one of the most outstanding ships of the US Navy. On the one hand, it amazes with its grandeur and symbolizes the power of modern military equipment, and on the other hand, it reminds us of the absurdity of war. War is a universal disgrace. And it would be much better if billions of dollars were invested not in military affairs, but in something more useful.
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