Battleships and their Combat Employment

BATTLESHIPS AND THEIR COMBAT EMPLOYMENT

Moscow ZARUBEZHNOYE VOYENNOYE OBOZRENIYE in Russian No 1, Jan 87 (Signed to
press 7 Jan 87) pp 57-62

[Article by RADM L. Vasyukov, Capt 1st Rank P. Lapkovskiy; "Battleships and
Their Combat Employment"]

[Text] It was noted in the documents of the 27th Party Congress that the
problem of war and peace is the foremost one facing mankind. International
imperialism, headed by the U.S., continues to fuel, on an unprecedented scale,
the race for nuclear and other arms. The policies of the White House became
their most aggressive following the rise to power of the Reagan administration
when in conjunction with a host of other military measures, it took steps to
increase its naval armaments. By 1990, it is planned to have 600 active navy
ships of various classes in the fleet. This fleet growth will not only be
quantitative, but qualitative as well.

The American shipbuilding program places importance on the renovation,
rearming, and recommissioning of the IOWA-Class battleships (BB). The foreign
press has reported that the cost of putting one such ship into commission is
about equal to the cost of building a SPRUANCE-Class destroyer (about 500
million dollars), but the combat effectiveness of the BB is 15-20 times
greater. U.S. defense specialists consider that modernized battleships can
remain in service in the active fleet until 2005.

IOWA (BB-61), first in a 6-ship series, was built in 1943, following which, in
1943-44, NEW JERSEY (BB-62), MISSOURI (BB-63) and WISCONSIN (BB-64) were
placed into service. Construction of the final two (5th and 6th), ILLINOIS
(BB-65) and KENTUCKY (BB-66) were deferred.

Each BB was armed with three 3-barrelled 406-mm turrets, two 2-barrelled 127-
mm turrets and 20 sponson-mounted 40-mm automatic guns. The ships have a full
displacement of 58,000 tons and a standard displacement of 45,000 tons. They
are 270.4 m long, have a 33-m beam and draw 11.6 m. The steam power plant
drives four shafts (includes eight boilers and four geared turbines) and has a
rating of 212,000 hp which supports a speed of 33 knots. Cruising range is
5,000 miles at 30 knots and 15,000 miles at 17. Fuel supply is 6,840 tons,
sufficient for three months. The peacetime complement is 1,562, of which 62
are officers.

Battleships are assigned tasks of conducting combat actions against heavy
enemy surface ships. However, toward the end of World War II, by dint of the
increased role of strike aircraft carriers, battleships were assigned
primarily for covering aircraft formations as well as for providing gunfire
support during amphibiout assault operations. After the end of the war in the
Pacific, three BBs were placed in the reserve fleet and MISSOURI (BB-63 was
used for training.)

All four battleships took part in the aggressive Korean War (1950-53).
Missions and tasks included blockading North Korean ports, control of sea
lines of communications, shore bombardment against North Korean troop
concentrations and anti-amphibious defensive positions, and destruction of
shore installations.

Battleships were also employed in the U.S. aggression against Vietnam. NEW
JERSEY, recommissioned in April, 1968, was, by October, conducting shore
bombardment and continued to do so on and off for 120 days until June of 1969-
The employment of NEW JERSEY in combat action in Vietnam was considered by
U.S. naval specialists to have been necessary in order to conduct active and
continuing fire support to ground forces and Marines, since these missions, in
their opinion, could not be satisfactorily performed by any other force under
the given circumstances.

The widespread use of the large caliber guns on surface ships against shore
installations in Vietnam, in addition, compensated for the reduction of flight
operations in adverse weather, and also for reducing aircraft losses from the
action of air defense forces. Bombardment was generally area and uncorrected.
In some isolated cases, fire was corrected by aircraft (or helicopter)
spotters or by reconnaissance groups landed from submarines or helicopters.
Foreign defense specialists have equated NEW JERSEY'S main battery to the
firepower of bombing strikes of 50 fighter-bombers. Over a six-month period,
NEW JERSEY carried out 434 fire strikes from her 406- and 127-mm caliber
guns.

The U.S. Navy, assessing the actions of the battleships in Vietnam, has
remarked that their ability to operate, in practically any weather conditions,
the high accuracy and effectiveness of their fire in destroying defended
targets, placed the BB in first place compared with field artillery, bombers,
and strike aircraft. After the dirty war in Vietnam, NEW JERSEY was once
again mothballed.

In 1981, Congress, within the framework of the regular program of force
improvement, authorized allocation of resources for demothballing and
modernizing NEW JERSEY, fully approving the Navy's proposal for subsequent
recommissioning of the remaining three battleships. A foundation for taking
such a decision was the lying, provocative ceartifications of the "growing
threat of the USSR Navy." It was also underscored in the foreign press that
for these relatively modest expenditures, BBs could effectively be employed in
forward groups to supplement the aircraft carrier groups.

In 1980, the U.S. Navy defined the primary missions of the battleships. They
were to be employed both within the composition of aircraft carrier battle
groups, and as the nucleus of independent surface action groups. It is
considered also that they could successfully operate, while executing fire
support missions for landing forces, for the defense of sea lines of
communications and achieve sea superiority in dispersed regions of the
maritime TVDs. It is noted also that the installation of the TOMAHAWK guided
missile permits the use of these ships to conduct strikes against second
echelon and reserve ground forces. In peacetime, BBs can actively be employed
as a show of force in the so-called regions "of vital importance" to the U.S.

There are presently three battleships — NEW JERSEY (BB-62), IOWA (BB-61) and
MISSOURI (BB-63) — in the fleet following completion of the first phase of
modernization; and WISCONSIN (BB-64) is expected to return to the active fleet
by 1988. These BBs, completing the first stage of modernization, are equipped
with the following weapon systems: eight 4-cell armored TOMAHAWK launch
systems, four 4-cell armored launch installations for the antiship missile
HARPOON, three 406-mm 3-barrel and six 127-mm twin-barrel turrets, four 20-mm
anti-aircraft guns (VULCAN-PHALANX close-in weapon system) and three SEA
SPRITE (SH-2F) ASW helicopters. In addition, new radar systems,
communications, fire control and electronic warfare systems are installed.

Battleships can have any of three modifications of the TOMAHAWK. For
destruction of shore targets there are the BGM-109A with a nuclear warhead and
a range of 2,500 km and the BGM-109C with a conventional warhead. To attack
surface ships, there is the BGM-109B with a high-explosive fragmentation war
head of 454 kg (up to 550 km range).

The BGM-109A/C use a combined guidance system consisting of a basic inertial
navigation system with a radio altimeter, into which are fed corrections from
the TERCOM correlation system. The foreign press has noted that the arrival
accuracy of the missile on target does not depend on the length of flight,
since the TERCOM compensates for errors of the inertial system which increase
over time. The BGM-109B anti-ship TOMAHAWK is guided, as well, toward its
surface target using a combination system, consisting of an inertial system
with a radio altimeter (initial and mid-course phases of the trajectory) and
active radar seeker head with an IFF interrogator (on final). The missile
speed is 885 kM/HR.

The RGM-84A HARPOON anti-ship missile has a 110-130 km range, and its guidance
system does not differ in principle from that used by the BGM-109B. The
warhead is high explosive and weighs 225 kg. Its cruising speed is Mach 0.8.

The range of the ships' main battery guns (406-mm) is 39 km, the rounds weigh
860-1,225 kg and the firing rate for each barrel is 2 rds/min.; the 127-mm gun
range is 16.5 km, one of its rounds weights 25 kg and the nominal firing rate
of the turret is 15 rds/min. The VULCAN-PHALANX AA 20-mm close-in weapon
system is designed to destroy diving and high speed, low-flying airborne
targets. Its maximum horizontal range is 6 km; it can reach up to 2,500 m in
altitude; nominal rate-of-fire for the 6-barrel complex is 3,000 rds/min with
a ready service supply of 950 rounds.

Heavy-armored protection guarantees the high survivability of the battleship:
the side armor thickness is 406-482 mm; the upper deck, 102 mm; the main deck,
152 mm; combat center has 440 mm of armor; the side armor on the main battery
turrets is 432 mm thick, its rear walls, 305 mm, and the thickness of the roof
armor is 184 mm.

The U.S. Navy has reviewed a number of variants of the Phase II modernization
of the battleships. One of them proposed removal of the stern main battery
turret, all or part of the 127-mm guns, as well as the missile box launchers.
In their place, it was planned to install a hangar and flight deck about 100 m
long, and to emplace a single vertical launch missile system. In this case,
the ship could then take on board 12 VSTOL aircraft or as many helicopters.

Recently, the foreign press has reported on a U.S. design for a shipboard
variant of a mass volley fire reaction system (PC30), or ABRS (Assault
Ballistic Rocket System), based on the Army's MLRS system, designed for
installation on a number of surface ships, including IOWA-Class battleships.
Specifically, they are examining the feasibility of replacing four 127-mm gun
turrets with PC30 ABRS box launchers. These will fire rockets out to 30 km,
and in the future, will extend the range to 90 km. U.S. defense experts
consider that the ABRS is the most effective means of destroying kinetic
energy generators, armored combat vehicles, artillery batteries, antiair
defense systems, C3 systems, and other important targets.

It is planned to modernize the gun weapons because there are new rounds for
the 406-mm and 127-mm guns, which, in U.S. defense specialists' opinion, will
increase their range and the accuracy of target destruction as well as reduce
the expenditure of ammunition. Thus, the 127-mm guided round with a laser
self-guidance, equipped with jet engines, allows a range increase up to 40 km,
while the 406-mm range can be extended to 80 km.

Foreign defense specialists consider that after modernization, BBs could
accomplish a wide circle of missions during combat action at sea. They are
capable of conducting strikes with guided missiles with both nuclear and
conventional warheads against shore installation and maritime targets, and
carry out artillery action against surface ships and shore installations as
well. The importance of this is the fact that the BB possesses great
survivability (405 times greater than the aircraft carrier).

In recent years, the tactics of employing battleships as part of carrier
battle groups and in surface action groups has been exercised. In both
instances, they have worked out a tight combat coordination with the forces
and system of the zonal network of anti-air and antisubmarine defense in a
TVD. In so doing, they pay special attention to working out joint strikes by
shipboard missiles and deck aircraft against maritime and shore targets as
well as to the organization of all the aspects of defense. It is considered
that BBs have become capable of carrying out at least part of the combat
missions earlier assigned only to aircraft carriers and their strike aircraft.

In the makeup of a carrier battle group, the combination of the battleship's
guided missiles with conventional or nuclear warheads and its main battery
guns with the carrier's strike aircraft, demonstrates considerable striking
power in actions against surface groups as well as enemy shore installations
in support of Marine amphibious operations and their follow-on shore combat
action.

The carrier battle group battle formation (1-2 CVs and 1 BB) envisions the
movement of the BB with screening ships in the direction of the enemy [along
the threat axis] at distances of 300-500 km from the carrier for the purposes
of carrying out simultaneous missile and strike aircraft attacks on the enemy
surface strike groups 800-1,000 km from the carrier. In order to increase the
probability of success in anti-air and antisubmarine warfare, U.S. specialists
are considering the possibility of including in the composition of the carrier
battle group one carrier equipped only with fighters and antisubmarine
warfare aircraft.

Exercise experience of the last few years (1984-85), underscores such a tactic
for employment of the battleship. In these exercises, while conducting combat
operations against "enemy" surface forces, simultaneous as well as sequential
strikes with TOMAHAWK and HARPOON and carrier aviation, were practiced. In
order to conduct simultaneous strikes, the BB, with its screening ships (four
or five surface combatants) moved away from the carrier and toward the "enemy"
flank, remaining within air cover of its fighters. Foreign specialists think
it is possible to employ, as well, general purpose LOS ANGELES-Class attack
submarines, using TOMAHAWK or HARPOON, for these joint strikes. A
simultaneous strike with missiles of the battleship and its screen ships
(TICONDEROGA-Class CG and SPRUANCE-Class DDs), fighter-bomber carrier aircraft
(16-20 planes) and nuclear submarines, in foreign specialists' estimate, is
simply too hard to repulse.

The battleship is very survivable. World War II experience points out that in
order to sink such a large ship as one with 45,000 to 60,000 tons displacement
required 8-9 torpedoes or 6-8 500-lb high explosive bombs. For example, the
Japanese battleship YAMAT0 was sunk in April, 1954, after taking hits from 10
U.S. airborne torpedoes (warhead weight of each was about 270 kg) and about 13
250-kg bombs. Recent tests conducted by U.S. specialists have shown that in
order to sink a modernized IOWA-Class battleship requires the simultaneous hit
of 10 Mk 48 torpedoes, which in their opinion is highly unlikely. The armored
protection of the ship makes it practically invulnerable to the antiship
missile such as the EX0CET (which can penetrate up to 90 mm of armor).

The inclusion of the battleship, with its great striking power and
survivability, into the composition of the carrier battle group substantively
increases its strike and defensive capabilities, and guarantees a high level
of combat stability while solving the problems of gaining and maintaining
superiority in various important military action theaters such as the
Norwegian and Mediterranean Seas, North Atlantic and Indian oceans and other
areas, and also in defending its maritime lines of communications and in a
range of other cases.

However, the BB can play a major role as the main combat element of an
operational missile group. Such a group could consist of a battleship, two
TICONDEROGA-Class CGs, four to six SPRUANCE-Class DDs and OLIVER H. PERRY
Class frigates. It can be supported by one LOS ANGELES-Class SSN, land-based
patrol aircraft and shorebased fighters when operating within their range. The
operational missile group has substantial strike potential in operations
against enemy surface groups and shore installations and sufficiently broad
defensive capabilities. The collection and processing of information on the
enemy as well as guaranteeing over-the-horizon targeting is accomplished by
the OUTLAW SHARK system, based on data from satellite observation and other
information sources (aircraft) surface ships and submarines, shore listening
posts and centers, etc.

The group's defensive system is laid out along sector principles with
reinforcement along the dangerous axes. A summary composition of the ASW
weapons and resources for search might include: 6-8 surface ship sonars,
including 3-4 with the TACTAS towed array; 10-14 airborne sonar systems (in
helicopters); 40-60 ASW guided missiles ASROC; and 35-40 tubes of ASW
torpedoes.

In the most active ASW defensive zone (about 50-80 miles from the BB) search
is carried out by ships with the TACTAS antenna and shipborne ASW helicopters.
Beyond this zone (150-200 miles), regional theater ASW aircraft operate. And
in the far zone, ASW defense is carried out by the LOS ANGELES-Class SSN. All
these forces and resources, in foreign defense specialists' views, can assure
detection, prosecution and destruction of up to 3-4 enemy submarines.

Air defense of the battleship is the responsibility of the air defense screen
ships (AEGIS, TARTAR and SEA SPARROW systems and the VULCAN-PHALANX,
76-mm and 127-mm guns), sea and landbased fighters (in the event the missile group
is operating within their zone of accessibility). As a rule, fighters operate at
distances of 300 to 400 miles. The missile groups antiair defense systems, in
foreign specialists' estimate, are capable of killing no less than 12 to 14
anti-ship missiles out of each raid of 8 to 12 aircraft.

U.S. military specialists, pointing to the need to strengthen fire support for
amphibious assault operations, underscore that the best solution to this
problem is the battleship. In the view of the U.S. Navy, battleships at the
outset of the landing operation can lay down cruise missile strikes on the
enemy, jointly with carrier air strikes. In order not to disclose, at the
start, the participants of the landing, strikes are carried out along a wide
front against ships at sea, bases, airports, important air defense system
installations, command points, communications networks, missile and artillery
units and also ground force groupings. Later, battleships will participate in
preliminary fire preparation before the landing, which begins from one to five
days before. In this period, missile strikes against shore installations are
combined with carrier strike aircraft attacks as well as Marine aircraft to
suppress antiair defense systems, which allows in the latter periods for the
battleships to approach the shore and utilize its shipboard artillery.

In the period of fire preparation for the landing and supporting the landing
forces on the beach, destruction by artillery of main targets is carried out
as announced by the commander of the landing force. In one hour the ship can
discharge from its nine barrels more than 1,000 rounds. In so doing, the area
of maneuver for firing can be dispersed from 20-30 km from the shore. When
using active-reactive rounds, this distance can be increased up to 50-60 miles.
Destruction of targets can be done either by volley fire or single shot.

U.S. Navy specialists consider that the combat capabilities of battleships will considerably increase the strike power of operational navy groups, which are one of the main instruments of carrying out the aggressive foreign policies of the White House.