Posted on 09/19/2011 6:07:46 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
‘Aircraft carrier killer’: RT goes aboard flagship Varyag
Published: 19 September, 2011, 16:05
The Varyag guided missile cruiser knows no fear – not even the old one about having women aboard. RT’s female reporter admires the might of the Pacific flagship, samples sea bread, looks into the hearts of its crew, and meets the ship’s cats.
His wide green eyes were studying me. I was studying him, too. It just seemed too strange. A red cat with a sly face – it really was sly – was lying by the ship’s gun. It then stretched itself, yawned as if we were no longer of any interest, and slowly walked away.
“Madame, look sharp! It’s a warship, please do get inside,” a loud voice from behind brought me back to reality. I was standing aboard the Varyag missile cruiser, the flagship of the Pacific Fleet, which has been aptly dubbed the ‘aircraft carrier killer.’
It has a variety of weapons from 15-ton anti-ship guided missiles, to anti-submarine mortars, to anti-aircraft missiles.
I looked up to see the killer’s main weapon – the Vulkan complex, or ‘Volcano’. It was so huge it seemed it occupied half of the ship, with eight gun muzzles deployed on each side. On the way to the cabin, I was told that the Vulkan spews 5-tonne cruise missiles approaching its target at a speed of 3,000 km per hour. After the launch, the missiles unfold their wings and draw up into a group, a wolves’ pack, with a leader – a lone missile flying separately. If it’s detected and targeted, it will activate a system of active interference to confuse the enemy’s missile. It picks the target independently, in close proximity
(Excerpt) Read more at rt.com ...
Pacific flagship.
Despite the hype, this is a fire-and-forget weapon.
Do our Naval ships have cats, too?
Interesting report with a twist...Thanks
Chinese “warships” visit foreign ports..it must be a nightmare for the husbanding agent.
Provisions list:
1. frozen puppies
2. live snakes
3. water bugs
4. eels
5. tiger paws
6. Caribou horn
“A red cat with a sly face” - wait ‘til she meets our CiC!!!!!
Any missile carrying a medium size nuclear weapon will kill a carrier, if it gets thru.
Yes. 
We have steam cats.
Extra points for extra clever response.
We used to allow tomcats on our ships.
These are dangerous missiles. But they are charging into the teeth of the carriers most effective defense, the AEGIS system employed on its escorting cruisers and destroyers and their cooperative engagement capabilities.
The missiles and guns employed to defend the carrier on these ships are designed to shoot down incoming cruise and even ballistic missiles. They have been tested and are effective.
After that, the carrier has its own medium and close in anti-missile missiles which are also designed to shoot down incoming missiles, and its own CIWS gatling gun which is a last ditch defense against incoming missiles.
The US regularly performs expensive live fire tests with these suystems. They als contiinuuosly performs simiulations of the same.
Are they 100% effective? No. Are the deemed to be effective enough to defend the fleet against the latest enemy capabilities? Yes.
The US is on the verge of developing laser close in weapons against missiles. They have already been tested against misisles and drones in flight. The new Ford class carriers will have enough electrical power to operate them, as will the new Zumwalt class destroyers.
Always thought the Kirov class was the epitome of a gorgeous ship, one that approached the Missouri BB's in looks.
With this puppy, they better hope the first salvo does the trick, because there will not be another, and it ain't making it back to port for a reload......
I had the chance to see the Moskva at sea from a couple of thousand feet altitude once.
A very pretty ship, covered in rust.
Actually, if you check how these ships were to be employed, they were essentially a one-use-only weapon. All it needed to do was survive just long enough (hence it’s heavy anti aircraft missile batteries and anti submarine capability) to fire it’s supersonic nuclear-tipped anti-ship missiles. After that it’s survivability dropped to nil. However, Soviet reckoning was ok with losing the ship if it meant the destruction of a carrier. Expanding on this, there are some interesting analyses on the survivability of large ships (on both sides) if the Cold War got steamy. Suffice it to say the safest ship was the Sea Wolf submarine, and one of the places one may not want to be was an aircraft carrier.
In a previous life, I just happened to read something while researching Soviet ship-borne radars. The literature had some interesting tidbits, like how they expected the Soviet navy to go nuclear within the first 5 minutes of any major engagement.
Being on a sub would indeed be the only somewhat safe spot to be. Forget where I read that, must have been declas of course.
I agree. While I think the Iowa class BB is the best looking (modern) warship ever put to sea, I think I could give Second place to the Kirov class. Say what you want about the Russian navy but they do have an eye for aesthetics.
The Russinas have come a long way since they were taught warship design by the French (Who were the all time Ugly Ironclad Champions)
Very French that.
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