Soviet Union 1991

An Indian delegation composed of defense ministry officials flew all the way from New Delhi to visit a Ukrainian shipyard to visit the Kiev-class aircraft carrier. At this time, the Gorshkov had been decommissioned from the navy and stored in storage, and was parked at the Black Sea Shipyard in Ukraine for planning. .

The Gorshkov has only been in service for less than five years, so it looks much newer than the second-hand aircraft carriers that Indian officials believe, and after simple renovation and maintenance work at the Black Sea Shipyard, Gorshkov The Husband is like a beautiful ship waiting for Indian officials to visit.

Standing on the deck of the Gorshkov, the Indian delegation seemed to feel the powerful impact of this steel monster created by the Soviets. The completely different design concept from the Virat made this aircraft carrier look more... Like a steel behemoth, it is simple, rough and practical, and the anti-ship weapons and turrets it carries give people the illusion that this aircraft carrier is not a platform used to park fighter jets and form combat effectiveness for the aircraft carrier fleet, but a pure aircraft carrier. Offensive weapons.

Just like Marshal Gorshkov of the Soviet Union after whom this aircraft carrier is named, the Kiev-class aircraft carrier fully demonstrates the Soviet Navy's saturation offensive combat thinking.

"The Gorshkov carries 2,200 people, has a displacement of 33,440 tons, and is 44,490 tons when fully loaded. The draft is about 10 meters. The aircraft carrier has a total length of 273.1 meters and a total width of 51.9 meters. The power unit is 8 boilers, 4 units Steam turbine. Powered by 4 sets of gear driven turbines, with a power of 200,000 shaft horsepower, and its maximum speed can reach 30 knots.

The Soviet Union meticulously introduced the detailed data of the Gorshkov to the Indian delegation. In order to allow the Indian delegation to better experience the real side of the Gorshkov, the carrier-based aircraft on it were kept intact. Stop in place.

"The Gorshkov was originally designed to carry 14 Yak-141 fighter jets, 6 Yak-38 fighter jets, 12 ka-27 helicopters and 4 ka-31 helicopters. It is equipped with six twin-seat - 12 anti- ship flying 12 missile launchers, 192 twenty-four 8-15 anti-aircraft missile launchers, eight single-mounted 100 mm/70 caliber guns, ten K short-range guns, and two launch tubes bu-6000 anti-submarine rocket launcher."

The Indian delegation was not very satisfied with the design of the Gorshkov;

"Of course, this aircraft carrier was originally designed to cooperate with surface ships, submarines and combat aircraft to carry anti-ships, using a large-density, continuous attack penetration method. At the same time, in a short period of time, from different directions from the air, surface and underwater , different levels launch to the same target beyond its resistance to attack The main combat method of the Gorshkov is to put the anti-attack capability of the enemy aircraft carrier formation's maritime air defense system into an unbearable saturation state in a short period of time, in order to increase the probability of anti-ship penetration and destroy the target. It’s about attacking, not becoming a docking platform for aircraft fleets.”

The accompanying Soviet official replied calmly, "That's why the Gorshkov proposed the plan. After all, it is the second-generation Kiev-class aircraft carrier of our Soviet Union, and its thinking is still in the era of Brezhnev. Focusing on aircraft carrier anti-ship and anti-aircraft operations, otherwise we wouldn’t come up with a transformation plan, would we?”

The Soviet official's words played into the hands of the Indian delegation. He nodded with satisfaction, "Yes, things from the old era can also be transformed and continue to serve the new era. Although it is just a twisted product of your saturation attack, it is also a ship. It is a good medium-sized aircraft carrier. If it is modified, its potential will not lag behind that of other countries’ aircraft carriers.”

After disembarking from the Gorshkov aircraft carrier, the Soviet officials in charge of negotiations prepared a modification plan for the aircraft carrier for Indian officials in the design bureau. He handed the revised plan into the hands of each representative, and then began to fool these laymen.

"The work content of the Gorshkov mainly includes the following aspects, converting vertical and short-distance take-off and landing into ski-jump take-off and blocked landing. Install new combat systems, specifically as follows, remove the naval guns on the bow deck, anti-ship Weapons and anti-aircraft launch devices are replaced by a complete airstrip and a 14.3° upturned ski jump deck. The bow flight deck is lengthened and widened, and the rear aircraft elevator is enlarged and strengthened. "

"Install blocking devices, set up three blocking ropes, install air search radars, navigation equipment and aircraft landing assistance equipment. Install fire control and electronic warfare systems, install new air conditioning and power systems, upgrade air defense capabilities, and install cards Stan system and Barak ship-to-air vertical launch system.”

"The combat performance of the latter aircraft carrier will be greatly improved. The previous Kiev-class paid special attention to the power of attack, so they equipped the aircraft carrier with a large number of anti-ship and air defense equipment, which occupied the precious flight deck space of the aircraft carrier and limited the number of carrier-based aircraft. . For an aircraft carrier, the main task is to carry carrier-based aircraft and use the carrier-based aircraft company to control the air and sea. The other tasks can be left to the formation ships. Adding too much load to the aircraft carrier will lead to a decrease in performance. "

They just want to first create a situation for the Indians that this is an aircraft carrier that you will regret if you take advantage of it. Then they will ask the Indians for high fees and blackmail them several times. After all, the extra money for such a drastic modification to one aircraft carrier is enough to buy three destroyers.

Seeing that the time had come, the Soviet officials very wisely pushed a few cards in front of the Indian delegation and smoothly offered a favor, "These are some gifts prepared by our Soviet military for the Indian delegation. I hope you can accept them." ”

"What is this?" the Indian delegation member asked, picking up the card.

"An anonymous bank account. The money in it can also be used to contribute to India's national defense. Maybe civilian private aircraft will be fine." Soviet officials are very familiar with India's style. In a country where the judiciary and government are equally powerful, there is nothing that cannot be traded in US dollars. And this gift is just a catalyst to ensure that this huge deal is finalized. I guess when they go back, the Indian Navy will raise a unified slogan for the Gorshkov.

Both sides smiled knowingly, and the Indian delegation also generously accepted the card handed over by the Soviet officials, stood up and shook hands with the Soviet officials, and said with a smile, "I hope that India and the Soviet Union can cooperate happily."

"Similarly, we cooperate happily."

The Soviet side also said with a smile. (To be continued.)

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