Project 11431 aircraft carrier
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Operators: |
 Itayana |
| Built: | 1983-2013 |
| In commission: | 2019-present |
| Completed: | 1 |
| Active: | 1 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Aircraft carrier |
| Displacement: | 52,000 long tons (53,000 t) (full load) |
| Length: | 306.3 metres (1,005 ft) (overall) / 272 metres (892 ft) (waterline) |
| Beam: | 68 metres (223 ft) (overall) / 31 metres (102 ft) (waterline) |
| Draught: | 10.3 metres (34 ft) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | +34 knots (63 km/h) |
| Range: | 10,000 nautical miles (19,000 km) on 18 knots (33 km/h) |
| Endurance: | 40 days |
| Boats & landing craft carried: | 4 Type 601 cutters |
| Complement: | 170 officers, 1000 sailors |
| Sensors and processing systems: | |
| Armament: |
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| Aircraft carried: | 24-36 aircraft (estimate): |
| Aviation facilities: |
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Project 11431 is the official designation of a redesign of Elatian Petro Antaŭdiro-class aircraft cruisers, operated by the Itayana Navy. The original design was conceived as a hybrid helicopter-carrying guided missile cruiser capable of a combined helicopter-guided missile first-strike from direct following as well as being a versatile flagship for the task forces of Elatian Navy. The second unfinished vessel was purchased by Itayana and rebuilt by an updated and advanced specifications, using available technical expertise and accompanied with various research and development initiatives. After a lengthy period of trials, the ship was commissioned and currently serves as the flagship of the Itayana Navy.
Development
The origins of the Project 11431 can be traced to the 1980s, when a series of sweeping reforms was carried out in the western Itayana by the Temple of Yanbango. Amongst other changes was the establishment of the Itayana Navy. While at first it was nothing but a green-water force operating second-hand vessels, the Captains' Council of the Navy, the predecessor to the Admiralty of Itayana, already determined the role of aircraft carriers as cornerstones of the ocean-going fleet. Their proposals were thought of as impractical in the '90s economic situation, but indirectly influenced shipbuilding industry development efforts of the 2000s. A few officers also studied the possibility of Itayana purchasing an older ship from one of the Oxidentalese powers as an experimental and training vessel, a proposal deemed only marginally more practical than building from the keel up.
In that atmosphere of economic uncertainty and sweeping changes, the news of Itayana purchasing an unfinished Elatian helicopter cruiser, yard number 102, in May 1996 caught everyone by surprise. It was announced that Itayana will purchase the ship to rebuild it to updated specifications with foreign assistance on Elatian yards. At the time of purchase, Itayana Navy had no ships to form a carrier strike group, no planes to form a carrier air group, no personnel to crew a carrier, its naval engineering school was in its infancy and had no experience working on aircraft carriers, and there was no infrastructure to moor the vessel. Interviews with priests and admirals suggest personal involvement of the Supreme Priest of the Sun, who overruled the opposition in the Temple economy board and forced the deal.
The designers' work was plagued by the lack of experience, feature creep and progressively more ambitious demands from the growing industry of Itayana. Technical expertise gathered from Sante Reze and Zacapican aided in developing various aspects of the ship and its air group. Nevertheless, when the work on the ship began in 2003, most of the major systems that were to be installed were either in blueprints or in prototype stage. The conversion proceeded slowly over more than a decade, hampered by the lack of funding in addition to all previously faced development problems. The greatest change in the structure was adding a 30-meter hull extension in front of the engine rooms. In addition to that, the ship was completely re-cabled and internal structure was rearranged to meet requirements. The costs of extensive redesign and accompanying research and development were a notable factor contributing to budgetary problems of the late 2000s, culminating in the 2010 Itayana debt crisis and, eventually, the Central Itayana War, but the work carried on against the opposition within the Navy and the Temple ranks.
The vessel was delivered for trials in April 2014 and those lasted intermittently for five years. During the later stages of trials, the ship was observed participating in maneuvers with the Rezese, Redisan and Zacapine navies, testing equipment under simulated quasi-combat conditions. The acceptance act was signed in September 2019, but only after the 2020 circumnavigation the ship was deemed fully operational.
Analysts remain sceptical whether the Autocracy would be able to construct another aircraft carrier, even using the existing blueprints and design documentation. While it is known that the Shipbuilding Plant No.113 houses two slipways and two dry docks for ships as heavy as 80,000 tons, available reports indicate that the final cost of the ship and the difficulties encountered on its trials were judged as prohibitive to further developments.
Design
When delivered, Project 11431 significantly differed from the original Elatian design of late 1970s, but the overall architecture remained the same. The hull was enlarged with a 30-meter section in front of the engine rooms, increasing its length-to-width proportion from the original 7.8 to a more narrow 8.77. The island was shifted further starboard on a sponson, also serving as a flight deck extension, and redesigned to accommodate a different set of electronic equipment and lager air intakes, although the overall aesthetics remained in place. A pyramidal mast with various electronic equipment was mounted astern of the rear aircraft elevator.
Armament
While the original design relied primarily on anti-ship missiles and several layers of anti-air defenses in combat, much of those weapons were dropped during the redesign. The carrier is only lightly armed for self-defense, relying on its aircraft and escorts for combat. Its main anti-aircraft defense are four sets of cold-launch VLS cells derived from Redisan design and located on sponsons at the corners of the main flight deck. The exact types of missiles are unknown but are assumed to include at least a medium-range and a short-range surface-to-air missile.
In addition to SAM VLS, four HO-630A CIWS are installed on sponsons at the corners of the extended flight deck. The cannon is a domestic upgrade of the Zacapine OT-630 CIWS with a localized fire control suite built around passive phased array X-band fire-control radar and optronic search-and-track. Improved servos allow it to traverse horizontally at 90° per second.
Four HI-45 remote weapon systems are also installed, two of which around the funnel. Each RWS is armed with two 45mm autocannons, derived from Elatian 45mm light anti-air cannon used in twin and quad mounts until late 1970s. Its optronic targeting system consists of a camera, laser rangefinder, a thermal sight and a night sight. The stations are also connected to the combat integration suite, allowing their limited use in air defense.
Electronics
The modified ship accommodated electronic equipment designed by over 400 engineering teams. The overall system is designated Karu-11430 and consists of the ship management, navigation and communication suite, three-dimensional naval radar suite, electronic warfare suite, sonar suite, air group control suite and combat integration system.
The ship management suite serves to integrate data from non-combat systems of the ship, including propulsion, electrical management, air group facilities, damage control and others. Integrated data may be relayed to the ship's main bridge and terminals in relevant compartments of the ship. The navigation suite serves to maintain and update navigational information and support navigational decision-making. Its primary pieces of equipment are two navigational radars situated atop the navigational bridge and flight control bridge and a dedicated navigational computer located on the lower decks of the ship. The communication suite of several standardized data links occupies parts of the island and much of the auxiliary mast, while several larger antennas of unknown purpose are located atop the island under the TACAN system.
The optronic subsystem is connected to the navigation and naval radar suites. It includes several optronic search-and-track units, of which four are located at the superstructure, and several television cameras located in different parts of the ship. It is likely that optronic data from the ship's artillery and remote weapon stations is integrated as well. Two units of a laser detection and suppression system are installed on the superstructure; they are likely derived from the Zacapine systems.
The multipurpose naval radar system consists of a long-range VHF radar atop the island superstructure, on the cylindrical foundation forward of the exhaust funnel; two X band fire control radars to the front of the long-range radar and astern of the exhaust and four fixed active phased array radars on the angled frontal and rear sides of the island. Analysis suggests that the VHF radar was derived from an Elatian design and the fire control radars were based on Oxidentalese radar developments. The fixed arrays, while similar in outward appearance to several existing suites, could not be conclusively traced. 360° scan and search and track of up to 1200 targets on distances of up to 400nmi are officially claimed.
The electronic warfare suite consists of four sets of antennas situated around the funnel, one set per platform, and each set consists of four units with two antennas per unit. Four passive decoy launchers of Elatian origin are situated near CIWS systems. The purpose and capabilities of the antennas are unknown, but it is claimed that the system can detect and jam S, X and Ku band radars and disrupt laser emission using passive decoys.
Despite having no anti-submarine weaponry, the ship carries a sonar suite that includes a bow sonar and a towed sonar array. It is assumed that these systems are installed to complement those of the carrier battle group with additional arrays as well as more powerful signal processing equipment to coordinate and integrate sonar images received from the battle group, enhancing the overall anti-submarine capabilities of the squadron as a whole.
The air group control suite consists of a dedicated TACAN system, two approach radars and an optical landing system. It appears to be directly adapted from existing suites of Rezese and Zacapine carriers with minimal modifications. The TACAN system is installed in a cylindrical dome, also serving as a base for the VHF radar. The optical landing system is mounted on the edge of the angled deck.
The combat integration system serves as the centrepiece of the carrier electronic equipment as a whole. It is designed to accumulate and integrate primary and processed data from all sensors of the ship and its battle group, relay data between ships of the battle group, integrate and manage weapon systems of the ship and its battle group, and serve as a support system for tactical and operational decision-making. It consists of two computing centers and several data links. The suite can also defer computation to ships of the battle group equipped with compatible systems. All information is viewed in the action information center (AIC) of the carrier located aft the navigational bridge. Through integration with the carrier management suite, certain data can be viewed on both of the ship's bridges as well.
A third-party analysis of the electronic systems done by Arthuristan and Belfrasian researchers indicated redundancy and over-engineering of the system as a whole and several of its parts, in particular the 3D radar suite. The system overall was described as "a hodgepodge of loosely-connected subsystems made by resource-hungry bureaus and cobbled together at the expense of economy, practicality and applicability outside the single ship of the class."
Propulsion
The original design was powered by geared steam turbines driving four shafts. Although Elatia possessed technology for making advanced high-pressure steam boilers, it was decided early in the development to complement the original power plant with a novel COGAS propulsion which was then in development by Zacapican for the next generation of light carriers. Through the arrangements done as part of the Burning Sun Initiative, the Zacapines amortized some of the ship development costs while Itayana engineers took part in several stages of development and used the ship as a testbed for the resulting system.
The ship is powered by four COGAS propulsion units. Each unit consists of two gas turbines purchased from Zacapican, producing 45,000 shp each. The exhaust from turbines is then used to generate steam for a single 40,000-shp steam turbine likely derived from an Elatian design for guided missile destroyers. The three turbines then combine power on a shaft through a combination gearbox.
The original powerplant of the design consists of 8 high-pressure oil-fed steam boilers, feeding four steam turbines, 50,000 shp each. It was retained out of concerns regarding the COGAS plant, albeit with boilers and turbines replaced by more advanced models. It is known that the plant is connected to the COGAS modules through a system of steam pipes, ostensibly to allow additional power on the steam turbines. The efficiency of the design is unknown. Two plants are combined through a set of combination gearboxes.
The four-shaft arrangement of the original class was retained, each shaft carrying two variable-pitch screws. The ship also has at least eight electrical generators of unknown output installed.
The novel propulsion system caused significant problems on ship's trials. Available information indicates that the combination gearboxes had to be redesigned and then replaced with extensive construction work in dry docks. The top speed and range of the ship are unknown and several estimates exist. Reports from the 2021 Ita-Zacapine maneuvers indicate that the top speed is higher than 34 knots. The range has been estimated to be around 10,000 nautical miles on 18 knots, based on observed individual deployments.
Air group and facilities
In the original design of the carrier, the air wing was to be formed entirely from helicopters due to the limited size of the angle deck and the lack of a developed VTOL aircraft in Elatia. At the same time, the Zacapine Navy was refining its VTOL-capable aircraft, an effort culminating in commissioning Tlo-35 Skua VTOL multipurpose fighter. It is known that Itayana designers and military theorists had an intense debate over the look of the future naval aviation, including the possible carrier air wing. Much of that debate remains classified.
For the finalized carrier design, it was decided to employ conventional fighters in CATOBAR configuration. Declassified documents reveal that a heavy fighter derivative was judged to provide more flexibility and versatility than a light fighter derivative, despite stricter limitations on the size of the air group. Additionally, while the Skua was considered among several other options, it was rejected on the grounds of insufficient takeoff payload, in absolute numbers and proportionally to the takeoff weight.
The exact size and capabilities of the air group are not known, and available estimates rely on geometric calculations of the hangar space and sightings on joint maneuvers with fleets of Oxidentale powers. It was estimated that the carrier can embark up to 36 aircraft of various types, mainly So-30M2 (A16S4) heavy fighters. No naval AEW&C planes have been observed on the carrier, and it is not known if Itayana Navy has any at its disposal. Several helicopters have been observed attached to the carrier air group, primarily Arthuristan-designed Lynx. In addition to those, helicopters from the carrier group were observed to routinely use the ship for refueling and rearming.
The air group is serviced by two 30-ton deck elevators in front and astern of the superstructure and three arrester wires. Two steam catapults are used to launch aircraft from the carrier, one at the axial deck, the other on the angled deck. Two 40-ton cranes are installed to the bow of the forward elevator and astern of the communication tower to aid the recovery efforts in case of emergency landings as well as to receive cargo from the carrier group supply ships.
Ships in class
| Navy | Name | Translation | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Itayana Navy
|
TBD | Eclipse | 28.12.1983 | 30.09.2013 | 27.09.2019 | Active |
Role and notable deployments
The official role of the ship is to serve as the flagship of the Itayana Navy. Its advanced electronic equipment enables it to coordinate battle groups the size of the entire surface fleet of the Autocracy. Its air group, while comparatively small, can perform long-range air reconnaissance in the interests of the fleet. In addition, the ship is thought to be a training ground for the carrier aviation, in case the country manages to afford a larger and more capable aircraft carrier.
The first deployments of the carrier were maneuvers during the later part of its trials, where it served as the command ship for several squadrons of the first generation of domestically designed ships of the Navy. In May 2018, it was observed on maneuvers with the Zacapine Navy along with three Project 15470 frigates and two Project 04260 submarines. In June 2019 the carrier, four frigates and a replenishment ship made a voyage into the Amictlan and towards Vespanian ocean, where two submarines were also sighted. In May 2020, it was accompanied by six frigates and two tankers in the Makrian ocean, passing around Zacapican; that deployment ended with a circumnavigation through Vespanian.
May 2021 saw the carrier and five corvettes taking part in another joint training with the Zacapine fleet, where three Tlo-50 fighters and one unknown larger derivative were observed as part of its air group. The vessel didn't venture outside of its home base in 2022 like most of the surface and submarine fleet.