Soviet AAW vessel projects

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Jackryan

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Hey there!

I am new to this site and I was wondering if any of you could help me with a certain topic...
The Americans designed the Aegis combat system for naval AAW andputit into service in the final stages of the cold war. Does anyone of you know about a possible reply fromthe soviets in the shape of a truly powerful AAW vessel class, possibly in the destroyer or cruiser role? I know that the Kirov's had this capacity but they were not competing with the Ticonderoga's and Burke's for their sheer size and operation requirements. Thanks!
 
Jackryan said:
Does anyone of you know about a possible reply fromthe soviets in the shape of a truly powerful AAW vessel class, possibly in the destroyer or cruiser role?
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Action-reaction fallacy, here. An AAW ship as a 'reply' to an AAW ship makes no sense - the USN developed AEGIS in response to the threat of saturation attacks from Soviet anti-ship missiles against high-value targets. The Soviets had no need to defend high-value targets against air attack: their naval doctrine was based around using surface ships to defend the ballistic missile submarines in bastions close to the USSR, whilst land-based aviation and submarines performed offensive tasks. An AEGIS-type system doesn't fit into this doctrine. The Soviet reply would be in the form of missiles designed to defeat AEGIS - e.g. the P-270 Moskit or 3M54 Klub - or better submarines that attempt to penetrate the ASW screen instead, for instance the Project 945 or Project 971 classes.
 
Thank you for your replies; but with regards to your last comment, I do feel there might have been a need for such system. Please correct me if you have any certain information that contradicts my impressions. The USN pushed the AEGIS vessels into service to defend from the menace of ballistic missiles and also air strikes, as this system provides a "security bubble", as the Royal Navy called it. Well then, wasn't there a thread from american missiles and, most of all, carrier air wings?
 
Jackryan said:
Thank you for your replies; but with regards to your last comment, I do feel there might have been a need for such system. Please correct me if you have any certain information that contradicts my impressions. The USN pushed the AEGIS vessels into service to defend from the menace of ballistic missiles and also air strikes, as this system provides a "security bubble", as the Royal Navy called it. Well then, wasn't there a thread from american missiles and, most of all, carrier air wings?
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Aegis came about to defend against things like the Backfire (or more specifically, it's AS-4 missiles) and surface-launched antiship missiles.
 
On the other hand, the Soviet Navy had realised by the early 1970's that they would need long range escorts with high level AAW suites, to escort both carrier and amphibious forces, especially with a new generation of aircraft carriers planned for the 1980's. That's a major reason why the Kirov, which was originally schemed as a large ASW cruiser, evolved the way it did. Although it seems that the Soviets also intended for the Kirovs to do a bit of carrier hunting of their own. ;)
 

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