Project 1123 Kondor / Moskva - Design
Project 1123 Moskva and Leningrad were designed and built primarily as anti-submarine warfare (ASW) vessels, and their weapons and sensor suite was optimized against the nuclear submarine threat. Unlike the first national large antisubmarine warfare ships used to carry only one helicopter, the Project 1123 ships had hangars in the underdeck space and superstructure to accommodate several vehicles. The "Moskva"s were not true "aircraft carriers" in that they did not carry any fixed-wing aircraft; the air wing was composed entirely of helicopters. The ship was designed to carry 14 Ka-25 antisubmarine warfare helicopters built in compliance with the traditional Kamov Design Bureau coaxial rotor principle without the tail rotor, which was very important for a shipborne helicopter. The ship was provided with four helipads and two helicopter lifts.
They were designated as "aviation cruisers" at least in part to avoid problems with the 1936 Montreaux Convention, which prohibited passage of "aircraft carriers" through the Dardanelles. Many Western analysts concurred with an anti-submarine definition of the ships' purpose. The first Soviet aviation ships, the design was something of a hybrid, with features of a missile cruiser forward, and a flight deck aft of the superstructure. Their design seemed to have been heavily influenced by the French carrier Jeanne d'Arc and the Italian Vittorio Veneto. At the time of her construction, the Moskva was the largest ship ever built by the Soviet Union.
The ship's antisubmarine capacities were increased by introducing the first Soviet-made Vikhr antisubmarine missile system. Shipboard ASW armament included a twin SUW-N-1 launcher capable of delivering a FRAS-1 projectile carrying a 450 mm torpedo (or a 5 kiloton nuclear warhead). Two 533mm quintuple torpedo tube mounts were subsequently discarded owing to their susceptibility to flooding on the move, and two RBU-6000 ASW mortar rocket launchers.
To reconnoiter the underwater situation and obtain target acquisition, the ship was equipped (in addition to helicopters) with the powerful Orion low-frequency long-range sonar, with the antenna arranged in the retractable underkeel sonodome. This "Mare Tail" variable depth sonar worked in conjunction with heliborne sensors to hunt submarines, also with the Vega towed-array sonar. The ship was also provided with a well-developed air defense armament comprising two Shtorm multipurpose surface-to-air missile systems and two twin 57mm automatic gun mounts. The two twin SA-N-3 SAM launchers had reloads for a total of 48 surface-to-air missiles.
When the ships of a series of 1123 Moskva entered service, they proved to be already they were incapable to counteract American submarines both because of the increased number of submarines and because of their increased military characteristics. They were not capable carrying fixed wing aircraft, but embarked about 14 Ka-25 Hormone A anti-submarine helicopters. Developed to counter Western strategic missile submarines, they proved ineffective and unreliable. Therefore the program of the building of helicopter carriers was abolished. The flight deck of Moscow was modified, the ship itself was modernized and on November 18, 1972 was accepted to itself the first VTOL aircraft Yak-38M. So in the fleet was born new profession - ship pilot.
The ship had a high-capacity body made of steel along a longitudinal set system with a spacing of 500 mm. The landing site with 4 launch positions was located in the aft part (most protected from flooding by waves). All weapons systems were located in the bow. In the center was a multi-tiered superstructure, combined with a chimney and a tower-like mast. The superstructure was made of aluminum-magnesium alloys. Unsinkability was provided by 16 main watertight bulkheads, reaching the hangar deck. There was a double bottom along the entire length of the hull, which turned into a double board.
The power plant consisted of 2 GTZA TV-12 and 4 steam boilers KVN-95/64 with external economizers. Two-shaft boiler turbine power plant with a capacity of 90000 hp. Provides a full speed of 28 knots and a cruising range of an economic speed of 6,000 miles. The displacement of the ship was 13,000 tons.
In order to reduce the hydroacoustic field in the foundations of the main and auxiliary mechanisms, shock absorbers (for the first time on a large ship) were widely used. To reduce the thermal field, the exhaust gases were cooled by the electrically located inside the tube. To protect against non-contact magnetic mines and torpedoes, a demagnetizing device consisting of 4 windings was installed.
These ships, according to the Soviet classification - [PKR] (antisubmarine of cruiser), proved to be insufficiently nautical in bad weather. Although of graceful appearance, their design was marred by a tendency to ride down in the bow. The ship rocked in the full gale - clearly was not sufficient displacement. Only two ships were built, both of which were part of the Black Sea Fleet. They were retired in 1991, and scrapped in the late 1990s.
An additional unit was laid down but cancelled in 1969 and scrapped soon thereafter. This third ship, which was to have been an anti-surface warfare vessel, was to have beeen named "Kiev". At the end of 1967 on the freed stock were laid the third cruiser of the type of "1123 Moskva", which was named "Kiev". In the process of building the third ship it was explained that the helicopters, determined by technical task, were insufficient for the solution of the problems presented fully, the area of the flight deck proved to be too small. Furthermore, in 1967 occurred one additional event, which influenced the completion of the third cruiser of the project "1123". At the air display in Domodedovo was shown the VTOL aircraft Yak-38M, the idea to plant this aircraft on the ship deck after which arose. Attempts by the simple lengthening of the third ship to create aircraft carrier did not succeed, "Kiev" was dismantled, and at its place they in 1970 placed new ship with the same name.
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