Авианосная ударная группа: история и применение

Type of naval fleet with an aircraft carrier
the military formation in general

A carrier battle group (CVBG) is a naval fleet consisting of an aircraft carrier capital ship and its large number of escorts, together defining the group. The CV in CVBG (Cruiser Voler) is the United States Navy hull classification code for an aircraft carrier. The first naval task forces built around carriers appeared just prior to and during World War II. The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) was the first to assemble many carriers into a single task force, known as the Kido Butai. This task force was used with devastating effect in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The Kido Butai operated as the IJN's main carrier battle group until four of its carriers were sunk at the Battle of Midway. In contrast, the United States Navy deployed its large carriers in separate formations, with each carrier assigned its own cruiser and destroyer escorts. These single carrier formations would often be paired or grouped together for certain assignments, most notably the Battle of the Coral Sea and Midway. By 1943, however, large numbers of fleet and light carriers became available, which required larger formations of three or four carriers. These groups eventually formed the Fast Carrier Task Force, which became the primary battle unit of the U. S. Third and Fifth Fleets. With the construction of the large "supercarriers" of the Cold War era, the practice of operating each carrier in a single formation was revived. During the Cold War, the main role of the CVBG in case of conflict with the Soviet Union would have been to protect Atlantic supply routes between the United States and its NATO allies in Europe, while the role of the Soviet Navy would have been to interrupt these sea lanes, a fundamentally easier task. Because the Soviet Union had no large carriers of its own, a situation of dueling aircraft carriers would have been unlikely. However, a primary mission of the Soviet Navy's attack submarines was to track every allied battle group and, on the outbreak of hostilities, sink the carriers. Understanding this threat, the CVBG expended enormous resources in its own anti submarine warfare mission.

In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, most uses of carrier battle groups by the United States as well as that of other Western nations have been in situations where their use has been uncontested by other comparable forces. During the Cold War, an important battle scenario was an attack against a CVBG using numerous antiship missiles.

British and French carrier battle groups were involved in the 1956 Suez Crisis.

During the Indo Pakistani War of 1971, India used its carrier strike group centered on to impose a naval blockade on East Pakistan. Air strikes were carried out initially on shipping in the harbors of Chittagong and Cox's Bazar, sinking or incapacitating most ships there. Further strikes were carried out on Cox's Bazar from 60 nautical miles (110 km) offshore. On the evening of 4 December, the air group again struck Chittagong harbor. Later strikes targeted Khulna and the Port of Mongla. Air strikes continued until 10 December 1971.

The first attempted use of anti ship missiles against a carrier battle group was part of Argentina's efforts against British armed forces during the Falklands War. This was the last conflict so far in which opposing belligerents employed aircraft carriers, although Argentina made little use of its sole carrier, ARA Veinticinco de Mayo, which was originally built in the United Kingdom as HMS Venerable and later served with the Royal Netherlands Navy (1948–1968).

The United States Sixth Fleet assembled a force of three carrier battle groups and a battleship during the Lebanese Civil War in 1983. Daily reconnaissance flights were flown over the Bekaa Valley and a strike was flown against targets in the area resulting in loss of an A 6 Intruder and an A 7 Corsair.

Carrier battle groups routinely operated in the Gulf of Sidra inside the "Line of Death" proclaimed by Libya resulting in aerial engagements in 1981, 1986 and 1989 between U. S. Navy Tomcats and Libyan Su 22 aircraft, SA 5 surface to air missiles and MiG 23 fighters. During the 1986 clashes, three carrier battle groups deployed to the Gulf of Sidra and ultimately two of them conducted strikes against Libya in Operation El Dorado Canyon.

During the international military intervention in the 2011 Libyan civil war, the French Navy deployed its aircraft carrier, French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, off Libya. The Charles de Gaulle was accompanied by several frigates as French frigate Forbin, French frigate Dupleix, French frigate Aconit, the replenishment tanker Meuse and two nuclear attack submarines.

China plans to set up several carrier battle groups in the future. At present China's two aircraft carriers, the Liaoning and Shandong, use Type 055 destroyers for area air defence with anti submarine warfare, Type 052C or Type 052D destroyers for air defense, Type 054A frigates for anti submarine and anti ship warfare, 1–2 Type 093 nuclear attack submarines, and 1 Type 901 supply ship. China is currently building a third carrier, as well as a nuclear powered fourth carrier planned for construction and expected to be completed by the late 2020s. China is also building a new larger class of air defense destroyers, the Type 055.

Indian Navy has operated all types of aircraft carriers including CATOBAR configured Vikrant, STOVL configured Viraat and STOBAR configured Vikramaditya and Vikrant (2013) and CBGs centered on it. The Indian Navy has been operating carrier battle groups since 1961, with its first carrier battle group formed around the now decommissioned INS Viraat was an updated Centaur class light carrier originally built for the Royal Navy as , which was laid down in 1944 and commissioned in 1959. It was purchased by India in May 1987, and was decommissioned in March 2017. India commissioned in 2013 followed by the new INS Vikrant in 2022. INS Vikramaditya is the modified Soviet aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, INS Vikrant is the first indigenous aircraft carrier built in India. India plans to have three carrier battle groups by 2035, each centered on Vikrant, Vikramaditya and Vishal, another planned carrier. As of 2023, the Indian Navy operates two carrier battle groups centered on INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant. The Indian Navy's carrier battle group centered on Viraat consisted of two destroyers, usually of the (previously s were used), two or more frigates, usually of the , Godavari or Nilgiri classes, and one support ship. The navy's new carrier battle group centered on Vikramaditya and Vikrant consists of the modern Kolkata class guided missile destroyers, Shivalik and Talwar class guided missile frigates, Kamorta class anti submarine warfare corvettes and new tankers. INS Chakra is expected to fill the sub surface component.

The CVS–ASW (Aircraft Carrier with Anti Submarine Warfare) Italian aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi is Italy's first carrier. The battle group based in Taranto called COMFORAL is formed by the carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi, two s, two support ships Etna and Elettra, and three amphibious/support ships (San Giusto, San Marco and San Giorgio). After 2010, the Italian battle group will be formed by the new Italian aircraft carrier Cavour, 5–6 new warships (including destroyers Horizon and frigates FREMM), one new support ship, some minehunters and new submarines (the COMFORAL will be a reserve group).

Admiral Kuznetsov has been observed sailing together with a (CBGN), (CG), (ASuW), (ASW) and Krivak I/II FFG (ASW). These escorts, especially the heavily armed Kirov class battlecruiser, use advanced sensors and carry a variety of weaponry. During Admiral Kuznetsovs deployment to Syria in November 2016 on her first combat tour, the carrier was escorted by a pair of Udaloy class destroyers and a Kirov class battlecruiser en route, while additional Russian Navy warships met her off Syria. Admiral Kuznetsov is designed specifically to sail alone and carries greater firepower than her U. S. counterparts. This includes 12x SS N 19 'Shipwreck' (long range, high speed, sea skimming) SSMs, 24x VLS units loaded with 192 SA N 9 'Gauntlet' SAMs, and 8x Kashtan CIWS with dual 30 mm guns, and 8x AK 630 CIWS. Compared to the 4x Phalanx CIWS and 4x Sea Sparrow launchers, each with 8 missiles carried by the Nimitz class, Admiral Kuznetsov is well armed for both air defence and offensive operations against hostile shipping.