For a warship, launching is the first highlight of its life cycle.
Bunting flags, ribbons, music, dance, naming, ribbon cutting, the cracking of champagne bottles colliding with the bow of the ship, the sound of the ship's whistle, the waves that set off when the hull entered the water... These elements are mixed in complexity or simplicity to form a sense of ceremony with strong emotions when warships are launched.
The highlight moment is followed by a period of relative calm. From movement to quiet, some people compare the warship at this time to a silkworm that has just finished its cocoon, and the exterior is not publicized, but only quietly changes on the inside. It was not until the warship was delivered that people suddenly found that unconsciously it had completed its transformation and had the ability to sail to its own side.
So, what does this process of "turning cocoons into butterflies" mean for warships? Please see the relevant interpretation -
Launching refers to the process of moving ships from the docks and docks of the shipyard to the water.
At present, there are two main types of warship launches: dock launching and ship platform launching, of which the former includes fixed dock launching and floating dock launching, and the latter includes backward type, side slip type and lifting type 3 ways. In principle, it can be divided into gravity-type launching, floating water, mechanical launching and so on.
Delivery, simply put, refers to the transfer of ownership of a warship, transferred from the shipyard to the Navy and put into service, which is a sign of the completion of the construction of the warship.
So, how long will it take for the warship to be delivered to the troops after it is launched? What work was being done on the warship during this time?
Change "long block" to "add connotation"
The manufacture of warships requires advanced technology and complex processes, which take a long time and cost a lot. Without accumulating steps, there are no thousands of miles. If the construction of warships is a major project of "thousands of miles", then the launching of warships is a key step in the "footsteps" accumulated by them.
From launch to delivery, this period is a relatively special process. In this process, warships no longer focus more on "long blocks" as before, and begin to focus on "adding connotations" - reflected in the working level is first of all to improve the ship's facilities, this process is referred to as outfitting.
As the saying goes, no diamonds don't do porcelain work. If a warship wants to be brave and good at fighting in various combat tasks in the future, it must first have a "diamond diamond". Outfitting is the process of giving warships "diamond drills". These "diamond drills" include complex battlefield perception, information transmission, command and control systems, and a variety of weapons and equipment. The construction of these systems is generally very precise. Because warships are prone to large vibrations when they are launched, these precision instruments or weapons are usually installed after the warship is launched.
Outfitting work is complicated and the amount of work is large. Take the pipes to be laid by the AIRCRAFT CARRIER BUSH, for example, with a total length of 400 kilometers and a total length of 2,700 kilometers of various cables. Even if it is a small frigate, although the sparrow is small and complete, the outfitting process is numerous, and one step can not be less. Because it is a "delicate work", it usually takes more time. In addition, there are many special equipment on the ship, such as island electronic equipment, fuel supply equipment, landing guidance equipment, blocking equipment, etc., almost all of which have their own unique installation requirements, so they pay more attention to "slow work and fine work". In this process, a slight omission may bury hidden dangers or cause accidents.
In July 2020, the USS Kennedy, the U.S. Navy's Ford-class aircraft carrier No. 2, caught fire during its outfitting and even nearly burned to the reactor. Although the fire was soon extinguished, outfitting work was still suspended. It was not until the investigation of the cause of the fire was clear that the outfitting of the aircraft carrier continued. This led to a delay in the aircraft carrier's service time. The complexity of the outfitting work of warships can be seen here.
Relevant data show that a medium-sized aircraft carrier that can carry a ski-jump carrier-based aircraft generally takes more than 2 years to build a hull, and the outfitting operation after launching takes more than 1 year. Some 10,000-ton destroyers have a outfitting operation time of up to 2 years.
The length of the outfitting operation also depends on the industrial, scientific and technological and economic strength of the country to which the warship belongs, as well as the scientific and technological content and advanced function of the warship.
India's aircraft carrier USS Vikrant was undocked and launched as early as the end of 2011, and the second sea trial was not conducted until 2021, spanning up to 10 years. Not to mention that it was found to have obvious longitudinal rocking phenomenon in the sea test, only from the time span from the launch to the sea test, its outfitting work is certainly not short. The first ship of the US Ford-class aircraft carrier, the Ford, took more than 3 years to outfit alone, and the reason is said to be that the proportion of high-tech use is too large.
The outfitting operation of modern ships does not necessarily begin after launching, and many warships have begun to pre-outfitt in the "modular splicing" construction stage, that is, on the basis of overall planning, some outfitting work is carried out in advance before launching. The United Kingdom even planned to increase the proportion of pre-outfitting work of Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers to more than 80% of the outfitting work, so as to achieve cost savings.
The mainland's construction of aircraft carriers has also adopted a similar advanced approach, which is called "shell and mortar coating integration" in the industry to achieve integrated arrangements and organic integration of related work.
Of course, the main stage of outfitting is still between launching and the first sea trial, and the outfitting phase is not completed until the Navy officially picks up the ship.
From "Move" to "Run Up"
After the outfitting operation is completed, the warship then changes from relatively "static" to obvious "dynamic". Or slow heat, or sprint, or long-distance running... In one test after another, the performance of the warship and the real operating parameters of each system gradually came to light. Correspondingly, with the cooperation of the technical force of the shipyard, the operators began to test operate the warship and understand the basic procedures and methods for the use of warships and carrier-based systems.
The first is to let the shipboard equipment and systems "move" first. This stage is usually called the mooring test stage, as the name suggests, in the outfitted berth in situ, in accordance with the order of "first equipment after the system, first small system and then large system", one by one to start the equipment on the warship, from the local to the whole trial, to verify whether it achieves the design performance, whether it meets the relevant regulations and requirements. The main object of the mooring test is the "four machines and one furnace", that is, the main engine, auxiliary machine, windlash, steering gear and boiler, which are the key to the navigation of the warship. For other equipment, it is also necessary to test one by one, and test the supporting operation level between each equipment and each system.
The mooring test has a lot of content and a lot of work. In order to shorten the test cycle and save manpower and material resources, the mooring test generally follows the following principles: the main, complex, new, emergency rescue equipment system is tested first; Simultaneous testing of equipment of the same power source; Take the equipment with a long test time as the main body, and cross-test other equipment. Finally, an inclination test is performed to determine the actual center of gravity position of the ship. In this process, the hallmark is the main engine test, and the conventionally powered warship chimney begins to smoke, indicating that the main engine has been started. At this stage, it is also necessary to conduct electromagnetic compatibility tests and firepower compatibility tests on the carrier-based systems.
Just as some equipment can be pre-outfitted, some mooring tests can be advanced depending on the situation. For example, some mooring tests can be cross-performed with the finishing work of warship construction, so as to effectively shorten the time required for the test cycle.
The second is to let the warship "run.". As the saying goes, it is the mule that is the horse, pulled out for a walk. Navigation test, also known as sea test, is the process of "walking" warships. Its main purpose is to test the performance of warships in actual navigation conditions, as well as reliability, stability and coordination. In particular, it is necessary to test the full load operation state of power and power, so as to fully understand the performance base of the warship as a whole and its subsystems, and lay the foundation for the next step of improving and exerting the maximum utility of the warship. In addition to testing the navigation capabilities of warships, the inspection of various radar, artillery, and missile systems is also an important part of the sea test, and once problems are found, they will find ways to improve them and ensure that they are solved before they are officially delivered.
Both "long brain" and "long skill"
Whether it is a mooring test or a sea test, the common point is that the officers and men who are the main body of the ship operators begin to take over. On the other hand, the warships launched in the water have also been given a "soul" because of the addition of officers and soldiers. Determine the proportion of personnel operating the ship, and preliminarily determine the posts of officers and men... At this stage, the equipment and systems on the warship began to be "paired" with the specific ship operators, and their daily use, testing, and maintenance also had corresponding responsibilities.
Reaching a tacit understanding in the use of various systems is the goal that the operators of the ship expect to achieve. To achieve this, a series of trainings were carried out on warships. This includes training in aviation support, damage control, and emergency response, as well as the inspection operation of weapons and equipment such as air defense, anti-submarine, anti-ship, and anti-missile, as well as liaison and communication with command organs and other warships.
Officers and men of various countries have different accounts of the period from the launch of the warship to its delivery. For example, officers and soldiers of some countries believe that "this is an important stage in which warships have both 'long brains' and 'long skills'." In fact, this "long brain" of warships comes more from the efforts of the operators. Through repeated tests, the operators of the warships and shipboard equipment have gone from unfamiliar to familiar with them, and their applications have gradually become familiar with each other from the beginning.
As a complex modern water combat platform, after this stage of running-in, the performance of shipboard weapons is increasingly clearly presented in front of the eyes of officers and soldiers. Although it is said that warships need to meet the operational standards and continue to increase the intensity of training after being loaded, the real sense of the combination of human armor has been carried out at this stage.
In short, this stage is also the initial stage for officers and men to become familiar with their posts, combat positions, and tasks; the combination of equipment and personnel, the coordination between various systems, and the formation and perfection of the chain of command must all begin with a single step. To a certain extent, from the launch of the warship to the delivery, this period of time is not only the process of the warship's "strengthening muscles", but also the process of its training of "introductory kung fu", which is a key part of the formation of combat effectiveness. (Liu Gang, Liao Fuping)
Source: People's Liberation Army Daily