Caron (DD 970) - Naval Cruise Book

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O KEAN 80 Our country has built a modern navy and sent it out into the ocean in order to support our own state interest and to reliably defend us from attack from the vast ocean sectors. S.G. Gorshkov Admiral of the Soviet Fleet Every so often in the Navy the opportunity arises for a ship to do something truely unique and different; a chance to engage in operations which are beyond the norm of training, or Battle Group Ops. Aggressive Knight, a project sponsored bv high level command, was that opportunity for CARON. During the spring months of 1980, CARON was tasked to conduct surveillance of the Soviet Kiev Battle Group as they transited from the Mediterranean to their home port in the arctic cold of Murmansk, Russia. The detailed reasons for this special tasking were known by only a few, but in practical terms, any time the Kiev (being a new large Soviet combatant) was out and operating, it was important to watch her movements, much the same way the Soviets often monitor the movements of U.S. forces. The Kiev, pictured below and on subsequent pages, is the largest class of surface unit in the Soviet inventory, and presents a new danger to the U.S. NATO alliance. Commissioned in May of 1975, she is almost 900 feet in length, displaces 32,000 tons, and can travel at speeds of 32 plus knots on four shafts, conventionally powered. Her weapons include the SS-N-12 anti ship cruise missile with a 300 nautical mile range, the SA- N4 anti air missile, four 76mm guns, eight 30mm gatling guns, torpedos and smaller anti submarine rockets. The primary importance of this class of Soviet combatant is her ability to launch not only a sizeable compliment of Hormone helos, but also the YAK-36 Forger, a vertically launched (VTOL) fighter aircraft. This is a new twist in Soviet Naval thinking, which heretofor has not endorsed the need for sea based carrier type aircraft. Although she does not have steam catapults such as are on U.S. carriers, nor the advanced tactica long range fighters such as the F-14 Tomcat, she and her sister ship the Minsk (1978) are a formidable threat in their own right. Since Admiral Sergei Gorshkov took overall command of the Soviet Fleet in 1956, he has been the driving force in developing a large powerful sea going Navy, capable of operating in distant waters without replenishing themselves from stationary bases . The Kiev is a product of that long standing commit- ment, as are such ships as the Kirov, (nuclear cruiser), the Kara class cruiser, and numerous balistic and attack submarines. Finding out as much as we can about our potential adversary is an important step in keeping the political, military pace with them. CARON went well prepared on this mission, and in fact the Chief of Naval Operations paid us a visit in March, to see the new computer data display installation called OUT- LAW SHARK, and to talk to the key players about the upcoming ops. AGGRHSSIVE KNIGHT was an unqualified success, and once again proved that CARON was the right ship for the special job. The above information on the Kiev was obtained from Janes Fighting Ships, 1980-81 edition.

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THE DAY THE CNO ARRIVED There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune . . . , Shakespeare, (Julias Caesar)