Admiral Kuznetsov (CV Project 1143-5/6)

History of Admiral Kuznetsov (Restoration Project 1143-5/6)

Due to historical and political considerations, the development of the launcher in the USSR got off to a slow start. The debate over large covered aircraft carriers has been going on for decades, starting with Stalin in the 1930s; however, two aircraft carriers were planned but cancelled with the onset of World War II, with ground warfare being the primary consideration.

After the war, the Soviet Navy saw that aircraft carriers played a vital role in defeating Japan. In 1945, the Soviet Union drew up plans to build a new type of aircraft carrier in the 1950s.

After Stalin's death in 1953, Khrushchev took over the Soviet state and announced far-reaching military cuts. Plans to build a new type of aircraft carrier were halted after Khrushchev believed that a nuclear strike would eliminate the carrier as a viable weapon, so the carrier program became the main target for cancellation.

In the early 1960s, when the Brezhnev regime came to power, aircraft carriers became a reality in Moscow and Leningrad, built between 1965 and 1968. However, they are not true aircraft carriers, supported only by helicopters, not fixed-wing aircraft. The concept is an anti-submarine ship used as a set of weapons to defend against the threat of US nuclear submarines.

The compromise between anti-submarine and fleet protection in 1975 was again the Kyiv CVHG class, both of which were helicopter ships. The conflict between the government and the military continued, but the days of the real Soviet aircraft carrier came close in 1991 with the Kuznetsov CV-class aircraft carrier.

Admiral Kuznetsov was originally called "Riga" after the then city of "Leonid Brezhnev", after which "Tbilisi" was also a Russian city. Her classification was changed from "CV" (aircraft carrier) to "TAVKR" (heavy aircraft carrier cruiser).

The reason for the name change was the Montreux Convention of 1936, which stipulated that aircraft carrier CVs should not pass through the Dardanelles. Russia's aircraft carriers are built on the Black Sea, which will become an international issue when ships enter the Mediterranean and beyond.

Currently, Admiral Kuznetsov is the only Russian aircraft carrier in service. It is conventionally powered, a mix of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. The airline's main fixed-wing aircraft is the multi-role Su-33. These air groups can perform air superiority, maritime defense and close air support missions.

There are also two Su-27s on board, which are used for pilot training along with the Su-25UTG. The carrier also carries Kamov Ka-27 and Ka-31 helicopters for anti-submarine warfare and troop transport.

Fixed-wing aircraft taking off from the Admiral use a ski jump at the front of the flight deck. Airplanes use their afterburners to speed up ski jumps. This caused the aircraft to leave the flight deck at a slightly higher angle and altitude than an equivalent US aircraft carrier with a flat deck and steam catapults. Ski jumps generate less G-forces on the pilot due to the lower acceleration.

The result is a take-off speed of only 120-140 km/h, which requires the aircraft engine not to stall at low speeds.

The Russian Navy said it would continue to support the development of an aircraft carrier based on the US Navy model. That's easier said than done, but it will require significant resources, technology, and additional trained Navy personnel, which are not currently available.

Also, Khrushchev's mindset doesn't quite escape the cost of US Navy models and anti-ship missiles, which make aircraft carriers an easy target in a conflict. Another issue is the additional cost of the carrier fleet to protect the carrier. Some in Moscow don't think this is a good argument, as Russian ships carry an SSM/SAM missile weapon kit to protect against air strikes.

The expansion of Russia's aircraft carrier fleet is vague at best. However, the desire for a presence on the political front, such as the visit to Venezuela on November 25, 2008, and Cuba in early 2009, was a top priority.

Kuznetsov's future is in question, as parts become problematic and transitions are tighter. The Russian government expects it to be operational by 2030, as it is the only airline to support fixed-wing aircraft. Another problem for the military is maintaining their old planes.

Her sister ship Varyag was launched in 1988 but never completed. There are reports that she will be sold to the People's Republic of China, and others that she will be a floating hotel. It is reported to be moored at the Nikolayev South Shipyard in Ukraine.

Navy officials said she would never go to sea because of her material condition.

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