Ulyanovsk

History of Ulyanovsk

While the Soviet Navy used some form of aircraft carrier during the decades of the Cold War, its carrier fleet was disadvantaged compared to the West, especially the US Navy. The service lacks the true "blue water" capability of using aircraft. In order to correct this imbalance, it was decided to focus on new "supercarrier" class warships to bring the Soviet Navy on par with the enemy. This led to the aircraft carrier "Ulyanovsk" based on the earlier design work "Project 1153 OREL".

However, neither ship saw the light of day in the face of cancellation - the Soviet Navy was instead forced to rely on its small carrier fleet, limited surface fleet and advanced submarine force to demonstrate its prowess in deep water.

As planned, the Ulyanovsk displacement will be in the range of 94,000 tons (short), with an overall length of 1,054 feet, a beam of 275 feet, and a draft of 35 feet. Unlike many other available Soviet naval ships, Ulyanovsk will be equipped with a nuclear-powered propulsion system powered by 4 KN-3 reactors feeding 4 steam turbines and driving 4 shafts rated at 280,000 hp . Under ideal conditions, the top speed is estimated at 30 knots, and the operating range is essentially unlimited thanks to the nuclear propulsion scheme. The life of the reactor is 20 to 25 years. The crew is 3,400 people, and local defense is provided by 12 x P-700 "Granit" surface-to-surface/"Buk" surface-to-air missile systems.

8 x CADS-N-1 Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) will provide the "last line of defense" against incoming air threats and will be further supported by 8 x AK-630 rotating anti-aircraft guns.

The heart and soul of this ship is a complete collection of different types of aircraft, 68 in total. Forty-four of these will be represented by Sukhoi Su-33 "Flanker" or Mikoyan MiG-29K "Fulcrum" fleet defense fighters - these aircraft are the naval versions of their respective land-based counterparts. Yakovlev will provide six of his proposed Yak-44 aircraft for airborne early warning (AEW) missions, which are clearly similar in form and function to the U.S. Grumman E-2 "Hawkeye" series.

Designs lack the planning stage to pass. The airline also provides support facilities for the launch and recovery of rotorcraft with a fleet of 16 Kamov Ka-27 anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters and 2 Kamov Ka-27PS helicopters for search and rescue (SAR) action.

Externally, Ulyanovsk will have a traditional deck layout, more in line with established American standards. The island superstructure will be located near the starboard side of the midship and provide three hangar lifts (two to starboard, one to port) to allow access to the flight deck and lower hangar deck.

Four catapults will be in use, two launching aircraft from the bow and two from the port side. The bow was fitted with a "ski ramp" lift that allowed the aircraft to lift off at short notice - a feature common to the smaller Soviet aircraft carriers of the time, as well as those in service with European powers.

The freighter was ordered on June 11, 1986, and its keel was laid on November 25, 1988 at Nikolayev 444 Shipyard (Black Sea Shipyard). It would initially be called "The Kremlin" but was later changed to "Ulyanovsk" in honor of Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin (whose birth name was "Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov" husband"). Although the launch date is expected to be sometime in 1995, the ship was deployed during a turbulent time in the Soviet Empire, which collapsed to rubble in 1991 and many military programs did not have the necessary financial, material or political support to proceed. At this point, the construction of Ulyanovsk was completed and her name was officially printed on November 1, 1991.

At the time of cancellation, it was only 20% complete. In late 1992, her body was sold as scrap.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Wing