Aircraft Carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is Russia first and only super carrier, it is also Russia's only active aircraft carrier, all others have either been decomisioned or sold.
http://www.intrepidearth.com/tour/ra...php?loc=123106
Aircraft Carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is Russia first and only super carrier, it is also Russia's only active aircraft carrier, all others have either been decomisioned or sold.
http://www.intrepidearth.com/tour/ra...php?loc=123106
They aren't mothballed. Both Moskva-class cruisers are scrapped, three Kiev-class vessels are amusements parks in China, the 4th, Admiral Gorshkov, is currently refitted with a SkyJump-ramp to became INS Vikramaditya next year. Varyag is also in China. That's all.
Nice aircraft
From Wiki
SourceKUZNETSOV CLASS (TYPE 1143.5) HEAVY AIRCRAFT CARRYING CRUISER, RUSSIA
The Kuznetsov Class heavy aircraft carrying cruiser, also known as Project 1143.5 or Orel Class, was constructed at Nikolayev South Shipyard on the Black Sea in the Ukraine. The Admiral Kuznetsov, was launched in 1985. A second-of-class vessel, the Varyag, was launched in 1988 but was never commissioned. Admiral Kuznetsov is the only aircraft carrier in the Russian Navy. The hull design is based on the earlier Admiral Gorshkov, launched in 1982, but it is larger with a full load displacement, 58,500t as compared to 40,400t. Admiral Gorshkov has not been operational since 1988 and India is expected to sign an agreement to buy the refurbished vessel in March 2003.
The Admiral Kuznetsov supports strategic missile carrying submarines, surface ships and maritime missile-carrying aircraft of the Russian fleet.
apparently its a very flawed carrier, as it was built in a rush by the former soviet government, its spent more time at dock being fixed and refitted than it has at sea.
I like the designs of their carriers a lot.![]()
They lost their most experienced pilot during exercises.
Interesting fact is that this ship has the heaviest AA and missile defense-armament in the world. 24x8 mid-range missiles, 8x32 short-range missiles and 24x30mm gatlings.
Well for a Aircraft Carrier it may be the heaviest, US CVNs don't have a heavy long range SAM coverage, they rely on other units while retaining only close-in weapons. As for a ship, the US Ticonderoga AAW CGs. or Arleigh Burke DDGs are more capable in terms of AAW warfare. I think in Russian Navy such task is performed by Slava Class CGs which also is more capable than Kuznetsov in AAW warfare. .
That is because of some ideological crap aircraft carriers in soviet navy were called "cruisers". Soviet ideology forbided to use term "aircraft carrier" because aircraft carriers were seen as backbone of U.S. imperialistic foreign policy. Soviet carriers also were used as part of navy battlegroup not center of it.