Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov

Career (Soviet Union ⁄ Russia)
Name:	Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov (Russian: Адмирал Флота Советского Союза Кузнецов)
Namesake:	Nikolai Gerasimovich Kuznetsov
Ordered:	March 3, 1981
Builder:	Nikolayev South Designer: Nevskoye Planning and Design Bureau
Laid down:	22 February 1983
Launched:	5 December 1985
Commissioned:	21 January 1991 Fully operational in 1995
Status:	in active service, as of 2011[update]
General characteristics
Class and type:	Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier
Displacement:	[1] 43,000 tons (Standard-load) 55,000 tons (Full-load) 58,600 tons (Max-load)
Length:	1,005.5 ft (306.5 m) o/a 900 ft (270 m) w/l
Beam:	237.2 ft (72.3 m) o/a 125 ft (38 m) w/l
Draft:	29.9 ft (9.1 m)
Propulsion:	Steam turbines, 8 turbo-pressurised boilers, 4 shafts, 200,000 hp (150 MW) 2 × 50,000 hp (37 MW) turbines 9 × 2,011 hp (1,500 kW) turbogenerators 6 × 2,011 hp (1,500 kW) diesel generators 4 × fixed pitch propellers
Speed:	32 knots (37 mph; 59 km/h)
Range:	8,500 nmi (15,700 km) at 18 kn (21 mph; 33 km/h)
Endurance:	45 days
Complement:	1,993 (total); 1,960 ship's crew 626 air group 40 flag staff 3,857 rooms
Armament:	• 8 × AK-630 AA guns (6×30 mm, 6,000 round/min/mount, 24,000 rounds) • 8 × CADS-N-1 Kashtan CIWS (each 2 × 30 mm Gatling AA plus 32 3K87 Kortik SAM) • 12 × P-700 Granit SSM • 18 × 8-cell 3K95 Kinzhal SAM VLS (192 missiles; 1 missile per 3 seconds) • RBU-12000 UDAV-1 ASW rocket launchers (60 rockets)
Aircraft carried:	41-52[1] Fixed Wing; 28 × MiG-29K fighters 4 × Sukhoi Su-25UTG/UBP aircraft Rotary Wing; 4 × Kamov Ka-27LD32 helicopters 11 × Kamov Ka-27PLO helicopters 2 × Kamov Ka-27S helicopters

Admiral Flota Sovetskovo Soyuza Kuznetsov (Russian: Адмирал флота Советского Союза Кузнецов "Fleet Admiral of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov"), originally named Riga, renamed Leonid Brezhnev then Tbilisi^[2]) is an aircraft cruiser (heavy aircraft carrying missile cruiser (TAVKR) in Russian classification) serving as the flagship of the Russian Navy. She was originally commissioned in the Soviet Navy, and was intended to be the lead ship of her class, but the only other ship of her class, Varyag, was never commissioned and was sold to the People's Republic of China by Ukraine under the condition she would never be refitted for combat.^{[3][not in citation given]} Kuznetsov was named after the Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Nikolai Gerasimovich Kuznetsov.

Role

While designated an aircraft carrier by the West, the design of the Admiral Kuznetsov' class implies a mission different from that of either the United States Navy’s carriers or those of the Royal Navy. The term used by her builders to describe the Russian ships is tyazholyy avianesushchiy raketnyy kreyser (TAVKR or TARKR) - “heavy aircraft-carrying missile cruiser” - intended to support and defend strategic missile-carrying submarines, surface ships, and naval missile-carrying aircraft of the Russian Navy.

The deck configuration has three launch positions for fixed-wing aircraft.

The Admiral Kuznetsov's main fixed-wing aircraft is the multi-role Sukhoi Su-33. It can perform air superiority, fleet defence, and air support missions and can also be used for reconnaissance and searching for naval mines.^[4] It is augmented by the twin seat Su-33UB, which is also used for pilot training along with the Su-25UTG. The carrier also carries the Kamov Ka-27 and Kamov Ka-27S helicopters for anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, and small transport.

For take-off of the fixed wing aircraft, the Admiral Kuznetsov uses a ski-jump at the end of her deck. On take-off aircraft accelerate toward and up the ski-jump using their afterburners. This results in the aircraft leaving the deck at a higher angle and elevation than on an aircraft carrier with a flat deck and catapults. The ski-jump take-off is less demanding on the pilot, since the acceleration is lower, but results in a clearance speed of only 120–140 km/h (75-85 mph) requiring an aircraft design which will not stall at those speeds.^[5]

The cruiser role is facilitated by the Kuznetsov's complement of 12 long-range surface-to-surface anti-ship Granit (SS-N-19) (NATO name SHIPWRECK) cruise missiles. This armament justifies the ship's Russian type designator "heavy aircraft carrying cruiser".

History

Admiral Flota Sovetskovo Soyuza Kuznetsov, constructed at Nikolayev South Shipyard in Nikolayev, Ukrainian SSR, was launched in 1985, and became fully operational in 1995. An official ceremony marking the start of construction took place on 1 September 1982; in fact she was laid down in 1983. The vessel was first named Riga, but in November 1982 the name was changed to Leonid Brezhnev, in August 1987 to Tbilisi, and finally on 4 October 1990 to Admiral Flota Sovetskovo Soyuza Kuznetsov, referred to in short as Admiral Kuznetsov. The ship was 71% complete by mid-1989. In November 1989 she undertook her first aircraft operation trials. In December 1991, she sailed from the Black Sea to join the Northern Fleet. Only from 1993 on did she receive aircraft.

Kuznetsov made a Mediterranean cruise early in 1996, marking the 300th anniversary of the Russian Navy. During that period the carrier lay at anchor at sea off the Syrian harbour of Tartus^[6] and her aircraft, mainly Su-33 fighters, made flights close to the Israeli shore line and were intercepted by Israeli F-16s.^[6] At the end of 1997 she remained immobilized in a Northern Fleet shipyard, awaiting funding for major repairs, which were halted when they were only 20% complete. The overhaul was completed in July 1998, and the ship returned to active service in the Northern fleet on 3 November 1998. The Kuznetsov apparently remained in port for about two years before participating in operations related to the rescue and salvage of the Kursk submarine in late 2000. Plans for further operations were postponed or cancelled. In late 2003 and early 2004, the Kuznetsov went to sea for inspection and trials. In late October 2004, she participated in a fleet exercise of the Russian Navy in the Atlantic Ocean,^[7] and again in September 2005. During the 2005 exercise, one of her Su-33 fighters was involved in an accident, and fell from the carrier into the Atlantic Ocean.

Although financial and technical problems have resulted in limited operations for the ship,^[8] it is expected that Admiral Kuznetsov will remain in active duty until at least 2030.^[9]

On 27 September 2006 it was announced that Admiral Kuznetsov will return to the Northern Fleet by the end of the year. The ship will undergo another modernization refit, in an attempt to correct some of her many technical issues. Admiral Vladimir Masorin, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, also stated that several Su-33 fighters assigned to the aircraft carrier would return to the ship after undergoing maintenance and refits of their own.

On 11 December 2007, Admiral Kuznetsov passed by Norwegian oil platforms in the North Sea, 60 nautical miles (110 km) outside Bergen, Norway.^[10] Su-33 fighters and Kamov helicopters were launched from the carrier while she was in the area of the rigs. The incident caused the Norwegian helicopter service to stop its flights out to the rigs, due to a risk of collision with Russian aircraft operating from the carrier. The Russian carrier was in international waters during the manoeuvre.

The Admiral Kuznetsov then proceeded to the Mediterranean Sea, where she participated in an exercise together with 11 other Russian Navy surface ships and 47 aircraft. She performed three tactical training missions, using live and simulated missile launches with both air and surface missiles.^[11]

The aircraft carrier arrived back in Severomorsk on 3 February 2008 along with the Udaloy I class anti-submarine destroyers Barents Sea. Russian President and Supreme Commander-in-Chief Dmitry Medvedev visited the ship on 12 October 2008 during the Stability-2008 strategic exercises.

On 5 December 2008 the aircraft carrier and several other vessels left Severomorsk heading for the Atlantic on a tour which was announced would be lasting several months and which would include combat training including joint drills with Russia's Black Sea Fleet and visits to several ports in the Mediterranean.^[12][13] On this tour while the Admiral Kuznetsov anchored off Turkey on 7 January 2009 a small fire broke out on the ship. One crewmember was killed by carbon monoxide poisoning. The fire was caused by a short-circuit.^[14]

On 16 February 2009, the Admiral Kuznetsov, along with other Russian naval vessels was involved in a large oil spill while she refuelled off the south coast of Ireland.^[15]

On 2 March 2009 the Admiral Kuznetsov returned to her main base in Severomorsk after a three-month voyage in the Northern Atlantic and the Mediterranean waters.

In September 2010 the Admiral Kuznetsov left a dry dock after scheduled repairs and is getting ready for a training mission in the Barents Sea at the end of that month.

MiG-29K for the Admiral Kuznetsov

MiG-29KUB jet at Zhukovskiy LII air field

According to the newspaper "Bulletin Reports," the Russian Navy expects to buy the Mikoyan MiG-29K for the Admiral Kuznetsov by 2011, according to an informed source in the Russian Ministry of Defence, noting that the contract may be concluded in the next two years. Information was confirmed by the general designer of one of the defence enterprises, which produces sub-assemblies for these aircraft, while the MiG corporation refrained from comment.^[16][17]

Currently, according to a companion publication by the Ministry of Defence, the Navy has a fleet of 19 carrier-based Su-33 fighters, a resource which will expire by 2015. The production of new Su-33 is possible, but not cost-effective for such small volumes. At the same time, the MiG-29K in this respect are more convenient, because the Indian Navy has already ordered 16 aircraft and plans to buy at least 30 planes. As noted by Konstantin Makienko, it lessens the series article cost and allows Russia to save on development. India has paid 730 million dollars for the development and delivery of 16 fighters, while the 24 planes for Russia's fleet would cost about $1 billion.^[16]

Mid-life refit

President Dmitry Medvedev and Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov aboard Admiral Kuznetsov in October 2008

In April 2010 it was announced that by the end of 2012 the ship will enter Severodvinsk Sevmash shipyard for a major refit and modernisation.^[18] The report states that the refit will include upgrades to the obsolete electronics and sensor equipment, installation of the new anti-aircraft system and increase of the air wing by the removal of the P-700 Granit anti-ship missiles. Upgrades might also include exchanging the troublesome steam powerplant to the gas-turbine or even nuclear propulsion and installation of catapults to the angled deck^[19].

See also

• List of aircraft carriers
• List of aircraft carriers of Russia and the Soviet Union

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Admiral Kuznetsov the only aircraft carrier in the Russian Navy
2. ^ "The Self-Designing High-Reliability Organization: Aircraft Carrier Flight Operations at Sea." Rochlin, G. I.; La Porte, T. R.; Roberts, K. H. Footnote 39. Naval War College Review. Autumn, 1987, Vol. LI, No. 3.
3. ^ "China's Aircraft Carrier Ambitions: Seeking Truth from Rumors." Storey, I.; Ji, Y. Naval War College Review. Winter 2004, Vol. 57, No. 1.
4. ^ KnAAPO. "The Su-33 single-seat carrier-based fighter".
5. ^ Gordon, Yefim & Davidson, Peter. 2006. "Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker", p. 54. Warbird Tech Series, vol. 42. ISBN 978-1-58007-091-1.
6. ^ ^{a b} Encounters of the Russian Kind, IAF journal no. 145., June 2002
7. ^ Pavel Felgenhauer, A Foolhardy Naval Exercise, Moscow Times. Critical article about the Fall 2004 exercise in which Kuznetsov participated.
8. ^ "Advancing, blindly". The Economist. 2008-09-18. http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12262231. Retrieved 2008-09-18. 
9. ^ Russia plans new life for naval assets Extract from Jane's, August 2006
10. ^ Klungtveit, Harald S.; Gulseth, Hege Løvstad (2007-12-11). "Russiske jagerfly lager kaos i Nordsjøen" (in Norwegian). http://www.dagbladet.no/nyheter/2007/12/11/520859.html. Retrieved 2008-09-18. 
11. ^ Russian navy disrupts access to N.Sea oilfields, Reuters. Article about the exercise off the coast of Norway
12. ^ "Russian warships head to Atlantic, Mediterranean". AP. Moscow. December 5, 2008. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hYV66rpriSJi-rHcr_uBFK1zZIqwD94SE4K00. Retrieved December 9, 2008. 
13. ^ "Russian naval task force heads to Atlantic, Mediterranean". RIA Novosti. Moscow. December 5, 2008. http://en.rian.ru/russia/20081205/118701239.html. Retrieved December 9, 2008. 
14. ^ Sailor killed in fire on board Russian warship off Turkey - 2 | Russia | RIA Novosti
15. ^ TimesOnline.co.uk Huge oil slick from Russian ship heads for British coastline, Accessed February 17, 2009.
16. ^ ^{a b} Russian Navy will probably buy 24 MiG-29K fighters designed for India
17. ^ New fighter jets for Admiral Kuznetsov - BarentsObserver
18. ^ "Moscow set to upgrade Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier". RIA Novosti. 2010-04-06. http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20100406/158454665.html. Retrieved 2010-04-07. 
19. ^ "Moscow set to upgrade Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier". RIA Novosti. 2010-04-06. http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20100406/158454665.html. Retrieved 2010-04-07. 

External links

• Article on GlobalSecurity.org about the Kreml class aircraft carrier.
• General information and images on www.naval-technology.com
• SU-25 at Faqs.org
• Video clip of Su-33 operating on the deck of Kuznetsov
• RIA Novosti article on the Kuznetsov rejoining the Northern Fleet

Coordinates: 69°02′28″N 33°04′08″E / 69.041°N 33.069°E / 69.041; 33.069