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Resistance See other Resistance Articles Title: Russian Navy’s Dilemma; Troubled Sole Carrier Not Fit For Sea - But Vital to Retaining Naval Aviation Capabilities Unlucky ship but unique in the Russian fleet, bringing something that no other does Russia’s sole aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, has suffered from a number of severe performance shortcomings in recent years which have brought its ability to continue to serve the country’s Navy into serious question. The warship was initially intended to be fielded as part of a large Soviet blue water fleet under an ambitious expansion program, which by the year 2000 would have consisted of 11 carrier warships of four classes. Three Kuznetsov Class vessels were to be the second largest warship class only to the Ulyanovsk Class supercarriers. The collapse of the USSR however led to the decommissioning of the vast majority of the Soviet carrier fleet, with plans for the third Kuznetsov Class warship and the two massive Ulyanovsk Class vessels terminated. While the second Kuznetsov Class ship would be sold partially completed to China, where it was completed and commissioned as the country’s first ever aircraft carrier, the first would be commissioned in the 1990s as the Russian Navy aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov. The retirement of the remainder of the carrier fleet by the mid 1990s has left the Admiral Kuznetsov as the only Russian carrier ever since. Its roles has been particularly critical to ensure the Russian Navy retains its carrier aviation capabilities, which were built up at great cost over several decades in the Soviet era. This has included the ability to operate carriers, develop carrier based fighters and deploy the warships in concert with larger strike groups. The Russian Navy’s sole carrier has had a troubled service record in recent years. While very heavily armed by the standards of aircraft carriers, sporting cutting edge cruise and surface to air missiles, the platform’s lack of catapult assisted takeoff capabilities and its unreliable propulsion systems have stood out as the key impediments to successful operations. The warship was frequently towed, rather than sailing, as a result of issues with propulsion, while its reliance on a ski jump system alone seriously limited its ability to launch heavy combat aircraft - with the elite Su-33 heavy air superiority fighter in particularly forced to operate at a fraction of its potential. While the warship was primarily designed as a defensive carrier, it was pressed into service for its first major combat operation far from Russian shores in the eastern Mediterranean. The result was the loss of two fighter jets, one Su-33 and one MiG-29KR, not to enemy fire but rather to troubled arresting gear - leading both combat aircraft to crash into the sea due to failed landings. The result of poor suitability of the Kuznetsov for combat, combined with the Navy’s strong desire to provide its carrier pilots with combat experience, forced the carrier air wing to operate from airfields in Syria itself. The Su-33 in particular, designed primarily for the Ulyanovsk Class ships rather than the lighter Kuznetsov, were heavily reliant on operations on land - conducting just over 30 of 360 sorties from the carrier deck. The carrier strike group’s command centre controlled the now land based air wing - also operating three Su-24 strike fighters - effectively simulating the provision of air support from airbases on land under naval command. The operation in the Mediterranean ended ahead of schedule, but it would be far for the end for troubles for the Admiral Kuznetsov. The warship entered the Zvezdochka Shipyard in Severodvinsk for a long term refit expected to take at least three years, which will entirely replace the ship’s troubled propulsion systems. The collapse of the dock on which the warship was being refitted led to considerable damage to the Admiral Kuznetsov and possibly loss of life. Russia’s troubled carrier has caused a considerable dilemma regarding the future of the country’s naval aviation - in particular the need to balance the risk of losing the capability to operate carriers with budgetary constraints limiting potential acquisitions of new and more capable warships. While the country is considering the acquisition of more modern and larger carriers, the SHTORM program being the most prolific of them, the considerable contraction of the defence budget has seriously undermined the prospects for such a warship to enter service in the near future. The far greater success of weapons which have long been considered far more cost effective in the case of a great power war, namely cruise and ballistic missiles - the former of which were used to great effect in the Syrian campaign, further diminishes chances of a new carrier entering service in the near future. While Russia is planning to acquire lighter carriers, very likely equipped with specialised fighter jets capable of vertical landings, the skill set required to operate such warships differs for those for heavy warships such as the Kuznetsov, Ulyanovsk and SHTORM. A possible option for the Russian Navy could be to train its fighter jets on the carriers of friendly navies, namely China and India which both operate Soviet built carriers, until the country acquires a new warship or is capable, if possible, of restoring the Kuznetsov to operational service. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
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