Hello everyone, you are watching another episode of Military TV. In today’s session, we will
discuss the reason why Russia doesn’t have many aircraft carrier like other superpower nations?
Historically known as a land of superpower, the Soviet Union struggled with the idea of a
large naval aviation arm for most of its history, eventually settling on a series of hybrid aircraft
carriers. Big plans for additional ships failed with the Soviet collapse, but Russia received one
large aircraft carrier at the end of the Cold War that remains in service today. Despite the fact
that many of the problems affected the Soviet Union's, naval aviation projects still exist
today, the Russian navy has one of the most active aircraft carriers in the world, the Kuznetsov.
In regard to the current condition, the Admiral Kuznetsov is Russia's only aircraft
carrier at the moment. The Kuznetsov is a 60,000-ton ski jump carrier that can
theoretically reach thirty knots and carry forty or more helicopters and jet aircraft.
Furthermore, Kuzentsov was completed in 1990, while a sibling remained an
unfinished hulk for several years until being purchased by China and completed as Liaoning.
Kuznetsov also operates MiG-29K and Su-33 fighter bombers in addition to helicopters.
Admiral Kuznetsov has engaged in several prestige cruises, but its most notable service came in 2016
off of Syria. Unfortunately, there was a faulty engine resulted in the Kuznetsov spewing a thick,
black column of oil smoke as it rounded the European peninsula. Moreover, In November 2018,
it was damaged by a falling 70-ton crane from the floating dry dock PD-50 and a fire that
killed two. Therefore, admiral Kuznetsov is out of commission until July 2021 for a refurbishment.
Additionally, the vessel was planned to begin post-repair sea trials in mid-2023
and rejoin the fleet late that year, according to Vladimir Korolev, Vice President of the United
Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), though this plan could be pushed back a year or more due to delays.
In the following scene, we will discuss in detail
several reasons why Russia does not have many aircraft carriers:
First and foremost, it appears unlikely that Russia will want
to bear the costs for new ships' construction and operation. According to multiple sources,
the new flattop will cost around USD 6.3 billion. Additionally, shipbuilding is a
difficult industry, and most ships end up costing more than originally predicted.
Secondly, constructing an aircraft carrier and operating one are two completely different things.
For instance, the United States is a maritime nation with a long history of seafaring,
this country has expertise and human capacities to run carriers.
Russia, on the other hand, appears to be far behind. As Kuznetsov’s unimpressive performance
off the coast of Syria showed, Russia still has a long way to go in mastering naval aviation.
Thirdly, Russia is a prominent land power, and its main access to the sea is blocked by Arctic ice.
Moscow does not have global forward power projection capabilities and
is not engaged in international operations requiring air support from carriers.
In conclusion, the Russian surface fleet has received less attention in
recent military modernization plans, and the Russian shipbuilding industry
seems unable to create a warship of Kuznetsov's size and sophistication.
If Russia decides it needs a carrier to keep up with France, the United Kingdom,
China, and India, it will have to start thinking about how to develop or purchase one.
It is not impossible that, in the future, Moscow may consider ordering a carrier from
Chinese factories. Alternatively, Russia needs to start solidifying its construction timelines soon.
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