Throughout its service, the Admiral Kuznetsov has suffered a bewildering series of mechanical failures and accidents.
The Kremlin is reportedly considering abandoning its efforts to return the Russian Navy’s flagship to service after years of undergoing a troubled refit and modernization. Izvestia, the state-run “national newspaper of Russia,” reported on Friday that work on the conventionally-powered aircraft had been suspended. Discussions are now underway between the Russian Navy’s High Command and the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) regarding whether the Admiral Kuznetsov should be officially retired and sent for scrapping.
Although the warship has been seen as a symbol of pride by some Russian officials, it has been in dry dock since July 2018. There may be fears that even if the work were to be completed, the carrier would be hopelessly outdated.
“The Kuznetsov is from a different era…This is a very expensive and ineffective naval weapon. The future lies with robotic systems and unmanned aircraft,” Admiral Sergei Avakyants, the former commander of the Russian Navy’s Pacific Fleet, was quoted as stating. He called retiring the carrier “absolutely the right move.”
The Admiral Kuznetsov Is a Floating Disaster—and “Floating” Is a Stretch
Although the Soviet Navy operated multiple aircraft cruisers, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, only the Admiral Kuznetsov remained in service with the Russian Navy after the mid-1990s.
Yet, even at the time, Admiral Kuznetsov was largely outdated and outclassed.
Launched in 1990, Russia’s carrier was powered by inefficient “Mazut” fuel that produces visible black smoke and requires frequent maintenance. The smoke could be spotted from great distances, essentially revealing the carrier’s location.
Moreover, even though the fuel was seen as efficient, the flattop’s endurance was a mere 45 days. As Russia had few ports where the aircraft cruiser could operate year-round, it limited her operations. During deployments, the carrier was often escorted with tugs in case she were to break down. Worst of all, the flattop was not exactly a flattop; it relied on a ski jump ramp to launch its air contingent, a configuration that Russian fighters were spectacularly ill-suited for.
Throughout its service, the Admiral Kuznetsov has suffered a bewildering series of mechanical failures and accidents, including a deadly fire in 2009. In late 2011, when the carrier was on only its fourth deployment and transiting the Mediterranean Sea, United States Navy officials ordered the Sixth Fleet to maintain contact, as there was concern that the warship might flounder and sink before reaching Russia’s naval facilities in Syria.
The problems since the ship returned to port for its refit in 2017 were also plagued by issues, including a crane crashing on its flight deck and a deadly fire in 2019 that took nearly 24 hours to contain. Those incidents cast doubt on whether the Russian carrier could or even should return to active service. The original timeline had called for the warship to rejoin the fleet by the end of 2022, but that date has been pushed back numerous times.
Might Russia Build Another Aircraft Carrier?
There are still many within Russia who argue that an aircraft carrier is crucial to the country’s future, especially with its Northern and Pacific fleets. There are calls for a flattop that could operate with drones as well as manned aircraft.
“With the experience gained from operating the vessel, Russia can construct a new ship of similar size,” Ilya Kramnik, a researcher from the Center for Strategic Planning Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of World Economy and International Relations, told the Russian news agency.
Of course, the question remains to be answered how Moscow could build a brand-new carrier from scratch when it couldn’t even handle the refit of an existing flattop.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a thirty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Shutterstock / VPales.
