Copyright © 2021 Euromaidanpress.com

The work of Euromaidan Press is supported by the International Renaissance Foundation

When referencing our materials, please include an active hyperlink to the Euromaidan Press material and a maximum 500-character extract of the story. To reprint anything longer, written permission must be acquired from [email protected].

Privacy and Cookie Policies.

Russia may get a new aircraft carrier but only one of Soviet design and only in 10 years

Russia's only aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov on its way to Syria in October 2016 to participate in Putin's campaign to defend the dictatorial Assad regime. (Photo: social media)
As much of Soviet-era military equipment inherited by Russia from the USSR, its only aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, was built in Ukraine. Here it is on its way to Syria in October 2016 to participate in Putin’s campaign to defend the dictatorial Assad regime. The ship was built over 1982-1991 at Ukraine’s Mykolayiv South Shipyard. (Photo: social media)
Edited by: A. N.

Now that Vladimir Putin has signaled that he wants Russia to have a new aircraft carrier, officials are working hard to realize that project. But their efforts highlight Moscow’s problems: the new one will be a copy of earlier Soviet designs, and it won’t go to sea until 2030 at the earliest.

The fate of the Admiral Kuznetsov, Russia’s only remaining aircraft carrier that is now in drydock for extensive refitting and possible forced retirement after the recent large-scale fire, has long been the subject of bitter reflection by Russians concerned about their country’s naval capacity and mirth among observers of the Russian scene.

Two sources in Russia’s naval yards have told TASS that the future aircraft carrier, which will be nuclear powered, will not represent a breakthrough but rather will be built according to the designs worked up for a Soviet nuclear-powered carrier in the 1980s that was never in fact built.

In reporting this, Oleh Cheslavskyi of the Ukrainian news portal Censoru.net says that everyone should recognize just what this means: “In Russia, there is not one scientific research institute capable of coming up with something new! In the country, there simply are no engineers.” As a result, shipbuilders will use Soviet designs.

Meanwhile, a second article, by Vladimir Tuchkov of the Russian newspaper Svobodnaya pressa, points out that despite the priority the Kremlin has given to this project, Russian yards are not capable of building a new aircraft carrier in less than ten years and that as a result Moscow will only have the Kuznetsov, assuming it comes back, to project power.

Read More:

Edited by: A. N.
You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this.  We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society. A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support. Become a Patron!
Total
0
Shares
Related Posts