By Jim Morris, Warrior Vice President, News
Russia only has one aircraft carrier and there’s a question whether it will ever be effective again. Now, there’s a design for the Russian carrier of the future – although there’s no assurance it will ever be built.
It was developed by the Nevskoye Design Bureau (part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, known as USC) and was unveiled last month at the International Naval Defence Show Fleet-2024 in Kronshtadt. Designers say this future flattop has everything the Russian Navy could want – and more.
It will be used for both conventional and vertical takeoff aircraft, along with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). There will be both electromagnetic catapults and a “ski jump” with two starting positions. Artificial intelligence technologies will be employed, and the ship’s systems will be highly automated – in theory leading to the need for fewer crewmembers.
Still, Russia’s recent history with aircraft carriers doesn’t give observers much confidence that this carrier of the future will turn out the way the designers want, if it’s even built at all. The prime example of this is the Admiral Kuznetov, Russia’s only aircraft carrier. You could write a book about the problems this ship has had.
Admiral Kuznetov has spent more time undergoing repairs than it has projecting Russian sea power around the around the globe. It has a history of on-board fires, crane accidents and other catastrophes while in port.
And it hasn’t been a bargain at sea, either. A deployment to Syria in 2016 gave Western observers a chance to assess the ship’s operations. They weren’t impressed.
Blame that in large part on the small size of the Kuznetov’s air wing. According to Real Clear Defense, the carrier could handle more than 40 tactical aircraft, but embarked with just 13 fixed-wing planes – 10 SU-33 Sea Flanker jets and three MiG-29KR Fulcrum multi-role aircraft.
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In the last few years, the Russian navy has been operating on a two-track strategy: trying to upgrade the Admiral Kuznetov (by refurbishing its propulsion system and adding new electronic warfare systems) and dreaming up the carrier of the future.
Reportedly, the navy looked into the idea of building a conventionally powered carrier that would displace 70,000 tons (the Kuznetov displaces 58,000). That happened a couple of years after the Kremlin said it would build the world’s largest aircraft carrier, displacing 100,000 tons (about the size of the US Ford-class carrier).
The question really is whether Russia actually needs an aircraft carrier.
The one argument in favor of building more of the ships has to do with Russia’s ambitions in the Arctic. The country has added more bases, equipment and personnel throughout the region. But right now, supporting those assets with projected power from the sea is not possible. A small number of aircraft carriers could be the key to accomplishing that.
Right now, though, the Russian military is feeling the pinch from the war in Ukraine. According to the site 1945, it was going to cost $866 million to repair the Admiral Kuznetov, but only half that amount has been allocated. Finding the money to build a new carrier may be years away.
