Carrier War: US Navy Nimitz Carrier vs Russia’s Admiral Kuznetsov Carrier

By Maya Carlin, Warrior Contributor

Russia has lost a staggering amount of military equipment in Ukraine.

While the mainstream media has covered the failure of Moscow’s antiquated Soviet-era main battle tanks and the lackluster performance of its fighter jets, one area of Russia’s military capabilities has been ignored.

Perhaps Russia’s only aircraft carrier dodges the news cycle so easily because it is consistently out of service.

Saddled with a long history of unfortunate events, Russia’s Admiral Kuznetsov might never even sail again.

Although Russia’s navy has had limited involvement in the invasion of Ukraine, the failing carrier continues to cause the Kremlin a massive headache.

Just One Carrier, and What a Carrier It Is

Developed in the early 1990s, the Admiral Kuznetsov was the only aircraft carrier to survive the collapse of the Soviet Union. A sister ship was meant to accompany the Kuznetsov but ended up in the hands of Ukraine when the USSR dissolved.

The carrier was built to answer the Soviets’ need to bring fixed-wing jets to a fleet. In the past, only helicopters and other vertical-takeoff-and-landing airframes could launch from Soviet carriers. Around 18-24 fighter jets, including Su-33s and MiG-29s, in addition to a dozen or so Ka-27 or Ka-31 helicopters, make up the Kuznetsov’s air wing. Measuring around 1,000 feet long and displacing nearly 58,000 tons, the Admiral Kuznetsov is essentially the same length as America’s Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, but with only half the displacement.