Russia’s Only Aircraft Carrier Will Get New MiG-29s

Kuznetsov is an old design that dates back to the late Soviet-era and at some point she will have to be replaced. However, a new Russian carrier is mostly a theoretical discussion at this point because Moscow currently lacks the resources to build such vessels until at least 2025.

byDave Majumdar

Russia’s sole remaining aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov will have to be modified to handle its new complement of Mikoyan MiG-29KR Fulcrum-K multirole fighters when it returns to service.

The massive dilapidated Soviet-era vessel entered into dry-dock for repairs and upgrades earlier this year in May. The Russians expect to complete the modifications during Kuznetsov’s two and a half year overhaul period.  

“MiG-29K/MiG-29KUB, Su-33 planes and some types of helicopters will be based on the warship,” Nevskoye Design Bureau chief Sergei Orlov told the state-owned TASS news agency.

“Some adjustments will be made precisely to accommodate MiG-29K/MiG-29KUB aircraft. Pilots want something new, something better and more reliable. Actually, the entire aircraft and technical compound of shipborne systems will be modernized.”

The MiG-29KR has been tested onboard Kuznetsov before starting in 2016 and the ship had deployed to the Syrian coast with four MiG-29KRs onboard. Kuznetsov’s air wing lost one of those aircraft in November 2016 when the Fulcrum could not recover onboard the carrier due to a fouled deck, which was the result of a broken arrestor cable.

“The broken arresting cable and the delay in correcting the fault served as the starting point of the event,” a Russian defense source told Lenta.ru at the time.