How many planes are on the ship Admiral Kuznetsov. Nikolai Gerasimovich Kuznetsov - Admiral of the Fleet. Russian aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov". Let us now consider the rate of ascent of the air group

Heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser pr.11435. The design of Project 11435 was started by the Nevsky Design Bureau (Leningrad) on the basis of the "Order" research work (see below) and using the backlog of research work on an aircraft carrier (see below) in 1978. The first version of the project is the preliminary project "improved Project 1143" (see below). The development of the technical proposal was completed in April 1978. Five options for the ship were considered in terms of armament, power plants, and an option minimally different from Project 1143 was proposed (advanced project “improved Project 1143” - option 2 - see below).

Aircraft-carrying cruiser pr.11435 "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" at the parade on Navy Day in Severomorsk, 07/29/2012 (photo - Denis Nemetovsky, http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/den-n1977).

Aircraft carrier "Shi Lang" - former "Varyag" pr.11436, China, 2012 (http://www.china-defense-mashup.com).

Artistic representation of the future first Chinese aircraft carrier "Shi Lang" - the former "Varyag" pr.11436 (from the mpleio archive, http://www.militaryphotos.net).

Aircraft-carrying cruiser pr.11435 "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" in circulation, probably 2011-2012. (http://military-photos.livejournal.com).

The aircraft carrier "Shi Lang" during sea trials in the Yellow Sea, 100 km southeast of Dalian, December 8, 2011 (http://digitalglobe.com).

Heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser pr.11435 "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" parked in Severomorsk (http://forums.airbase.ru).

The use of aviation in the new TAKR project was worked out according to the resolution of the USSR Council of Ministers dated March 26, 1980 (on the basis of this resolution the construction contract dated March 14, 1980 was terminated). In November 1980, TsNIIVK adjusted the technical requirements for project 11435 (see project 11435 TsNIIVK). At the end of 1980, a decision was made to lay down the second ship, Project 1143.4, while maintaining the dimensions and main performance characteristics instead of Project 11435. In February 1981, the ministries of shipbuilding and aviation industry developed proposals for improving project 1143.4, which in April were transformed into a shortened technical project 1143.42 (see below), submitted for development to the NPKB. On March 3, 1981, from the Main Directorate of Shipbuilding of the Navy, the plant in Nikolaev received a contract for the construction of order No. 105 (serial number). In September 1981, it was possible to obtain a decision from the Minister of Defense to increase the displacement by 10,000 tons. After this, the Navy requested to change the project for anti-ship missiles "" with an increase in the air wing to 50 aircraft with take-off using a springboard and without a catapult (see below Project 1143.42 MO).

In the process of modernizing slipway "O" and the entire shipyard, it was decided to combine developments on Project 1143.42 and Project 11435. The adjustment of the projects was completed in March 1982. The new project 11435 (final technical project), at the proposal of the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy S.G. Gorshkov, was adopted by Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the USSR No. 392-10 of May 7, 1982 and September 1, 1982 ship called "Riga" was laid on the slipway "O" of the plant in Nikolaev. In November 1982 the ship was renamed "Leonid Brezhnev" and in December they began installing the first block of the new ship's hull. The first block was lifted onto the slipway on February 22, 1983. For the first time in the USSR, the hull was assembled from 24 structural blocks (block length - 32 m, width - the width of the hull, height - about 13 m, weight - 1400-1700 tons) and a superstructure block. Power equipment was ordered for the ship with delivery in 1983-1984. As a result, the installation of equipment was carried out on an already partially completed hull, which forced the decks to be opened and significantly slowed down construction. In 1983, the USSR Council of Ministers decided to build a second ship, Project 11435, and in January 1984, the plant received a contract for its construction from the Main Directorate of the Navy. The first publication of photographs of the Leonid Brezhnev aircraft carrier was noted in 1984 in the French magazine Science et Vie (satellite photographs). The readiness of ship No. 105 in March 1984 was 13%, in December 1984 - 20%. The formation of the hull of order 105 was completed in March 1985. The ship's readiness as of May 1, 1985 was 26.4%.

The launch of the first TAKR pr.11435 "Leonid Brezhnev" (launching weight - 29000-32000 tons according to various sources, readiness 35.8%) took place December 4, 1985 simultaneously (20 minutes later) the second ship, Project 11435, was laid down - "Riga", serial number 106 (according to some sources, the second ship was laid down on Project 1143.6). In the spring of 1986, P. A. Sokolov was appointed chief designer of Project 11435. In the summer of 1987, the aircraft carrier "Leonid Brezhnev" was renamed "Tbilisi". The ship's readiness at the end of 1987 was 55-57% (15% behind the plan due to the fault of suppliers of equipment complexes and systems). November 25, 1988 The second ship, Project 11435, was launched and the keel of the Project ship (nuclear-powered heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser "Ulyanovsk") took place. The readiness of ship No. 105 at the end of 1988 was 70%, January 1989 - 71%, the cost of an already built ship was 522 million rubles with a shortage of supplies in the amount of 195 million rubles (total - 717 million rubles in 1988-1989 prices g.g.). The ship's readiness at the end of March 1989 was 75%. In the spring of 1989, L.V. Belov was appointed chief designer and mooring tests of the Tbilisi began (06/07/1989 - 05/25/1990). July 1989 - order readiness 105 - 80.05% (with a plan of 76.6%), about 50% of radio-electronic systems and equipment were delivered to the ship. The bulk of the systems were received by the plant in the summer and autumn of 1989.

The first departure to sea of ​​order 105 took place on October 20, 1989 (the departure was completed on November 25, 1989) - the departure to sea of ​​an unfinished ship was allowed by a joint decision of SME, MAP, Navy and Air Force without docking, without magnetic treatment, without part of the equipment, but ready for operation with the air wing. Flight development tests together with the air wing began in the fall of 1989. The first landing on the deck of "Tbilisi" November 1, 1989 was carried out by a Su-27K aircraft. on the same day, the first takeoff of an aircraft from its deck (MiG-29K) took place. the ship's equipment with weapons systems (the latest module of the air defense system "Kortik") and electronic warfare equipment (subsystem MP-407 of the electronic warfare system "Sozdvezdie") was completed in February 1990. The readiness of ship 105 as of February 1, 1990 was 86.95%.

Factory sea trials took place from May 28 (May 25, according to other data - Makarov) to July 31, 1990. In August 1990, the Riga aircraft carrier was renamed "Varangian", and on October 4, 1990, “Tbilisi” was renamed to . On September 29, 1990, the ship returned to the plant for an inspection of the mechanisms and final finishing - during the first stage of testing, the ship covered 16,200 miles, 454 aircraft flights were completed from the deck, no missile launches of the Granit complex were carried out. State tests of "Admiral Kuznetsev" have been completed December 25, 1990 and the ship became part of the Navy. Testing of TAKR and aircraft in the Black Sea Fleet continued until the end of 1991, after which the ship transferred to the Northern Fleet and became part of it on January 20, 1992. In November 1991, the Russian Navy suspended payments to the Black Sea Shipyard (Nikolaev) necessary for the construction of the Varyag aircraft carrier (readiness 67-75% according to various estimates) and (readiness about 20%). In 1995, "Varyag" was expelled from the Russian Navy and transferred to the construction plant to pay off the debts of the Russian Defense Ministry, after which it was sold to Macau (April 1998, buyer - a company from Macau Chong Lot Travel Agency Ltd, price $20 million) and eventually ended up in China, where it is being completed as an aircraft carrier (2002).

Development pr.11435

Design- the hull of the aircraft carrier consists of 24 blocks weighing 1,700 tons. The hull was assembled on the slipway "0" of the Shipyard in Nikolaev using two "Kane" cranes (Finland) with a lifting capacity of 900 tons each. A radio-absorbing coating was used on the aircraft carrier's hull (the effectiveness of which is questioned by the ship's builders - Makarov).
The ship's hull can be roughly divided into 27 floors
Total number of premises - 3857 pcs.
Number of rooms with thermal insulation - 2426 pcs.
Cabins of four classes - 387 pcs.
Tamburov - 445 pcs.
Fans - 370 pcs.
Kubrikov - 134 pcs.
Pantry - 120 pcs.
Showers - 50 pcs.
Canteens - 6 pcs.
Corridors - 6000 m
Electrical distribution devices - 5000 pcs.
Pipelines - 12000 km
Electrical cables - 4100 km

Propulsion system- boiler-turbine, 8 new-style steam boilers, 4 GTZA TV-12-4 with a total power of 200,000 hp. produced by the Kirov plant (Leningrad). Propulsion - 4 fixed pitch propellers.

Energy- turbogenerators produced by the Kaluga Tubine Plant, 9 pcs with a capacity of 1500 kW + 6 diesel generators (1500 kW each) (total 22500 kW).

Performance characteristics of the ship:

Crew - 1533 people without air wing (including 196 officers and 210 midshipmen), 626 people - air wing.

Length - 304.5 m
Waterline length - 270 m

Width at the waterline - 38 m

Width along the flight deck - 72 m

Draft - 10.5 m

The inclination of the take-off ramp is 15 degrees.
The height of the springboard edge above the waterline at full displacement is 28 m

Hangar dimensions - 183 x 29.4 x 7.5 m

Flight deck area:

14300 sq.m - project 11435 sketch

10800 sq.m - project 114342

14800 sq.m - project 11435

Deck coating - silicon carbide fire-resistant composition

Total displacement - 55000-59000 tons (according to various sources)

Maximum displacement - 65000-67500 tons (according to various sources)

Maximum speed - 32 knots

Full speed:

29 knots - project 11435

28 knots - project 1143 draft

30 knots - project 114342
Economic speed - 18 knots

Travel range:

7000 miles at a speed of 18 knots - project 11435 draft, project 114342
- more than 8000 miles at a speed of 18 knots - project 11435 (9000 miles according to other data)

3850 miles at 29 knots

Inventory autonomy - 45 days

Armament:

Superstructure of the aircraft-carrying cruiser Project 11435 "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov". Parade on Navy Day in Severomorsk, 07/29/2012 (photo - Denis Nemetovsky, http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/den-n1977).

To support aviation flights, the ship is equipped with:
- springboard
- aerofinishers (manufactured by the Proletarsky Plant, Leningrad)
- gas emission shields.

Wing:

On board an aircraft-carrying cruiser, up to 50-52 aircraft can be placed, launching from three launch positions (project 11435 draft and project 114342 - 2 launch positions).

Composition for project 11435 (final):

Su-27K / Su-33, MiG-29K (18 units in total)

Ka-27 (16 pcs) - Ka-27RLD (replacement for Yakovlev OKB Yak-44RLD AWACS aircraft), Ka-27PS (2-4 pcs), Ka-27PL

Combat composition of the air wing (1996):

Su-33 - 15 pcs.

Su-25UTG - 1 piece

Ka-27 - 11 pieces

Su-27K / Su-33 on the deck of the aircraft-carrying cruiser "Admiral Kuznetsov" (Military parade, 1998)

Su-33 on the deck of the aircraft-carrying cruiser "Admiral Kuznetsov" (http://militaryphotos.net)

Su-33 takeoff from the aircraft-carrying cruiser "Admiral Kuznetsov" (http://militaryphotos.net)

Takeoff of a pair of Su-33s from the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier (http://militaryphotos.net, no later than 2008)

Combat composition of the air wing (2003, 279th naval fighter aviation regiment):

24-36 aircraft (Su-33, Su-27KUB, Su-25UTG)

12 helicopters (Ka-27, Ka-29, Ka-31 - the last one - AWACS)

Combat composition of the air wing (2007):

22 aircraft (Su-33, Su-25UTG)

17 helicopters

Combat composition of the air wing (2015-2017):
Su-33 aircraft (the service life expires in 2015, but there is a possibility of its extension until 2025).
Marine deck version.
Aircraft MiG-29K / MiG-29KUB - 24 pcs. According to media reports, the signing of a contract for their purchase is expected at the MAKS-2011 air show.

Tests of the MiG-29K (board number 941) on the aircraft carrier "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" (2007-2009 approximately, http://militaryphotos.net)

Precursor projects etc. 11435:

Research work "Order"(1969-1972) - research work - military-economic feasibility study for the aircraft carrier Project 1160. Conducted by Nevsky PKB (formerly TsKB-17). Scientific supervisor - captain 1st rank A.A. Borisov. The production of a series of 3 aircraft carriers was proposed to be carried out from the autumn of 1973 to 1986.

Su-27K after the first landing on the deck of the Tbilisi aircraft carrier, pr. 11435, November 1, 1989 (photo from the Petrovich-2 archive, http://forums.airbase.ru)

The first landing of the MiG-29K by T. Aubakirov on the deck of the Tbilisi aircraft carrier, pr. 11435, November 1, 1989 (photo from the Petrovich-2 archive, http://forums.airbase.ru)

TAKR "Tbilisi" pr.11435 being tested in the Black Sea (photo from the Petrovich-2 archive, http://forums.airbase.ru)

TAKR "Tbilisi" pr.11435 and BOD "Azov" during testing in the Black Sea (photo from the Doctor's archive, http://forums.airbase.ru)

TAKR "Tbilisi" pr.11435 during state tests in the Black Sea (photo from the Petrovich-2 archive, http://forums.airbase.ru).

1993 - serial carrier-based Su-33 aircraft began to arrive at the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft wing.

September 1994 - the first exercises of the Northern Fleet in which the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier took part.

1994-1995 winter - the main boilers of the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier were repaired.

1995 December 23 - 1996 March 22 - the first long voyage of the TAKR as part of an aircraft carrier strike group (Atlantic and Mediterranean). During the campaign, an exercise was conducted to repel a raid by 4 Tu-22M3s; the planes were intercepted by carrier-based Su-33s at a distance of 450 km from the center of the warrant. The entire voyage was accompanied by serious problems with the main power plant, as a result of which the ship repeatedly lost speed and could not reach full speed, as well as various problems with the ship's systems.

1996 - the Su-33 pilot Vitaly Kuzmenko crashed during landing approach (the pilot died).

1996-1998 - was under repair.

1998-2000 - in service as part of the Northern Fleet. Around this time, the combat post of the Granit missile system was disabled - as a result of erroneous actions of the crew, it was filled with fuel when refueling the ship and cannot be restored ( information not confirmed).

2001 - according to media reports, the ship was sent for repairs in Ura Guba without an air group.

2001-2004 - the ship is undergoing scheduled mid-term repairs at SRZ-35 "Sevmorput" (Murmansk).

2004 January 28 - according to media reports, the TAKR is based at the Sevmorput shipyard. According to unconfirmed reports, the Granit missile system has not been restored and is not combat-ready.

2004 February 17 - the ship takes part in fleet exercises in the Barents Sea together with the nuclear-powered missile cruiser "Peter the Great". The ship was moved from SRZ-35 to the Severomorsk roadstead on 02/13/2010 due to the completion of repairs.

TAKR "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" pr.11435 in Severomorsk, March 1, 2004 (photo by Art Navsegda, http://en.wikipedia.org).

2004 May 24 - former commander of the Northern Fleet, Admiral Gennady Suchkov, declares his unpreparedness for campaigns and the likelihood of failure of the aircraft carrier due to the complete lack of funding for repair and maintenance work.

TAKR "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" on the roadstead of Severomorsk, September 20, 2004 (photo - Mustafin Renat,).

October 18, 2004 - a Su-25UTG made a hard landing on the TAKR deck - the landing gear was broken, the TAKR deck covering was damaged.

2005 September 5 - two accidents occurred on the TAKR during landings of the Su-33 on the deck. In both cases, the arresting arrester cable broke, one plane was lost, and the pilots ejected. Su-33 flights have been suspended indefinitely.

TAKR "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" pr.11435 in service at the dock in Roslyakovo near Murmansk, June 2006 (photo by Mikhail Rogov, http://en.wikipedia.org).

2007 December 5 - February 3, 2008 - TAKR (based in Severomorsk) takes part in a campaign in the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea as part of the AUG.

2008 May - December 8 - repairs at the Zvezdochka shipyard (Severodvinsk), the main power plant was updated, boiler equipment was repaired, cable routes and other equipment were replaced.

2008, early December - February 27, 2009 - the ship was on a voyage to the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. Returned to base in Severomorsk.

January 6, 2009 - while anchored in the roadstead in the Turkish port of Akzas-Karagach, a fire occurred in one of the bow rooms. One sailor died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning.

TAKR "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" pr.11435 in Murmansk, August 20, 2009 (photo by PinkFloyd99, http://en.wikipedia.org).

Conclusion of the TAKR "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" pr.11435 from SRZ-35 in Murmansk in Roslyakovo, June 2010 (photo from the archive of the user "inquisitive808", http://forums.airbase.ru).

TAKR "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" pr.11435 in the floating dock of PD-50 shipyard No. 82 (photo courtesy of 10V, )

TAKR "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" pr.11435 in the PD-50 floating dock of Shipyard No. 82 in Roslyakovo, 07/10/2010 (http://www.air-defense.net/forum).

2011 February-March - unconfirmed information about plans for TAKR to arrive at Sevmash Production Association for modernization (did not take place). Perhaps the modernization will last up to 5 years. It was previously announced (April 2010) about plans to put the ship under repair at Sevmash Production Association in 2012, with completion of repairs and modernization of weapons systems and equipment in 2017.

2011 April 22 - unconfirmed information about a fire on the aircraft carrier "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" pr.11435.

May 8, 2011 - the commander of the Chinese Navy, Admiral Wu Shengli, visited the aircraft carrier "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" pr.11435. The cruiser was probably currently undergoing repairs in Murmansk or Roslyakovo.

Visit of the Commander of the Chinese Navy, Admiral Wu Shengli, to the aircraft carrier "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" pr.11435, May 8, 2011 (http://china-defense.blogspot.com).

2011 December 06 - The aircraft carrier "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" left the main base of the Northern Fleet in the city of Severomorsk into the Barents Sea. With the release of the aircraft-carrying cruiser, the formation of a carrier carrier group (CAG) of the Northern Fleet begins, which, in addition to the Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, will include the large anti-submarine ship Admiral Chabanenko and support vessels - the rescue and towing vessel Nikolai Chiker, tankers Sergey Osipov", "Vyazma", "Kama". The long-distance voyage of the Northern Fleet carrier group will take place in the North-East Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. The arrival of the KAG is expected in the area of ​​the port of Tartus (Syria). The commander of the aviation group, which includes Su-33 aircraft and pilots of two squadrons of the Northern Fleet aviation, is Colonel Igor Matkovsky.

TAKR "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" and the rescue and tug vessel "Nikolai Chiker" in the Atlantic, December 2011 (http://www.function.mil.ru).

December 18, 2011 - flights of carrier-based Su-33 aircraft began on the Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov aircraft carrier.

Su-33 over the aircraft-carrying cruiser Project 11435 "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" west of Ireland in December 2011. Published on December 20, 2011. Photo montage based on photographs from the destroyer York ROYAL NAVY from http://www.navynews.co .uk . When using, a link to is required.

Su-33 flights from the aircraft-carrying cruiser Project 11435 "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" west of Ireland in December 2011 Published 12/20/2011 Photos from the destroyer York ROYAL NAVY (http://www.navynews.co.uk ).

December 30, 2011 - south of the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean basin, the aircraft carrier group with the Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov resumed flights of carrier-based aircraft.

Su-33 flights from the aircraft-carrying cruiser "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" in the Mediterranean Sea, 12/30/2011 (http://www.function.mil.ru).

2012 February 16 - TAKR "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" pr.11435 completed its voyage to the Mediterranean Sea and returned to its home port - Severomorsk.

2012-2017 - the planned time frame for modernization of the Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov aircraft carrier as of the end of 2010. The modernization will be carried out at Sevmash Production Association, Severodvinsk.

2013 September 05 - The Russian Ministry of Defense reports that the aircraft carrier "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" pr.11435, after spending several days at sea, completed combat training exercises with practical firing of anti-aircraft and anti-submarine weapon systems, training on the destruction of floating sea mines and repelling attacks from airborne attack weapons of a mock enemy. The complex of activities being carried out also includes work on measuring the ship’s magnetic fields, as well as checking the performance of all systems designed to support the flights of Su-33 carrier-based fighters. Soon, the Admiral Kuznetsov TAVKR will be part of a naval strike group that will carry out a number of combat training missions at the sea ranges of the Northern Fleet.

Register of TAKR pr. 11435:

Board numbers of TAKR pr.11435:

The aircraft carrier "Shi Lang" of the Chinese Navy is being completed, April 6, 2011 (photo - Polar lean camel, http://www.fyjs.cn).

The installation of antenna posts for the main radars and some weapons systems has been completed. May 15, 2011 (photo - Mountains and the countryside, http://www.fyjs.cn/bbs).

Installation of Type 730 CIWS 7 x 30 mm on the aircraft carrier "Shi Lang" of the Chinese Navy (http://china-defense.blogspot.com).

Artistic representation of the future order of the first Chinese aircraft carrier "Shi Lang" - the former "Varyag" pr.11436 (http://www.jeffhead.com).

December 30, 2011 - A representative of the Chinese Ministry of Defense announced in the media that the third stage of sea trials of the aircraft carrier "Shi Lang" is now underway and that all the ship's auxiliary systems are developed and created in China. Including aero arresters. Earlier there was information that Russia refused to supply China with an aerofinisher for an aircraft carrier.

2012 September 23 - in Dalian (China) a ceremony was held for the acceptance into the Chinese Navy of the training aircraft carrier "Liaoning" pr.001 - the former "Varyag" pr.11436. On September 25, 2012, information appeared in the media about the new name of the ship.
Website http://www.cjdby.net, 2011
The flagship of the Russian Navy has returned from a long voyage. Website http://flot.com, 2012
. Website, 2010
Khmelnov I.N., Turmov G.P., Illarionov G.Yu., Russian surface ships: history and modernity. Vladivostok, 1996

Admiral Kuznetsov is an aircraft carrier with a rich history. This is the only heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser in its class in the Russian Navy. The ship is the flagship of the Northern Fleet of the Navy.

Admiral Kuznetsov is an aircraft carrier that saw the world thanks to Project 1143. Interestingly, the development of aircraft carriers of this class began in the Soviet Union even before the start of World War II. However, the technical capabilities at that time were very limited, so the Project 1143 ships appeared in the 70-80s of the last century.

Tasks that had to be implemented in this project:

• equipping the ship with the capabilities to carry out air defense of both the ship itself and equipment located nearby;
• the ability to provide security for submarine cruisers from the ship;
• detection and destruction of enemy submarines;
• detection and elimination of enemy surface forces;
• amphibious landing.

In other words, the ship had to be of impressive size to ensure the transportation of landing troops, accommodate the necessary military equipment, and must also be equipped with a runway. The dimensions of such a ship must be really large.

During the project, several ships were created that met the stated requirements. All of them suffered a rather sad fate, for example, the ships “Kyiv” and “Minsk”, created during this project, were sold to China and Korea decades later and are now operated as an attraction. The aircraft-carrying cruiser Novorossiysk was sold to Korea in the mid-90s, and two years later dismantled for scrap. The fate of the cruiser “Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov” turned out differently, and today it successfully operates as part of the Northern Fleet.

Design

Admiral of the USSR Fleet N.G. Kuznetsov planned to create a heavy aircraft carrier back in the Second World War, but only achieved the inclusion of such a ship in the design plans in the mid-50s. However, later the ship created according to this project received his name.

Kuznetsov laid the foundation for Project 85, during which ships of this class were developed. The admiral fell into disgrace and was removed from office in 1955, as a result of which the project was delayed for 30 long years.

During Project 1123, it was possible to evaluate the potential of aircraft carriers, but the ships of this project had several unsuccessful solutions, for example, a runway for helicopters. Military helicopters turned out to be insufficient to carry out a full-fledged landing of airborne troops, so development continued.

The consequence was Project 1143, the main idea of ​​which was to equip the aircraft carrier with a full-fledged runway, designed for the use of aircraft with vertical take-off and landing. In other words, the ship was supposed to become a full-fledged mobile air base.

During the project, the ships “Kyiv”, “Novorossiysk” and “Riga” were created. Essentially, these are all ships of the same type.

However, these ships turned out to be imperfect and had many shortcomings. The project had to be developed further. Thus, during the project 1143.5-1143.7, three projects of heavy aircraft-carrying cruisers were created:

• “Admiral Kuznetsov”;
• "Varangian";
• “Ulyanovsk.”

In fact, they are an evolution of the Project 1143 ships. The new cruisers are distinguished by an extended deck and a take-off ramp.

All ships of the project were laid down at the shipyard of the Black Sea Shipyard in Nikolaev.

“Varyag”, which was inherited by Ukraine after the collapse of the USSR, was sold to China. It was renamed “Liaoning” and is now successfully serving in the PRC Navy.

The aircraft carrier Ulyanovsk was never completed. Construction was planned to be completed in 1995, but the ship was dismantled.

The only operational heavy aircraft carrier cruiser of this project, inherited by the Russian Federation, is the Admiral Kuznetsov. The drawings of the aircraft carrier Admiral Fleet Kuznetsov were revised several times. The ship was renamed several times, but now successfully performs its functions in the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy.

Construction and testing

The project to create a heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov was approved in 1982. The Black Sea Shipyard, located in Nikolaev, took on the construction.

The ship Admiral Kuznetsov managed to change many names during the period from the start of the project to its launch.

When developing the project, the aircraft carrier was christened the name “Soviet Union”. However, when the project was approved, the ship's name was changed to Riga. It was with this name that the construction of the cruiser began on the first day of autumn 1982.

At the beginning of December 1987, the ship was launched under the name “Leonid Brezhnev”, and by the beginning of the tests the ship was renamed again, this time it was christened “Tbilisi”.

The aircraft carrier became an “Admiral” only in 1990. This name was finally assigned to the heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser, as it is known to this day.

Construction took a long time. Considering the fact that the development of the project began back in the 70s, we can conclude that the ship’s journey from project to testing was very long.

The project was developed by the Leningrad Design Bureau. The process was led by designers Sergeev Yu.D. and Belov L.V.

It is interesting that it was Belov L.V. played a decisive role in the fate of the ship “Admiral Kuznetsov”. He was the chief designer of the cruise during the period from completion to the transfer of the ship to the fleet. It was this man who took full responsibility for the fact that the ship, still unfinished, would go to sea and be able to take part in the tests. It was thanks to this famous designer that the ship was built back in the period of the Soviet Union, thereby avoiding the fate of the Ulyanovsk, which was never completed and was scrapped.

In 1985, the cruiser was launched, and it was under these conditions that the completion of the aircraft carrier continued. The ship was equipped by the Leningrad plant, and the Nikolaevsky plant was involved in its construction and assembly. In 1989, the still unfinished aircraft carrier took part in testing aircraft that would later be transported on board. A month after the tests, the ship returned to the plant for further completion, and during 1990 it repeatedly took part in various tests. Another year later, in 1991, it was finally finally put into operation and transferred to the Northern Fleet.

Description of the cruiser

The history of the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is full of events. The ship might never have seen the world if not for the designer L.V. Belov. Today, the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is the only ship of this class in Russia and the flagship of the Northern Fleet, the largest structural unit of the Russian Navy.

General characteristics

The cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov has impressive technical characteristics. The length of the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is 305 meters, width - 72 meters. The ship must weigh a lot. The displacement of the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is up to 61 thousand tons.

The dimensions, length and width of the aircraft carrier correspond to the number of aircraft that can make up Admiral Kuznetsov's aviation armament.

Description of the case

The construction of the building was carried out by the Nikolaev plant, and all equipment was manufactured in Leningrad. The body is a welded steel structure. There is a double bottom along the entire length of the ship.

The vessel is equipped with seven decks and two platforms. The hangar is protected from possible fire by fire-resistant partitions dividing it into four independent compartments. The ship is equipped with a special system that made it possible to abandon the use of tractors and reduce the likelihood of severe gas contamination of the hangar during the operation of the ship.

TAKR (heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser) Admiral Kuznetsov is equipped with a take-off deck whose area exceeds 14.8 thousand square meters, which is twice as large as the previous Project 1143 cruisers.

Peculiarities:

• take-off ramp;
• special deck coating for better chassis grip;
• three platforms for vertical take-off;
• 12 Granit anti-ship missile launchers below deck;
• deflectors protecting personnel and equipment from jet engine exhaust;
• hydraulic stops to hold the aircraft until takeoff.

Aircraft landing on the deck is ensured by aerofinishers.

Armor

The fuel and ammunition compartments are equipped with dense box-shaped armor. The width of anti-torpedo protection is 450 cm.

Power plant

The power plant is practically no different from the other aircraft carriers of Project 1143. The aircraft carrier “Kuzya” or “Kuznets” received modernization of its fuel tanks. This made it possible to increase power to 200,000 hp.

The turbines are powered by eight boilers, the steam capacity of which reaches 115 t/hour.

Number of propellers – 4. Maximum speed is 29 knots, economical – 18 knots. Autonomy is 45 days.

Crew and capacity

The crew size of the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is 1,980. Air group – up to 620 people.

Thus, according to the project, the total number reaches 2,600 people. However, with the deployment of command personnel, it increases to 2,660 people.

A special feature of the aircraft carrier is its spacious living quarters, which can comfortably accommodate people on board. However, to this day, the number of people on the aircraft carrier is not even close to the design standards. Most of the living quarters remain unoccupied during the ship's service.

Armament

The Russian aircraft carrier, which previously bore the name “Tbilisi”, as of 2014 has on board:

• “Granit” is a complex of missile weapons with a firing range of up to 550 km;
• all-weather air defense system “Dagger” for 192 missiles;
• anti-aircraft missile artillery complex “Kortik” for 256 missiles;
• rocket launcher “Boa Constrictor”;
• automatic ship artillery mount AK-630.

The cruiser's armament is constantly being modernized. The cruiser is also equipped with anti-torpedo systems and anti-ship missiles.

The main strike complex is the Granit installation.

Aviation weapons

Having seen the size of the cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov, many are wondering how many aircraft are carried on an aircraft carrier. According to the project, the aviation group is designed for 50 aircraft. These include 26 aircraft, 18 anti-submarine helicopters, 4 radar helicopters and 2 search and rescue helicopters.

However, today the composition has been noticeably reduced, largely due to lack of funding.

Current aircraft armament of the cruiser:

• fighters - 16 units;
• training aircraft – 2;
• combat training aircraft – 2;
• helicopters - 17, of which 2 are radar.

In the near future, the aircraft carrier should be replenished with new equipment.

Means of communication

The aircraft carrier is equipped with powerful communications equipment. It is equipped with the Beysur navigation complex, 6 radar stations of different types, and one radar complex. The cruiser also has its own communications complex and several sonar systems.

History of aircraft carrier service

The ship entered service with the Northern Fleet in January 1991. The aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is the flagship of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy. In November 1991, a conflict broke out around the cruiser. The Ukrainian authorities stated that the ship belonged to them, as it was produced by the Nikolaev plant, and decided that the cruiser should remain in the Sevastopol roadstead. However, the commander of the ship did not agree with this decision, since at that time the formation of an independent state of Ukraine had not yet been proclaimed, so he took the ship through the Bosporus. At the same time, a significant part of the ship’s crew and summer personnel were put ashore (100th Regiment). During this period, the ship made its first voyage around Europe.

It is interesting that the ship was eventually received by the Russian fleet, and the landing crew of the 100th regiment was disbanded as a result, since there were no aircraft-carrying cruisers left in Ukraine.

Between 1992 and 1994, numerous tests of the aircraft carrier took place. In 1996, it began renovations, which lasted two years.

Since 2001, the aircraft carrier was undergoing scheduled repairs until 2004. Due to lack of funding, the process progressed very slowly. After repairs, she took part in equipment testing in the North Atlantic.

In 2007-2008, he led a campaign of warships in the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. Since 2008, it was again undergoing repairs for six months.

In 2016, the 100th Regiment (Crimean) was formed again.

In 2011, she took part in operations on the Syrian coast, and has been undergoing repairs since 2015. Planned repairs and modernization of the ship should be completed in 2020.

Commanders

Today the commander is Captain 1st Rank S.G. Artamonov, who took up duties in 2011. Before him, the commander was V.N. Rodionov (from 2008 to 2011), and even earlier – A.P. Shevchenko (from 2003 to 2008).

The first commander was V.S. Yarygin, who held this position from 1987 to 1992.

Project assessment and prospects

The aircraft carrier has long been popularly nicknamed “Kuzey”, and, despite constant repair work, “Kuzya” has gained quite a good reputation.

The aircraft cruiser became the first of its kind in the fleet of the Soviet Union, and then the Russian Navy. This is the first ship that was able to take off and provide takeoff for conventional aircraft. However, the presence of a take-off springboard opens only one direction for aircraft to take off, which is the main disadvantage of the cruiser.

The cruiser's capabilities were greatly reduced by funding problems during the collapse of the Soviet Union, as a result of which helicopters and fighters were not produced to fully unleash the full technical potential of the air cruiser.

In general, today it is a combat ship that is fully ready for service, which continues to be modernized. It is the only one of its kind, and there are no plans to build more similar aircraft carrier cruisers.

According to critics, the fate of the ship could have turned out differently if at one time the designer had not drawn attention to this project and had not taken responsibility for its implementation. It was thanks to Belov L.V. The Russian fleet has been replenished with such a heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser. However, today the question of the flagship’s prospects depends on the financing and modernization of the ship.

Start of design work on the creation of the Project 1143.5 cruiser - 1978. The work was carried out by the Leningrad Design Bureau. The first option is an improved preliminary design of the heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser 1143. The design is being carried out in accordance with the research work called “Order”, which is a military-economic justification for the nuclear-powered aircraft-carrying cruiser of Project 1160.

The design was carried out based on the following projects:
- preliminary project 1160 - an aircraft carrier with a displacement of 80,000 tons;
- Project 1153 - a large cruiser with aircraft weapons (50 aircraft), with a displacement of 7000 tons. There are no ships laid down or built;
— design aircraft carrier recommended by the Ministry of Shipbuilding Industry, displacement 80,000 tons, aircraft and helicopters up to 70 units;
- Project 1143M - an aircraft carrier armed with supersonic aircraft of the Yak-41 type. This is the third aircraft carrier ship of Project 1143 - 1143.3. It was laid down in 1975, accepted in 1982, withdrawn from service in 1993;
- Project 1143A - Project 1143M aircraft carrier with increased displacement. The fourth aircraft-carrying cruiser built. Laid down in 1978, accepted in 1982. Since 2004, the ship has been modernized for the Indian Navy. Accepted into the Indian Navy in 2012;
- Project 1143.5 heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser is the next fifth modification of Project 1143 and the fifth aircraft-carrying cruiser built.

In October 1978, by decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, the Ministry of Defense was instructed to develop tactical and technical specifications for the ship project 1143.5, and the Ministry of Shipbuilding Industry to issue a preliminary design and technical design by 1980. The estimated start of serial construction of Project 1143.5 ships is 1981, completion is 1990. Laying and construction of ships - slipway "O" of the Nikolaev shipyard.

The preliminary design was prepared by 1979, in the same year it was approved by the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy S. Gorshkov. A few months later, in 1980, the head of the military department D. Ustinov signed a directive from the General Staff, which stated the need to change project 1143.5. Now the completion date of the technical project was pushed back to 1982, construction to 1986-91. In April 1980, the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy S. Gorshkov approved the tactical and technical specifications with the amendments made to the project.

In the summer of 1980, all parties involved - the Ministry of Shipbuilding Industry, the Ministry of Aviation Industry, the Air Force and the Navy - recognized the development of the 1143.5 ship project as fully completed.
However, changes to the project continue. The use of aircraft weapons on the Project 1143.5 ship was studied in accordance with the resolution of the Council of Ministers of the USSR. At the end of 1980, the Central Research Institute of Military Shipbuilding adjusted the tactical and technical specifications for the ship project 1143.5. At the same time, a decision was made to build a second ship of Project 1143.4 (1143A) instead of the ship of Project 1143.5. However, in the future the project is being finalized again - technical project 1143.42.

In the early spring of 1981, the Nikolaev Shipyard received a contract from the Main Directorate of the Navy for the production of order 105. In the fall of 1981, changes were made to the ship's design - the displacement was increased by 10 thousand tons. Next, the following changes are made to the project:
— installation of anti-ship missiles “Granit” on board the ship;
— increase in aviation weapons to 50 units;
— springboard takeoff of aircraft without the use of a catapult.

The final technical design of 1143.5 was ready by March 1982. Adopted by Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the USSR No. 392-10 of May 7, 1982.

On September 1, 1982, the Project 1143.5 ship was laid down on the modernized slipway “O” of the Nikolaev shipyard and given the name “Riga” with serial number 105. Two months later, the ship was renamed “Leonid Brezhnev”. In December 1982, installation of the 1st block of the hull structure began. By the way, this was the first ship consisting of 24 hull blocks. The blocks are hull wide, 32 meters long, 13 meters high, weighing up to 1.7 thousand tons. The ship's superstructures were also installed as a block.

All propulsion and power systems were ordered for 1983-84. Their assembly and installation was carried out on an already partially assembled hull, which led to the opening of decks and some bulkheads and greatly slowed down the entire construction process. The first photographs of the new ship, taken from a satellite, appeared in the French press in 1984; the TAKR readiness for that year was 20%.

The ship was launched from the slipway at the end of 1985, the weight of the ship did not exceed 32 thousand tons, the readiness of the ship was estimated at 35.8%. In 1986, P. Sokolov was appointed chief designer of project 1143.5. In mid-1987, the ship was renamed again - now it became known as the TAKR "Tbilisi", the ship's readiness is estimated at 57%. There is a delay in the construction of the ship (by approximately 15 percent) due to a disruption in the supply of various equipment. At the end of 1988, the readiness of the TAKR is estimated at 70%.

The estimated cost of the ship in 1989 was about 720 million rubles, of which almost 200 million rubles are delayed in the supply of equipment and systems. In the same year, a new chief designer L. Belov was appointed, the ship's readiness was estimated at 80%. About 50 percent of the radio-electronic equipment and systems are installed on the ship; most of the equipment arrived on the ship in 1989.

The ship's first departure to sea took place on October 20, 1989.. It was officially approved by all project participants. Of the ready-made solutions on the ship, the air group was ready for use. The ship's exit was completed on November 25, 1989. Tests of the air group begin on November 1, 1989 - the Su-27K was the first to land on the deck. Immediately after landing, he took off from the deck of the TAKR MiG-29K.

The ship's equipping with weapons and electronic equipment was completed by 1990; the ship's complete readiness is estimated at 87%. Running factory tests were carried out in the spring and summer of 1990. In October 1990, the ship changed its name for the last time, which it still bears today - TAKR "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov". During the 1st stage of the tests, the ship successfully covered more than 16 thousand miles, and aircraft took off from the deck of the ship more than 450 times.

State tests of the first TAKR project 1143.5 were completed on December 25, 1990, after which it was accepted into the Navy. Further tests of the ship took place until 1992 on the Black Sea, after which it went into service with the Northern Fleet.

Design development of the ship:

- improvement of project 1143 - five options were proposed, the main components being studied: catapult, emergency barrier, arresting devices, control unit. Displacement up to 65,000 tons. Main armament: 12 Granit anti-ship missile launchers;

- Project 1143.2 - the next option for improving the ship. The main components being worked on are: two catapults, an enlarged hangar, and a flight deck. Displacement up to 60,000 tons. Main armament: air group consisting of 42 aircraft (some of which may be helicopters);

- a draft version of project 1143.5 - the proposed version was studied to the extent possible for docking. Displacement up to 65,000 tons. Armament - an air group of 52 vehicles (30 aircraft and 22 helicopters) and 12 Granit missile launchers;

- project 1143.5 (Ustinova-Amelko) - changes to the ship's design to meet the requirements of the Ministry of Defense. The components being worked on are: springboard, KTU or nuclear power plant of projects 1143.4/1144. Displacement up to 55,000 tons. Main armament: 12 Granit anti-ship missile launchers and an air group of 46 Yak-41 type aircraft;

- project 1143.5 (TsNIIVK) - an adjusted project of the Central Research Institute of Military Shipbuilding. Displacement up to 55,000 tons. Components under development: a reserve catapult has been added, the hull structure has been reduced, and the amount of aviation fuel has been reduced. Main armament: air group consisting of 46 aircraft (short and vertical take-off aircraft of the Yak-41 type).

- project 1143.42 - an adjusted project in favor of the second ship of project 1143.4. Displacement up to 55,000 tons. Components being worked on: deck enlargement, catapult. Main armament: air group consisting of 40 aircraft (including AWACS aircraft), Basalt anti-ship missiles;

- project 1143.42 (adjustment of the Ministry of Defense) - an adjusted project by decision of the military department. Displacement - up to 65,000 tons. Knots being worked on: springboard. Main armament: 12 Granit anti-ship missile launchers, an air group of 50 aircraft.

Design and design of TAKR project 1143.5

Structurally, the ship consists of 24 blocks, each weighing about 1.7 thousand tons. Welded hull with 7 decks and 2 platforms. During the construction of the ship, two Finnish-made Cane cranes were used, each with a lifting capacity of 900 tons. The ship's hull is covered with a special radio-absorbing coating. If we conditionally divide the ship into floors, then their number will be 27 floors.

In total, there were 3,857 rooms for various purposes inside the ship., of which we note: 4-class cabins - 387 rooms, cockpits - 134 rooms, dining rooms - 6 rooms, showers - 50 rooms. During the construction of the ship, more than 4 thousand kilometers of cable routes and 12 thousand kilometers of pipes for various purposes were used.

The ship received a through deck with an area of ​​more than 14,000 m 2 with a diving board at an angle of 14.3 degrees at the bow of the ship. Profiled fairings are installed on the springboard and the edges of the deck corners. Aircraft are transported to the take-off deck by 40-ton lifts (starboard) at the bow and stern of the ship. The deck width is 67 meters. A section of the landing strip 205 meters long and 26 meters wide is located at an angle of 7 degrees. The deck surface is covered with a special anti-slip and heat-resistant "Omega" coating, and the vertical take-off/landing areas are covered with heat-resistant "AK-9FM" plates.

On the left and right sides of the launch pads there are two runways (runway length 90 meters), which converge at the upper end of the ski jump. The third runway is 180 meters long (the left side is closer to the stern). To ensure protection of support personnel and aircraft from taking off aircraft, cooled deflectors are used on the deck. To land the aircraft on the deck, Svetlana-2 arresting devices and the Nadezhda emergency barrier are used.

The aircraft is landed using a short-range navigation radio system and the Luna-3 optical landing system. A closed hangar with a length of 153 meters, a width of 26 meters and a height of 7.2 meters accommodates 70% of the full-time air group. It also stores tractors, fire engines and a special set of equipment for servicing LAC. The hangar has a chain semi-automatic system for transporting standard aircraft; aircraft are transported on deck using tractors. The hangar is divided into 4 compartments by folding fireproof curtains with electromechanical control to ensure fire safety.

Structural protection of the surface part of the ship is shielded type, internal protective barriers are composite structures of the steel/fiberglass/steel type. High-strength steel (yield strength 60 kgf/mm 2) was chosen as the main material. Aviation fuel, propellant and ammunition tanks are protected using local box armor. For the first time, underwater structural protection is used in the construction of domestic ships. The depth of the PKZ is about 5 meters. Of the 3 longitudinal partitions, the second was armored multi-layer type. Unsinkability was ensured by flooding 5 adjacent compartments, no more than 60 meters long.

The power plant is a boiler-turbine type, consisting of 8 new steam boilers, 4 main turbo-gear units TV-12-4, providing a total power of 200,000 hp. Propulsors – 4 screws with a fixed pitch. Energy – 9 turbogenerators with a total capacity of 13,500 kW, 6 diesel generators with a total capacity of 9,000 kW.

Armament and equipment of TAKR project 1143.5

12 below-deck launchers of the Granit attack anti-ship missile system are located at the very base of the springboard. The launchers are covered with armored covers flush with the deck. Jamming systems: 4 PK-10 launchers and 8 PK-2M launchers with 400 rounds of ammunition (Tertsia control system).

The ship's anti-aircraft armament is 4 modules of the Kinzhal anti-aircraft missile system with ammunition of 192 missiles, 8 modules of the Kortik air defense system with ammunition of 256 missiles, 48,000 shells. The modules are installed on the side, providing all-round fire at air targets.

The ship's artillery armament is three AK-630M batteries with 48,000 rounds of ammunition.
The ship's anti-torpedo armament is two 10-barrel RBU-12000 mounts, installed on the stern side. Ammunition 60 RGB.
Air group - according to project 50 aircraft. As of 2010, it consisted of 18 Su-33, 4 Su-25T, 15 Ka-27 and 2 Ka-31.

Radio-technical weapons and equipment of the ship - 58 systems and complexes, the main ones:
— BIUS “Lumberjack”;
— SOI “Tee”;
— long-range target designation complex “Coral-BN”;
— multifunctional radar "Mars-Passat" with a phased antenna array;
- three-dimensional radar "Fregat-MA";
— two-dimensional radar “Podkat” for detecting low-flying air targets;
— navigation complex “Beysur”;
— communication equipment “Buran-2”;
— active jamming stations MP-207, MP-407, TK-D46RP;
— flight control radar “Resistor”;
— electronic warfare complex “Kantata-1143.5”;
— hydroacoustics complex “Polynom-T”;
— hydroacoustics stations “Zvezda-M1”, “Amulet”, “Altyn”;
— navigation radar stations “Nayada-M”, “Vaigach-U”;
— sound-underwater communication station “Shtil”;
— space communication system “Crystal-BK”;
— aircraft combat control system “Tur-434”;
— television landing system “Otvedok-Raskresposhechenie”;
— guidance station “Lawn”;
— automatic control system “Control”.

The antenna devices of most systems and complexes are located on the ship's superstructure. Radio transmission and reception equipment - more than 50 units. These are 80 paths for receiving and transmitting information and data, most of which can operate simultaneously.

Auxiliary equipment includes more than 170 items and consists of 450 individual units.

The ship's rescue equipment is a command boat of Project 1404, two boats of Project 1402-B, two 6-oar yawls (Project YAL-P6), 240 PSN-10M (life rafts in containers).

Main characteristics of the aircraft carrier "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov":
- length - 304.5 meters;
— width of the roof line/deck – 38/72 meters;
— draft – 10.5 meters;
— the height of the springboard above the water is 28 meters;
— displacement standard/full/max. – up to 46,000/59,000/67,000 tons;
— economy/max speed – 18/32 knots;
— economy/maximum range – 8000/3800 miles;
— navigation autonomy – 1.5 months;
- ship personnel crew/flight crew - 1533/626 people.

This year the aircraft carrier "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov":

- January 8 - as part of a ship aircraft carrier group of the Russian Navy, entered the Syrian port of Tartus on an official friendly visit;

- February 16 - as part of a shipborne aircraft carrier group of the Russian Navy, completed a cruise in the Mediterranean Sea and returned to the home base of Severomorsk;

— 2012-17 – modernization of the ship should begin, the work will be carried out by the Sevmash production association.

The heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser "Admiral Kuznetsov" - a ship of Project 1143.5, the only one in its class in the Russian Navy, was launched in 1987. In 1990, it was named in honor of Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union N.G. Kuznetsov.

Start. Background

History and combat campaigns of the TAKR

According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, during combat service, the aviation group assigned to the cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov made about 1,200 sorties, of which more than 400 were to carry out a combat mission.

There were some difficulties with the delivery of combat supplies to the ship while on the high seas.

sorties were carried out by an aviation group assigned to the cruiser "Admiral Kuznetsov" during combat service

The reason is that the Berezina integrated supply ship was responsible for providing ammunition, but it was decommissioned and there were no analogues in the Russian Navy. The floating crane SPK-46150 was assigned to carry out the supply task - and the task was completed.

Design and construction

Design

The command of the Ministry of Defense approved a plan to begin the construction of aircraft carriers that could accept aircraft with both vertical takeoff and landing and traditional ones.

In 1977 The task to carry out the design work was given to the Nevsky Design Bureau.

1980 Work on preparing sketches of the future ship has been completed. To present the work to management, 10 projects were completed, including those with a nuclear engine.

Having gone through all the stages, the ship project received the code “project 11435”.

Project 11435 differed in many ways from the ships of earlier projects, but the main differences include:

• The main missile complex, according to the new design, was located inside the ship;
• The tower body was built on the right side with a strong projection beyond the contours of the ship.

These design solutions made it possible to expand the deck area, thereby allowing aircraft to take off using the traditional take-off method.

May 1982. Project 11435 was agreed upon and approved in its final form.

September 1982. Construction of the first aircraft carrier began at the Black Sea Shipyard No. 444 in the Ukrainian city of Nikolaev.

Construction and testing

September 1, 1982. On one of the slipways of the Black Sea Shipyard, the laying of the future aircraft carrier “Admiral Kuznetsov” took place, which at that time received the name “Riga”.

"Admiral Kuznetsov" was the fifth among the ships under construction.

It was during the construction of this ship that a new technology was developed and tested, the essence of which was that the ship’s hulls were made of large sheet blocks weighing from 1200 to 1380 tons.

November 26, 1982. On this day, the ship was renamed, receiving the name "Leonid Brezhnev", as a tribute and respect after the death of the General Secretary.

December 4, 1985. On this day, the ship “Nikolai Kuznetsov” was launched into the water in a solemn atmosphere.

September 8, 1989. The crew on the aircraft carrier began to be on duty around the clock, although not at full strength.

October 21, 1989. The aircraft carrier "Tbilisi" (the name at that time), 85% ready, went out to the open sea in order to determine readiness for flight design tests: test flights of ships assigned to the aircraft carrier were carried out, as well as testing of all cruiser systems.

November 1, 1989. On this day, the first landing of the aircraft on the deck of the cruiser took place. The SU-27K aircraft was piloted by pilot V. G. Pugachev. Also on November 1, the first takeoff of the Mig-29K aircraft took place, the pilot was T.O. Aubakirov. In connection with the completion of testing and control of the operation of all ship systems in various conditions, it returned to the plant for completion.

August 1, 1990. The cruiser began state tests, which lasted about 5 months. As a result of state tests, the ship sailed more than 16 thousand nautical miles, the total number of aircraft takeoffs is about 450 times.

December 25, 1990. The aircraft carrier was declared ready for combat duty as part of the naval forces and received the name “Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov” and was transferred from the Ministry of Industry to the Ministry of Defense.

Drawing of the aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov"

Design features

Frame

For greater strength, the ship's hull is made of solid sheets of welded steel. The ship has 7 decks and 2 platforms. There is a second bottom along the entire perimeter of the body.

The room where aircraft are stored is equipped with collapsible fireproof partitions. These partitions divide it into 4 compartments.

The room (the so-called hangar) is equipped with a complex that allows, through a chain transmission, to transport aircraft. Thanks to this design solution, it became possible to abandon the use of large traction tractors inside the ship.

When forming the technical specifications for “Project 11435,” the task was set to increase the area on the aircraft carrier for use by them for takeoffs and landings both in the traditional way and with vertical takeoff.

As a result, the area was increased to 14.8 thousand m 2, which is approximately 2.6 times more than that of heavy aircraft-carrying cruisers of earlier projects. The size of the space for storing aircraft was increased (153.2 × 26.4 × 7.1 m versus 130.4 × 22.7 × 6.7 m on the Minsk aircraft carrier).

To support the traditional take-off of carrier-based aircraft, a springboard with an elevation angle of approximately 14.3 degrees is installed.

Housing protection

The solution to protect the ship's hull from enemy attacks is unique for its time. Compartments for storage and use and rooms with ammunition are protected in the form of box armor.

The ship's protection from torpedoes from enemy ships consists of three longitudinal bulkheads, the middle one is equipped with several layers. The total protection width is 4.52 m.

Take-off and landing areas

To assist pilots when landing aircraft, the following have been developed and installed:

• aerofinisher complex;
• unique optical landing system "Luna".

Traditional take-off sites

The surface of the flight deck was treated with a special compound, which prevents aircraft from sliding during takeoff and landing, and this coating is also heat-resistant, allowing it to withstand heating up to 500 degrees. This coating was named “Onega”.

Sites for VTOL (vertical take-off and landing aircraft)

Separately on the flight deck there are 3 areas for vertical take-off and landing aircraft. The area of ​​each site is about 100 m2 (10x10). The surface is covered with special AK-9FM tiles, which can withstand heating up to 745 degrees.

To ensure the protection of maintenance personnel and technical personnel from strong exhausts from aircraft engines, deflectable flaps - deflectors - are mounted on the deck. In addition, the launch positions are equipped with hydraulic stops (delays) that hold the aircraft in place before takeoff and are retracted at the operator’s command.

To ensure landing, the ship is equipped with Svetlana-2 aerofinishers: four metal cables stretched across the landing deck at intervals of 12 meters.

"Hope"

emergency lift system installed on an aircraft cruiser

The cables are connected to hydraulic brake machines, which ensure a complete stop of the aircraft after 90 meters of run with an overload of no more than 4.5 g. The cable of the fourth aerofinisher (the fourth from the stern) is also connected to the Nadezhda emergency barrier lifting system.

In the stowed position, the cables are recessed in special recesses in the deck, and are raised into working position using hydraulics immediately before the aircraft lands.

Powertrain and ride quality

The power plant of the Admiral Kuznetsov, with minor changes, was completely copied from earlier projects. Major changes include the complete replacement of boilers of earlier modifications with new ones with improved characteristics.

After modernization, the 4-shaft steam turbine power plant can develop a power of 200 thousand hp. (previous projects have up to 180 thousand hp).

The turbines are powered by eight KVG-4 boilers with a steam capacity of up to 115 tons of steam per hour (versus 95 t/h for older boilers). Parameters of superheated steam in the collector: pressure 66 kg/cm2 and temperature 470°C. Propulsors - 4 bronze propellers with 5 low-noise blades.

Crew

According to the plan, ships developed according to project 11435 should be equipped with :

1. Total crew - 1980 people

Including:

• officers - 520;
• midshipmen - 322;
• sailors - 1138;

1. Air group - 626 people.

As a result, it turns out that there are supposed to be 2606 people on the ship. And if the cruiser is the flagship on a voyage, then the ship will have an additional 55 people (commanders and staff).

The crew's sleeping and resting areas are quite acceptable and comfortable for long sea trips.

Armament

Main strike complex

Anti-ship missile system (ASMC) "Granit" with 12 cruise missiles in silos. Heavy missiles are capable of delivering a 750-kg warhead over a distance of up to 550 km.

Anti-aircraft weapons

• 4x2 anti-aircraft missile and artillery systems (ZRAK) "Kortik". Ammunition 256 missiles and 48,000 30-mm shells, destruction range: missiles 1500-8000 m; guns 500-4000 m;
• 24 modules of the Kinzhal air defense system, the ammunition capacity of each module is 8 missiles in the drum, so in total the ammunition load is 192 missiles. Damage range 1500-12000 m;
• 6 turret six-barreled 30-mm AK-630M mounts (48,000 rounds).

Anti-torpedo weapons

• 2 RBU-12000 bomb launchers of the “Boa constrictor” complex (60 rocket depth charges).

Aviation weapons

In accordance with the instructions of the Ministry of Defense, the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov was created, the characteristics of which ensured the deployment of carrier-based aircraft consisting of:

• 26 Yak-141, MiG-29K and Su-27K (Su-33) aircraft;
• 18 Ka-27 anti-submarine helicopters or Ka-29 transport and combat helicopters;
• 4 radar patrol helicopters Ka-27RLD (Ka-31);
• 2 search and rescue helicopters Ka-27PS.

In fact, due to a lack of funds, the aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov, whose characteristics allow for the deployment of a larger number of aircraft, carries a reduced air group:

• 14 Su-33 fighters;
• 2 Su-25UTG training aircraft;
• 2 MiG-29K fighters;
• 2 combat training MiG-29KUB;
• 15 Ka-27 and Ka-27PS helicopters;
• 2 Ka-31 radar patrol helicopters.

Communications, detection, auxiliary equipment

• navigation complex "Beysur";
• 1 radar complex “Mars-Passat”;
• 1 radar station MR-750 "Fregat-MA";
• 2 radar stations MP-360 “Podkat”;
• 3 radar stations "Vaigach";
• combat information and control system (CIUS) “Lumberjack”;
• communications complex "Buran-2";
• hydroacoustic complex "Polynom-T";
• hydroacoustic station "Zvezda-M1";
• electronic warfare complex "Sozvezdie-BR".

Technical characteristics of the aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov"

Displacement, t:

Main dimensions, m:

Power, hp (kW):

Travel speed, knots:

Cruising range, miles:

Project crew, people:

Armament

Electronic weapons

Commanders

From the moment of launching to the present day, the heavy aircraft carrier cruiser "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" has been under the command of the following officers:

Photo	Full name and military rank	Years of command of the ship
	Captain 1st Rank Viktor Stepanovich Yarygin	1987-1992
	Captain 1st rank (rear admiral) Ivan Fedorovich Sanko	1992-1995
	Rear Admiral Alexander Vladimirovich Chelpanov	1995-2000
	Captain 1st Rank Alexander Vasilievich Turilin	2000-2003
	Captain 1st Rank Alexander Petrovich Shevchenko	2003-2008
	Captain 1st Rank Vyacheslav Nikolaevich Rodionov	2008-2011
	Captain 1st Rank Sergei Grigorievich Artamonov	Since 2011

The second half of the 20th century marked a change in leadership in the vast oceans. The battleships left the front stage. These steel and armored leviathans had dominated the seas for the previous 100 years. After the end of World War II, battleships were forced to fade into history, giving way to ships of a different class. Gone are the days when armored ships with powerful artillery were perfect for demonstrating military power at sea. In the 20th century, aviation entered the scene and became one of the decisive weapons at sea. The era of aircraft carriers has arrived.

Floating airfields are becoming a convenient tool for the manifestation of international politics. Aviation—the main armament of an aircraft carrier—together with missile weapons now constitutes the main striking force at sea.

The place of the aircraft carrier in naval strategy

The end of the Second World War clearly showed with what weapons it is possible to achieve supremacy at sea. The geopolitical picture in the world has also changed. Britain, due to large military losses at sea and the difficult post-war economic situation, lost its status as the Mistress of the seas and oceans. The Royal Navy, the navies of France, Italy and Japan ceased to be a serious naval force in the post-war period. The leading naval power, which managed not only to preserve, but also to increase its naval forces during hostilities, became the United States of America. By the end of the war, the US Navy consisted of 1,500 ships of all classes, of which there were 99 aircraft carriers alone.

It should be noted that the US military was the first to come to the conclusion that the future of the navy belonged to aircraft carriers. It is much more convenient to carry out your own policy in the world not with battleships and cruisers, but with the help of aircraft carriers. The gunboat policy was replaced by an aircraft carrier strategy. Naval forces possessing ships of this class become a convenient and flexible military instrument, capable of solving tactical and strategic problems in the zone of free access to the coast.

For reference: TAVKR "Admiral Kuznetsov" is the only aircraft-carrying ship in the world that can freely operate in the Black Sea, enter and exit through the Black Sea straits of the Bosporus and Dardanelles. The Montreux Convention prohibits the passage of aircraft carriers into the Black Sea. Soviet aircraft-carrying cruisers became a successful military-technical solution that allowed the Soviet Union to have ships of this class in this area.

Subsequent military conflicts, the Korean War, and military operations in Indochina demonstrated the leading role and place of aircraft carriers in naval strategy. This was well known not only in Washington and London, where the construction of aircraft carriers did not stop. The need to have aircraft carriers in their fleet was quickly realized by the governments of France and Italy, where after the war they began building their own ships of this class. Following the leading world powers, third world countries joined this process. Aircraft carriers, although of old construction, appear in the fleets of Brazil, Argentina and India.

The Soviet Union also considered the idea of ​​building aircraft-carrying ships with particular interest. The naval confrontation between the USA and the USSR that emerged in the post-war years only accelerated the work of domestic design bureaus in this direction. However, the first Soviet full-fledged aircraft carrier, the aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov or TAKR, entered service only in the winter of 1991, when the USSR had already disappeared from the political map of the world. The main reasons for such a protracted start were the policies of the Soviet leadership, which initially relied on the creation of a nuclear missile submarine fleet, and the lack of experience in building ships of this class in the Soviet Union.

The first signs in the Soviet navy were aircraft-carrying ships of Project 1123.1-3 class anti-ship missiles. These were helicopter-carrying cruisers, which received the code “Condor” according to NATO classification. The main means of combat of these ships was a dozen Ka-25 helicopters. The main function of ships of this class is to search for and destroy enemy submarines on ocean communications.

Further development of the aircraft-carrying component in the Soviet Navy was the Project 1143.1-4 aircraft-carrying cruiser of the “Kyiv” class. These were already ships that vaguely resembled aircraft carriers, both in terms of tactical and technical characteristics and functionality. The lead ship of this project, the heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser Kyiv, entered service in December 1975. On this ship, the main weapon was the air wing, consisting of 12 Yak-38 aircraft and 12 Ka-25 helicopters. In terms of displacement and size, these were large military vessels in the ocean zone, capable of operating as part of large formations of ships at a considerable distance from fleet bases. In total, 4 heavy aircraft-carrying cruisers of the Kyiv class were commissioned in the USSR. These warships for the first time demonstrated to the world the ability of Soviet shipyards to build aircraft-carrying ships.

It should be noted: In terms of the number of aircraft carriers launched and put into operation, the USSR was second only to the United States. Great Britain, which for a long time used aircraft carriers built during the Second World War, managed to build and commission only 4 ships of this class in the post-war period. In France, the construction of ships of the same type was limited to the construction of 3 units. Italy commissioned two aircraft carriers into its fleet, and Japan generally switched to building combined ships, aircraft-carrying destroyers and large landing ships.

In the USSR, after the commissioning of heavy aircraft-carrying cruisers of the Kyiv class, there was a tendency towards the transition to a full-fledged warship capable of providing a base for aircraft with horizontal take-off and landing. The aircraft carrier cruisers of Project 1143.1-4 served as a technological platform for the subsequent development of the Soviet aircraft carrier fleet. In this regard, the country's top military leadership had grandiose plans. It was planned to build larger and more powerful aircraft-carrying ships for the USSR Navy. An improved version of the project was the heavy aircraft-carrying cruisers of Project 1143.5-6, of which only the Admiral Kuznetsov TAVKR was launched and put into operation.

The first ship of the improved project 1143.5 was laid down on September 1, 1982, receiving the name “Riga” in 1983. New Soviet aircraft carriers were to bear names consonant with the names of Soviet cities. Subsequently, the political situation influenced the fate of the ship. Already in the process of launching the ship received the name “Leonid Brezhnev”, in honor of the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee L.I. Brezhnev. After launching in August 1987, the ship received the name "Tbilisi".

Mooring tests began on the ship only two years later, in 1989. At the same time, the ship received its crew, and the process of equipping the ship's systems with the main means of detection, tracking and weapons began. Over the next period of time, the take-off and landing of deck-based Su-27 and Mig-29 aircraft were practiced on the ship for test purposes. After short trips to sea, the ship returned to the factory wall for modifications. In October 1990, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the ship received its next and last name - “Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov.” In January 1991, the Admiral Kuznetsov TAVKR, the first full-fledged aircraft carrier, was assigned to the Northern Fleet of the Russian Federation. The name of the new ship was not given by chance. It was in those years that the real facts of Nikolai Gerasimovich Kuznetsov’s enormous contribution to the process of increasing the defense capability of the Russian Navy during the Great Patriotic War were first revealed.

It is important to note that no less than 12 years passed from the time the project was developed until the ship was put into operation. During this time, the vision of the place and role of the aircraft carrier in the fleet has changed significantly. The United States has completely switched to the construction of aircraft-carrying ships with a nuclear power plant. In France and Great Britain, work was actively underway to create conceptually new aircraft carriers capable of carrying a large number of aircraft for various purposes. In Russia, which at the beginning of the 90s entered a period of protracted political and economic crisis, there was no understanding of the concept of the role of the aircraft carrier fleet in modern conditions.

The USSR disappeared from the political map of the world, resulting in the end of the Cold War. The huge naval economy inherited from the Soviet Union required colossal forces and resources. In such conditions, the heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov began its combat service.

What is the first domestic aircraft carrier?

The ship is an aircraft-carrying self-propelled platform capable of receiving and sending aircraft with a traditional takeoff and landing pattern. Unlike previous aircraft-carrying vessels of the Kyiv class, the aircraft carrier Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov had an extended runway deck instead of an upper deck. There was a springboard in the forward part of the flight deck, which increased the lifting force of the taking off aircraft. This scheme replaced the usual steam catapults for ships of this class, which act as a starting accelerator.

The ship was designed to operate Soviet 3rd generation Mig-29 fighters and Su-27 fighter-bombers in the naval version.

The main tactical and technical characteristics of the ship were as follows:

• standard displacement - 45 thousand. tons (full displacement 60 thousand tons);
• the length of the ship along the flight deck is 305 m;
• the width of the ship along the flight deck is over 70 m;
• power of the propulsion gas turbine unit is 200 thousand l/s;
• speed – maximum 29 knots, with economical speed – 14 knots;
• economical cruising range 8400 miles;
• autonomy is 45 days.

It should be noted that the ship has a combined reservation system. Inside the ship there are “dry compartments” and layered anti-torpedo protection. Up to 50 aircraft should be based on the ship. The main attack wing is represented by 26 MiG-29K or Su-27K aircraft. The helicopter group consisted of 18 Ka-27, Ka-29 anti-submarine helicopters, four electronic reconnaissance vehicles and 2 rescue helicopters. In addition to combat aircraft, the TAVKR aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov had powerful anti-ship weapons represented by 12 Granit anti-ship missiles. The Kortik anti-aircraft missile artillery system, together with the Kinzhal launchers, provided air defense.

The composition of the weapons suggests that the ship is quite comparable in combat power to a missile cruiser. In terms of the aviation component, the Russian aircraft carrier performs rather auxiliary functions. The presence of a springboard significantly limits the throughput of the take-off deck, which does not allow the rapid launch and reception of aircraft in combat conditions.

To this day, the Project 1143.5 aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov remains the only operational aircraft carrier. Even despite the presence of serious shortcomings in its design, the ship continues to carry out combat service as part of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Federation. The small size of the aviation group affects the combat effectiveness of the ship. Anti-ship missiles "Granit" can be called an anachronism for ships of this class, deliberately making the ship's design heavier and limiting its technological space.

At the moment, the main combat load on the ship fell during the Syrian crisis. An aircraft-carrying cruiser from November 2016 to January 2017 as part of an operational-tactical group of ships of the Russian Navy in operations on the territory of the Syrian Republic. After a long voyage, the Russian aircraft carrier returned to Severomorsk, where it is preparing to undergo another scheduled repair.

New generation aircraft carriers in Russia are only at the design stage. Painstaking work is being done to find the optimal design of an aircraft-carrying ship that could go into production and be a universal and modern combat ship.

home » How to earn » How many planes are on the ship Admiral Kuznetsov. Nikolai Gerasimovich Kuznetsov - Admiral of the Fleet. Russian aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov". Let us now consider the rate of ascent of the air group