Kuznetsov class aircraft carrier
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Kuznetsov |
|
| Soviet Union (Ukraine) |
 |
|---|---|
| Builders: | Chernomorsky Shipyard 444 |
| Operators: |  Soviet Navy Russian Navy |
| In service: | 21 January 1991 |
| Ships in Class | |
| Ships in class: | 2 |
| Ships in active service: | Kuznetsov |
| Preserved ships: | Varyag |
| General Characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 67,000 tons |
| Length: | 302 m |
| Beam: | 72 m |
| Draught: | 11 m |
| Propulsion and power: | Steam turbines 200,000 shp |
| Speed: | 30 knots |
| Range: | 8,500 miles |
| Complement: | 1,500 |
| Armament: | 12 anti-ship missiles 192 surface-to-air missiles 8 light anti-aircraft gun mounts 8 close-in weapons systems 60 anti-submarine rockets |
| Aircraft complement: | 30 or more, including 12 x Su-33 aircraft 24 x Ka-27 helicopters |
| Aircraft facilities: | Angled arrested landing flight deck Bow ski jump |
The Kuznetsov class aircraft carriers (also known as Project 1143.5, the Brezhnev class, or the Kreml class) has only one functional carrier, Kuznetsov. The only other ship of her class, Varyag, has never been commissioned and was sold to the People's Republic of China by the Ukraine under the condition she would never be refitted for combat.
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[edit] Intended missions
While designated an aircraft carrier, Kuznetsov's design implies a mission different from that of either the United States Navy's carriers or those of the Royal Navy's. The Russian ship is termed by her builders to be a tyazholiy avionosnyy kreyser - a "heavy aviation cruiser" - intended to support and defend strategic missile-carrying submarines, surface ships, and maritime missile-carrying aircraft of the Russian fleet. This designation is used deliberately by the Soviet/Russian navy to circumvent the refusal by Turkey to let aircraft carriers pass the Dardanelles between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. The aircraft of Kuznetsov are essentially constrained to air superiority operations. The lack of catapults on Kuznetsov precludes launching strike aircraft with heavy loads, which makes it essentially impossible for aircraft to attack land or naval targets. The carrier can carry helicopters for anti-submarine operations, however, and she also carries anti-shipping missiles. The flight deck is of a conventional angled-deck configuration, but fitted with a ski jump instead of bow catapults, similar to British carriers.
[edit] List of ships
[edit] Admiral Kuznetsov
- Main article: Soviet aircraft carrier Kuznetsov
Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov, was launched in 1985, and the ship became fully operational in 1995. The vessel was briefly named Kremlin. In the fall of 2000, Kuznetsov went to sea for operations related to the rescue and salvage operations of the Kursk submarine.
Although cash shortages and technical problems have resulted in limited operations, it is expected that Admiral Kuznetsov will remain in active duty until at least 2025-2035.
[edit] Varyag
- Main article: Soviet aircraft carrier Varyag
Varyag was also constructed at the Nikolayev South Shipyard in the Black Sea in Ukraine. The vessel was launched in 1988, but was never commissioned into the Soviet Navy. She was given to Ukraine, and eventually sold to the People's Republic of China.
[edit] Specifications
- Designer: Nevskoye Planning and Design Bureau
- Builder: Nikolayev South
- Displacement: 43 000 t light, 53 000-55 000 t standard, 66 600-67 500 t full load
- Length: 300 m (984 ft) overall, 270 m (886 ft) at waterline
- Beam: 73 m (240 ft) overall, 38 m (125 ft) waterline
- Draft: 11 m (36 ft)
- Armament:
- 12 P-700 Granit SSM (SS-N-19)
- 24 × 8-cell SA-N-9 Gauntlet SAM VLS
- 8 CADS-1 CIWS (each 2 × 30 mm gatling AA plus 16 SA-N-11 SAM)
- 8 AK-630 antiaircraft guns (6 × 30 mm, 6,000 round/min/mount, 24,000 rounds)
- 2 RBU-12000 UDAV-1 antisubmarine rocket launchers (60 rockets)
- Klinok air defence missile system (24 launchers, 192 vertical launch missiles; rate of fire: 1 missile per 3 s)
- Kashtan air defence gun and missile system (256 missiles, 48,000 rounds; range: 0.5 to 1.5 km)
- Aircraft:
- Propulsion: Steam turbines, 8 boilers, 4 shafts, 200,000 hp (149 MW)
- 2 × 50,000 hp (37 MW) turbines
- 8 boilers
- 4 fixed pitch props
- 9 × 1500 kW turbogenerators
- 6 × 1500 kW diesel generators
- Range: 3850 nautical miles (7 100 km) at 32 knot (59 km/h); endurance: 45 days
- Speed: 32 knots (59 km/h)
- Complement: 1960 + 626 air group + 40 flag, 3857 rooms
[edit] Notes
- Ten production aircraft were built, with five each going to the Russian Republic and the Ukraine after the fall of the USSR. The Russian Navy then requested ten more trainers from Sukhoi, but it is unclear if any Su-25UBPs were ever actually delivered.
