The fate of Russia’s sole aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, has evolved into an important symbol for a country whose naval power is on the decline. Much plagued by outdated technology and accident-prone, it has been in prolonged overhaul and has not sailed for seven years now, questionable for its prospects.
Aircraft carriers are generally seen as one of the biggest pointers toward a nation’s overall military and economic clout. For instance, the United States operates eleven so-called “supercarriers,” while China is rapidly building up its fleet and will soon commission its third carrier. In sharp contrast, Russia’s sole aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, remains an analog relic of the Soviet era and barely holds up to modern naval standards.
The fact that the Kuznetsov relies on Mazut, an archaic petrochemical fuel, speaks volumes about how outdated it is. Mazut, once a standard naval fuel, burns with a thick black smoke that clings to clothing and skin. This tar-like, high-viscosity substance is no patch on nuclear power, which lets vessels cruise indefinitely without refueling. The Kuznetsov, in comparison, only has space for 45 days at a time.
The ship’s operational record also includes a long list of mishaps. “Admiral Kuznetsov has a problematic history,” wrote Robert Beckhusen. A 2009 fire killed one seaman, and in the same deployment, the carrier spilled hundreds of tons of fuel into the sea. Its steam turbines are notoriously unreliable, requiring the constant escort of tugs in case of breakdowns.
Moreover, the Kuznetsov has an extremely poor capability in terms of launching aircraft. Whereas American carriers make use of steam catapults, the Kuznetsov employs a bow ramp that imposes severe limits on the weight a departing aircraft can take off with, along with its patrol time. This reduces the offensive power and range of the fighters it carries.
The specifications of the ship further underline its obsolescence. With a length of 1,000 feet, a beam of 236 feet, and a draft of 23 feet, the Kuznetsov displaces about 58,000 tons fully loaded. Its steam turbines, turbo-pressurized boilers, and fixed-pitch propellers can put out 2,011 horsepower for a maximum speed of 29 knots. It can accommodate 1,690 crew and embark a mix of Su-33s, MiG-29Ks, Ka-31s, and Ka-27s.
According to the Russian government, the Kuznetsov was undergoing a modernization program to extend its service life for another 25 years. Well, the refit has proved nothing short of a troubled program. In 2018, the PD-50 drydock sank, and a 70-ton crane crashed onto the deck. Fires in both 2019 and 2022 caused further damage. Repair work was suspended in early 2023 due to thick fog in Murmansk. Though officials have been citing a 2024 return to duty, the timeline has become increasingly unrealistic.
The continued war with Ukraine further complicates this equation. Entering its third year, that war has been sapping Russian military energy. And with an almost exclusively land-based conflict, it’s hard to imagine prioritizing the Kuznetsov’s refurbishment over such endeavors.
The problematic past and uncertain future of Admiral Kuznetsov embody a broader challenge in the Russian military and industrial complex. The breakup of the Soviet Union, followed by a period of hard economic times, cast a long shadow over the capability of Russia to maintain and modernize its military assets. What used to be the mighty Russian Navy currently faces huge hurdles in sustaining operational capabilities.
As Russia wrestles with these challenges, so does the future of the Admiral Kuznetsov. Whether this once-proud symbol of Soviet naval ambition will ever be put to sea again underlines an array of questions that reflect some of the broader uncertainties facing the Russian military today.