The only aircraft carrier, that Russia possesses, is the Admiral Kuznetsov, which will undergo heavy renovation to increase its capacity, especially for accommodating fighter planes like MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB. Some of the many technical problems are being sorted out by the Nevskoye Design Bureau, along with enhancing the effectiveness of the warship.
Following Sergei Orlov, the head of Nevskoye Design Bureau: “Pilots want something new, something better and more reliable.” The renovation will take two and half years; therefore, Admiral Kuznetsov will come back to active service in 2021. This upgrading is more significant than the previous retrofitting, which occurred between 1996 and 1998.
The recent deployment into the Mediterranean Sea in support of combat operations in Syria in 2016, among many other things, demonstrated some of the technical problems that the carrier faced. In this case, a MiG-29K/KUB multirole fighter crashed due to an arresting wire fault and a Sukhoi Su-33 air superiority fighter fell into the sea after an arresting cable snapped during landing. These incidents highlighted the need for the planned upgrades.
The launch system used by Admiral Kuznetsov is the ski-jump-assisted Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery system, which limits the operational range and armament that the aircraft it carries can use. It also raises the wear and tear rate on the airframe of the fighter jet. A modernization contract was signed by the Russian Ministry of Defense with USC in June after an initial dispute over the timeline for the project.
Its deployment to Syria marked the first combat mission of the carrier, supporting the operations for the liberation of Aleppo. Though considered successful by some, the deployment did expose some vulnerabilities that the carrier had. The archaic infrastructure on board, including frequent breakdowns of its propulsion system and limited numbers of operational latrines, has long been a point of controversy within the Russian Navy.
Due to the STOBAR configuration, some restrictions were applied to the kind of aircraft and its configuration that could be permitted on the air wing of Admiral Kuznetsov Su-33 Flanker-D and MiG-29K Fulcrum fighters. Such a system minimizes bomb and fuel loads for aircraft to take off, which in turn restricts the range and firepower an aircraft is capable of carrying. Furthermore, the engines also quite often require the company of an oceangoing tug to operate safely.
Nevertheless, the Russian Navy is determined to get back into naval aviation. Improvement of Admiral Kuznetsov is part of an overall policy of making Russian naval aviation more effective. Improved flight deck, arresting gear, and aircraft-handling components will modernize the carrier’s air group when Su-33s, MiG-29Ks, and a handful of helicopters will be embarked.
The future of Russian naval aviation also marked the introduction of strike aircraft, like the Su-30SM and Su-34 Fullback, which come with substantial improvements over their predecessors. Even more so, the modernization of land-based aircraft-the Tu-22 Backfire bombers and Tu-142 Bear-F antisubmarine aircraft-further enhances Russia’s maritime strike capabilities.
While Admiral Kuznetsov undergoes its long and extensive process of modernization, the Russian Navy has continued to project itself as a serious naval power. Modernization of the carrier and the wider revitalization of Russian naval aviation means both new capabilities opening and a heightened operational readiness.