Russian Navy - Russia developing new aircraft carrier

[Webmaster]

MOSCOW. May 15 (Interfax) - The Russian Navy is launching a project to develop a new aircraft carrier, the navy's commander Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov told Interfax.

"We are beginning work to develop a new aircraft carrier in 2005. Construction is to begin after 2010," Kuroyedov said.

"We are launching this development project and will involve leading experts to find out which materials and weapons we'll need and how many aircraft carriers should be built," he said.

Kuroyedov earlier told journalists that the navy is planning to put the new carrier into service in the Northern Fleet by 2016-17. Another carrier will be built for the Pacific Fleet, he said. "Deck aviation has a good future. A new multi-purpose aircraft will be created in a few years," Kuroyedov said.

The Russian Navy currently has only one aircraft-carrying cruiser, the Admiral Kuznetsov.

[Webmaster]

Kuznetzov has just been overhauled, so it will take long before it is sold. The new carrier is planned for 2017, with delays 2020, and then they want a second one too. So Kuznetzov has some years to go.

India is planning to develop its own carriers.

I think, after it has been retired, it will be sold to China again and end up as a theme park. Although the last one went bankrupt. Hopefully, it will become a museum...in Russia, with Russian aircraft on display. But you'll never know when the Russian offer equipment, cheap and to countries who want to build up their military. Maybe then even the USA will buy it, just to get it off the market!

Aircraft ow yeah, Su-33s with all the new fancy stuff or jointly produced MiG-29Ks. They can get you anything, as long as you pay in any solid currency. 

[Webmaster]

No need to put a disclaimer for the link. If you post the photos, then yes. Or at least some reference to its source or photographer would be nice.

But eh, I know those photos, those are from a Russian website (http://www.airforce.ru). And looks like the guy there just linked them, which means that it steals bandwidth from the Russian website. Not the nicest things to do.

Check out for the original source and more photos (click on the thumnails and you will be taken to a gallery):
http://www.airforce.ru/photogallery/dundin/kuznetsov2004/index.htm

[elias_b]

I hope the next Russian aircraft carrier will be nuclear powered, as the current Kuznetsov is still powered by a  diesel engine.
They had planned a nuclear powered in the 80s called "Ulyanovsk", but it was later cancelled.

By the way: I think that the Mig-29K would have been better suited for the Kuznetsov than the Su-33. The Su-33 is too large for a carrier like the Kuznetsov and the Mig-29K is a multirole fighter. The Su-33 is only a air superiority fighter. The big Plus for the Su-33 is its far longer range.

[Webmaster]

Sure it would be better. It's like the F-14 (Su-33) and F/A-18 (MiG-29K)... nobody likes to see the Hornet take the Tomcat's place. Even now with the upped Super Hornet. No.1 problem with the Hornet...its range. Su-33 just have to get the upgraded fire control system, and they can do multi-role as well, and maybe even better, carrying a bigger load at longer range.

It's size turned out to be not that big a problem, since they only got a handful of them.  But indeed they had always planned a bigger nuclear powered aircraft carrier, and that's probably why the Su-33 was preferred in the end. There was a time when a mixture of MiG-29K and Su-33 was considered the best option, and that's probably the reason why the Su-33 was developed without a decent A-S capability.

[elias_b]

An updated Su-33 would certainly be better than the Mig-29K. Same weapons and avionics with better range. So we have to hope that Russia can raise the fundings for updating their Su-33. Perhaps they could even buy some Su-33UB (Su-27KUB) as trainers, because the Su-25-trainer isn't  suited for carrier operations.
I doubt the Russians can begin building the carrier in 2010. There are so many other Navy projects to be done (Tu-142 and Il-38 modifications, keeping their  submarines and surface vessels operational, construct new nuclear submarines, modification of the Su-33?), that there isn't much left for the carrier. 2015 is more probable.

[chacko]

Russia looks like will have carriers of displacement with 50-55 thousand dwt. Its impressed with Sevmash shipyards expertise while working on Adm Gorshkov, now called INS Vikramaditya. The Baltic plant is considered too. There is a design too called "KHKH.I of century"? I am not good at reading Russian. If there is a russian poster here, he/she can contact me. I need help on translations.

[Battlemike]

So which Third World country gets the Kuznetzov when the Russians have to get rid of it to make room for two new ones? Better put, how many countries can actually afford to maintain a ship like that? I doubt the Indians will need another carrier by that time.

 Well the Chinese will try and buy it(i.e. beg,cojole and threaten not to buy military product from Russia for it!) but I expect the Indians will get it.Its an unstable mix in that region.As the US Navy and western forces really don't have a threat in russian Acft carriers anymore,I'd fear a Sino-Indian coflict or a Sino-Russian squabble , and the russians would need a new acft carrier.China just wants one to BULLY  Taiwan into  rejoining the Family (watch and see if the U.S. won't then pop a few modern subs Taiwans way to threaten China's desire for a blue water fleet) .I believe China is "dumb" enough to  try and intimidate U.S. Pac fleets acft carriers as well as some UK task forces sailing around- The Brits may buy an older US Carrier and JSF fighters and turn the tide around! China and India are "pretender" world powers -they don't need the force projection of Acft carrier,since their interests are "regional"9 what would a Chinese task force be doing in the Gulf?What straegic needs does India have in the Mediteranian or the Pacific? But Indi and China will try for an older russian carrier-and i hope the Russkies sell a stripped hulk to them..........

[alyster]

China is not a "pretender " power. Far from that. With 1/6 of the world paying taxes to them they can afford to buy anything they want.  Also they have huge economical potensial and when Kuznetsov is on the selling list, then China might already be worlds leading country, if they play it smart. 
It's just a mather of time when their navy gets serious threat to west, specialy to the carriers. And I can tell you how long it will take - just as long as they make their sub's torpedo tubes big enough for Shkval.
What comes to bulling Taiwan...what should we call the Iraqs invasion then? And Chinese would love to have power in the Gulf to get the oil, just like the west.

So my opinion is that:
Do Chinese want it? - Oh yes.
Do they need it? - Not now, but soon there'll be a need if they'll want to take over U.S. place.
Will they get it? - Why not, just over pay the Indians, coz Chinese military budget is 4 times bigger.

[Webmaster]

Will they get it? - Why not

Maybe US pressure...luckily Putin is not easily intimidated.

[alyster]

Putin said he won't run for 3rd time as President, so who knows who's the next lunatic running that thing in my backyard

And I wouldn't say anything lucky about it since most of us here are from the "western world"

[Webmaster]

lucky for the sake of naval aviation...