The Russian multirole fighter Su-33 crashed while landing on the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov. The pilot was able to eject and was picked up by a rescue helicopter, the Russian Ministry of Defense said. The department said that the accident occurred due to a break in the cable that helps the plane brake on the deck. As a result, the Su-33 rolled off the deck. During its short stay off the Syrian coast, Kuznetsov has already lost two aircraft.

Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov, commenting on the incident, said: “This is very intense, complex and heroic work. “The point is, first of all, that the pilot remained alive.” In mid-November, a Russian Mig-29 fighter, also part of the Admiral Kuznetsov air group, crashed. The plane crashed into the water near the aircraft carrier. The pilot was saved. The official cause of the accident was engine failure. According to the unofficial version, the cause was the same brake cables: the Mig was circling in the area of ​​the aircraft carrier while on deck they were trying to repair the cable that had been broken by the previous landing plane. Repairs were delayed, as a result of which the fighter simply ran out of fuel and crashed into the sea.

The only Russian aircraft carrier “Admiral Kuznetsov” as part of the ship group of the Russian Navy is located in the Mediterranean Sea. On November 15, warplanes based on it began striking targets in Syria.

Military analyst Pavel Felgenhauer, commenting on the loss of the second Russian combat aircraft from the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, draws special attention to the very senselessness of its mission off the coast of Syria. The expert is sure that the goal of the admirals who sent the aircraft carrier there was to demonstrate to Vladimir Putin the justification for the huge expenses on the fleet:

Context

Russian aircraft carrier avoids attacks on Aleppo

People's Daily 11/18/2016

Vladimir Putin's rusty fleet

The Telegraph UK 10/27/2016

Why is Putin launching an aircraft carrier?

Reuters 10/21/2016
Andrey Sharogradsky: How common are accidents on aircraft carriers associated with broken braking cables?

Pavel Felgenhauer: Well, in general, they are not very common, otherwise there would be no carrier-based aircraft in the world. They seem to say that the cable broke, but I don’t know for sure. Either the pilot was poorly trained, or the cables were rotten, or both.

— Maybe the problem is that the Admiral Kuznetsov is an outdated ship?

“The problem is not his age, which is quite normal for a ship. Aircraft carriers serve a long time. These are large ships, they are designed to serve for quite a long time. And the fact is that his campaign in the Mediterranean Sea from a military point of view is absolutely meaningless - from beginning to end. This is purely a PR campaign. The ship was not built for such trips. He simply has nothing to do there. He couldn’t do anything there and didn’t do anything - he only suffered completely senseless losses.

— But both the aircraft carrier and its planes perform some kind of combat mission?

- He cannot bomb Syria. The planes had to take off from the aircraft carrier and land at a Russian base. There they refueled with fuel and bombs, and flew to bomb something. At the same time, SU-33 aircraft are also not intended for attacks on ground and sea targets. That's not what they were built for. These are pure fighters. Pilots are not prepared for this. The planes were equipped with some kind of sighting equipment there, but they were still not designed for that. He performs there a completely meaningless function of simply such representation. That is, a life-size self-propelled model of an aircraft carrier has been sent to Syria. True, it walks slowly, because, again, it is not intended for warm waters. It is a pure fighter aircraft carrier to protect deployed strategic nuclear submarines. He doesn't have any special goals anymore. Therefore, he must be in the Barents Sea, where his charges are located - strategic nuclear submarines. He must protect them from anti-submarine aircraft in the event of a nuclear war. It has a power plant that is not intended for long trips. Airplanes that are not intended for bombing attacks or any other attacks on naval targets either.

— Why was the Admiral Kuznetsov sent on a campaign to the Mediterranean Sea?

“The admirals wanted to show Putin that it’s not for nothing that trillions are spent on the fleet, that the fleet can do something. But the demonstration is not very convincing, because in reality “Kuznetsov” cannot do anything useful - only lose planes. Unlike the Peter the Great, whose nuclear power plant is designed for long-distance missions, the Kuznetsov was never intended for them. Even its official autonomy is only 40 days.

— Why do you think the accidents happened?

- Most likely, they are tired - the crew, the pilots. The load is peak for them. This means mistakes, losses. These are not American aircraft carriers that are constantly at sea. They have replacement crews there. This is a completely different thing. “Kuznetsov” was sent to portray that our fleet can operate in the Mediterranean Sea almost like the American one, that money should be spent on it. The rearmament program until 2025 should be approved in the middle of next year. And the main expenditure item there is naval weapons. This is very important for the fleet. Because if they cut funding, then the leadership of the General Staff, first of all, of course, will substitute the fleet. Well, their programs are wildly expensive. Monstrous. It was very important for them to show that they could do something, that they were not completely useless. Although in reality our fleet is generally useless for such regional conventional wars. No, they play an important supply role there in Syria. There, every day 2 thousand tons of various supplies arrive in Syria. And the fleet does this, including landing ships. They bought old ruins abroad, transport ships. They fly under a naval flag so that they are not inspected by the Turks in the straits. They supply the group in Syria.

And the naval unit... Well, yes, it fires these cruise missiles, which is also wildly expensive and, in general, useless. It's not that it's completely useless, but it's pointless. Because shooting $5 million worth of missiles at militants in Toyotas is a pretty pointless exercise. It's good that no one has died yet. The pilots were saved. But will they fly or not? After an ejection, pilots usually do not fly again. There, back injuries can be very serious. And we have very few deck pilots. Two have already been injured. This is not good, because one of them will probably never fly again. Or maybe both. All this in order to depict the existence of an aircraft carrier, which is not an aircraft carrier. It would be good if he walked back under his own power.

— So what are the aircraft on the Admiral Kuznetsov now that are not of the type that are usually based on it?

- Why not those? The same. And we don’t have any others. The SU-33, also known as the SU-27K, is no longer in production. There are a dozen of them left. Yes, it crashed, but there were only three or four of them there. They apparently no longer fly at all after this accident. In principle, in theory, when it returns, the aircraft carrier should undergo extensive repairs and be rebuilt for the MIG-29. Because the SU-33 has not been produced since the early 1990s, and there seem to be no plans to produce it. And the MIG-29 is being produced. It was brought to mind for India. True, French avionics were installed for India. I don’t know which one is currently on the few planes that we have. But there are plans to convert the Admiral Kuznetsov into a MIG-29. Because there are almost no SU-33 left. So he left with a dozen planes. Well, what kind of aircraft carrier is it? It has 10 aircraft in total and a deck crew. Before this, it was under repair for years, and now it’s such a long trip, and even with constant combat work. The admirals, as if in a casino, bet on “zero” - they say, this ship, which is not intended for such tasks, in this heavy, wild tension, will perform remarkably well in such conditions. Well, it didn't work out very well for them. So far there has been no particular success. They reported that they killed 30 militants. And since aviators always exaggerate the enemy’s losses by at least 10 times, perhaps they actually killed two or three people.

Project 1143.5 heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser

Previous names - in order of assignment:

- “Leonid Brezhnev” (launching),

- “Tbilisi” (tests)

The only one in the Russian Navy in its class (as of 2015). Designed to destroy large surface targets and defend naval formations from attacks by a potential enemy.

Named in honor of Nikolai Gerasimovich Kuznetsov, Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union.

Built in Nikolaev, at the Black Sea Shipyard.

Part of the Northern Fleet. During cruises, the cruiser is based on Su-25UTG and Su-33 aircraft of the 279th naval fighter aviation regiment (based airfield - Severomorsk-3) and Ka-27 and Ka-29 helicopters of the 830th separate naval anti-submarine helicopter regiment (based airfield - Severomorsk-1).

Construction

The fifth heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser of the USSR, Riga, was laid down on the slipway of the Black Sea Shipyard on September 1, 1982. It differed from its predecessors in that it was for the first time provided with the ability to take off and land aircraft of a traditional design, modified versions of the land Su-27, MiG-29 and Su-25. To achieve this, it had a significantly enlarged flight deck and a springboard for aircraft take-off. Construction for the first time in the USSR was carried out using a progressive method of forming a hull from large blocks weighing up to 1400 tons.

Even before the completion of assembly, after the death of Leonid Brezhnev, on November 22, 1982, the cruiser was renamed in his honor to “Leonid Brezhnev”. The launch took place on December 4, 1985, after which its completion continued afloat.

Loading and installation of weapons on the aircraft carrier (except for the zonal block of launchers of the Granit anti-ship missile complex), electrical equipment, aviation equipment, ventilation and air conditioning systems, as well as equipment of the premises took place afloat, during the completion of the ship at the Northern embankment of the Big Bucket.

On August 11, 1987, it was renamed “Tbilisi”. On June 8, 1989, its mooring tests began, and on September 8, 1989, the crew began settling in. On October 21, 1989, the unfinished and understaffed ship was put out to sea, where it conducted a series of flight tests of aircraft intended to be based on board. During these tests, the first takeoffs and landings of aircraft on it were carried out. On November 1, 1989, the first landings of the MiG-29K, Su-27K and Su-25UTG were carried out. The first takeoff from it was made by the MiG-29K on the same day and the Su-25UTG and Su-27K the next day, November 2, 1989. After the end of the test cycle, on November 23, 1989 he returned to the plant for completion. In 1990, she went to sea many times to conduct factory and state tests.

On October 4, 1990, it was renamed once again (4th) and became known as “Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov.”

Specifications

Dimensions

Length - 305.0 m
-Waterline length - 270 meters
-Maximum width - 72 meters
-Waterline width - 35.0 m
-Draft - 10.0 m
-Standard displacement - 43 thousand tons
-Full displacement - 55 thousand tons
-Maximum displacement - 58.6 thousand tons

Power plant

Steam turbines - 4 x 50 thousand horsepower
-Number of boilers - 8
-Number of screws - 4
-Power of turbogenerators - 9 x 1500 kilowatts
-Maximum speed - 29 knots
- Cruising range at maximum speed - 3850 miles at a speed of 29 knots
-Economic speed - 18 knots
-Maximum cruising range - 8000 miles at a speed of 18 knots
-Autonomy - 45 days

Armament

As of 2014, the air wing includes 20 airplanes and 17 helicopters.

"Admiral Kuznetsov" is a heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser (in fact, a full-fledged aircraft carrier), part of the Russian Navy. Laid down in 1982 under the name “Riga”, during construction it was renamed “Leonid Brezhnev”, and when launched in 1987 it received the name “Tbilisi”. At the final stage of testing in 1990, it was named “Admiral Kuznetsov”. The ship's displacement is 58.6 thousand tons. Crew 1960 people.

The aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov" at sea.

Construction and operation

The design of the new aircraft-carrying cruiser of the Soviet fleet was carried out at the Nevsky Design Bureau under the leadership of designer Sergeev. It differed from four similar ships already built by that time (the Kiev project) by the presence of a take-off springboard and an enlarged deck, and was supposed to be the first in a new class of aircraft-carrying cruisers.

The keel of the ship took place on September 1, 1982. It was built at the shipyards of the Black Sea Shipyard in the city of Nikolaev; the production of equipment for it was carried out by the Leningrad Proletarsky Plant.

The ship was launched on December 4, 1985, after which further installation of equipment and installation of weapons was carried out afloat. By 1989, when the ship was 71% complete, sea trials began, including landing and taking off aircraft. In December 1991, the cruiser, having circumnavigated Europe, made the transition from the Black Sea to the Vidyaevo base (Murmansk region) and joined the Russian Northern Fleet.

Retrofitting of the ship and its testing continued. It received its first permanent carrier group (Su-33 fighters) in 1993. In December 1995, Admiral Kuznetsov made its first independent 90-day cruise to the Mediterranean Sea with 13 Su-33s and 11 helicopters on board.

Until 1998 it was under renovation. In 2004 and 2007, as part of a group of ships, he made voyages to the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. In 2008 it underwent new repairs and modernization. In 2014, the cruiser's air group received new MiG-29K aircraft. In October 2016, he was sent to the Mediterranean Sea to the coast of Syria.

The aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov" before repairs.

The aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov" after repair.

Design Features

The hull of the Admiral Kuznetsov TAVKR consists of seven decks and includes a large number of bulkheads capable of withstanding the impact of 400 kg of ammunition (in TNT equivalent), which increases the survivability of the ship. It differs from most conventional aircraft carriers in the use of take-off ramps, the power plant and the presence of Granit anti-ship missile systems.

The abandonment of catapults and the use of ski-jump takeoffs made it possible to save on the weight and energy maintenance of the ship, while simultaneously reducing the likelihood of the impossibility of using aircraft due to failure of the catapult equipment. On the other hand, such a solution complicates the takeoff and landing of aircraft - they are only possible on one side of the deck and in one direction.

The Admiral Kuznetsov's fuel oil power plant is characterized by increased smoke production during operation, but the use of fuel oil as fuel significantly reduces the cost of maintaining the ship and its repair. In addition, fuel oil stored in the cruiser's double hull is part of the anti-torpedo protection.

On the bow of the ship there are launch silos for the Granit anti-ship missiles, capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 700 km. With their help, the Admiral Kuznetsov can destroy enemy ships and fire at coastal targets without raising the aircraft of the air wing. When firing "Granites", aircraft take off from the deck is impossible.

A MiG-29K takes off from the deck of the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov.

A MiG-29K takes off from the deck of the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov.

Armament of the TAVKR "Admiral Kuznetsov"

The main weapon of a ship is its air group. It includes 14 Su-33 and 10 MiG-29K fighters. In addition, there are 15 Ka-27 multi-purpose helicopters and 2 Ka-31 reconnaissance helicopters (radar patrol helicopter) on board.

12 Granit anti-ship missile systems make up the cruiser’s strike weapons. To counter enemy aircraft, it is equipped with 24 launchers of the Kinzhal anti-aircraft missile system and 8 Kortik air defense systems.

Municipal budgetary educational institution

additional education "Station of children's (youth) technical creativity "REGATA""

Spassky municipal district of the Republic of Tatarstan

Tutorial

for making the model

aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov"

Radjabov Ruslan Tolibovich,

additional education teacher

Association "Ship Modeling"

Bolgar - 2017

Annotation.

The idea of ​​​​creating a model of the aircraft-carrying cruiser "Admiral Kuznetsov" arose due to both objective and subjective circumstances.

The objective reason that prompted the team of the Shipbuilding association to take on the development of the project was the desire to familiarize students with the history of the Russian Navy, to bring them closer to an understanding of the international situation that existed at the time of the creation of the ship.

In the modern world, the Russian fleet protects the country’s interests at all latitudes of the world’s oceans. The aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov, launched from the stocks of the Black Sea Shipyard in 1991, was created to protect the naval formations of the Russian Navy.

The subjective reason for creating the cruiser model was the opportunity for students to improve their skills in working with tools, as well as the development of analytical and creative thinking (search for information, familiarity with the history and technology of the Navy, application of knowledge in physics, mathematics, chemistry, biology). In the process of creating a model of an aircraft carrier, schoolchildren had to find answers to questions about the technical characteristics of ships, methods for ensuring buoyancy and stability, and possibilities for eliminatingroll and trim, about the distribution of weapons below the deck of a ship, etc.

The aircraft carrier model is completely radio-controlled: a team of 6 people, while on shore, has the ability to remotely maneuver the ship, take off and land aircraft (radio-controlled helicopters), and launch missiles.

The presented model is unique:

the ship's hull is built from available materials - plywood, pine slats, fiberglass and epoxy resin;

a fundamentally new electrical circuit has been developed to control the ship (movement back and forth, turning);

The runway and masthead lighting are identical to the analogue.

The work of the team of teachers from the "Shipbuilding" association was adequately appreciated by the jury at the All-Russian children's festival of folk culture "Heirs of Traditions", held on September 8 - 11, 2016 in the Vologda region. The model took 2nd place in the “Traditional Shipbuilding” category.

This textbook is intended for teachers of additional education of shipbuilding and ship modeling associations.

Explanatory note.

Aircraft carriers are the personification of the naval power of the state; they are designed to serve and base aviation as a mobile airfield;are carriers of nuclear and missile weapons.

The heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser (TAVKR) "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" is the only one in its class. It is capable of effectively carrying out air defense of ships, ensuring the safety of nuclear submarine missile cruisers, conducting air operations, and hitting large surface targets.

Part of the Northern Fleet. The Admiral Kuznetsov differs from most conventional aircraft carriers in its use of take-off ramps, its power plant and the presence of Granit anti-ship missile systems. This is the only aircraft carrier in the world on which the Su-33 heavy fighter can land and take off.

On board "Admiral Kuznetsov" may be located28 aircraft (Su-33 carrier-based fighters and MiG-29K multirole fighters) and 24 Ka-27 and Ka-29 anti-submarine and attack landing helicopters, Granit missiles (weighing seven tons each and with a range of up to 700 kilometers), a powerful system air and anti-submarine defence.

Cruiser dimensions: 306 meters long and 72 meters wide. The speed of the Admiral Kuznetsov is up to 32 knots (59 kilometers per hour). The cruising range at an economical speed is more than eight thousand miles. Displacement - 61.3 thousand tons.

The radio-controlled model "Admiral Kuznetsov" is a prototype of an operational ship of the Russian Navy, has an engine power of 1.5 kW, and has excellent performance. When the batteries are fully charged, the power reserve is up to 1.5 hours.

The model of the aircraft carrier measures 3 m in length and 80 cm in width (scale 1:100), and is advantageous in comparison with ready-made ones for salebench teamsmodelyamimade of plastic "Heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov» in scale 1:350(874x205 mm) or on a scale of 1:720 (425x100 mm).

Purpose of the tutorial- providing the necessary assistance to additional education teachers and schoolchildren in creating operating radio-controlled models of ships using the example of the aircraft carrier “Admiral Kuznetsov”.

Tasks:

Familiarization with materials and manufacturing technology of an aircraft carrier model;

Improving skills in working with tools;

Use of elements of design, electrical engineering, physical and mathematical knowledge.

Relevance benefits:creating a model of a powerful modern ship serves as a way to attract students to the Ship Modeling association.

Model of a heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser

"Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov"

Materials for work:

Wood, birch plywood (10 mm), blanks of bars of various sizes, slats 2-4 mm thick (of different lengths and widths, since they will be joined during the work), epoxy resin (10 kg), fiberglass (3 rolls) , car putty (4 kg), primer, wood impregnation, car paint, sanding sanding belt (paper), hot glue.

Tools:

Industrial stapler, jigsaw, grinding machine, drill (screwdriver), angle grinder (grinder), wire cutters, cutting tools (knives, saws), spatulas (rubber), heat gun.

Stages of work:

a) On the Internet we find drawings of a model of the aircraft-carrying cruiser “Admiral Kuznetsov”.

b) We increase the size of the drawings in accordance with the selected scale. We make templates of the main parts on paper. We transfer the templates to plywood. We cut out the blanks, process them with sandpaper, removing small chamfers along the edges and removing chips and burrs.

c) We put transverse frames on two longitudinal beams(Frame (Dutch spanthout, from spant - “rib” and hout - “tree”) - a transverse rib of a ship’s hull; a wooden or metal transverse element of rigidity for the hull of a ship or aircraft).

In the upper part of each frame there is a groove for fastening 2 load-bearing beams (each measuring 20x50x5000 mm). To connect the frames to the beam we use hot melt adhesive.

Interior view of the ship's hull with frames installed.

d) When the glue on the frames has dried, we begin to sheathe the sides with thin slats. The thickness of the material should be 0.8 - 1.2 mm, since only in this case we will be able to bend the skin parts without the risk of damaging them. We fix the covering strips with a stapler in the places where they come into contact with the frames.

The initial stage of work on the ship's plating:

We are completing the bow:

e) After covering the body, we remove unevenness and roughness of the slatted covering using a grinding machine. In places of the most pronounced defects and deflections, we apply a layer of wood putty in order to save epoxy resin.

Sealing the lath seams with a mixture of epoxy resin and sawdust:

f) Sanding the ship's hull after impregnating the fiberglass applied to the hull with epoxy resin:

and)Made from thinplywood deck superstructures, which include a ship control center, a radar station (radar), and a navigation control system.

Central control unit for the ship's progress:

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

1945	The leadership of the USSR agreed on a strategy for the further development of the country's Navy. The plans of the leadership of the Ministry of Defense did not include the construction of aircraft carriers. This position was categorically opposed by N.G. Kuznetsov (Commander-in-Chief of the Navy), who understood the importance and necessity of having aircraft carriers in service - weapons of the future, as he believed. Thanks to the efforts of the admiral, these ships were included in the design plans
1953	Kuznetsov was able to achieve understanding and through his efforts a plan for the development of a light aircraft carrier (code name “Project 85”) was approved. The main purpose of an aircraft carrier is to provide cover from attacks by enemy aircraft on ships at sea. The project involved the construction of 8 light aircraft carriers. The first two were supposed to be put into service by the end of 1960
1955	The Commander-in-Chief of the Navy N.G. Kuznetsov was dismissed. His place was taken by S.G. Gorshkov, who did not see the need for the development of aircraft-carrying ships. After all, the country’s leadership called aircraft carriers “weapons of Western imperialism”
60s of XX century	“Project 1123” is a trial use of anti-submarine cruisers for the aircraft carrier fleet. One cruiser could accommodate up to 14 KA-25 helicopters on its deck. After conducting full tests of the project, it became clear that helicopters cannot fully provide protection for ships in the event of an air attack
Second half of the 60s of the XX century	A plan was agreed upon and approved, which was based on the design of new ships with the ability to be placed on board aircraft with the possibility of vertical take-off. As a result, ships developed according to Project 1143 (Kyiv) appeared, equipped with Yak-38 aircraft. But, unfortunately, the Yak-38 aircraft was not equipped with technical and flight characteristics that would allow it to fully patrol the area around the ships and, if necessary, provide cover from enemy air attacks. As a result, three warships of the “Kiev” type, together with the TAKR (heavy aircraft carrier cruiser) of Project 114342 “Baku”, which, in fact, were an improved version of them, remained in the armed forces of the USSR as cruisers rather than aircraft carriers
1977	The development of aircraft carrier ships of Project 11435 began. One of the ships eventually received the name TAKR “Admiral Kuznetsov”

History and combat campaigns of the TAKR

January 20, 1991	The air cruiser "Admiral Kuznetsov" is assigned to serve in the Northern Fleet. On this day, the USSR naval flag was raised on board the ship
May 1991	The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov was assigned to the 30th division of surface ships of the Black Sea Fleet
December 1991	The cruiser "Kuznetsov" departed for its registration point in the village of Vidyaevo, Murmansk region. The route originated from the Black Sea, circumnavigating Europe
1993	Marked by the addition of SU-33 fighters to the aviation group of the ship
December 1994 - February 1995	Carrying out repair work on the main boilers of the Kuznetsov aircraft carrier
October 19, 1995	While preparing for flights on board the Admiral Kuznetsov, the Mi-8 helicopter crashed. During the raid, the aircraft was overturned due to strong winds. No damage to the ship was recorded
December 23, 1995	At the head of a detachment of twelve ships TAKR (Heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser), "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" entered combat service in the Mediterranean Sea. On board the cruiser was an air group consisting of 15 Su-33 aircraft, one Su-25UTG and 11 Ka-27 helicopters. During the voyage, the declared performance characteristics of the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov were checked. The Strait of Gibraltar was crossed after 10 days of travel
January 7, 1996	The cruiser TAVKR "Admiral Kuznetsov" anchored off the coast of Tunisia. During this stay - which lasted until January 17 - an exchange of visits was made with the US Navy, during which both Russian helicopters landed on an American aircraft carrier and American helicopters landed on the deck of the Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov. In addition, Russian pilots were transported on US two-seat carrier-based aircraft. Among other foreign guests, on January 7, 1996, the commander of the US 6th Fleet, Admiral Donald Pilling, visited the cruiser.
August 2000	The aircraft carrier Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov took an active part in major military exercises, subsequently participating in the operation to rescue the crew of the sunken submarine K-141 Kursk. As a result of this tragedy, the second military service trip to the Mediterranean Sea, which was supposed to take place at the end of 2000, was cancelled.
From 2001 to 2004	The cruiser was undergoing scheduled mid-term repairs. During which the performance characteristics of “Admiral Kuznetsov” were improved
September 27, 2004	As part of a group of 9 ships of the Northern Fleet, including the heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser "Peter the Great", the missile cruiser "Marshal Ustinov", the destroyer "Admiral Ushakov", the BOD "Severomorsk" and "Admiral Levchenko", the nuclear submarine K- 335 "Gepard" and support vessels, the aircraft carrier cruiser entered the North Atlantic. One of the main objectives of the exercises was to practice the interaction of ships when repelling attacks from a mock enemy and to train ship pilots when conducting flights from the deck. During this voyage, flight design tests of the Su-27KUB multi-role carrier-based aircraft were also carried out.
October 18, 2004	During the trip, an accident occurred with the Su-25UTG training aircraft. During landing, the trajectory was calculated incorrectly and there was a strong impact between the landing gear and the landing deck. As a result, one of the plane's landing gear broke, the plane was able to catch the landing hook on the aero arrestor cable and stopped the run
September 5, 2005	During a cruise in the North Atlantic, the cruiser-aircraft carrier Nikolai Kuznetsov suffered two emergency landings of Su-33 fighters due to a broken arrestor cable. The first fighter fell into the ocean and sank at a depth of 1,100 meters (the pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Yuri Korneev, managed to eject), the second plane stayed on the deck. It was planned to destroy the sunken plane with depth charges due to the presence of secret equipment (for example, a “friend or foe” identification system), but it turned out that due to the great depth this was impossible to do. The Navy command expects that the sunken Su-33 will collapse on its own
From December 17, 2013 to May 17, 2014	The aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov" made a new trip to military service in the Mediterranean Sea with a call at the material and technical base of the Russian Navy in the port of Tartus (Syria). Deputy Commander of the Northern Fleet, Rear Admiral Viktor Sokolov, raised his flag on the cruiser. While in the Mediterranean Sea, the Russian heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov operated together with the flagship Pyotr Velikiy. During this cruise, the pilots of the 279th Naval Aviation Regiment acquired significant practical experience in conducting flights from the deck of an aircraft-carrying cruiser on the high seas, completing more than 350 sorties with a total stay in the air of about 300 hours
November 15, 2016	The TAKR air group "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" began combat sorties against ISIS in the Syrian Republic
January 6, 2017	It has been officially decided to reduce the number of Russian armed forces on the territory of the Syrian Republic. This also meant the return home of the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier.
February 8, 2017	The Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov stopped at its home port of Severomorsk, having completed a long-distance combat voyage. This military campaign lasted about 4 months, covering about 18 thousand nautical miles. Having completed the combat cruise, the heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser "Peter the Great" and the aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov" fired a real naval salute of 15 artillery shots

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.

P-700 "Granit" (3M45) - anti-ship missile system on the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier

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".

The aft section of the flight deck of the Admiral Kuznetsov during a combat campaign in 1995-1996

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

Aviation, LA	50…52
Su-33 and MiG-29K fighters or Su-25UTG attack aircraft	26…28
Helicopters RLD Ka-34	4
Helicopters Ka-27 and Ka-29 (including Ka-27PS)	18 (2)
Percussion	PKRP "Granit-NK"
P-700 missiles, pcs.	12
Vertical launch units SM-233, pcs.	12
Anti-aircraft missile	SAM "Dagger"
Vertical launch units SM-9, pcs.	24x8
SAM 9M330-2, pcs.	192
Anti-aircraft missile and artillery	ZRAK "Dirk"
Number of installations, pcs	8
SAM 9M311-1, pcs.	256
30 mm shells, pcs.	48000
Artillery	ZAK AK-630M
Number of installations, pcs	6
Anti-submarine/anti-torpedo	RBU-12000 "Boa Constrictor-1"

Electronic weapons

BIUS	"Lumberjack"
General detection radar	PLC "Mars-Passat", 4 PAR
NLC detection radar	2хМР-360 "Podkat"
NC detection radar	3xMP-212 “Vaigach”
GAS	GAS MGK-355 "Polynom-T", GAS MGK-365 "Zvezda-M1", anti-sabotage GAS MG-717 "Amulet", GAS "Altyn", ZPS MG-35 "Shtil", GAS MG-355TA
Electronic warfare equipment	"Constellation-RB"
Complexes of fired interference	2x2 PK-2 launchers (ZiF-121), 4x10 PK-10 “Brave” launchers
Fire control radar	2x “Coral-BN”, 4 control radars for the Kinzhal 3R95 air defense missile system, 4 control podules for the 3R86 “Kortik” air defense missile system
Navigation complex	"Beysur"
Radio navigation aids	"Resistor K-4", "Lawn"
Means of communication	Buran-2 complex, Kristall-BK space communications complex

Commanders

From the moment of launching to the present day, the heavy aircraft carrier cruiser "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" was 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