Following a tumultuous refit fraught with incidents, the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov finally exited the drydock at the Sevmorput Naval Shipyard in Murmansk in late February 2023, signaling another phase in Russia’s long struggle with naval aviation. The Kuznetsov’s departure is a striking symbol of Russia’s persistent challenges in maintaining and upgrading its sole carrier — a vessel that has been as much a source of embarrassment as national pride.
Despite technological obsolescence and a history of mishaps, Admiral Kuznetsov’s saga underscores Russia’s steadfast refusal to decommission the ship without a viable replacement. According to the official media outlet of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Zvezda, the carrier was moved from drydock with all work on the underwater part of the ship reported complete. The exact details of this work, however, remain unspecified.
This development follows an arduous journey for the Kuznetsov, which began its overhaul in 2017 after its first and only combat deployment to Syria. The carrier’s overhaul, originally slated to be completed by 2020, was repeatedly delayed due to a series of unfortunate events, including the sinking of Russia’s largest floating drydock, PD-50, and a significant fire that further hampered the refit efforts. Russia now aims to complete this overhaul by 2024 to extend the service life of the vessel for another decade or more.
The history of Russian carrier-based aviation has been punctuated by a litany of underperforming aircraft, from the Yak-38s on the decks of Soviet Kiev-class carriers, which suffered from mechanical issues and underwhelming combat capabilities to the limited effectiveness of the Su-33, hamstrung by the Kuznetsov’s smaller size compared to its U.S. counterparts. The MiG-29Ks, acquired by the Indian Navy, also experienced serviceability issues, despite being a more recent endeavor by Russia to project naval air power.
Although the Russian Navy once harbored ambitions for a new aircraft carrier, the so-called Project 23000E or ‘Shtorm’, financial and strategic limitations have cast doubt on the feasibility of such a project. Russia’s economic constraints and the substantial resources dedicated to the war in Ukraine have raised questions about the prioritization of a carrier with no role in the current conflict. Indeed, critics have scrutinized the decision to continue investing in the Kuznetsov, particularly in the face of more pressing military and national security needs.
Furthermore, the series of calamities that have befallen the Kuznetsov, including recurrent fires and accidents, highlight the operational challenges faced by the Russian Navy. The carrier has been so unreliable that it has been accompanied by an ocean-going tug in case of emergencies. Yet, despite these setbacks, the persistence of the overhaul project signals a continued Russian commitment to the idea of carrier aviation — a commitment that seems at odds with the prevailing wisdom in naval warfare circles.
The troubled history of the carrier and the aircraft it has hosted speaks volumes about the challenges inherent in developing a robust carrier aviation program — challenges that, for Russia, remain largely unmet.
Relevant articles:
– Aircraft carriers aren’t the Russian navy’s only problem. It has also struggled for decades to build jets for them., Business Insider
– Russia’s Disaster-Plagued Aircraft Carrier Finally Left Its Drydock, thedrive.com
– The Slow Death of Russia’s Only Aircraft Carrier — Admiral Kuznetsov, Medium
– Russia Had Big Dreams to Replace the Admiral Kuznetsov Aircraft Carrier, The National Interest