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Admiral Kuznetsov: Russia’s Struggling Naval Giant Amidst Modern Challenges

During the Cold War, even an imposing Soviet navy relied on heavy cruisers armed with surface-to-surface missiles as its principal strike punch. While a U.S. Navy strategy focused squarely on the offensive powers of aircraft carriers and their air wings, for the Soviet Union, it was different. They saw their “heavy aircraft cruisers” as defensive, to protect their submarines and cruisers.

The aircraft carriers of the Soviet Union did not carry any catapults and arresting gear; hence, they could operate only helicopters and vertical takeoff and landing jets like the Yak-38. The powers of American aircraft carriers, though, did not remain very far from the attention of the Soviet Union as well. In multiple instances of conflicts, such as Desert Storm, the Soviets felt that their forces were in dire need of even more advanced sea-based air power.

In April 1982, the Soviet Union launched a new breed of warship from the Nicolayev Shipyard in Ukraine. It was originally named Riga, but by the time the warship slipped into the water, it had been renamed several times to its final designation: Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov, more commonly referred to as Admiral Kuznetsov. It was named after Nikolai Kuznetsov, a Hero of the Soviet Union who played an integral role in stemming the Nazi advance during World War II. The ship was one of the most major jumps in Soviet naval capability.

By the time Admiral Kuznetsov joined the fleet, it was already an advanced and multi-mission capable vessel. Unlike the American catapult-equipped carriers, Kuznetsov employed a ski-jump ramp to launch its fixed-wing jets. The system, though effective, did practically reduce the level of sortie generation that the ship could achieve against its American counterparts. American carriers were able to launch several jets at once, while Kuznetsov was capable of only one at a time because of the limitations in the ski-jump layout.

Kuznetsov’s air wing included Su-33 fighters that could perform combat air patrol, and close air support, among other tasks. The ship was also fitted with Kamov Ka-27 helicopters to perform anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, as well as transportation. In addition to the air group, Kuznetsov had an overall complement of 12 P-700 Granit anti-ship cruise missiles rather significant offensive capability not shared by American carriers.

The operational history of Kuznetsov has, however, been problem-ridden. The ship conventionally uses mazut, a low-quality, heavy fuel oil. Mazut’s use creates a big problem. For instance, it leaves a visible trail of black smoke – a tactical disadvantage and also a health hazard for the crew. Poor quality fuel and unsatisfactory preheating practices have led to frequent maintenance problems and operational inefficiencies.

The first deployment of the ship in 1995 was abruptly curtailed because its water evaporators failed and had to anchor off Tartus, Syria. The subsequent deployments were also plagued by mechanical failures and accidents. A Su-33 fighter jet once accidentally taxied off the flight deck, and another incident involved a major fire that substantially ravaged the ship.

The situation has lately grown worse. A spate of mishaps-from the sinking of a dry dock to a series of continues to thwart the overhaul and modernization process of the ship. This has sincerely raised questions about Kuznetsov’s future, as projections for its service return are pushed back time and again.

The Kuznetsov depicts broader issues within the Russian military and industrial complex. The eventual fall of the Soviet Union and resultant economic struggles have had a long-lasting impact on Russia’s ability to maintain, let alone modernize, its military assets. Where once the pride of Soviet power lay, the Russian Navy today faces significant challenges in terms of sustaining operational capability.

The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has stretched Russia’s resources even thinner and made the inadequacies of its military infrastructure very apparent. Likewise, the Ukrainian shipyard that built Kuznetsov constructed her sister ship. 

New aircraft carrier projects are complicated to be developed in Russia. The ambitious Project 23000E “Shtorm” a nuclear-powered supercarrier-now has an uncertain future because of both economic constraints and technological challenges. Similarly, Project 23900 Ivan Rogov-class amphibious assault ships are in development but plagued by delays and production issues foisted by Western sanctions and the ongoing conflict.

Other ways of modernizing the Russian Navy have involved both refitting previous-generation platforms and introducing newer ones. Major refits for Kirov-class battlecruisers, such as Admiral Nakhimov, have been conducted, while the construction of new ships, including frigates of the Admiral Gorshkov class and the many classes of corvettes, has been much slower. Major supply chain problems, especially relying on Ukrainian-built engines, have also complicated matters.

The ambition of being a naval actor is not restricted to aircraft carriers only. The new doctrine highlights the control of strategic routes in the Northern Sea Route, which will be very vital for future oil and gas extractions. This leading role of NATO is seen as a major threat where military presence has to be increased in the Arctic and also other strategic areas. The feasibility of these ambitions is yet to be placed under question marks due to the economic and logistical challenges Russia faces.

The story of Admiral Kuznetsov is one of ambition and adversity-a tale of both the aspirations and the struggles that have afflicted the Russian Navy. Poor maintenance, inadequate infrastructure, and a series of misfortunes-considering its impressive design and capabilities hobbled this ship. The future of Kuznetsov would likely remain unclear in an economic and geopolitically problematic Russia. Whether it will ever return to sea as a fully operational carrier speaks to the broader uncertainties now facing the Russian military.

However, this significantly constrains the grand naval plans of Russia. Considering all the challenges regarding the modernization and development of the fleet, in addition to the economic burden of the conflict in Ukraine and international sanctions, all have taken their toll on the capability of the Russian navy. Projects such as the Shtorm supercarrier and vessels of the Ivan Rogov class underscore the ambition of military power projection; whether they will ever be built given the geopolitical environment is highly doubtful.

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