Russia to upgrade country’s only aircraft carrier
Russia plans to upgrade its only operating aircraft carrier, the Northern Fleet’s “Admiral Kuznetsov”, Russian media reports. The vessel is due to enter a dry dock in 2012 and to be re-launched in 2017.
The full-scale modernization of the aircraft carrier will take place at the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk, Arkhangelsk Oblast, web site Lenta.ru reports, citing Interfaks.
According to the information, the aircraft carrier will get new weapons systems and new radio electronic equipment. The hangar deck will also be expanded.
“Admiral Kuznetsov” is the flag carrier of the Russian Navy. She was built in Ukraine and launched in 1985. The carrier was intended to be the lead ship of her class, but the only other ship of her class, Varyag, has never been commissioned and was sold to the People’s Republic of China by Ukraine under the condition she would never be refitted for combat.
The carrier’s air wing currently consists of multirole Su-33 fighter aircrafts. After the modernization the air wing is to consist of 26 new MiG-29K multirole fighter aircrafts, RIA Novosti writes.
The aircraft carrier’s propulsion unit comprising steam turbines and turbo-pressurized boilers will be replaced either with a gas-turbine or nuclear propulsion unit, according to RIA Novosti.
The plan is to complete the modernization by 2017, but the time schedule might be altered, Lenta.ru writes. The overhaul of the aircraft carrier “Admiral Gorshkov” for the Indian Navy started in 2004 and was planned to be finished by 2008. In 2010 the schedule was moved to 2012-2013.
