New aircraft carrier may be launched by 2020 – Vysotsky

01.03.2010
Russian lead aircraft carrier could be built and launched by 2020, said Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky, Navy Commander-in-Chief on Friday at the conference on 100th anniversary of Admiral Sergei Gorshkov.

Development work is in progress, technical project with ship's basic characteristics will be elaborated by the end of 2010 and then detailed design work will start. The ship will become an element of national missile, air and space defense, explained Vysotsky.

It will be quite difficult to build the carrier under financing of state defense order so a special Federal purpose-oriented program will be needed for aircraft carrier construction, he added.

Vice Admiral Konstantin Sidenko, Pacific Fleet Commander said in 2008 that a new aircraft carrier would be commissioned into PF within nearest 10 years which development program had been already approved by the government and the president. In April 2009 General of the Army Vladimir Popovkin, Deputy Minister of Defense stated that conclusive profile of the carrier would be determined by 2012. Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky, Navy Commander-in-Chief said in July 2009 that it is prospectless to build "just aircraft carrying vessels" so Russia plans to construct naval aviation systems which would include space, aircraft and naval components.

Source: RusNavy.com, photo: the only Russia's aircraft carrier Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov (paradoxoff.com)