Russian Carrier Admiral Kuznetsov Returns to Service

23.08.2012 Murmansk branch of JSC Zvezdochka Ship Repair Center has completed technical recovery works on Northern Fleet (NF) aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov. On Thursday, Aug 23 the ship was recommissioned into Russian Navy.

The carrier (project name was Sovetsky Soyuz) was laid down at Chernomorsky Shipyard in Nikolayev on Sept 1, 1982 having original name of Riga and launched on Dec 4, 1985 under the name of Leonid Brezhnev. On Aug 11, 1987 she was renamed into Tbilisi and on Oct 4, 1990 the carrier changed the name for Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov. The ship joined Northern Fleet on Jan 20, 1991.

Performance

Speed: 29 knots
Endurance: 45 days
Crew: 1,960 men
Steam turbines power: 4 x 50,000 hp
Turbo generators power: 9 x 1,500 kW
Diesel generators power: 6 x 1,500 kW

Dimensions

Length: 302.3 meters
Length at waterline: 270 meters
Beam: 72.3 meters
Beam at waterline: 35.4 meters
Draft: 9.14 meters
Standard displacement: 43,000 tons
Full displacement: 55,000 tons
Maximum displacement: 58,600 tons

Armament

The carrier is armed with missile launchers (12 antiship missiles Granit and 60 ASW rockets Udav-1), SAM system Klinok (192 missiles, 24 launchers) and CIW system Kashtan (256 missiles). The ship carries up to 24 multipurpose helicopters Ka-27, up to 16 supersonic VTOL multirole airplanes Yak-41M and up to 12 deck-based fighters Su-27K.