Admiral Kuznetsov ship. Air cruiser "Admiral Kuznetsov": drawing, performance characteristics, combat campaigns

In the spring of 1982, the first “real” aircraft carrier was laid down in Nikolaev. The Project 1143.5 aircraft carrier was laid down under the name “Riga”; November 26, 1982 renamed “Leonid Brezhnev”; sea ​​trials in 1987 it took place under the name “Tbilisi”; entered service as "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov". Although it retained the project number of the first aircraft-carrying ship, Kuznetsov has little in common with it, with the exception of its power plant

Its architecture acquired a more “aircraft carrier” appearance: a continuous flight deck (75 m wide) with a springboard, an arresting device and an emergency barrier, and two on-board aircraft elevators. “The Island” remained almost the same. Surface structural protection was improved, autonomy was increased, and underwater hull protection was installed.

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"Admiral Kuznetsov" - heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser of Project 1143.5

"Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" - heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser of Project 1143.5

In the spring of 1982, the first “real” aircraft carrier was laid down in Nikolaev. The Project 1143.5 aircraft carrier was laid down under the name “Riga”; November 26, 1982 renamed “Leonid Brezhnev”; sea ​​trials in 1987 it took place under the name “Tbilisi”; entered service as "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov". Although it retained the project number of the first aircraft-carrying ship, Kuznetsov has little in common with it, with the exception of its power plant. Its architecture acquired a more “aircraft carrier” appearance: a continuous flight deck (75 m wide) with a springboard, an arresting device and an emergency barrier, and two on-board aircraft elevators. “The Island” remained almost the same. Surface structural protection was improved, autonomy was increased, and underwater hull protection was installed.

The PTZ system has a depth of 4.5 m and consists of three chambers: expansion, absorption (filled with fuel), and filtration. Between the last two there is a protective bulkhead of variable thickness, made of high-strength ductile steel Ak-25. Steam TPAs ​​are similar to those installed on the Baku.
According to the project, the air group was supposed to consist of 24 carrier-based aircraft and 42 helicopters, but the regular number of aircraft was not achieved due to lack of funds. Aircraft landing control was provided by the Luna optical system. In the bow of the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov there are 12 under-deck launchers for P-700 Granit strike cruise missiles. Four six-missile modules of the Kinzhal air defense system are located in the bow and stern on the side sponsons.

The ship's defense is provided by 8 Kortik anti-aircraft artillery systems, 6-30 mm AK-630M gun mounts, and 2 Udav anti-torpedo defense systems. In parallel with the construction of the ship, development of deck aircraft for it and aviation technical equipment was underway. In Crimea, at the Novo-Fedorovka airfield, a training ground with a steel airfield in the form of a ship’s deck was built, called “Nitka”. In the summer of 1982, it carried out the first takeoffs of the Su-27 and MiG-29 from a ground jump at an angle of 8.5 degrees. A year later, testing of the Svetlana-2 aero arresting device began. On September 1, 1984, the first Su-27 landing took place using an arresting aid.
In 1985, conventional aircraft began to take off from a steeper ramp (angle of 14 degrees), adopted for TAKR. On September 1, 1989, test pilot Viktor Pugachev made the first landing on the deck of the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov. On the same day, test pilot Takhtar Aubakirov took off from the ship on a MiG-29 aircraft. Before the completion of state tests of the ship, more than 300 flights were performed from it. However, combat pilots began to master the deck of the Kuznetsov much later.

01/20/1991 "Kuznetsov" became part of the Northern Fleet. The state's declining economy significantly complicated and delayed the development of the ship, the equipping of its air group with serial Su-27K fighters and the training of flight crews. Only in 1993 did the aircraft intended for the aircraft carrier arrive in the Northern Fleet, and only the following year was it possible to train ten combat ship pilots.
At the end of August 1995, they made their first landings on a TAKR, and in September, Kuznetsov took part in fleet exercises, during which the practical development of its aircraft weapons began.
As for the basing problem, it remained unresolved. True, a floating pier was built for Kuznetsov in Ura Guba, but they could not build a coastal power station and a boiler house. To ensure its life, the ship has to constantly “drive” two main boilers.

Even during the operation of “Kyiv” in the North, one interesting feature became clear. The aircraft-carrying ship has a huge upper deck, which is actively cooled during cold times (eight months of the year). Since the heating system in the harsh conditions of the Arctic fails to cope with its responsibilities, condensation constantly forms, causing corrosion of decks, bulkheads, cable routes, and failure of devices. In addition to premature aging of ships, low temperatures and high humidity significantly worsen the living conditions of the crew. So, on the Kuznetsov, in the cockpits located at the ends of the ship, the temperature in winter does not rise above 10-12 degrees.

Tactical and technical characteristics of the aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov"
Displacement 55,000 (70,500) tons
Dimensions 304.5 x 38 x 10.5 m

Four-shaft power plant power 200,000 hp: 4 PT
Speed ​​32 knots

Cruising range 8000 miles at 18 knots

Armament: 12 Granit anti-ship missile launchers, 4 Kinzhal air defense missile systems, 8 Kortik missile launchers, 6-30 mm AK-630M assault rifles, 2 RBU-12000
Air group (March 1996) 15 Su-27K fighters, 1 Su-25UTG, 11 Ka-27 helicopters, 1 Ka-31 helicopter

The current structure of the navy practically does not include the presence of aircraft-carrying ships. There are specific reasons for this, the main one being the financial component. The costs of maintaining and repairing such ships are enormous, so there is only one representative on the territory of the Russian Federation, bearing the name “Admiral Kuznetsov”.

Even during the times of the Soviet Union, there were many more such cruisers. However, after the collapse of the USSR, the cruisers were territorially divided by the newly formed states. But the lack of funding led to the loss of all ships except the Admiral Kuznetsov. Three ships were sold to China, where to this day they serve as entertainment facilities for the population and tourists. Another ship was sent to South Korea, another to India.

History of creation

The design of an aircraft-carrying cruiser began in 1978. Initially, its purpose was to provide a take-off and landing site for traditional aircraft.

Construction of the aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov"

However, during the development process, adjustments were constantly made to the plan, which ultimately led to the creation of five different projects that met the requirements of the Ministry of Defense and Navy leaders. One of the projects had a clear difference - the use of missile weapons located inside the hull on the cruiser. Thanks to this difference, the project was subsequently approved in 1982, after which construction of the Admiral Kuznetsov immediately began.

Deck of the aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov"

The construction of the ship took place using new developments, one of which was the assembly of the ship’s hull from blocks, the weight of which on average was 1,500 tons. The deck, which serves as a “runway”, was also enlarged, and the catapults typical for this type of ship were replaced by a springboard.

Construction was completed in 1989, after which testing began immediately. The cruiser's performance was normal, so already at the beginning of 1991 it became part of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Federation.

History of the name

“Admiral Kuznetsov” is not the first name of the ship; it was preceded by three more options. The first is “Riga”, which was assigned during construction. But after his death, they decide to rename the ship in his honor. “Leonid Brezhnev” is the second name.

The aircraft carrier is named after Admiral Nikolai Kuznetsov

The third appeared in 1989 before the cruiser went to sea - Tbilisi, which served it until 1990. Afterwards, the aircraft-carrying cruiser was renamed for the fourth time, and this name has been preserved to this day - “Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov” or abbreviated as “Admiral Kuznetsov”.

Armament

The armament of the Admiral Kuznetsov deserves special attention. The basis of the cruiser is the Granit anti-ship missile complex. Twelve-sided missiles are located in silo-type launchers. The missiles reach a distance of 550 kilometers, weighing 750 kilograms each. The cruiser is also equipped with two rocket launchers, each containing 60 depth charges.

And yet this is not the main weapon of an aircraft carrier. The basis is made up of combat aircraft located on a ship of 50 pieces, 50% of which are fighters, the remaining half are helicopters. However, in practice the number is reduced to 37 units.

If we talk about anti-aircraft weapons, then they should be classified into 3 types:

1. The presence of a missile and artillery complex, which includes 256 missiles reaching a distance of up to 8,000 meters, and 48,000 shells with a flight range of up to 4,000 meters.
2. The presence of an anti-aircraft missile system, which includes 192 missiles reaching a distance of up to 12,000 meters.
3. The presence of rapid-fire installations, which include 48,000 shells.

The ship is also equipped with additional equipment aimed at detecting danger or providing communication with the central control apparatus.

Comparison with competitors

Besides Russia, by 2017 the United States occupies the leading position in weapons on the water, and China is rapidly increasing its military potential. Therefore, to make an accurate comparison, we will consider representatives of the aircraft carriers of each country. From the USA - the Nimitz model, from China - the Liaoning.

Of course, the main task of an aircraft-carrying cruiser is to make maximum use of them in the event of war. Moreover, there are also several options here: in the presence of a weakly armed enemy and in a war on a large scale.

To compare the performance of three aircraft carriers in the presence of a weak enemy, the best approach is to analyze their integral indices:

1. The cruiser "Admiral Kuznetsova" has an index of 0.3.
2. The cruiser Nimitz has an index of 0.35.
3. The cruiser Liaoning has an index of 0.27.

In a large-scale war:

1. The cruiser "Admiral Kuznetsova" has an index of 0.25.
2. The cruiser Nimitz has an index of 0.28.
3. The cruiser Liaoning has an index of 0.21.

Thus, a comparative analysis shows that Russian and Chinese ships are inferior in both respects to their American counterparts.

Another important factor for analysis is the duration of the battle until the supplies on the ship are completely consumed. “Nimitz” in this case can withstand a week, “Admiral Kuznetsov” - five to six days, “Liaoning” is theoretically also capable of withstanding an average of five days. Once again, Nimitz takes the lead.

The conclusion, of course, is obvious, and the American aircraft carrier has a number of advantages over the Russian one; it is more functional and prepared. But still, it is impossible to make an unambiguous assessment, since not everything depends on the ship; the fighters stationed on it play a big role.

Participation in hikes since 1995

The cruiser's first voyage took place in 1995. However, it almost turned into a tragedy as the ship was caught in stormy weather, resulting in heavy damage.

A new exit to the Mediterranean Sea was supposed to take place in 2000. But due to the tragedy of the underwater Kursk, the plans were canceled. The next stage was a trip to the North Atlantic, which took place in 2004. During the cruise, the cruiser carried out combat service.

The crew of the cruiser "Admiral Kuznetsov" in the 90s

2007 - the aircraft carrier makes its second trip to the Mediterranean Sea and is stationed there for two months. Afterwards, the ship was awaiting scheduled repairs, during which most of the devices were modernized.

In 2011, the aircraft carrier sailed to Syria, where it reached the logistics point of the Russian Navy. Then there was another exit to the Mediterranean Sea in 2014, after which the cruiser went for further repair work.

"Smoke" of the cruiser

Recently, photos of “smoke” on the Admiral Kuznetsov appeared in the media, which raised many controversial issues and concerns about the emergency condition of the ship. However, experts immediately provided a “haze” declaration.

Smoke from the aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov"

According to them, the cruiser “smoke” due to the fuel oil used as fuel. Confirmation also arrived about the combat readiness of the Admiral Kuznetsov. Thus, the resulting “haze” on an aircraft carrier is nothing more than the cost of using fuel oil as fuel.

Of course, the smoke from the cruiser caused a lot of jokes among foreign and Russian Internet users. Someone identified the ship as a “smoker”, others considered it a “steam locomotive”.

The noise raised around this issue attracted such attention that photos and video materials confirming the “black haze” appeared on social networks and resources available to Internet users. For example, on the YouTube web resource you can see with your own eyes the passage of a cruiser through the English Channel.

The heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser, project 11435, known in the west as the Kuznetsov class, Orel class or type 11435, was built at the Black Sea Shipyard in Nikolaev. The project is developed on the basis of the previous TAKR "Admiral Gorshkov" (formerly "Baku"), Project 11434, which was laid down in 1982, but exceeds it in displacement (58,500 tons compared to 40,000 tons) and has a slightly lower speed (30 knots). compared to 32 for Admiral Gorshkov.

The aircraft carrier "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" (project 1143.5) was laid down in 1985, and the second ship of the same type, "Varyag" - in 1988, but its construction was not completed.

Project 1143.5 can support ballistic missile submarines, surface ships and naval missile-carrying aircraft of the Russian fleet. The ship can hit surface, underwater and air targets.

Aircraft weapons:

The flight deck area is 14,700 square meters and the flight deck is equipped with a runway located at an angle of 12 degrees. The flight deck is equipped with aerial speakers. Two lifts deliver aircraft from the hangar to the flight deck.

The ship has the capacity and service capacity for 16 Yak-41M aircraft (known under the NATO code name "Freestyle") and 12 Su-27K (Su-33) aircraft (NATO code name "Flanker") included in the aircraft formation and the helicopter formation including 4 Ka-27LD (NATO code name Helix), 18 Ka-27PLO and 2 Ka-27S.

Missile weapons

The ship is equipped with Granit (surface-to-surface) anti-ship missiles and has 12 launchers. In the West, Granit missiles are known under the code name "Shipwreck" and have a range of over 400 kilometers.

Anti-aircraft missile and artillery weapons include Blade anti-aircraft missiles with 24 vertical launchers and 192 missiles. This system protects the ship from anti-ship missiles, aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles and surface ships. Control is carried out using a multi-channel electronically controlled phased array radar. The system includes a control system, a below-deck launcher with four drum-type launch modules, each of which has 8 missiles and surface-to-air missiles in a container launcher. The system can achieve a launch rate of 1 missile every 3 seconds. Four targets can be attacked simultaneously in a 60 x 60 degree sector. The destruction range is 12-15 kilometers.

The Kashtan anti-aircraft system, manufactured by the Tula Machine-Building Plant, has 4 command and 8 combat modules with 256 anti-aircraft missiles. The system provides protection against “precision” weapons, including anti-ship and anti-radar missiles, airplanes, helicopters and small sea targets. The range of the missiles is 1.5 - 8 kilometers. The guns can fire at a rate of fire of up to 1000 rounds per minute at a range of 0.5 - 1.5 kilometers. Anti-aircraft guns - AK630 AD.

Anti-submarine weapons

The ship is equipped with the Udav-1 anti-submarine defense system with 60 anti-submarine missiles. Boa Constrictor-1, supplied by the Splav Research and Production Association, protects surface ships by distracting and destroying enemy torpedoes. The system also provides protection against submarines, midget submarines and sabotage devices such as underwater motorcycles. The system has 10 sections and is capable of firing 111SG deep-seated rockets, laying minefields (111СЗ) and using distracting shells (111СО). The range is up to 3000 meters horizontally and up to 600 meters in depth.

Acoustic and radar equipment

The ship's radars include an air and sea target detection radar, a low-flying target detection radar (detects low-flying aircraft and missiles), a flight control radar, a navigation radar and four fire control radars for the Kashtan air defense system.

Shipborne sonar equipment includes a weapon detection and control sonar located in the ship's hull, operating at medium and low frequencies, capable of detecting torpedoes and submarines. The ship's anti-submarine aircraft are equipped with surface target search radar, submersible sonars, submersible buoys and magnetic anomaly detectors.

Ship electronic systems

The ship's electronic systems include a combat information center and a combat air tracking system. The ship has a navigation system and communications equipment, including satellite communications.

Ride quality

The ship is equipped with 8 boilers and 4 steam turbines, each with a power of 50,000 hp, rotating 4 shafts with fixed-diameter propellers. The maximum speed is 29 knots, the cruising range at maximum speed is 3800 miles. The maximum cruising range at 18 knots is 8,500 miles.

Equipment

The ship's crew numbers 1,960 people, including 200 officers. The ship is also staffed by 626 people. flight crew, including 40 people. command staff. The ship's 3,857 accommodations include 387 cabins, 134 crew quarters with 50 showers, 6 dining rooms, 120 storage spaces and 6,000 meters of corridors and walkways.

Project 1143.5 heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser

Previous names - in order of assignment:

- “Leonid Brezhnev” (launching),

- “Tbilisi” (tests)

The only one in the Russian Navy in its class (as of 2015). Designed to destroy large surface targets and defend naval formations from attacks by a potential enemy.

Named in honor of Nikolai Gerasimovich Kuznetsov, Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union.

Built in Nikolaev, at the Black Sea Shipyard.

Part of the Northern Fleet. During cruises, the cruiser is based on Su-25UTG and Su-33 aircraft of the 279th naval fighter aviation regiment (based airfield - Severomorsk-3) and helicopters Ka-27 and Ka-29 of the 830th separate naval anti-submarine helicopter regiment (based airfield - Severomorsk-1).

Construction

The fifth heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser of the USSR, Riga, was laid down on the slipway of the Black Sea Shipyard on September 1, 1982. It differed from its predecessors in that it was for the first time capable of taking off and landing traditional aircraft, modified versions of the land-based Su-27, MiG-29 And Su-25. To achieve this, it had a significantly enlarged flight deck and a springboard for aircraft take-off. Construction for the first time in the USSR was carried out using a progressive method of forming a hull from large blocks weighing up to 1400 tons.

Even before the completion of assembly, after the death of Leonid Brezhnev, on November 22, 1982, the cruiser was renamed in his honor to “Leonid Brezhnev”. The launch took place on December 4, 1985, after which its completion continued afloat.

Loading and installation of weapons on the aircraft carrier (except for the zonal block of launchers of the Granit anti-ship missile complex), electrical equipment, aviation equipment, ventilation and air conditioning systems, as well as equipment of the premises took place afloat, during the completion of the ship at the Northern embankment of the Big Bucket.

On August 11, 1987, it was renamed “Tbilisi”. On June 8, 1989, its mooring tests began, and on September 8, 1989, the crew began settling in. On October 21, 1989, the unfinished and understaffed ship was put out to sea, where it conducted a series of flight tests of aircraft intended to be based on board. During these tests, the first takeoffs and landings of aircraft on it were carried out. On November 1, 1989, the first landings of the MiG-29K, Su-27K and Su-25UTG were carried out. The first takeoff from it was made by the MiG-29K on the same day and the Su-25UTG and Su-27K the next day, November 2, 1989. After the end of the test cycle, on November 23, 1989 he returned to the plant for completion. In 1990, she went to sea many times to conduct factory and state tests.

On October 4, 1990, it was renamed once again (4th) and became known as “Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov.”

Specifications

Dimensions

Length - 305.0 m
-Waterline length - 270 meters
-Maximum width - 72 meters
-Waterline width - 35.0 m
-Draft - 10.0 m
-Standard displacement - 43 thousand tons
-Full displacement - 55 thousand tons
-Maximum displacement - 58.6 thousand tons

Power plant

Steam turbines - 4 x 50 thousand horsepower
-Number of boilers - 8
-Number of screws - 4
-Power of turbogenerators - 9 x 1500 kilowatts
-Maximum speed - 29 knots
- Cruising range at maximum speed - 3850 miles at a speed of 29 knots
-Economic speed - 18 knots
-Maximum cruising range - 8000 miles at a speed of 18 knots
-Autonomy - 45 days

Armament

As of 2014, the air wing includes 20 airplanes and 17 helicopters.