Aircraft carrier admiral blacksmiths how much gold it contains. Heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov: history of creation and characteristics. Technical characteristics of this cruiser

Armament

Ships of the same type

general information

The first Soviet aircraft carrier designed for conventional takeoff and landing aircraft (previous types of aircraft carrier were intended for vertical takeoff aircraft). Named in honor of the admiral of the fleet of the Soviet Union Nikolai Gerasimovich Kuznetsov. Built in the city of Nikolaev, at the Black Sea shipyard.

Currently, the ship houses the Su-25UTG and Su-33 aircraft of the 279th separate shipborne fighter aviation regiment (OKIAP), as well as the MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB of the 100th OKIAP (the airfield 279 and 100 OKIAP - Severomorsk-3 ), Ka-27 and Ka-29 helicopters of the 830th separate shipborne anti-submarine helicopter regiment (based airfield - Severomorsk-1).

History of creation

Prerequisites for creation

According to the plan for the development of the Navy approved by the government of the USSR in 1945, the construction of aircraft carriers in the USSR was not envisaged. NG Kuznetsov, who at that time held the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, managed to achieve the inclusion of ships of this class only in the design plan. In 1953, Kuznetsov approved a project to create a light aircraft carrier (Project 85) for the air defense of the fleet on the high seas. It was planned to build at least eight such ships, and the first of them was supposed to enter service already in 1960. But in 1955, N.G. Kuznetsov fell into disgrace and was removed from the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. Instead, the chair of commander-in-chief was taken by S.G. Gorshkov, who in many ways did not share the ideas of his predecessor regarding the development of the Navy.

Although aircraft carriers have proven themselves excellently in the naval battles of World War II, since then there has been great progress in both anti-ship and naval anti-aircraft weapons. The relatively successful operations of the American aircraft carrier formations in Korea and Vietnam took place under test conditions, without enemy opposition from the sea. In fact, aircraft carriers in these conflicts served as mobile air bases for attacks on ground targets, which did not in any way prove their possible usefulness in sea battles. This gave the Soviet leadership the basis in the development of the fleet to rely on cruisers and submarines armed with missiles, declaring aircraft carriers "weapons of Western imperialism."

The "first swallows" of the Soviet aircraft carrier fleet were Project 1123 anti-submarine cruisers, which had an air group of fourteen Ka-25 helicopters on board. However, the capabilities of helicopters did not allow organizing full-fledged air support for sea operations with their help, so it was decided to develop new ships designed for the use of vertical take-off and landing aircraft. The heavy aircraft-carrying cruisers of Project 1143 (of the "Kiev" type) became such ships. Having received powerful missile weapons, these cruisers carried a small air group, the tasks of which remained rather auxiliary. In addition, the Yak-38 carrier-based aircraft, being the first serial VTOL aircraft of the Soviet Union, was distinguished by low flight data, and due to its small dimension and weight, it was severely limited in combat load and range. In addition, being an attack aircraft by designation, the Yak-38 was poorly suited for air defense missions. Thus, the three ships of the "Kiev" type, together with the aircraft carrier "Baku", which was their development, continued to be more cruisers than aircraft carriers. The disadvantages of the Yak-38 were supposed to be eliminated on a new-generation carrier-based VTOL aircraft - the Yak-41 multipurpose fighter - but this aircraft was created for a long time and difficult, so the terms of its adoption were constantly postponed.

Design

Realizing the limited aircraft carrier capabilities of Project 1143 ships, the Navy decided to build a full-fledged aircraft carrier capable of using aircraft with traditional takeoff and landing in addition to VTOL aircraft. The development of the project was entrusted to the Nevsky Design Bureau in 1977. The sketch work went on for almost three years and was completed only in 1980. In total, ten variants were prepared, among which were ships with a nuclear power plant. As a result, after several years of approvals, project 11435 was approved. In addition to the significantly larger size, the main difference between the new project from the previous ones (1143 and 11434) was the different placement of the main missile system, which was now supposed to be inside the hull. In addition, the ship's superstructure was shifted to the right, to the sponson (protruding beyond the starboard lines). Both of these factors allowed to increase the flight deck area to a size suitable for deck aircraft with horizontal takeoff. Initially, it was planned to equip the ship with two steam catapults, but their placement led to a noticeable increase in the displacement and cost of the cruiser; attempts to keep within the given dimension while maintaining the catapults would lead to a deterioration in the combat capabilities of the future ship. The high characteristics of the 4th generation Soviet fighters, supposed to be based on the new ship, made it possible to take off from the springboard without the help of catapults, so it was decided to abandon the latter.

The final project was approved in May 1982, and in September of the same year the lead ship of the new project was laid down at the Black Sea Shipyard No. 444 in the city of Nikolaev (Ukrainian SSR).

Build and test

TAKR "Leonid Brezhnev" at the outfitting wall, illustration from the Soviet Military Power magazine 1987

Fighter Su-33 on the deck of an aircraft carrier, 1996

In continuation of the campaign, on October 18, 2004, an accident happened with the training Su-25UTG. The plane made a too hard touch, as a result of which the right landing gear broke. Destruction on the ship was avoided, since the emergency Su-25UTG hooked the landing hook on the air arrestor cable and stopped the run.

On September 5, 2005 in the North Atlantic on the aircraft carrier there were two emergency landings of Su-33 fighters due to the breakage of the aerial arrestor cable. The first fighter fell into the ocean and sank at a depth of 1100 meters (the pilot - Lieutenant Colonel Yuri Korneev - managed to eject), the second plane stayed on the deck. It was planned to destroy the sunken aircraft with depth charges due to the presence of secret equipment (for example, the "friend or foe" identification system), but it turned out that due to the great depth it was impossible to do this. The command of the Navy expects that the sunken Su-33 will be destroyed by itself.

December 5, 2007 "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" as part of the ship's strike group, which includes the BOD "Admiral Chabanenko" and "Admiral Levchenko", went on his second trip to combat service in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. During the military service, visits were made to the ports of Italy, France and Algeria, as well as to the island of Malta. When returning across the North Atlantic, the carrier formation took part in the exercises together with coastal-based naval aviation, as well as with Russian Air Force aircraft. Combat service lasted until February 3, 2008.

From May 2008 to December 8, 2008, the cruiser underwent a seven-month scheduled repair at the facilities of the Zvezdochka Ship Repair Center. During the repair, the main power plant was renewed, work was carried out to repair the air conditioning system, boiler equipment, mechanisms for lifting aircraft to the flight deck.

TAKR "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" passes the Strait of Gibraltar in December 2007

Winter 2008/2009 - from december 2008 - aircraft carrier cruiser again served in the Mediterranean. On this voyage on January 6, 2009, an accident occurred: a fire broke out in one of the bow rooms while staying in the roadstead as part of a military exercise in the Turkish port of Akzas-Karagach on board an aircraft carrier cruiser. The fire was eliminated by the crew of the ship, but during the fight against the fire from carbon monoxide poisoning, conscript sailor Dmitry Sychev died. According to experts, the aircraft carrier did not receive serious damage and on January 11, 2009, took part in joint exercises with Greece. The hike was completed February 27, 2009.

December 6, 2011 The heavy aircraft carrier, at the head of a detachment of ships from the Northern Fleet, again went out to the Mediterranean Sea, to the shores of Syria. In connection with the unrest and attempts at a coup d'état in this friendly Russia, the country needed a demonstration of force near its shores, at least partially counterbalancing the constant presence of the US 6th Fleet warships in that area.

On December 12, 2011, the compound dropped anchors in Morey Firth (UK) to replenish water and food supplies. On December 15, due to the worsening weather in the parking area, the detachment of warships withdrew from anchors and continued the cruise.

On December 23, 2011, a detachment of warships led by the aircraft carrier "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" passed the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea.

From January 8 to January 10, 2012, the Russian unit paid a business visit to the port of Tartus (Syria), where it replenished stocks at the material and technical base of the Russian Navy. During the visit, the delegation of Russian sailors met with the governor of Tartus province Atef Naddaf.

February 16, 2012 TAKR "Admiral Kuznetsov" completed military service, returning to Severomorsk.

After the completion of combat service, the aircraft carrier “Admiral Kuznetsov” was refurbished at the Murmansk branch of JSC “Zvyozdochka Ship Repair Center”. By 23 August 2012, the renovation was completed.

In September 2013, the cruiser took part in the exercises of the Northern Fleet in the Barents Sea area.

Helicopter Ka-29 over the aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov" during combat service, Mediterranean Sea, November 24, 2016

FROM December 17, 2013 to May 17, 2014 The aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov" made a new campaign for combat service in the Mediterranean Sea with a call at the material and technical base of the Russian Navy in the port of Tartus (Syria). On the cruiser, Deputy Commander of the Northern Fleet Rear Admiral Viktor Sokolov raised his flag. While in the Mediterranean Sea, the aircraft carrier operated in conjunction with the Peter the Great nuclear-powered heavy missile cruiser. During this cruise, the pilots of the 279th naval aviation regiment gained significant practical experience in flying from the deck of an aircraft-carrying cruiser in the open sea, having made more than 350 sorties with a total stay in the air of about 300 hours.

On August 19, 2015, a three-month repair was completed on the cruiser at the dock of the 82nd shipyard (Roslyakovo village, Murmansk region). In the course of the work, the electromechanical part of the ship was put in order, and the underwater part of the hull was cleaned and painted.

October 15, 2016 the cruiser left Severomorsk for combat service in the Mediterranean Sea. In addition to the Admiral Kuznetsov, the battleship detachment also included the Pyotr Veliky nuclear-powered heavy missile cruiser, the Vice-Admiral Kulakov and Severomorsk BPKs, as well as a number of auxiliary ships and vessels. On board the aircraft carrier there was an air group consisting of 10 Su-33 fighters, 4 MiG-29K / KUB fighters, 5 Ka-27 helicopters (including the Ka-27PL anti-submarine and Ka-27PS rescue helicopters), 2 Ka-29 transport and combat aircraft and one Ka-52K combat helicopter, as well as one Ka-31 AWACS helicopter.

From 19 to 21 October in the Norwegian Sea from the deck of the aircraft carrier, training flights of carrier-based aircraft were carried out. On October 21, the connection passed through the English Channel.

On October 26, 2016, a detachment of warships led by the aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov" passed the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea; off the coast of Morocco, refueling at sea with fuel and drinking water was carried out.

Replenishment of aircraft ammunition "Admiral Kuznetsov" from a floating crane in the roadstead of Tartus, December 2016

On November 1, the Russian carrier formation passed Sicily en route to the eastern Mediterranean and began flight operations. On November 5, the frigate "Admiral Grigorovich" from the Russian Black Sea Fleet joined the detachment.

On November 13, 2016, due to an accident with aerofinishers, one of the MiG-29K fighters of the cruiser air group could not be accepted on the deck in time and lost due to fuel consumption; the pilot successfully ejected and was rescued.

November 15, 2016 carrier-based aircraft of the aircraft carrier "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" began combat work against Islamist militants in Syria (in agreement with the government of the Syrian Arab Republic).

On December 3, 2016, when landing on the deck of the ship, one of the Su-33 fighters of the air group was lost due to the breakage of the air arrestor cable; the pilot managed to eject and was not injured.

The MiG-29KUB fighter takes off from the Admiral Kuznetsov springboard during combat service, January 10, 2017

On January 6, 2017, it was announced about the reduction of the Russian Armed Forces grouping in Syria, which includes the withdrawal of the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier from the conflict zone.

On January 8, 2017, a detachment of warships led by an aircraft carrier cruiser crossed into the central Mediterranean off the Libyan coast (Benghazi-Tobruk region); in agreement with the Libyan National Army group that controls the area, a series of daily exercises at sea were conducted. On January 11, General Khalif Haftar, head of the Libyan National Army, visited the board of the Admiral Kuznetsov.

On January 20, the naval carrier group passed the Strait of Gibraltar, leaving the Mediterranean Sea.

On January 24-25, 2017, a detachment of warships consisting of the TAKR "Admiral Kuznetsov", the TARKR "Peter the Great", the large landing craft "Alexander Shabalin" and support vessels passed through the English Channel on the way to Severomorsk.

On February 3, an air group from an aircraft carrier cruiser in the Barents Sea flew to the Severomorsk-3 airfield.

Vice-Admiral Sokolov, cruiser commander Captain 1st Rank Artamonov and Libyan General Haftar with escorts on the deck of the aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov", January 11, 2017

8 February 2017 TAKR "Admiral Kuznetsov" stood on the roadstead of Severomorsk, completing its military service. In the course of it, for almost four months, the ship covered about 18,000 miles. Upon their return, the Pyotr Veliky heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser and the Admiral Kuznetsov heavy aircraft carrier fired a festive salute of 15 artillery rounds. The return salute was performed by the Northern Fleet destroyer "Admiral Ushakov", moored at the pier of the Northern Fleet's main naval base.

According to the information published by the Russian Ministry of Defense, during the combat service, aircraft and helicopters of the Admiral Kuznetsov air group made 1170 flights, including 420 combat flights, of which 117 were at night; the remaining 750 sorties were carried out in the course of solving the problems of search and rescue and transport support. It is known that in the course of combat service, part of the carrier-based aircraft was temporarily relocated from the aircraft carrier to the Khmeimim airbase, so a certain number of the mentioned combat missions could be made from it. During the bombing, over 1000 militant objects in Syria were destroyed - including headquarters and command posts, firing positions, as well as accumulations of manpower and equipment. Despite the difficulties in supplying the ship with aviation ammunition at sea - due to the fact that after the decommissioning of the complex supply ship "Berezina" there are no more such ships in the Russian Navy, this operation had to be performed on the roadstead of Tartus with the help of the SPK-46150 floating crane - delivered to the aircraft carrier to the cruiser for combat service, the tasks were successfully completed.

According to representatives of the Ministry of Defense of Russia, by now the cruiser requires overhaul with modernization, which were planned to be carried out at the Sevmash shipyard in the period from 2012 to 2017. However, due to lack of funding, the ship's overhaul was postponed; in 2016, it was reported that the start of the overhaul of the cruiser was scheduled for the first quarter of 2017 - immediately after the ship returned from combat service in the Mediterranean. The works are designed for 2-3 years and will have to include the replacement of the deck flooring and the braking machines of the aerofinishers.

Commanders

During his service as a heavy aircraft carrier "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" was commanded.

Tactical and technical data:
Displacement, t:

full 70500
standard 55000
Dimensions, m:
length 304.5
width at design waterline 38.0
draft 10.5
Flight deck width, m 75.0
PTU power, hp 4x50000
Travel speed, knots:

maximum 32.0
economic 18.0
Cruising range at economic speed, 8000 miles
Number of aircraft, pcs. 26
Number of helicopters, pcs. 24
Aviation fuel stock, t 2500
Crew, people 1980
including officers 520

And nearby is a sunken submarine !!! Intimately: maybe someone knows what's wrong with her?

Now a little inside

And quite a bit of an internal hangar. Empty. And fire trucks :-)))

I caught it on the Internet:

The editorial office received a letter from a serviceman who served for some time on the aircraft carrier “Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov”. We think that this material will be of interest to the reader, since the process of reducing our fleet, sadly, is ongoing. And the more important is the competent, high-quality and full-fledged operation of those few modern ships that remain in our fleet.

With a guide to the Ark

First, a small description of the size and general location of the only Russian aircraft carrier.

The total displacement of the Kuznetsov has now probably already exceeded 60,000 tons. Its greatest length is more than 300 m, and its width is 72 m.

The main power plant of the ship, at the behest of various leaders from our recent past, made a boiler and turbine, and not nuclear (like the Americans) - four-shaft, with a total capacity of 200,000 hp, previously provided a speed of 29 knots (but that was back in 1990. ).

The ship has 8 superstructure tiers, 7 decks and 2 platforms, bow and stern MKO (4 boilers and 2 GTZA in each), 5 power compartments (with diesel and steam turbine generators); a hangar with a length of more than 150 and a width of 26 m, occupying the height of the space between the 2nd and 5th decks and connected to the flight deck by two aircraft lifts measuring approximately 14x16 m (if not for their onboard location, we could raise or lower our Su -33, about 21 m long, would have been simply impossible), as many as 6 galleys, a punishment cell and its own guardhouse.

Perhaps, it is quite enough for a story, the purpose of which is not a technical description of the ship, but an outline of its "social position".

For convenience, the entire ship is divided into "descent" - from the 1st to the 53rd. The same system was used on ships of the project 1143. For those who were not there, we explain: all ladders (except for the "island") are numbered; the ladders located one under the other bear one number, even on the left side, and odd on the right.

Example. Let's say you need to send a messenger - "golden hooves" (I beg your pardon, defender of the fatherland, that is, a sailor) to the communications command post (KPS). And he, a sailor, although he served a year, he still does not know where this KPS is located (a common occurrence). Then he should say: "Go to the 17th descent, 4th deck, in the KPS."

Now let's take a walk around the ship. First we will climb aboard the aircraft carrier by the ladder. It is located amidships on the starboard side (if Kuznetsov is in the plant). On the landing of the right ladder (4th deck) we will be met by the officer of the watch along the ladder, with a dagger, and a marine with a bayonet-knife. If you make a "charter person", it is quite possible to pass for one of your own (documents on the gangway are rarely checked) and enter the ship. Climbing the 3rd tier of the superstructure (residential), we will begin our inspection from here.

Here, in single cabins, the commander's assistants and the commander of the EMBCH ("chief engineer") live. Going down below, on the ladder we run into a "checkpoint". It is worth talking about this phenomenon separately, especially since there is no such type of watch on any other ship. "Checkpoint" is a conscript sailor who acts as a watchman for a certain area (deck, ladder, etc.), which is in his command. He does not guard secret objects at all, but electric bulbs, fire hoses, fire extinguishers, stands, loud battle bells, etc. And since the sailor can fall asleep, leave, at last, this wealth can be taken away from him at night, a safety net is also made. So, fire extinguishers and fire hoses do not need to be displayed at all - and indeed, you will not find them anywhere on the ship. The only exception is the time of the "highest" inspections, when the ship is bypassed by the "E.I.V." with a retinue (commander, chief officer, etc.). Then everything that is is exposed, and "checkpoints" are necessarily doubled. An inquisitive reader may ask: "But what about the light bulbs? You can't take them off, otherwise how can you walk in complete darkness?" I hasten to reassure you: this problem has long been resolved at a high ideological and technical level. Bulbs: a) glued with epoxy resin; b) tied with wire - preferably barbed; c) supply current to the wire or ceiling. All of this is usually used in combination. And still, those damn bulbs are stealing.

Let's go back to our walk. A tier below is where the commander and the flagships live, here is the "checkpoint", which means there is light and carpets. Let's go down to the second, gallery deck, located between the hangar and the flight deck. There are "checkpoints" here, which means there is light. But do not flatter yourself, because the BCH-5 is always ready to "help", so the flashlight (without it there is nowhere) should be kept on "tovs". Going down to the deck below, we go along the 3rd deck of the port side (it is a checkpoint from bow to stern). Here, too, "checkpoints" and light.

Now let's turn on the flashlight and go down even lower ... Here we will witness another aircraft carrier miracle, which makes this ship unlike any other. You can walk along the clean 3rd deck flooded with light, but as soon as you go down below, you find yourself in the "catacombs" - with torn up posts, abandoned cabins, all this is without light and very often flooded (sometimes with sewage, so the smell "high quality"). Below is the same. Of course, this is not everywhere (no more than 60% of descents below the 3rd deck). If you find yourself at a lighted exit, it means that there are cabins or supply depots.

We go down even lower into the hold. Everything there is in fuel oil and water, here and there - heaps of garbage (to carry it to the pier far away, but they are allowed there only at a certain time, and tidying up on the ship is always done, so they throw garbage into the hold). Do you know how much fuel oil and water we have in our holds? How much, how much? 50 tons, you say? Sorry, this is undignified. After all, we are an aircraft carrier, not some kind of gunboat. Then 500. Well, that's impressive - read, 10 railway tanks. Wrong anyway - add another zero and it will be just right. Disgruntled exclamations from the side are possible: they say, they swam, we know, and we had this, we lived only in the superstructure. Can you find out what kind of ship it is? Ah, BOD "Udaliy"! This is the one that has been in the sludge for 10 years after the fire, and the crew on it is 30 people. Sorry, the comparison is incorrect, we are not telling you about a sludge ship, but about a whole aircraft carrier that goes to sea!

We declare with full responsibility that there is simply no second such ship. Now in the Northern Fleet all ships are divided into two groups: "running", ie. clean, tidy and ready to go to sea, but standing still due to lack of fuel, and the ships "lay" (now they are the majority). "Kuznetsov" is the only hybrid, "running-sucks".

Yard amenities

Please note: when they talk about some miracle ship, they first give the number of guns, their caliber, armor thickness, etc., and only then, in between, and even then rarely - about the living conditions of the crew. Meanwhile, this is not entirely true, because it is the crew that exploits all this variety of weapons. Therefore, in order to avoid this error, let us pay special attention to the crew habitability conditions.

The first thing to note is the lack of heating on the ship, which, you see, is important for the North. There are many reasons for this, but perhaps the main one is the absence of a permanently operating auxiliary boiler. Therefore, steam for household needs is taken from the power plant, which is very expensive, because requires not ordinary, but special boiler water, of which there is always little in the fleet. You can also supply steam from the ENS (power-carrying vessel, project 305), but the pressure from there - "the cat cried" (and in the winter of 1998/1999 nothing was supplied at all). As a result, steam is supplied for heating periodically, which is not provided in the system, because no condensate drain. The steam heating system passes through the BPTZ (airborne torpedo protection) or, as it is called on the ship, pipe corridors, i.e. along the side. Therefore, when the steam supply stops, the pipes freeze very quickly. And then everything is like in a physics textbook: the condensate turns into ice, the ice expands, the pipe bursts. As a result, there is no heating, no heat, frost in places on the bulkheads, and ice on the deck. The crew, even in the hangar, is built in greatcoats. If in the cockpit or cabin + 5 ° C, then this is already good, but if + 12-15 ° - this is, forgive me, lordship!

In such an environment, only heating pads can save you. Since it is expensive to buy them, and it is difficult to get a shipbuilding ship, they are "molded" in whatever way. The bosses, however, confiscate "non-standard electrical equipment", while its owners receive "awards." But the cold is not an aunt, and the ranks of those who dream of an individual electric sun do not fade.

Most often, it is not heating pads that burn, but the transformers of the lighting network. They are simply not designed for the loads that heating pads hung on them give. As a result, the voltage in the network is always significantly lower than the TAKR "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" on the North Sea roadstead of the standard one (100 V instead of 127 is far from the limit). Adding fuel to the fire and the lack of a 220 V network in the cabins (there are only 127 V that nobody needs), so everyone tries to spend 220 V. They conjure differently: someone "throws a phase" from 380 V, the other adds phases 127 B, the third drags kilometer-long wires from rare 220V shields. And this, in turn, contributes to numerous short circuits.

But the cold is terrible not only for this. All ship life is permeated with it. After all, not only condensate freezes - the same happens with other pipes, in which there is water. For this reason, water is not supplied to all cabins on the 2nd deck (and this is almost 60% of all ship cabins) neither in winter nor in summer. Not a single officer's shower works. Therefore, the slogan of equality and brotherhood is especially applicable here, everyone - both sailors and officers - wash in the bow (stern does not work) bathhouse of the personnel. Of course, this does not apply to the command - they have their own soul.

Not all galleys are supplied with water. The lack of drainage from the cabins became common in winter. Accordingly, it is hard on the ship and with latrines. There are more than fifty of them, but a good half does not work, and a significant part of the rest is locked: if you are not the happy owner of the "golden key", then you have less "good", especially since the RF Ministry of Defense is always ready to go in this regard towards.

In the winter of 1998/1999. even the pipes in one of the main boilers were frozen.

Ventilation is also bad with us - 50% of fan electric motors burned out long ago. And without ventilation, it is tight, because, unlike other ships, there are few portholes here, and the vast majority of living quarters do not have them at all. So, only forced ventilation is possible, and if it is not there, the cabin will smell of mold, condensation will drip from the ceiling, and the stuffiness will "even hang an ax."

Finally, it is worth telling about our saloon. As such, it does not exist, but there is a canteen for officers, where more than 150 of them only eat - and nothing more. The room is more like a rural canteen for machine operators during the harvest. There are no tablecloths at all, knives are also superfluous, dishes are not exactly dirty, but it is still better to wipe the tableware "before use." They cook, in principle, well, and the food is good by today's naval standards. However, all this may not be enough, because they steal from the buffet. Therefore, it is better not to be late for the wardroom. Probably, it was wiser to make several wardrooms (for example, for each warhead).

All the king's men

What a nightmare, who will live in such conditions? I'm telling you.

It was assumed that one and a half thousand people would serve on the Kuznetsov (excluding the air group and the landing party), but gradually the crew grew to 2000. The commander is a rear admiral (this is the only floating admiral!), He has a number of assistants: first mate (captain 1st rank) , Assistant, Educational Assistant, Combat Control Assistant, Aviation Assistant, Survivability Assistant and Legal Assistant. The ship has seven combat units, four services and three teams: navigational (BCH-1), missile and artillery (BCH-2), mine and torpedo (BCH-3), communications (BCH-4), electromechanical (BCH-5) , aviation (BCh-6) and radio engineering (BCh-7); medical, chemical, survivability services (this is only available at Kuznetsovo); control commands ("KU"), boatswain ("BC") and commandant. There is also "RO" - a security company performing the functions of the ship's OMON.

A little more about our organization. We have an average of 10 constructions per day, each of which lasts about 35 minutes (thus, for a year we are idle on constructions for almost 65 days) On the formations they always say: "The crew of the AIR CARRIER ... is built." And in general, the command always emphasizes that we serve on the AIR CARRIER. Let me remind you that so far no one has changed the classification of ships of the Russian Navy, and there is no aircraft carrier there, there is only a heavy aircraft carrier cruiser. And the planes on our ship are rare, and they visit it in rather pitiful numbers. And at the formation, the commander likes to say (he generally likes to talk at the formation for at least half an hour): "We must work out the aircraft carrier organization." And this is on the fifth aircraft carrier!

With the going ashore of officers, warrant officers and sailors of contract service on the "Kuznetsov" it is tough. Here "two-shift": one week released on Monday and Wednesday, from 18.00 to 7.30, as well as on Saturday, from 18.00 to 7.30 Monday; and the next week from 6 pm Tuesday to 7.30 am and from 6 pm Thursday to 7.30 am Saturday. It turns out that in one week you rest 64.5 hours, and in the second - 51 out of 168. Forget about the "military status" with all its days off - the laws of the Russian Federation do not apply here (as, indeed, on most other ships). True, some of the benefits are still fulfilled: for example, you can get an apartment almost free of charge, but - in the village of Vidyaevo, and this is near the "devil on the horns", and it takes four hours by bus to go there. And you will see the family once a week. You yourself understand that in such conditions only special people can serve.

Our bosses are amazing too. The whole country celebrates the day of astronautics on April 12, and we celebrate the Day of our leadership, which soars in the clouds while we, sinners, walk the earth. This style of command makes you feel like a pygmy.

After all that has been said, it is not surprising that "Kuznetsov" is notorious. The bosses everywhere scare: "If you misbehave, we'll send you to Kuznetsov (nickname - Kuzya)." Well, those who were "lucky" to get to serve at "Kuznetsov" don't really want to serve there. Hence the high staff turnover. Every 4-5 years (after the expiration of the contract) the junior officers - and this is the main backbone of the ship - changes by 80%. Experienced people leave, and "green" ones come in their place. The same applies to warrant officers. All this clearly does not contribute to the improvement of the equipment operation. In connection with such conditions, a contract after military service on an aircraft carrier is concluded only by those who are not at all suitable for "civilian life" - and this, you must agree, is far from the best "human material". It is no coincidence that not all officers consider it desirable to have "contract soldiers" on board.

As for the personnel, i.e. sailors, then looking at them, you believe that the USSR is alive, lives and will live. What nationalities are there not! Russians - no more than 60%, although they call, it seems, only residents of the Russian Federation. The point is, probably, that among us, Russians, “sacrificing a sacred duty” is considered an indicator of position in society and prestige. Therefore, all those who did not have enough intelligence or money to dodge are rowed. You read the addresses of conscripts and believe: Russia has not become impoverished with the earth. A village, a settlement, a collective farm, but there are no Muscovites or Petersburgers among the young sailors (even Admiral NO Essen used to say: "We do not need bread-growers in the fleet"). The North Caucasus is another matter. There it is believed that a real man must go through an army school, and they consider getting into the navy as a fortune. Therefore, not the worst representatives of the North Caucasus come to the ship. Of course, they quickly get used to the situation, organizing small-town groupings and seizing power among the sailors. The situation is different with Tuvans and Bashkirs: apparently, due to the lack of a close acquaintance with civilizations, they simply do not know how to evade the honorable state duty. Now it is probably clear why every tenth conscript does not speak Russian.

Out of harm's way, this entire contingent is not even allowed to be fired (so that they do not learn anything in Murmansk). So they sit on the "iron" for 2 years. The main educational measure in relation to the sailors has now become "lash" ("carrot" is absent), i.e. punishment cell, where even warrant officers sometimes end up. From such a life, sailors love to "get lost", since the ship is big. This happens 3-4 times a month. Then all the officers and midshipmen are painted on gatherings, and we are looking for the hiding sailor. Searches usually last 1-2 days (if they do not find it on the first day, and this is 50% of the probability, then the sailor, as a rule, leaves himself in 2-3 days), but there were also champions. So, one sailor in the Mediterranean was looking for a week. And the most famous was the case of an aircraft technician who disappeared without a trace in a state of strong alcoholic intoxication. He (or rather, his mummy) was found after FOUR YEARS in such a place that until now no one can understand how he got there ...

"Prokhindiada"

"If you want to live, be able to spin." This is a good old truth that characterizes well the lifestyle at Kuznetsovo. The commander loves to talk about fools - junior commanders who set impossible tasks to "get" something, pushing the sailors to steal, and immediately fears that he will cover the landing of some warhead if it does not illuminate its corridors by morning. And where to get these same bulbs, if they are not issued on the ship? But where - at neighbors, at night ...

They steal everything and everyone. Somehow they stole 200 pairs (we have everything on a large scale) of officer's boots, and then almost openly with them for 50 rubles per pair they traded on the ship. And the commander kept shouting that he would put everyone in prison.

The most fruitful cornfield here, of course, is the galley. Everyone is dragging from them, and everyone is not lazy here. What does not go away is eaten, and at night in all the galleys smells of fried potatoes. Specially punched canned food is given out to the galleys, but they are still sold at a reduced price to workers from the factory. And the first violin here is, of course, the supply service.

It has already been said that we have a tight soul. But this is not for everyone. Particularly "gifted" make themselves "self-made" showers with electric heating - fortunately, there are a lot of abandoned showers and washbasins on the ship. The situation with the cabins is no less interesting. The ship has many plundered and abandoned cabins for landing officers, pilots and aircraft technicians. With a special desire, you can find a suitable one and repair it. Therefore, often even warrant officers or contract sailors live in single cabins. "If you want to live, be able to spin."

Main weapon: "Eagles learn to fly"

Unclear; what is the main weapon on an aircraft carrier - aircraft or strike missiles. "Kuznetsov" is still more aircraft carrier than missile, so aviation is considered the main weapon here. In theory, up to 40 Su-33s can be based on the ship. In fact, the country forked out only 24, and with great difficulty prepared only seven machines for permanent deployment.

Our aircraft, unlike the more "backward" American ones, are capable of solving only air defense missions (although the Air Force has the Su-35 station wagon), therefore the aircraft carrier solves the strike mission with the help of anti-ship missiles. Due to the springboard (instead of the ejection) takeoff, the Su-33 is subject to takeoff weight restrictions. If we take into account that (partly, through the fault of the power plant) flights are carried out at 6-8-knot speed, then it becomes clear why they happen only in windy weather and, as a rule, without outboard weapons and with a reduced fuel supply.

The ship is equipped with an automatic landing system, which theoretically provides for the possibility of flights at any visibility, but in practice it was not tested. Therefore, the flights are made only in GOOD windy weather.

In general, the basing of aircraft on Kuznetsov is of some strange nature. Aviation does not even appear in the hangar, but instead of planes there are peacefully: a 25-ton truck crane, four towing vehicles, firefighters GAZ-66 and ZIL, Gazelle, UAZ-452, "goat" and a tractor with a jet engine installed on it (for cleaning the flight deck from snow and ice).

Our weapon

In the summer of 1998, on the Day of the Navy, we took fuel oil. You ask: "And where does the weapon?" And here's the thing: we took him not only to the tanks, but also to one of the shooting control posts. True, only 60 tons, and without malice. The bilge rooms, apparently, closed the wrong valve and continued to take fuel oil into a full tank, the loosely sealed neck of which was located near the aforementioned post. Through this throat the post was flooded, in which for some reason there was no watch BCH-2. The sealed racks could not stand it, and the post was out of order.

Two of the four air defense systems were also at one time flooded with seawater from the irrigation system. It was at night, there was a fistula in the pipe, and all the premises of both complexes were flooded "over the roof". All eight "Daggers" require planned adjustment, for which there is no money. To top it all off, the horizon-azimuth system is floundering. Therefore, we can shoot, but to hit ...

"And instead of a heart - a fiery motor"

When they talk about the warhead-5, as a rule, they mean the power plant. Let's talk about her.

Firstly, one of the eight boilers and one GTZA are temporarily not working - due to an explosion in the gas duct due to an error in operation (they forgot to ventilate the gas duct before firing up the boiler). Thus, theoretically, the power of the power plant decreased to 75%. But this is in theory, but even less in practice.

All four Daewoods are flowing, so the bearings of the shaft lines are periodically heated, which imposes a limitation on the maximum number of revolutions. For a long time the power plant automatics have exhausted their resource, from this "Kuznetsov" smokes like a battleship from a photograph of the beginning of the century. In addition, the pipelines are already "barely breathing", and the sailors serving the power plant do not shine with professional skills and knowledge. As a result, instead of almost 29 knots, which Kuznetsov gave during trials, or at least 24, on three cars it barely holds 16-18, and usually no more than 10-12 knots.

"Good" is the case with the electrical part. Either the turbine generator "sits down", and the standby diesel generator cannot start, then something else will happen. And the whole ship is plunged into darkness. It looks especially piquant on the move: the locators do not emit, there is no communication, the boilers go out - not an aircraft carrier, but a "Flying Dutchman". It was under such circumstances that in the summer of 1998 EM "Fearless" almost died, and even earlier - "Kiev". In both cases, the ships were carried ashore in a storm, and only by a miracle they managed to put the power plant into operation. On "Kiev" it happened 3-4 cables from the rocks ...

It should be said about the base of the aircraft carrier. The official place for it is the shipyard No. 35 (SRZ-35). I don’t know how things are in other fleets, but in the North, not a single ship is permanently based in the plant. For Kuznetsov, this is perhaps the ideal option, because otherwise, he would have had to be based in Vidyaevo (where his regular place was previously located). There is nothing but hills and a dozen houses. Now the decommissioned "Kiev" is living out its days in Vidyaevo.

Next to us is the "Admiral of the Soviet Union Fleet Gorshkov." Once he came to SRZ-35 for repairs and his stern car burned out. Now he is officially on conservation, but really just dies. After all, money is also needed for conservation, but here they simply "hung a castle on the ship." The working day is strictly until 17.00, the crew is only 75 people, and the sailors go on leave every day - not a service, but a fairy tale. So they stand half a cable from each other, two antipodes - "hard labor" and "resort" of the Northern Fleet. Wonderful are your works, Lord!

SRZ-35 is not so hot as adapted to the basing of an aircraft carrier. The steam is poorly or not at all. It's the same with water, because the pressure is not enough to supply it to the tiers of the superstructure. Electricity is also scarce - the "shore" is weak, and in winter, when the load in the network increases due to heating pads, the shore power board is periodically "cut".

But the story about SRZ-35 would not be complete without a story about VOKHR. It is staffed with women of "Balzac age", which, however, does not in the least affect combat effectiveness - God forbid falling into their women's hands (it is no coincidence that the Winter Battalion was defended by the women's shock battalion). At the checkpoint of the plant, they will certainly search you, sniff (for the slightest smell of alcohol) and, of course, check for a pass. This is not "Kuznetsov" for you. All this has been brought to the point of absurdity. For example, it is prohibited to carry large bags, backpacks and "diplomats" (even empty ones) through the checkpoint without a special pass. But if you stuff them in a plastic bag (even if two meters high), then you can carry them without any passes.

The reader probably has a bad aftertaste of all that has been said - it is understandable. Some will say that this cannot be, while others will be indignant about what the fleet has reached and how the current military descended. We have heard such offensive speeches quite often - and certainly from civilians. Such judgments have always caused a feeling of perplexity rather than resentment. Our country, even with all its extravagance, is not a "banana republic" where the army is the state. Our MO is only a part of the state mechanism. In general, over the past 100 years, the army in Russia has been far from the leading political force. Unlike the civilian sector, we, the military, depend on the government not indirectly (through laws), but directly (through orders). So we are an exact mold of our state-government. And since every nation is worthy of its government, one should not dissociate oneself from our, or rather, common problems.

If we continue to develop this theme, it is worth dispelling one more misunderstanding, which is extremely persistent in "civilian circles" - about the allegedly natural totalitarianism of the military. We are the flesh of our people, and there are no more RNE or LDPR supporters among the military than among the rest of the people. And the supporters of the Communist Party, perhaps, are even fewer.

From some military men I had to hear this: they say, since we do not know how to operate aircraft carriers, then we do not need them, only EM and BOD are enough. But then why do we need these same EM and BOD? After all, far from the coast, without the support of aviation, they will be destroyed, and under the coast, their tasks are calmly solved by RTOs and IPCs. And the command of the Navy, thank God, understands this and lately, to the best of its capabilities, is trying to save this unique ship, and indeed the "aircraft carrier direction". There are even rumors that Kuznetsov will no longer spend the winter in the north. But can all this be done without the support at the very top? To operate it, and especially to put into operation at least two dozen Su-33s, a lot of money is needed ...

It is terribly insulting for our unique and beloved ship.

The doctrine of the Russian Navy is such that it practically does not provide for the use of aircraft carriers. There are many reasons for this, but one of the main ones is the huge financial costs of maintaining such vessels. During the USSR, the first steps were taken on the way of their creation, but the only ship of this class in our country is "Admiral Kuznetsov". This aircraft carrier has a rather complex and interesting history of creation and operation.

Surely not everyone knows that a total of five aircraft-carrying cruisers were built in the USSR. Where did the other four ships disappear? We will answer these questions, as well as discuss the main technical characteristics of the Admiral Kuznetsov spacecraft. This aircraft carrier began to be designed shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union (along with other similar ships).

Basic information

The beginning of work on the project dates back to 1978. The Leningrad Design Bureau was responsible for the design activity. First, the engineers proposed to the military specialists Project 1143, which provides for the construction of a heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser. It was based on long-standing work on the cruiser 1160 with a nuclear power plant.

There are the following projects, implemented in the form of built ships or existing in the form of models and sketches:

• Sketch 1160, providing for the laying of an aircraft carrier with a displacement of 80,000 tons.
• Type 1153. The displacement of this aircraft carrier was supposed to be 70 00 tons, the project provided for the powerful armament of the ship (in addition to the aviation group itself). There are no ships built and laid down.
• The project, on the adoption of which the Ministry of Justice Industry insisted. As in the first case, the displacement was supposed to be 80,000 tons. It was envisaged that at least 70 aircraft and combat helicopters would be based on board.
• Project 1143 M. It was planned that the ship will be armed with supersonic vertical takeoff aircraft Yak-41. The third aircraft carrier, type 1143 - 1143.3. The ship was bookmarked in 1975. It was put into service seven years later, but already in 1993 it was written off and cut into metal. The reason is “economic inexpediency of exploitation”.
• Type 1143 A. It is similar to the ships of Project 1143M, but an increased displacement was envisaged. This is the fourth aircraft carrier built in the USSR. The bookmark was made in 1978; it officially entered the fleet in 1982. In 2004, an agreement was signed on the lease of the ship to the Indian Navy, and its modernization was carried out for their needs. It entered the Indian Navy three years ago, in 2012.
• Heavy aircraft carrier - project 1143.5... As you might guess, this is another modernization of type 1143. The fifth and last aircraft carrier built.

So where is Kuznetsov?

It is the last ship that is "Admiral Kuznetsov". This aircraft carrier, by order of the Council of Ministers, began to be developed at the end of 1978.

This was project 1143.5. The final technical design of the vessel was ready by mid-1980. It was originally assumed that the construction of the new ship would be fully completed by 1990. The laying was carried out on the stocks of the Nikolaev shipyard. But the Admiral Kuznetsov did not appear so easily. The aircraft carrier before its "birth into the world" went through many obstacles, since the terms of its construction and commissioning were constantly postponed.

Development and construction history

The engineers had already prepared the initial draft design by 1979. Almost immediately, the document was approved by the commander of the Navy, who at that time was Admiral S. Gorshkov. Next year, D. Ustinov (the head of the entire army department) signs another document in which he confirms the need for cardinal changes in project 1143.5. Because of this, the actual start of construction of the ship was almost immediately postponed to 1986-1991.

But already in April 1980 S. Gorshkov approved a new project, to which all the necessary changes had already been made. Finally, in the summer of the same year, all the parties involved in the development of the new ship recognize the development of the 1143.5 cruiser as finally completed.

But this is still not the end of the project. A snag appeared in the list of necessary aircraft weapons that should have been on the ship: it had to be worked out in full compliance with the decree of the USSR Council of Ministers, which left a certain imprint on the speed of work. At the end of the year, the project of the ship 1143.5 is again subjected to adjustments.

Some experts at that time expressed the opinion that it would be more expedient to build a second cruiser according to project 1143.4 (1143 A), and not spend time and money on revising the blueprints for a new one. However, this idea was soon abandoned, and project 1143.4 itself was finalized to stage 1143.42.

New delays

In the early spring months of 1981, the Nikolaev shipyard received a long-awaited order for the construction of a new cruiser. But already in the fall, significant changes were again made to the long-suffering project: the ship's displacement had to be increased immediately by 10 thousand tons.

As a result, the current value of this indicator is 67 thousand tons. Among other things, the designers considered it necessary to add the following innovations to the sketches:

• It was necessary to install an anti-ship missile "Granit" on board the vessel.
• The need to increase the aviation group at once to 50 units.
• Most importantly, the planes had to be launched without the use of a catapult, by a simple springboard method. This not only reduced the cost of construction, but also significantly extended the technical life of the cruiser.

The final model of the aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov" was ready only in 1982. It was laid down in September of the same year at the Nikolaev shipyards, initially giving the name "Riga" and the number (according to the factory catalog) 105. Just two months later, the ship was renamed, after which it turned into "Leonid Brezhnev". Already in December, the installation of the first structural unit was in full swing. In general, it was the first cruiser in the history of Soviet shipbuilding, which consisted entirely of blocks (24 pieces).

The length of each was about 32 meters, the height was 13 meters. The weight of each element sometimes reached 1.7 thousand tons. By the way, all the superstructures of the huge ship are also made according to the block scheme. But not only this is the unique "Admiral Kuznetsov". The aircraft carrier, the characteristics of which we are describing in this article, under normal operation of the supply plants could be built in three to four years, which is an absolute record for ships of this class.

Alas, the unhurried work of the factories slowed down his entry into the Soviet Fleet several times.

Installation of on-board systems

The order for all power and power plants was made for 1983-1984. The factories failed: they deviated greatly from the schedule, as a result of which the hull had to be partially disassembled for the installation of engines and turbines and the upper deck had to be removed in some areas. The French spy satellite first captured the ship in 1984. At that time, his readiness was already at least 20%.

The cruiser was lowered from the stocks at the end of 1985. The weight of the hull and the systems installed at that time did not exceed 32 thousand tons. Experts assessed the aircraft carrier's readiness at 38.5%.

The following year, the changes again affected the "Admiral Kuznetsov" (aircraft carrier). The designer of the 1143.5 project has changed, it was P. Sokolov. By mid-1987, the ship was renamed for the third time. This time it is TAKR "Tbilisi". The readiness was close to 57%. By that time, the cruiser could be about 71% completed, but due to equipment suppliers the project was repeatedly roughly stalled. Only by the end of 1989 did the readiness begin to reach 70%.

The cost of the ship in those years was estimated at 720 million rubles, and the rise in price by 200 million was caused precisely by the delays of the suppliers. In response to this, the chief designer was again changed, who this time was L. Belov. The ship was about 80% complete. By that time, more than half of all radio-electronic equipment was installed on the ship, and most of it could only be delivered by 1989 (and delivery was planned for 1984).

First out to sea

The first exit to the sea dates from October 20, 1989. It was officially approved and approved by all project participants. In principle, by that time the ship was finally completely ready, but the aviation group had not yet been delivered. The hike lasted a little over one month. When was the first landing on the aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov" made? It happened on November 1, 1989. The Su-27 K was the first to start testing. Immediately after landing, the MiG-29 K left the deck, with which there were no problems either.

All weapons and radio-technical systems were installed only in 1990. But all the same, the readiness of the cruiser reaches 87%. In the spring and summer of the same year, sea trials of the ship began. Finally, in October of the same year, the ship acquires its final name. Now this is the very same aircraft carrier of Russia "Admiral Kuznetsov".

During the first stage of tests alone, the cruiser covered more than 16 thousand nautical miles on its own, aircraft took off from its deck almost 500 times. Not a single landing on the aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov" ended in an emergency, which is just an excellent indicator for the ships tested for the first time!

The first tests were completed at the end of 1990. Until 1992, the final stage of State acceptance (as part of the Black Sea Fleet) took place, after which the aircraft carrier ship "Admiral Kuznetsov" was included in the Northern Fleet.

Basic information on ship construction

As we have already said, the ship consists of exactly 24 blocks, each of which weighs about 1.5 thousand tons. The hull was manufactured by welding, it has seven decks and two huge platforms at once. To lift parts of this size and weight, Soviet engineers had to use Finnish Kane cranes, each of which could lift up to 900 tons to the required height. Another feature of the ship is that its entire hull is covered with a special coating that effectively absorbs the signal of enemy radars.

By the way, about the recent modernization that the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov has undergone. The latest news suggests that this composition has been significantly improved, so that the ability of the huge ship to literally "dissolve" in the sea has become even more impressive.

Other figures

If (very conditionally) divide the ship into the average floors of a residential building, then their number will be 27. In general, there are 3857 rooms inside the cruiser, which perform a variety of functions. It is worth noting that there are 387 cabins (which are divided into four classes), 134 sailors' quarters, six huge dining rooms, fifty perfectly equipped showers for personnel. Thus, the Russian aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov" is a real floating city! Its autonomy is one and a half months.

It may seem that this is not enough. But this is until you know the number of crew and flight personnel. The personnel on board is more than 1.5 thousand people. There are 626 pilots. Just imagine the laboriousness of providing food and drink for more than two thousand people for a month and a half on the high seas! So the aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov", the size of which can really amaze the imagination, is indeed monumental.

In total, when building the ship, engineers used more than four thousand (!) Kilometers of cable, 12 thousand kilometers of pipes for circulating liquids of various purposes. The area of \u200b\u200bthe through deck is 14,000 m². It ends with a springboard, the slope of which is 14.3 degrees in its steepest part. The springboard at its highest point rises 28 meters above the water. The maximum travel speed is 32 knots. In economy mode, the ship accelerates to 16 knots.

Deck and runways

Special fairings are installed on the edges of the deck and the forward springboard itself. Aircraft are delivered to the cruiser's runway deck using lifts, each with a lifting capacity of 40 tons. Aviation units are delivered to the stern and to the bow. The deck width is 67 meters. The total length of the aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov" is 304.5 meters.

The depth of the giant cruiser draft is 10.5 meters.

Directly for landing, a section of the deck with a length of 250 meters and a width of 26 meters is intended. It is located with a slope of seven degrees. To cover this area, scientists at one time developed a special composition "Omega", which prevents slipping and protects the deck material from extremely high temperatures. For the areas from which the Yak-41 vertical aircraft take off and land, AK-9FM heat-resistant plates are used.

The total number of launch strips is two, and they converge at the highest point of the springboard, which generally distinguishes the aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov" from other ships of a similar class. The star, located on its stem, emphasizes the majestic and formidable features of the huge cruiser.

On the left side there is a spare runway, the length of which is already 180 meters. To protect the operating personnel, deflectors are installed throughout the deck, equipped with powerful cooling systems. To ensure the safe landing of flying units, Svetlana-2 aerofinishers are used. In case of an emergency, there is an installation (emergency barrier) with the “talking” name “Hope”. The Luna-3 telemetry and control system is responsible for aircraft landing.

Survivability service

A special protective hangar 153 meters long and 26 meters wide serves to store most of the air group. The height of this office space is 7.2 meters. The hangar houses approximately 70% of all flight units of the ship. In addition, it also houses fire trucks and emergency tractors. Aircraft are taken out of the hangar in a semi-automatic mode, while tractors are driving them on the deck. The entire hangar is divided by four special "curtains", which are mounted in order to increase fire safety.

To increase the "survivability" of the ship, its internal partitions are made according to the sandwich scheme - with alternating layers of steel and fiberglass. The yield point of the metal used for the construction of partitions is 60 kgf / mm². All tanks of tankers, premises and vehicles for the supply of ammunition are protected by a layer of armor.

"Kuznetsov" is also unique in that it (for the first time in the history of Russian shipbuilding) used combined underwater protection. Its depth is about five meters. The ship can withstand the flooding of five adjacent compartments at once, the total length of which is approximately 60 meters.

"Reports from the fronts"

By the way, where is the famous aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov" now? The news reports that the ship and its crew are currently at Severomorsk, returning from a long training cruise in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean. In its course, the aircraft and helicopters of the deck flight repeatedly practiced aerial combat techniques and preventive interception of targets.

This is where the aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov" is now. It should be noted that at any time he can leave the parking lot and once again go on a long hike.

Admiral Kuznetsov is an aircraft carrier with a rich history. This is the only heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser in its class as part of the Russian Navy. The ship is the flagship of the Northern Fleet of the Navy.

Admiral Kuznetsov is an aircraft carrier who saw the world thanks to Project 1143. It is interesting that the development of aircraft carriers of this class began in the Soviet Union even before the start of World War II. However, the technical capabilities at that time were severely limited, so the ships of the project 1143 appeared in the 70-80s of the last century.

The tasks that should have been implemented in this project:

• equipping the ship with capacities for the implementation of air defense of both the ship itself and the equipment located nearby;
• the ability to ensure the safety of submarine cruisers from the ship;
• detection and destruction of enemy submarines;
• detection and elimination of enemy surface forces;
• amphibious landing.

In other words, the ship had to be of impressive size to ensure the transportation of landing troops, to accommodate the necessary military equipment, and also to be equipped with a runway. The dimensions of such a ship should be really big.

During the project, several ships were created that meet the stated requirements. All of them suffered a rather sad fate, for example, the ships “Kiev” and “Minsk”, created in the course of this project, were sold decades later to China and Korea and are now being operated as an attraction. The aircraft carrier “Novorossiysk” was sold to Korea in the mid-90s, and two years later it was dismantled for scrap. The fate of the cruiser "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" was different, and today it successfully functions as part of the Northern Fleet.

Design

The ship is capable of simultaneously accommodating 28 modern MiG and Su-33 fighters on board.

Admiral of the USSR Fleet N.G. Kuznetsov planned to create a heavy aircraft-carrying airliner during the Second World War, but only achieved the inclusion of such a ship in the design plans in the mid-50s. True, later the ship, created according to this project, received his name.

Kuznetsov laid the foundation for Project 85, during which ships of this class were being developed. The admiral fell into disgrace and was removed from office in 1955, as a result, the project was postponed for a long 30 years.

During Project 1123, it was possible to assess the potential of aircraft carriers, but the ships of this project had several unsuccessful solutions, for example, a runway for helicopters. Military helicopters were not enough to carry out a full-fledged landing of the landing troops, so the development continued.

The consequence was Project 1143, the main idea of \u200b\u200bwhich was to equip the aircraft carrier with a full-fledged takeoff strip, designed to use aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing. In other words, the ship was supposed to become a full-fledged mobile air base.

In the course of the project, the ships "Kiev", "Novorossiysk" and "Riga" were created. In fact, these are all ships of the same type.

However, these ships were not perfect and had many shortcomings. The project had to be developed further. So, in the course of project 1143.5-1143.7, three projects of heavy aircraft-carrying cruisers were created:

• “Admiral Kuznetsov”;
• "Varangian";
• "Ulyanovsk". "

In fact, they are an evolution of the ships of Project 1143. The new cruisers are distinguished by an extended deck and a springboard for take-off.

All ships of the project were laid down at the shipyard of the Black Sea shipyard in Nikolaev.

"Varyag", inherited after the collapse of the USSR, Ukraine was sold to China. It was renamed "Liaoning" and is now successfully serving in the Chinese Navy.

The aircraft carrier “Ulyanovsk” was never completed. It was planned to complete construction in 1995, but the ship was dismantled.

The only operating heavy aircraft carrier of this project, inherited by the Russian Federation, is the Admiral Kuznetsov. The drawings of the aircraft carrier Admiral of the Fleet Kuznetsov were revised several times. The ship was renamed several times, but now it successfully performs its functions in the ranks of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy.

Build and test

Unlike American aircraft carriers, it is equipped with a springboard so that the aircraft can pick up speed faster during takeoff.

The project to create a heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov was approved in 1982. The Black Sea shipyard located in Nikolaev took over the construction.

The ship Admiral Kuznetsov managed to change many names during the period from the beginning of the project to launching.

During the development of the project, the aircraft carrier was christened with the name “Soviet Union”. However, when the project was approved, the name of the ship was changed to “Riga”. It was with this name that the construction of the cruiser began on the first day of autumn 1982.

At the beginning of December 1987 the ship was launched under the name “Leonid Brezhnev”, and by the beginning of the tests the ship was renamed again, this time it was christened “Tbilisi”.

The aircraft carrier became “Admiral” only in 1990. This name was finally assigned to a heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser, as it is known to this day.

The construction took a long time. Given the fact that the development of the project began back in the 70s, it can be concluded that the ship's journey from the project to testing was very long.

The project was developed by the Leningrad Design Bureau. The process was supervised by designers Yu.D. Sergeev. and Belov L.V.

It is interesting that it was Belov L.V. played a decisive role in the fate of the ship "Admiral Kuznetsov". He was the chief designer of the cruise during the period from completion to the transfer of the ship to the fleet. It was this person who took full responsibility for the fact that the ship, still not completed at that time, would go to sea and be able to take part in the tests. It was thanks to this well-known designer that the ship was built during the Soviet period, thereby avoiding the fate of the “Ulyanovsk”, which was never completed and went for scrap.

In 1985, the cruiser was launched, it was in such conditions that the completion of the aircraft carrier continued. The ship was outfitted by the Leningrad plant, and the construction and assembly by the Nikolaev plant. In 1989, the still unfinished aircraft carrier took part in tests of aircraft that would later be transported on board. A month after the tests, the ship returned to the plant for further completion, during 1990 it took part in various tests several times. A year later, in 1991, it was finally finally put into operation and transferred to the Northern Fleet.

Description of the cruiser

The history of the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is full of events. The ship might never have seen the world if it were not for the designer L.V. Belov. Today the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is the only ship of this class in Russia and the flagship of the Northern Fleet, the largest structural unit of the Russian Navy.

General characteristics

The highest travel speed is about 30 knots

The cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov has impressive technical characteristics. The aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is 305 meters long and 72 meters wide. The ship must weigh a lot. The displacement of the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is up to 61 thousand tons.

The dimensions, length and width of the aircraft carrier correspond to the number of aircraft that can make up the aircraft armament of Admiral Kuznetsov.

Case description

The building of the building was carried out by the Nikolaevsky plant, and all the equipment was manufactured in Leningrad. The body is a welded steel structure. The entire length of the ship has a double bottom.

The vessel is equipped with seven decks and two platforms. The hangar is protected from possible fire by fire-resistant partitions dividing it into four independent compartments. The ship is equipped with a special system that made it possible to abandon the use of tractors and reduce the likelihood of strong gas contamination of the hangar during the operation of the ship.

TAKR (heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser) Admiral Kuznetsov is equipped with a take-off deck with an area of \u200b\u200bmore than 14.8 thousand square meters, which is twice as much as the previous cruisers of the 1143 project.

Features:

• take-off springboard;
• special deck covering for better chassis grip;
• three sites for vertical take-off;
• 12 launchers of SCRC "Granit" below deck;
• deflectors to protect personnel and equipment from jet engine exhaust;
• hydraulic stops for holding the aircraft before launch.

Aircraft landing on the deck is provided by aerofinishers.

Armor

The fuel and ammunition compartments are equipped with dense box-shaped armor. The width of the torpedo protection is 450 cm.

Power plant

One and a half months can be on a military campaign

The power plant practically does not differ from the rest of the aircraft carriers of Project 1143. The aircraft carrier Kuzya or Kuznets received an upgrade of its fuel tanks. This allowed the power to be increased to 200,000 hp.

The turbines are powered by eight boilers with a steam capacity of 115 t / h.

Number of propellers - 4. Maximum speed is 29 knots, economical - 18 knots. Autonomy is 45 days.

Crew and capacity

The crew of the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is 1980. Air group - up to 620 people.

Thus, according to the project, the total number reaches 2,600 people. However, with the deployment of command personnel, it increases to 2,660 people.

A special feature of the aircraft carrier has become spacious living quarters, in which people can be comfortably placed on board. However, to date, the number of people on the aircraft carrier has not even come close to the design standards. Most of the living quarters remain unoccupied during the ship's service.

Armament

The Russian aircraft carrier, previously named “Tbilisi” as of 2014, has on board:

• "Granit" - a missile weapon system with a firing range of up to 550 km;
• all-weather SAM "Dagger" for 192 missiles;
• anti-aircraft missile artillery complex "Kortik" for 256 missiles;
• the boa rocket launcher;
• automatic shipborne artillery mount AK-630.

The cruiser's armament is constantly being upgraded. The cruiser is also equipped with anti-torpedo systems and anti-aircraft missiles.

The main shock complex is the Granite unit.

Aircraft weapons

MiG-29K form the basis of the ship's combat arsenal

Seeing the size of the cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov, many are wondering how many aircraft are transported on an aircraft carrier. According to the project, the aviation group is designed for 50 aircraft. These include 26 aircraft, 18 anti-submarine helicopters, 4 radar helicopters and 2 search and rescue helicopters.

However, today the composition has been noticeably reduced, largely due to a lack of funding.

The current aircraft armament of the cruiser:

• fighters - 16 units;
• training aircraft - 2;
• combat training aircraft - 2;
• helicopters - 17, of which 2 are radar.

In the near future, the aircraft carrier should be replenished with new equipment.

Means of communication

The aircraft carrier is equipped with powerful communications. It is equipped with a navigation complex "Beysur", 6 radar stations of different types, one radar complex. The cruiser also has its own communications complex and several sonar systems.

Aircraft carrier service history

The ship entered service with the Northern Fleet in January 1991. The aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is the flagship of the Russian Northern Fleet. In November 1991, a conflict erupted around the cruiser. The Ukrainian authorities said that the ship belonged to them, since it was produced by the Nikolaev plant, and decided that the cruiser should remain on the Sevastopol roadstead. However, the commander of the ship did not agree with this decision, since at that time the formation of an independent state of Ukraine had not yet been proclaimed, so he led the ship through the Bosphorus. At the same time, a significant part of the ship's crew and summer personnel were disembarked (100th regiment). During this period, the ship made the first voyage around Europe.

Interestingly, as a result, the ship received the Russian fleet, and the flight crew of the 100th regiment landed ashore, as a result, was disbanded, since there were no aircraft-carrying cruisers left in Ukraine.

In the period from 1992 to 1994, numerous tests of the aircraft carrier took place. In 1996, he got up for repairs, which lasted two years.

Since 2001, the aircraft carrier was undergoing scheduled repairs until 2004. Due to a lack of funding, the process moved very slowly. After repairs, he took part in testing equipment in the North Atlantic.

In 2007-2008, he headed the cruise of warships in the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. Since 2008, I again got up for repairs for six months.

In 2016, the 100th regiment (Crimean) was formed again.

In 2011, he took part in operations on the Syrian coast, since 2015 it has been under repair. Scheduled repairs and modernization of the ship should be completed in 2020.

Commanders

Artamonov Sergey Grigorievich has awards (Ushakov's medal) for excellent service in the Russian Navy

Today, the commander is Captain 1st Rank Artamonov S.G., who took up duties in 2011. Before him, the commander was V.N. Rodionov (from 2008 to 2011), even earlier - A.P. Shevchenko (from 2003 to 2008).

The first commander was V.S. Yarygin, who held this position from 1987 to 1992.

Project evaluation and prospects

The aircraft carrier has long been nicknamed by the people "Kuzey", and, despite constant repair work, "Kuzya" has won a fairly good reputation.

The aircraft cruiser became the first of its kind in the fleet of the Soviet Union, and then the Russian Navy. This is the first ship that was able to receive and provide takeoff for conventional aircraft. However, the presence of a springboard for takeoff opens only one direction for aircraft takeoff, which is the main disadvantage of the cruiser.

The capabilities of the cruiser were greatly reduced by funding problems during the collapse of the Soviet Union, as a result of which helicopters and fighters were not released, allowing the full technical potential of the aircraft cruiser to be fully unleashed.

In general, today it is a combat ship, completely ready for service, which continues to be modernized. It is the only one of its kind, and there are no plans to build more similar aircraft carrier cruisers.

According to critics, the fate of the ship could have been different if the designer had not drawn attention to this project in due time and would not have taken responsibility for its implementation. It is thanks to L.V. Belov. the Russian fleet has been replenished with such a heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser. However, today the question of the prospects of the flagship depends on financing and modernization of the ship.

"Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" is a Project 11435 heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser, the only ship of this type in Russia.

Base location

Northern Fleet, Severomorsk.

Building, name

The ship (in the project was named "Soviet Union") was laid down at the Black Sea shipyard on September 1, 1982 under the name "Riga" and launched on December 4, 1985 under the name "Leonid Brezhnev". On August 11, 1987 it was renamed "Tbilisi". On October 4, 1990, it became known as "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov". Enlisted in the Northern Fleet on January 20, 1991.

Milestones

On October 21, 1989, put to sea in an unfinished and understaffed state for flight design tests of onboard aircraft. On November 1, 1989, the first landings of the MiG-29K, Su-27K and Su-25UTG were made. On November 23, 1989 he returned to the plant for completion. In 1990 he repeatedly went to sea for testing.

In the 90s he regularly went to sea for exercises, served in the Mediterranean. From 1996 to 1998 it was under repair. In 2000 he took part in the exercises in which the Kursk submarine was killed, participated in the rescue operation.

From 2001 to 2004 it was under repair. In 2004 he took part in a month-long trip to the North Atlantic. In 2005-2007 he went to sea several times a year. On December 5, 2007, he headed a detachment of warships on a campaign to the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, which ended on February 3, 2008.

Until December 2008 it was under repair.

In the period from December 6, 2011 to February 16, 2012, the ship carried out a long voyage to the Mediterranean Sea as part of the provision of the naval presence of the Russian Navy ships in the oceans.

In May 2014, the ship's seventh long-distance cruise ended, which lasted almost six months.

In September 2014, the ship completed the planned restoration of technical readiness.

On December 12, 2019, a fire occurred on board the ship under repair during hot work in the 1st power compartment of the ship; extinguish the fire, the area of \u200b\u200bwhich exceeded 500 sq. meters, it was possible only by the morning of December 13. As a result of the incident, a contract serviceman and an officer from the ship's survivability service were killed. More than ten people were injured.

Tactical and technical characteristics

Speed: 29 knots
Swimming endurance: 45 days
Crew: 1960 people
Steam turbine power: 4x50000 HP
Turbine generator power: 9x1500 kW
Diesel generator power: 6x1500 kW

Dimensions

Length: 302.3 meters
Waterline length: 270 meters
Width: 72.3 meters
Width at the waterline: 35.4 meters
Draft: 9.14 meters
Standard displacement: 43,000 tons
Gross displacement: 55,000 tons
Maximum displacement: 58,600 tons

Armament

The aircraft carrier is equipped with rocket launchers (12 Granit anti-ship missiles and 60 Udav-1 missiles), Klinok anti-aircraft missile systems (192 missiles, 24 launchers) and Kashtan (256 missiles). It can carry up to 24 Ka-27 multipurpose helicopters, up to 16 Yak-41M supersonic multipurpose vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and up to 12 Su-27K carrier-based fighters.