Is Russia About To Decommission Its Only Aircraft Carrier?

Russian Aircraft Carrier Admiral Kuznetsov

David Axe, National Interest: Russia's Only Aircraft Carrier Might Be Headed for the Scrapper

The Russian navy might decommission its only aircraft without directly replacing the vessel, leaving Moscow’s fleet without any prospect of at-sea air cover for the first time in decades.

The Russian navy might decommission its only aircraft without directly replacing the vessel, leaving Moscow’s fleet without any prospect of at-sea air cover for the first time in decades.

Admiral Kuznetsov, the Russian navy’s sole flattop, in October 2018 suffered serious damage at the 82nd Repair Shipyard in Roslyakovo, a northern port city, when the PD-50 dry-dock sank while Kuznetsov was aboard for repairs.

Dry-docks lift ships out of the water, allowing workers to access their lower hulls for deep maintenance.

Swedish-built PD-50 was the only large dry-dock capable of supporting the Russian northern fleet’s largest warships. Russia's other large dry-docks are thousands of miles from the fleet's main northern bases.

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WNU Editor: The trend in the Russian navy is to build small and heavily armed ships. The aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov just does not not fit in their plans anymore.