RUSSIAN AIRCRAFT CARRIERS Ahhh Arh PUBLICATIONS COMPANYRUSSIAN AIRCRAFT CARRIERS Barry Dean PUBLICATIONS COMPANY— editor: James R. Hill Copyright © 1993 ‘by CONCORD PUBLICATIONS CO, 603-609 Castie Peak Road Kong Nam industril Building 10/F, B1, Tsuen Won New Tenttoties. Hong Kong All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Concord Publications Co, We welcome authors who can help expand our range of books. If you would like to submit material, please feel free to contact us. We are always on the look-out for new, unpublished photos for this series. If you have photos or slides or information you feel may be useful to future volumes, please send them to us for possible future publication. Full photo credits will be given upon publication, ISBN 962-361-040-8 Printed in Hong Kong The skijump of the Admiral Kuznetsov ie shown to advantage in tis shot. It may have been intended to support the deployment ofthe Yak-14t Froostyle, as this aspect does not bene alreat without vectored thrust engines. (Sergey Skrynnikoy) Upper: Fear port quarter shot of the Kiev at anchor. Note the distinctive rust colour ofthe nonving deck surtaces. The green colour of the ‘operational’ portions of the dack are due to fra proofing Yo protect it from Forger exhaust. Lower: Three-quarter port shot of the Admiral Gorshkov showing the ‘change tothe bow at the waterline, the elimination ofthe port forward gun Sponson and the obvious electronic changes,The Kiev class aircraft carriers, or AVIONESUSCHIY KREYSER (Aviation Cruise) were the first Soviet full fight deck carriers to be built. Originally the kiev was teferred to as merely another cruiser. Although technically there are four Kiev class vessels, in fact a mare realistic sub-division would be three Kiev's and gn improved Kiev. Effective January 1991 the improved Kiev, the Baku, was renamed the Admiral Gorshkov, All Kiev’s have a full missile cruisers’ fitting of anti-cir, ‘enti-ship and anti-submarine weapons, mostly mounted on the forward portion on the ship. Her bow ‘mounts a large underwater bulb containing the sonar. Aft there is a variable depth sonar which is deployed through doors in the centreline of the stern. Boat storage is in the rear hull under the fight deck. The fiight deck is angled 4.5 degrees to port and is not fitted with catapults or arrester gear, unlike most other conventional carriers. There are two small elevators fitted, one alongside the island and one ‘batt the island, Additionally, there are three or four smaller weapons elevators in various positions on the flight deck. The deck was originally fitted with blast- resistant tle and measures 185 by 20 metres. The Kiev mounts eight SS-N-12 Sandbox surface-to- surface cruise missiles in paired tubes, plus 16 reloads below decks which are raised through a centreline elevator. Sandbox has been in service since 1973 and Js 10.8 metres long, has a wing span of 1.8 metres, Jweighs 4.800kg and has a top end speed of Mach 2.5. Although Sandbox has a maximum range of 300nm its Impossible to torget further than line-of-sight from a. surface vessel so a target designator is required for ‘over-the-horizon operation. The on-board helicopters (either Hormone or Helix) provide this function and extend the range to over 100km. The Kiev carries relatively few aircraft and was probably not intended to counter westem carriers but fo provide a Soviet presence abroad and to support Soviet land operations. The Kiev, the fist vessel of the class, was laid down ' September 1970, launched in December 1972 and foken into service in May 1975. Her first operational deployment was to the Mediterranean in July 1976. Subsequently, she was bosed with the Norther Fleet in August 1976. Overhaul and upkeep is provided by the Nkolayev shipyard. Kiev displaces 36,000 tons and is ‘ted with Bull Horn bow-mounted sonar. The Minsk, the second vessel. was laid down in December 1972, launched in May 1975 and taken into service in February 1978, She was deployed to the Pacific Fleet in 1979. Her fist refit was undertaken in her home port of Viadivostok during 1981/82. The most noticeable differences with Kiev include: an extended Port-side sponson, a rounded leading edge to the flight deck and a number of wind deflector plates fitted to the forward edge of the flight deck. Recent reports from the Russian television networks indicate that the Minsk is no longer a functional warship and is scheduled for decommissioning and scrapping. The Novorossiysk, the third vessel, was laid down in October 1975. launched in December 1978 and taken into service in September 1982. She was deployed to the Pacific Fleet in 1983. The Novorossiysk is fitted with wind deflectors and the rounded deck edge but retains the original port-side sponson configuration. The SA-N-9 missiles have not yet been fitted so there are two empty platforms on the superstructure awaiting the installation of the Cross Sword guidance radar. On the deck blanking plates cover the circular doors where SA-N-9 wil be fitted (six aft of the isand and six forward to port). On the island, the Side Globe array has been replaced and Tin Man electro-optical devices replace the Tee Plinth. In the bow, Horse Jaw sonar replaces Bull Hom. The last vessel in the class, the Admiral Gorshkov (ex-Baku), was laid down in 1978, launched in March 1982 and taken into service in June 1988. She was deployed to the Northem Fleet. The Admiral Gorshkov took 10 years fo build and fit out, primarily due to the number of new weapon and electronic systems which are not found on her three older sisterships. These systems also account for the fact that she displaces 38,000 tons and draws more than the other three. There are a large number of differences between the Admiral Gorshkov and her predecessors which will be broken down into three sections. (1) Exterior: the port side weapons sponson has been eliminated, the flight deck has been lengthened by five metres and a single movable air deflector has been fitted to improve the air flow over the deck. The deck edges have been rounded and the elimination of some rear deck weapon positions has resulted in an increase in the deck parking area. (2) Weapons: SAMs: the long range missile (SA-N-3 Goblet) is not fitted but SA-N-9 is, 12 forward of the $S-N-12, six in a row on the port side of the flight deck and two rows of three to the starboard of the aft elevator. Guns: the AK-630 six-guns have been repositioned and increased in number ‘and the two 76.2mm guns (one forward and one aft) have been replaced by two single 100mm guns. both forward, ASW: no SUW-N-1 ASW rocket launcher or torpedo tubes are fitted and the two RBU-6000 ASW launchers have been replaced by RBU-12000. SSMs: the 12 SS-N-12 Sandbox are fitted In one row of four paired launchers and one row of two paired launchers. The usual traversing reload skid is fitted, but there is no elevator to a reload magazine. Electronics: Top Sail and Top Steer are replaced by Sky Watch fixed planar phased array radar. Some difficulties have been experienced in the day-to-day operation of this system. Plate Steer. a second 3-D radar, is mounted above the 9-metre high Cake Stand TACAN/air control radar. Low Ball SATCOM radomes are mounted fore and aft of Cake Stand, and Punch Bow! statellite data link radomes are mounted on either side of the island. The bow mounted sonar is Horse Jaw. Following the completion of the Admiral Gorshkov in 1982 the Nkolayev shipyard started work on a new project. It was quickly seen that the new construction was not a new Kiev class vessel but something completely different for the Soviets, a fullsize angle- deck carrier probably intended for STOL launches and arrested landings. As construction continued she acquired a name, the Leonid Brezhnev, but this only lasted while that Soviet leader remained ‘in favour’ Following his death in November 1982 the vessel was renamed the Tolls This name stuck until 1990 when she was formally completed and named the Admiral Kuznetsov. There are thought to be three vessels in the class now: the Kuznetsov, the Varyag and the modified Ulyanovsk. The Admiral Kuznetsov was Iaid down in January 1983, launched in December 1985 and now serves in the North Fleet. She is 305 metres in length and displaces approx. 65,000 tons. Power is supplied by four steam turbines producing 200,000 horse power which lows a maximum speed of 30 knots. The Varyag was laid down in December 1985 and the Ulyanovsk in December 1988. To date, the Forger has been the only fixed-wing aircraft to be found on Soviet aircraft carrying vessels. It appears that the Kuznetsov will change that . She could cary as many as 40 fixed/rotary wing aitcratt, all ‘apparently, below decks. Both MIG-29K Fulcrums ond Su-27K Flankers have been seen on board in the company of Ka-27 Helix helicopters. Although she equipped with arrester cables there is no steam-laun equipment, which may well limit her ful-oad lou capability. Problems with the steam-launch fiting have contributed to the increase in deck size on third of this class the Ulyanovsk. Weapon systems fitted represent both the latest. Russian technology and those well tried and teste The defensive weapons are grouped in four posit roughyy at the comers of the main hull. There are ei SA-N-1] gun/missile positions and six AK-630 30m close-in defence weapons. Oddly, there are no Bi Tilt radars to control the AK’s, and no apparent spat left on which to mount them. which would possibh indicate that they are slaved to the SA-N-11. For short range anti-aircraft /anti-missile defence, there are four groups of six SA-N-9 missiles. Thes missiles are controlled by the Cross Sword radars onk ‘are thought to be a parallel development of the SA-I land-based anti-aircraft missile system. Some sourc suggest the fitting of verticatlaunch SS-N-19 anti-shix cruise missiles on the fore deck, but imagery anal does not support this contention, There are two Ri 12000 ASW rocket launchers mounted aff, which Is n @ “usual! fitting for this type of weapon. This may! indicate that RBU-12000 has an anti-torpedol application as well as antisubmarine. Electronically speaking, the Kuznetsov closel resembles the Admiral Gorshkov. She is fitted with four Sky Watch 3-D multiple target track planar arrays, Top, Plate 3-D radar (possibly back-up to Sky Watch), Cake, Stand TACAN, Low Ball SATNAV. Cross Sword missile control, twin Strut Pair E-band air/surface surveillance radars and three Paim Frond navigation radars. Punch Bowl domes, usually associated with $S-N-12/19 misses may, in this case, be related to the Kuznetsov's use as a fleet flagship. The downfall of the Soviet Union may well spell the end of Russian aircraft carriers as well. Of the three: original Kuznetsov class hulls only the Kuznetsov Is complete. Russian press reports indicate that the two: remaining hulls have a very questionable future. The Russian government has, apparently, stopped paying for construction so their only future may well be the: scrapyard. The press has also indicated that the future: of one or more of the Kiev class vessels is also in serious doubt. It would appear that the requirement for expensive ‘show-the-flag’ vessels to support the. superpower needs of the Soviet Union hos apparentiy died with the union,FueLerTwo RBU-12000 launchers and the flush-mounted SA‘N-9 launchers. The SBU-12000 has only 10 barels, but is larger than the RBU-6000, The SA-N-9 launchers are visible between the SS-N-12 launchers and the rear RBU-12000. ‘A Ka-27 Holix ASW helicopter sits secured to the deck in the airralt parking area atthe stern ofthe Admiral Gorehkow This picture shows the repositioned aft aircraft elevator and some ofthe SAN-9 vertical misie silos (both at the lot where the lone figure is walking) One of the Admiral Gorshkov's ammunition elevators is being put to use here. Note thatthe stom ofthe vessel bears the Cyrille characters ofthe name “Baku (he ship's former appellation) visible just between the stern’s two shadowed openings. This forward island view shows, lat to right, the 100m (un, two pairs of AK-630, Bass Tit radars, Kite Screech radar (for 100mm guns), two Sky Watch panels, two Low Ball pods fang the Cake Stand TACANat contol radar.a\yeySONCORD PUBLICATIONS COMPANY