From Glory to Gloom: The Turbulent Journey of Russia’s Admiral Kuznetsov
The story of Russia’s only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, is a tale of ambition, misfortune, and a series of mishaps that seem almost too numerous to be mere coincidence. It’s a story that mirrors the tumultuous history of Russia itself, particularly in the post-Soviet era.
The Soviet navy was big and capable back then, with their lethality at sea based on the surface-to-surface missile striking power of their heavy cruisers. Their aircraft carriers were not really aircraft carriers at all, as they didn’t have catapults or arresting gear, and could only support helicopters and vertical takeoff and landing jets.
However, the capabilities of America’s aircraft carriers weren’t lost on them. In April of 1982, the Nikolayev Shipyard in Ukraine, the only company capable of building aircraft carriers for the Soviet Union, laid down the keel for a ship they originally called Riga. By the time the ship was launched in 1985, the name had been changed to the Leonid Brezhnev, after the former Premier. Then, as it started sea trials, the name was changed to Tbilisi, and once it became fully operational, the name was changed for a final time to the Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov, named for Nikolai Kuznetsov, a hero of the Soviet Union who played a crucial role in World War II.
The Kuznetsov had an additional complication in late 1991 as the Soviet Union started to come apart and Ukraine declared independence. The new president of Ukraine told the carrier’s commanding officer that the ship was Ukrainian property and should remain in port in Sebastopol until further notice. However, the deputy commander of Russia’s Northern Fleet ordered the ship to get underway, which it did, ultimately arriving in its new home port, Murmansk.
The Kuznetsov’s design was unique, with fixed-wing jets launching from three different positions using a ski jump ramp on the bow, not catapults. This limited sortie generation compared to American aircraft carriers. The Kuznetsov also carried helicopters for anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, and lightweight transport. Additionally, it had an impressive offensive capability in the form of 12 P-700 Granite long-range surface-to-surface anti-ship cruise missiles.
The Kuznetsov was powered by mazut, a low-quality heavy fuel oil used in power plants and similar applications. The Russians chose mazut as the power source because it’s cheap and plentiful. However, burning mazut aboard the Kuznetsov caused a visible trail of heavy black smoke that can be seen at great distances, which is a tactical disadvantage. The thick black smoke also permeated the spaces down below, causing respiratory issues for anyone who spends more than a few days aboard.
Over the years, the Kuznetsov has only made six deployments in more than 32 years and never for more than 90 days at a time. This is in stark contrast to the average U.S Navy aircraft carrier, which deploys twice as often for twice as long during the same amount of time. The Kuznetsov’s maiden deployment happened in late 1995, but shortly after the carrier passed the Strait of Gibraltar and entered the Mediterranean, the evaporators broke and the ship had to anchor off of Tartus, Syria, unable to make water safe for human consumption.
The Kuznetsov’s misfortunes continued over the years, with numerous mechanical breakdowns, maintenance malpractice, and even fires. In fact, the overhaul and modernization program designed to extend its service life by 25 years may prove to be the death blow that takes the Kuznetsov out of action for good.
Overall, it could be said that the Kuznetsov’s misfortunes have been that of Mother Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union and most acutely on President Vladimir Putin’s watch. The Russian military has become somewhat of a Potemkin village, an imposing facade at best. The most recent evidence being their performance in the first year since the invasion of Ukraine. The knock on Putin is that he shifted his dwindling national accounts to other priorities, neglecting the training and maintenance of his existing military force. Consequently, the long-term health of assets like the Kuznetsov has suffered.
In the end, the story of the Kuznetsov is a cautionary tale about the dangers of ambition without the necessary resources or commitment to maintain it. It’s a tale of a ship that was built with great expectations, only to be plagued by a series of unfortunate events that have left it a shadow of its former self. It’s a story that mirrors the tumultuous history of Russia itself, particularly in the post-Soviet era.
