Admiral Kuznetsov is due to return to service in 2023
Moscow. December 9th. INTERFAX - Russian specialized agencies are assessing the need to build a new aircraft carrier, work is underway in parallel to create the appearance of such a ship, First Deputy chairman of the Board of the Military-Industrial Commission (MIC) of Russia Andrey Yelchaninov said in an interview with Interfax.
"The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, together with industrial enterprises, are additionally analyzing the demand for this type of weapon, as well as the possibilities of its technical implementation. Now work is underway to assess the financial and technological risks during the construction of such a ship. We continue to work on the appearance of a promising aircraft carrier," Yelchaninov said.
He said that the only Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov will return to service in 2023.
"The state customer has set the deadline for the completion of all work on the repair and modernization of the Admiral Kuznetsov TAVKR - 2023. In Murmansk, the reconstruction of the dry dock chambers at the branch of JSC "CS "Zvezdochka" is being completed. The ship is scheduled to be delivered there in 2022. Taking into account all types of tests, Admiral Kuznetsov should be handed over to the Navy in due time," Yelchaninov said.
The head of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) Alexey Rakhmanov has repeatedly spoken about the readiness of enterprises to build a new aircraft carrier upon receipt of an order from the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
"I am convinced that the implementation of the aircraft carrier project (and its air group) can lead to a technological breakthrough for more than 10 years in many segments of the economy and industry. In addition to shipbuilding, it is also in aircraft construction, mechanical engineering, nuclear technologies, instrumentation, IT, weapons production, metallurgy and metalworking," Rakhmanov said earlier in an interview with Zvezda TV channel.
The Manatee project was prepared as a proposed aircraft carrier for the Russian Navy by Nevsky PKB. The Krylov State Scientific Center also offered its projects.
Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov, in an interview with Interfax in 2019, stated that the issue of building a new aircraft carrier is controversial.
"My point of view is a very controversial issue. With the availability of powerful high-precision means today, it is not difficult to hit such an object from a technical, military point of view. Especially considering that the Americans withdrew and we were forced to withdraw from the Treaty on Intermediate-Range and Shorter-range Missiles," Borisov said.
"But this is not my question, not the government's question - this is the question of the Ministry of Defense. They will make a decision - we will look for funds and we will create. We really have interesting projects," he said.
"For Americans, aircraft carriers are an urgent necessity, they are located on another continent. To ensure their presence, they just need it. The aircraft carrier needs serious means of protection. He must have a group that constantly accompanies him. These are all expensive things. Is the game worth the candle? This question constantly arises," Borisov said at the time.
