The heavy aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov will receive a new air defense system and ammunition for carrier-based aviationThe Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is increasing its combat capabilities.
Now it will be protected from air strikes by the unique Pantsir-M anti-aircraft systems, combined into an integrated air defense system, sources in the Russian Defense Ministry told Izvestia. There are also places on board for storing and preparing for the use of the latest aviation ammunition — guided bombs and cruise missiles. Su-33 and MiG-29 fighters of the Kuznetsov Air Wing will be able to use them. According to experts, such modernization will increase the security and combat capabilities of the flagship of the Russian Navy.
New protection
The aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov will be armed with the latest anti-aircraft missile and artillery complexes Pantsir-M, sources in the military department told Izvestia. In addition, a new integrated air defense control system will be introduced on the ship. It will automatically recognize targets, divide them between anti-aircraft complexes and destroy them.
"Shells" with a new control system are capable of repelling massive attacks on the ship by all means of attack, ranging from airplanes and helicopters to anti-ship missiles and drones.
Also, according to the interlocutors of the publication, special rooms have already been built on board the ship, in which high-precision aviation weapons for the Kuznetsov air wing will be stored, serviced and prepared for combat use. We are talking about air-launched cruise missiles, as well as adjustable and homing bombs.
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| Anti-aircraft missile and artillery complex "Pantsir-M" on a small rocket ship of the project 22800 "Odintsovo" on the territory of the naval base in Baltiysk. |
| Source: Photo: TASS/Vitaly Nevar |
Currently, the Admiral Kuznetsov air defense consists of four launchers of the Kinzhal anti-aircraft missile system. It can simultaneously fire at four targets at a distance of up to 12 km and at an altitude of up to 6 km. Also, eight anti-aircraft missile and artillery complexes "Dirk" are responsible for the ship's air defense. The range of their missiles is up to 8 km. At close range, the Dirk uses two six-barreled AO-18K guns. In addition, six AK-630M six-barrel 30-mm rapid-fire launchers with a rate of 5 thousand rounds per minute are placed on board.
"Pantsir-M" is replacing the older "Cutlasses". Now it is the most advanced ship-based anti-aircraft air defense system. In the arsenal of the marine "Shell" there are eight missiles and two six-barreled 30-millimeter rapid-firing automatic guns. It is capable of hitting targets flying at altitudes from one meter to several tens of kilometers.
This is a modern complex that has proven itself well during a special military operation, military historian Dmitry Boltenkov told Izvestia.
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| Automatic installation of AK-630. |
| Source: © Vadim Zhernov/TASS |
— With it, Admiral Kuznetsov will be more protected from air attacks — Pantsir-M can shoot down any type of targets in the near zone. There is no better system for naval air defense today. And the new ammunition for the air wing will make it an even more formidable ship. In general, the modernization of the cruiser consists in the fact that all systems are removed from it and the most modern ones are installed instead.
Also this year, deliveries to the aviation parts of the line of ultra-precise long-range bombs began. It includes several models capable of hitting targets at a distance of tens of kilometers. They differ in their mass, range of application, as well as the correction and guidance system.
Bombs are capable of destroying both ground targets and moving objects, including armored ones, with extreme accuracy. The advantage of planning ammunition is that they are much cheaper than guided missiles with comparable accuracy. In addition, due to the lack of a rocket engine and fuel, the bomb can carry a more massive warhead.
— The ongoing special military operation clearly shows that planning bombs and modern guided missiles are what is needed, — Dmitry Boltenkov told Izvestia. — And most importantly, aircraft can use them without entering the enemy's air defense zone. Thus, the aircraft carrier can solve the tasks of hitting surface and ground targets, and the range of its carrier-based aircraft increases.
Earlier, Izvestia was informed that a crew was being formed for Admiral Kuznetsov, which has been undergoing repairs and modernization in recent years. It is planned to recruit more than 1 thousand sailors, midshipmen and officers. In addition to purely maritime positions — motorists, navigators, signalmen — the crew will be equipped with specialists in the operation and maintenance of aviation equipment and equipment.
After completion of manning, the crew will undergo training and coordination. And then he will conduct all the tests of the ship, which in 2024 should return to the combat fleet.
The long road to the sea
Admiral Kuznetsov has a complicated history. For many years it has been the only heavy aircraft carrier in the Russian Navy. It was launched in 1985, and in 1991 it became part of the Northern Fleet. Then the government of Ukraine claimed it, but the ship managed to relocate.
In 1995, the Kuznetsov served in the Mediterranean. In 2007-2008, at the head of a detachment of ships, he made a trip to the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
In 2016-2017, as part of the task force of ships in the Mediterranean, the cruiser performed combat missions off the coast of Syria. The pilots of the air group carried out more than 400 sorties, hitting over 1.2 thousand terrorist targets. After returning from the campaign, the ship was sent for repair and modernization.
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| A Su-33 fighter jet before taking off from the deck of the Admiral Kuznetsov cruiser off the coast of Syria in the Mediterranean Sea. The cruiser "Admiral Kuznetsov" and the TFR "Admiral Grigorovich" are involved in the operation in Syria for the first time. |
| Source: RIA Novosti |
Several serious accidents occurred during the repair. In October 2018, the PD-50 floating dock sank. The ship was damaged by the fall of the dock crane, but remained afloat. It was towed to the berth of the 35th ship repair plant in Severomorsk, where it later underwent repairs.
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| Heavy aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov". |
| Source: iz.ru |
In December 2019, a fire occurred on board the aircraft carrier. During welding work, a spark got into the hold, where fuel was spilled. As a result, two people were killed and 14 were injured. At the end of last year, a fire was also reported on the ship, it was liquidated, there were no casualties.
In February of this year, the head of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), Alexey Rakhmanov, announced that the ship had been removed from the dock and put into place for permanent repairs. According to the head of the USC, the aircraft carrier should return to the combat fleet next year.
Alexey Ramm
Roman Kretsul
