Kuznetsov News

Russia's only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, has suffered another repair delay and will not reenter service until 2024 at the earliest, Tass quoted a defense source as saying on Tuesday.The ship, launched in 1985, had been due to undergo a refit that would have seen it operational in 2023.The source told Tass that defects in the work had been discovered, and this meant the ship would remain in dock for longer than initially planned. The vessel had initially been due to return to service this year…

Russia's only aircraft carrier was damaged while undergoing repairs in the north of the country after the floating dock holding it sank in the early hours of Tuesday morning and a crane crashed onto its deck.The Admiral Kuznetsov has seen action in Russia's military campaign in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad with its planes carrying out air strikes against rebel forces.It was being overhauled on one of the world's biggest floating docks in the icy waters of the Kola Bay near Murmansk close to where Russia's Northern Fleet is based and was due to go back into service in 2021.Maria Kovtun, Murmansk's governor, said in a statement that a rescue operation had been launched and 71 people evacuated after the floating dock holding the ship had begun to sink.The warship had been suc

Britain said on Thursday it would keep a close eye on a fleet of Russian warships approaching British waters on their way to the eastern Mediterranean. The Norwegian military on Wednesday released pictures taken by surveillance aircraft of the fleet, which includes the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov and the Pyotr Velikiy battle cruiser, sailing in international waters. British defence minister Michael Fallon said the Royal Navy would be watching closely. "When these ships near our waters we will man-mark them every step of the way," Fallon said. Russia's TASS state news agency said in July that the Admiral Kuznetsov would take part in a Russian operation in Syria from October to January.

The Norwegian military has released pictures taken by surveillance aircraft of a fleet of Russian warships sailing in international waters off the coast of Norway and reported to be heading to Syria. Photos of the vessels, which include the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov and the Pyotr Velikiy battle cruiser, were taken near Andoya island, in northern Norway on Monday. A spokesman for the Norwegian military intelligence service said the country's armed forces frequently releases such footage, while newspaper VG quoted General Morten Haga Lunde, head of the service, as saying the eight ships involved "will probably play a role in the deciding battle for Aleppo".

Russian president Vladimir Putin is sending his country’s largest warship to Syria in an attempt to finally destroy the death cult ISIS, reports Daily Star. The Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier has been dispatched to Syria carrying 30 jet fighters and attack helicopters. Putin made the decision to dispatch the warship soon after the latest ISIS attacks in Bangladesh and Iraq. The 55,000 tonne ship will be deployed in the region from October until January, a military source informed TASS. The Admiral Kuznetsov will be packed with warplanes and attack choppers. The ship is expected to arrive in the Med by October where it will link up with land-based Russian forces who are already pounding the cult into submission with airtrikes.

The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group (GHWB CSG) transited through the Suez Canal marking the end of more than seven months of Maritime Security Operations (MSO) in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations (AOO), Oct. 27. Commanded by Rear Adm. DeWolfe Miller, GHWB CSG comprises aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), Carrier Air Wing 8 (CVW 8), Destroyer Squadron 22 (CDS 22), guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58), guided-missile destroyer USS Truxtun (DDG 103) and guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt (DDG 80). GHWB CSG deployed Feb. 15 from homeports in Norfolk, Virginia, Mayport, Florida, and Whidbey Island, Washington, as part of a routine deployment of forces.

Russian Carrier 'Admiral Kuznetsov' returns to service after modernization at Murmansk branch of JSC Zvezdochka Ship Repair Center. The carrier (project name was Sovetsky Soyuz) was laid down at Chernomorsky Shipyard in Nikolayev on Sept 1, 1982 having original name of Riga and launched on Dec 4, 1985 under the name of Leonid Brezhnev. On Aug 11, 1987 she was renamed Tbilisi and on Oct 4, 1990 the carrier changed its name to Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov. The ship joined Northern Fleet on Jan 20, 1991.

Russia will begin building new aircraft carriers after 2020 in a major boost to Moscow's ability to deploy air power abroad. If the plans reach fruition, it would be a major boon to the Russian navy, which currently fields only one aging aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov. The Kuznetsov, part of the navy’s Northern Fleet, was built in 1985 and has been scheduled to undergo a major overhaul. Another former Russian carrier, the Admiral Gorshkov, was sold to India in 2005, refitted and renamed the Vikramaditya and is currently undergoing sea trials in the Barents Sea.

Xu Hongmeng, deputy commander of the Navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, said the PLA plans to put the carrier, which has undergone four sea trials into service this year. The former Varyag, which is docked in Dalian Port, in Northeast China's Liaoning province, is currently equipped with life-size model planes. China's first aircraft carrier, a retrofitted former Soviet vessel, set out on its maiden voyage on Aug 10 and returned to port five days later. It underwent three more sea trials in the Pacific.

According to reports, the Admiral Kuznetsov, Russia's only aircraft carrier, will join the Northern Fleet by the end of the year after modernization, the Navy's chief said Wednesday. The ship, also known as Project 1143.5 heavy aircraft carrier, was commissioned in the Russian Navy in 1991 and became fully operational in 1995. But it was plagued by technical problems, including faulty arrester gear, and was put into dock earlier this year for a technical overhaul. The Navy commander said that several Su-33 Flanker-D fighters assigned to the aircraft carrier would return to the ship after a brief technical overhaul. The vessel is capable of carrying up to 26 fixed-wing fighters and 24 helicopters.