The doctrine of the Russian Navy is such that it practically does not provide for the use of aircraft-carrying ships. There are many reasons for this, but one of the main ones is the huge financial costs of maintaining such vessels. During the USSR, the first steps were taken towards their creation, but the only ship of this class in our country is the Admiral Kuznetsov. This aircraft carrier has a rather complex and interesting story creation and operation.
Surely not everyone knows that a total of five aircraft-carrying cruisers were built in the USSR. Where did the other four ships go? We will answer these questions and also discuss the main technical characteristics of the Admiral Kuznetsov ship. This aircraft carrier began to be designed shortly before its collapse Soviet Union(together with other similar ships).
Basics
The start of work on the project dates back to 1978. The Leningrad Design Bureau was responsible for design activities. At first, engineers proposed Project 1143 to military specialists, which envisaged the construction of a heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser. The basis was based on long-standing work on the 1160 cruiser with a nuclear power plant.
There are the following projects, implemented in the form of built ships or existing in the form of models and sketches:
- Sketch 1160, providing for the laying of an aircraft carrier with a displacement of 80,000 tons.
- Type 1153. The displacement of this aircraft carrier was supposed to be 70,00 tons; the project provided for powerful armament of the ship (in addition to the aviation group itself). There are no ships built or laid down.
- The project, the adoption of which was insisted by the Ministry of Justice and Industry. As in the first case, the displacement was supposed to be 80,000 tons. It was envisaged that at least 70 aircraft and combat helicopters would be based on board.
- Project 1143 M. It was planned that the ship would be armed with Yak-41 supersonic vertical take-off aircraft. The third aircraft carrier of type 1143 is 1143.3. The ship was laid down in 1975. It was put into service seven years later, but already in 1993 it was decommissioned and cut into metal. The reason is “the economic inexpediency of operation.”
- Type 1143 A. Similar to Project 1143M ships, but with increased displacement. This is the fourth aircraft carrier built in the USSR. She was laid down in 1978 and officially entered the fleet in 1982. In 2004, an agreement was concluded to lease the ship to the Indian Navy, and it was modernized to suit their needs. It became part of the Indian Navy three years ago, in 2012.
- Project 1143.5 heavy aircraft carrier. As you might guess, this is another modernization of type 1143. The fifth and last aircraft-carrying ship built.
So where is Kuznetsov?
It is the last ship that is the Admiral Kuznetsov. This aircraft carrier began to be developed by order of the Council of Ministers at the end of 1978.
This was project 1143.5. The final technical design of the vessel was ready by mid-1980. It was originally assumed that construction of the new ship would be completely completed by 1990. The laying was carried out on the stocks of the Nikolaev Shipyard. But “Admiral Kuznetsov” did not appear so easily. The aircraft carrier, before its “birth,” went through many obstacles, since the deadlines for its construction and commissioning were constantly pushed back.
History of development and construction
Engineers prepared the initial preliminary design by 1979. Almost immediately, the document was approved by the commander of the Navy, who at that time was Admiral S. Gorshkov. The following year, D. Ustinov (the head of the entire army department) signs another document in which he asserts the need for fundamental changes to project 1143.5. Because of this, the actual start of construction of the ship was almost immediately pushed back to 1986-1991.
But already in April 1980 S. Gorshkov claims new project, in which all the necessary changes have already been made. Finally, in the summer of the same year, all parties who participated in the development of the new ship recognized the development of the 1143.5 type cruiser as finally completed.
But the improvements to the project have not yet been completed. The snag came up in the list of necessary aviation weapons that should have been on the ship: it had to be worked out in full accordance with the resolution of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, which left a certain imprint on the speed of work. At the end of the year, the design of the ship 1143.5 is again subject to adjustment.
Some experts at that time expressed the opinion that it would be more expedient to build a second cruiser according to project 1143.4 (1143 A), rather than waste time and money on finalizing the drawings of a new one. However, this idea was soon abandoned, and project 1143.4 itself was finalized to stage 1143.42.
New delays
At the beginning of the spring months of 1981, the Nikolaev Shipyard received a long-awaited order for the construction of a new cruiser. But already in the fall, significant changes were again made to the long-suffering project: the ship’s displacement had to be increased by 10 thousand tons at once.
As a result, the current value of this indicator is 67 thousand tons. Among other things, the designers considered it necessary to add the following innovations to the sketches:
- It was necessary to install the Granit anti-ship missile system on board the vessel.
- The need to increase the aviation group to 50 units at once.
- The most important thing is that the planes had to be launched without using a catapult, using a simple springboard method. This not only reduced the cost of the design, but also significantly extended the technical life of the cruiser.
The final model of the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov was ready only in 1982. It was laid down in September of the same year at the Nikolaev shipyards, initially giving the name “Riga” and the number (according to the factory catalog) 105. Just two months later the ship was renamed, after which it turned into “Leonid Brezhnev”. Already in December, the installation of the first structural block was in full swing. In general, it was the first cruiser in the history of Soviet shipbuilding, which consisted entirely of blocks (24 pieces).
The length of each was about 32 meters, the height was 13 meters. The weight of each element sometimes reached 1.7 thousand tons. By the way, all the superstructures of the huge ship are also made according to a block design. But this is not the only thing that makes Admiral Kuznetsov unique. The aircraft carrier, the characteristics of which we describe in this article, could be built in three to four years with normal operation of the supply plants, which is an absolute record for ships of this class.
Alas, the unhurried work of the factories several times slowed down its introduction into the Soviet Fleet.
Installation of on-board systems
The order for all power and energy units was made for 1983-1984. The factories failed: they fell far behind schedule, as a result of which, in order to install engines and turbines, it was necessary to partially dismantle the hull and, in some areas, remove the upper deck. The French first captured images of the ship from a spy satellite in 1984. At that time, its readiness was already at least 20%.
The cruiser was launched from the stocks at the end of 1985. The weight of the hull and the systems installed at that time did not exceed 32 thousand tons. Experts assessed the readiness of the aircraft carrier at 38.5%.
The following year, changes again affected the Admiral Kuznetsov (aircraft carrier). The designer of project 1143.5 has changed, it is P. Sokolov. By mid-1987, the ship was renamed for the third time. This time it is the Tbilisi TAKR. Readiness was approaching 57%. By that time, the cruiser could have been completed by approximately 71%, but due to equipment suppliers, the project was repeatedly rudely stopped. Only by the end of 1989 did readiness begin to reach 70%.
The cost of the ship in those years was estimated at 720 million rubles, and the increase in price by 200 million was caused precisely by the delays of suppliers. In response to this, the chief designer was changed again, who this time became L. Belov. The ship was approximately 80% complete. By that time, more than half of all radio-electronic equipment had been installed on the ship, and most of it could only be delivered by 1989 (and delivery was planned for 1984).
First trip to sea
The first trip to sea dates back to October 20, 1989. It was officially authorized and approved by all project participants. In principle, by that time the ship was finally completely ready, but the aviation group had not yet been deployed. The campaign lasted a little longer than one month. When was the first landing on the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov made? This happened on the first of November 1989. The Su-27 K aircraft was the first to begin testing. Immediately after landing, the MiG-29 K left the deck, with which there were also no problems.
All weapons and radio systems were installed only in 1990. But still, the cruiser’s readiness reaches 87%. In the spring and summer of the same year, sea trials of the ship began. Finally, in October of the same year, the ship acquired its final name. Now this is the same Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov.
During the first stage of testing alone, the cruiser covered more than 16 thousand nautical miles under its own power, and aircraft took off from its deck almost 500 times. Not a single landing on the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov resulted in an emergency, which is simply an excellent indicator for ships being tested for the first time!
The first tests were completed at the end of 1990. Until 1992, the final stage of State acceptance took place (as part of the Black Sea Fleet), after which the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov was included in the Northern Fleet.
Basic information on ship design
As we have already said, the ship consists of exactly 24 blocks, each of which weighs about 1.5 thousand tons. The hull was made by welding and has seven decks and two huge platforms. To lift parts of this size and weight, Soviet engineers had to use Finnish Kane cranes, each of which could lift up to 900 tons to the required height. Another special feature of the ship is that its entire hull is covered with a special coating that effectively absorbs enemy radar signals.
By the way, about the recent modernization that the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov underwent. Latest news they say that this composition has been significantly improved, so that the ability of a huge ship to literally “dissolve” in the open sea has become even more impressive.
Other figures
If (very roughly) we divide the ship into the average floors of a residential building, then their number will be 27. In general, inside the cruiser there are 3857 rooms at once, which perform a variety of functions. It is worth noting that there are 387 cabins alone (which are divided into four classes), 134 sailor quarters, six huge dining rooms, and fifty well-equipped showers for personnel. Thus, the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is a real floating city! Its autonomy is one and a half months.
It may seem that this is not enough. But this is until you know the number of crew and flight personnel. There are more than 1.5 thousand personnel on board. Pilots - 626 people. Just imagine the laboriousness of providing food and drink to more than two thousand people for a month and a half on the high seas! So the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, whose dimensions can truly amaze the imagination, is truly monumental.
In total, when building the ship, engineers used more than four thousand (!) kilometers of cable, 12 thousand kilometers of pipes for the circulation of liquids for various purposes. The through deck area is 14,000 m². It ends with a springboard, the slope of which is 14.3 degrees in its steepest part. The springboard at its highest point rises 28 meters above the water. Maximum speed is 32 knots. In economy mode, the ship accelerates to 16 knots.
Deck and runways
Special fairings are installed on the edges of the deck and the bow ramp itself. Aircraft are delivered to the cruiser's runway deck using lifts, each with a lifting capacity of 40 tons. Aircraft units are delivered to the stern and bow. The deck width is 67 meters. The total length of the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is 304.5 meters.
The draft depth of the giant cruiser is 10.5 meters.
A section of deck 250 meters long and 26 meters wide is intended directly for landing. It is located with a slope of seven degrees. To cover this area, scientists at one time developed a special composition “Omega”, which prevents slipping and protects the deck material from extremely high temperatures. For the areas from which the Yak-41 vertical planes take off and land, AK-9FM heat-resistant plates are used.
The total number of launch strips is two, and they converge at highest point springboard, which generally distinguishes the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov from other ships of a similar class. The star located on its stem emphasizes the majestic and formidable features of the huge cruiser.
On the left side there is an emergency runway, the length of which is already 180 meters. To protect the operating personnel, deflectors equipped with powerful cooling systems are installed throughout the deck. To ensure the safe landing of flight units, Svetlana-2 aero arresters are used. In case of an emergency, there is an installation (emergency barrier) with the “speaking” name “Nadezhda”. The Luna-3 telemetry and control system is responsible for landing aircraft.
Survivability service
To store most of the air group, there is a special protective hangar 153 meters long and 26 meters wide. The height of this office space is 7.2 meters. The hangar houses approximately 70% of all flight units of the ship. In addition, it also houses fire engines and emergency tractors. Airplanes are taken out of the hangar in a semi-automatic mode, and they are driven along the deck by tractors. The entire hangar is divided by four special “curtains”, which are installed to improve fire safety.
To increase the "survivability" of the ship, its internal partitions are made according to a sandwich design - with alternating layers of steel and fiberglass. The yield strength of the metal used for the construction of partitions is 60 kgf/mm². All tanks of refueling trucks, premises and vehicles for transporting ammunition are protected by a layer of armor.
“Kuznetsov” is also unique in that it (for the first time in the history of domestic shipbuilding) uses underwater combined protection. Its depth is about five meters. The ship can withstand the flooding of five adjacent compartments at once, the total length of which is approximately 60 meters.
"Reports from the fronts"
By the way, where is the famous aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov located now? News reports that the ship and its crew are currently in Severomorsk, having returned from a long training cruise in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean. During its course, carrier-based aircraft and helicopters repeatedly practiced air combat and preventive target interception techniques.
This is where the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is now. It should be noted that at any time it can be removed from the parking lot and once again go on a long hike.
An aircraft carrier is a type of warship that includes a certain amount of combat aircraft, which also represents the main strike force. On board there is a runway of the required length for aircraft take-off, hangars, facilities for refueling, maintenance and flight control. Despite its large dimensions, the aircraft carrier is a highly maneuverable ship and responds quite quickly to deployment signals. One of the representatives of such military equipment is the aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov. More on this below.
Such ships are used by many countries to perform duty services along the water borders of a particular state. They are also intended to assist in the event of enemy forces invading territory. They are used to destroy various enemy boats, as well as to destroy airborne equipment located above the water and in the coastal zone.
An aircraft carrier must have a powerful power plant and a large supply of fuel in order to remain at a distance from the shore for a long period.
Historical path
The first steps towards the construction of the above-mentioned cruiser were taken in 1982. It changed its name several times due to historical events. Finally, in 1990, after lengthy sea trials, his final name appeared on board - “Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov.” And a year later, the heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser was in Russian naval service. This is a reliable fact.
At the time of the start of construction, aircraft carriers were already in service. Each of them performed specific functions. However, the ship "Admiral Kuznetsov" had significant difference. That is, it has elongated deck dimensions. This allowed aircraft to fly traditional type takeoff and landing.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, in the early 1990s, the Russian Navy became quite concerned that the Ukrainian authorities might lay claim to ownership of the cruiser. Therefore, at the end of 1991, he was secretly transported to the city of Severomorsk, which was the new home base of the aircraft carrier Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov. Since then, he has undergone many tests. of various nature. It is also replenished with a new combat unit - SU-33 serial fighters.
In 1995, in honor of the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the Russian Navy, the aircraft carrier-cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov set out on a cruise to the Mediterranean Sea. After passing, he stopped off the coast of Tunisia. At the same time, an American ship was also present there. This allowed some training trials to be completed jointly. According to eyewitnesses, during the joint mooring of the two aircraft carriers, there were corresponding takeoffs and landings of aircraft from both the Russian and American fleets. Some Russian military personnel were even able to ride on US aircraft. The aircraft-carrying cruiser "Admiral Kuznetsov" did not disappoint and the command was satisfied with further exercises. But there were some negative sides too. Throughout the entire sea voyage, there was a constant failure of the power plant, and there were problems with other ship systems. This indicated his incomplete combat readiness. And just a short period of time after arriving home, after a thorough repair, the cruiser "Admiral Kuznetsov" again set off on another journey. Operation Kursk took place in 2000 not without his participation.
In 2004, the cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov sailed into the North Atlantic together with nine ships of the Northern Fleet. The main purpose of the trip was to test the takeoff and landing of the new SU-25KUB fighter. This was followed by regular trips on duty (2005-2007). And in 2007, the cruiser set off on another voyage to the Mediterranean Sea, where everything went well.
Of course, in addition to successful voyages, emergency situations also occurred on board the aircraft carrier, from which not a single ultra-modern warship in the world is immune:
- The first incident happened at the end of 2004. As a result of the next trip, a minor accident occurred on board the cruiser while landing on the deck of the SU-25UTG. But, fortunately, everything ended with only damage to the plane’s landing gear, and the ship did not suffer significant losses.
- Misfortune also befell the aircraft carrier in the early fall of 2005 in the North Atlantic. Here the cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov suffered more significant losses. When two SU-33 fighters were landing, one lost control and fell into the water. The pilot ejected already at great depth. The second device was saved through the joint efforts of the crew. They tried to destroy the sunken car, which contained secret technological developments, using water bombs. However, this could not be done. The cause of the emergency turned out to be a break in the arrester cable.
- The next emergency occurred in January 2009. While staying in the Turkish port of Akzas-Karagach, there was a sudden fire in the bow of the deck. The crew managed to cope with this situation on their own, but the sailor died in the process. The aircraft carrier itself did not suffer significant damage.
Today, the ship "Admiral Kuznetsov" is one of the representatives of heavy naval artillery. Its main tasks are to defeat targets of a certain nature that pose a threat to the state. The heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov looks worthy alongside similar combat units from various countries. How can you not be impressed by a huge twenty-story building that moves unhindered through the water element? There are 8 boilers on board the aircraft carrier and 4. With their help, it can accelerate to maximum speed at 29 knots. At this pace, it covers up to 3,800 miles, and at a speed of 18 knots - 8,500 miles. In order to be convinced of its power, you can at least look at the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, a photo of which is presented in this text.
Design Features
There is a lot of interesting things here. The Admiral Kuznetsov model has the following decks: smooth and additional take-off. These are important design elements. There is a take-off ramp at the rear of the ship, that is, the architecture of this ship is smooth-deck. This is an essential design feature. There is also a corner flight deck with an area of 14,700 m², and a developed superstructure on the starboard side. The existing springboard, which is located in the bow, has a descent angle of 14 degrees. Its implementation is integral with the hull of this aircraft carrier, which has 7 decks in height and two necessary platforms.
Chassis
As already mentioned, this aircraft-carrying cruiser has an improved power plant. It consists of 8 steam boilers and 4 turbines, each of which has a capacity of 50,000 liters. With. As a result, this system is capable of accelerating a huge machine to 29 knots and maintaining this speed for a long time. Also, the specified power plant has additional containers for fuel. With the help of such a system, this heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser is capable of staying on the water for a long time. The maximum range at a speed of 18 knots is approximately 8,500 miles.
Armament
In this regard, the appropriate equipment has been determined. The armament on the ship "Admiral Kuznetsov" is represented by aviation equipment and missile launchers. This is an important fact. The first type includes all kinds of Russian military aviation. This includes about 28 aircraft (SU-33, MiG-27K, YAK-141 series fighters) and 24 combat helicopters.
In addition, the aircraft carrier includes a number of short-, medium- and long-range missile launchers. These devices can at any time either deliver a targeted blow to the enemy or prevent a torpedo or missile from being hit. In all likelihood, they will be improved in the near future as a result of a complete modernization of the said ship.
Electronic equipment
This is also an important piece of equipment. Electronic equipment on the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov allows you to constantly have a picture of the exact location of similar equipment nearby. It includes the Lumberjack system and the Mars-Passat multifunctional device. This also includes devices such as Fregat-2M, which allows you to detect targets in three-dimensional space, and Podkat, for detecting aircraft at low altitudes. This ship also has certain communication and flight control systems. All this allows you to accurately determine the enemy’s position and deliver effective strikes, as well as have constant communication with your allies.
Technical characteristics of this cruiser
The following is taken into account:
- The main manufacturer of the aircraft carrier “Admiral Kuznetsov” is the Black Sea company for the construction of warships in the city of Nikolaev.
- Developer: Nevskoye PKB OJSC.
- The maximum speed of the ship is 29-30 knots. The usual chassis is 18.
- The maximum range in optimal driving is 18,000 miles.
- In offline mode it can work for about 45 days.
- It has a displacement of 58,500 tons.
Crew
Of course, to keep the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov afloat, a significant number of qualified crew is needed. It consists of 1960 people, of which 200 are officers. Due to the fact that the main combat power is represented by aviation equipment, there are 626 pilots on board. Of these, the command staff consists of 40 people. Also on the said ship there are 3857 necessary rooms. This includes 387 cabins, 50 showers and 6 dining rooms, 120 storage rooms.
Improvement
Although the aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov has been proving its full combat readiness for many years and quite effectively fulfills its assigned tasks, like all equipment, it requires appropriate modern modernization. The ship's designers and developers are not going to stop there and plan to improve this in the near future. combat vehicle, giving it additional power and installing additional modern weapons.
First of all, modernization will affect the power plant, since this is the most problematic place and often leads to minor breakdowns. It is planned to replace the existing boiler-turbine installation. In this regard, several options are being considered, that is, they are going to replace it with a gas or nuclear turbine installation. This will limit the number of breakdowns and also add additional load-bearing capacity to the ship.
Weapons will also undergo some changes. In the future, it is possible that the Granit missile launchers will be eliminated. As a result, the area of aircraft parking spaces will increase, and, accordingly, the number of aircraft units themselves will increase. Kinzhal missile launchers are also subject to replacement with improved medium-range anti-aircraft devices. This is important. For short-range installations, it is planned to replace the existing ones with the Pantsir-S1 complex. It will include 4-6 anti-aircraft artillery devices. With all this, it is planned to install on the specified aircraft-carrying cruiser modern system radio-electronic equipment. With its help, interactions with other warships will be monitored in the future.
It is planned to equip the aircraft carrier with catapults as a launch system. Since no one is going to give up the runway and jumps in the future, then, accordingly, they will be located on the corner deck. To ensure launch using steam catapults, it is necessary to have a nuclear power plant. This is what the developers are striving for. But if the ship has a gas turbine installation, then the steam catapults will be replaced by electromagnetic ones. This device is not an innovation in combat shipbuilding. Many foreign aircraft carriers already have a similar system in use. It was also tested by our developers even during the existence of the Soviet Union. Therefore, it is worthwhile to correctly fit it into the design of the Admiral Kuznetsov ship.
The number will include 26 MiG-29K fighters and helicopters (from 18 to 28 units). In general, the release of the updated cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov is planned for 2020. By this time, the release of the new generation T-50 fighters is already expected, which will undoubtedly appear on board the ship.
It’s even scary to imagine the capabilities of the updated cruiser, including the existing ones!
Current condition of the ship
Today, this heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser protects the interests of Russia. In general, he copes well with the assigned tasks. It has advanced weapons and is capable of preventing almost any enemy invasion. And it was his campaign in the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic that renewed the presence of the Russian navy in the World Ocean. Such types of warships as the indicated cruiser are in service with most countries. Therefore, Russian developers are making every effort to modernize it.
Conclusion
Having read the above, everyone can imagine what the aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov is, what functions it performs, and what kind of military equipment it has. Overall, this ship is definitely an impressive combat unit of the Russian Federation army.
The Russian Federation is one of the nine countries in the world that have aircraft carriers in service. But in the Russian Navy the only such ship is the aircraft carrier “ Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" It will be in service with the fleet until 2025.
The first Soviet "real" aircraft carrier was laid down at the Black Sea Shipyard in the city of Nikolaev in September 1982 as a heavy aircraft carrier « Riga» project 1143.5. Within two months the ship received a new name “ Leonid Brezhnev", and on December 6 of the same year, the installation of the first block with a new embedded board began on the site near the slipway. The installation of this block was carried out on February 22, 1983, this day is considered the official laying date. It was launched on December 4, 1985 and after completion it was tested under the new name “ Tbilisi».
Only in the summer of 1989 did state tests of heavy aircraft carrier cruiser new generation " Tbilisi" To test the operational capabilities of the ship's aviation technical equipment, as well as to test ship aviation and train flight and technical personnel, a ground-based test and training complex "NITKA" was created at the airfield of the military airfield in the city of Saki. The complex is equipped with a springboard, aerofinishers and an emergency barrier.
In November 1989, during flight design tests, Su-27K and Mig-29K naval fighters landed on the deck of the cruiser for the first time. The tests practically confirmed the possibility of aircraft landing on the flight deck and taking off from a Project 1143.5 ship with a conventional aerodynamic configuration.
During state tests in September 1990, by decision of the Council of Ministers, it received a new name “ Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" The heavy aircraft carrier cruiser is the largest ship in the domestic shipbuilding industry. The flight deck area is 14,700 square meters. m. The main features of the ship's architecture are due to the use of a short run-up and take-off from a springboard, as well as landing on aerofinishers of aircraft with a conventional aerodynamic configuration. The presence of developed sponsons and the displacement of the superstructure made it possible to significantly increase the width of the flight deck, which created favorable conditions for increasing the safety of takeoff and landing operations.
Main tasks aircraft-carrying cruiser- provide support to submarines carrying ballistic missiles, surface ships and missile-carrying naval aviation of the fleet. In other words, the Project 1143.5 heavy aircraft carrier cruiser is designed to provide combat stability to naval formations in operationally important areas of ocean and sea theaters of military operations.
There are at least two reasons why a warship with all the features was classified as heavy aircraft carrier. The first is purely formal: in accordance with the convention concluded in 1936 in the city of Montreux, aircraft carriers were prohibited from passing through the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits. Thus, the one built in Nikolaev could no longer leave the Black Sea. The second reason was purely ideological. At one time, Soviet propaganda branded the aircraft carrier as such as an instrument of imperialist aggression. Against this background, the deployment of aircraft carrier construction created a very unpleasant situation for the CPSU Central Committee on the ideological front.
The creation of an aircraft carrier was also hampered by numerous subjective factors. Some very influential people in the Ministry of Defense and other departments believed that vertical take-off and landing aircraft should be based on it. In the opinion of others, ejection-launched aircraft were more acceptable, while still others suggested using a ski-jump for take-off of aircraft. This and much more led to the fact that the project 1160 nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, created by the Nevsky Design Bureau in the early 70s, which was, in essence, an analogue of the American strike class Nimitz and had a displacement of about 100,000 tons, was transformed into the project 1153 nuclear-powered aircraft carrier with a displacement of up to 70,000 tons, but it was laid down and built heavy aircraft carrier project 1143.5 with a displacement of 58,500 tons with a conventional power plant.
Project 1143.5 is formally a variant of Project 1143, according to which the first Soviet type " Kyiv" At the same time, the changes made to the basic design were of a fundamental nature: the aircraft became the main weapon of the ship, and almost its entire upper deck, with the exception of the area occupied by the superstructure, is used as a flight deck. with these characteristics are classified as aircraft carriers.
The design of the ship 1143.5 was developed by the Nevsky Design Bureau in the city of Leningrad. Construction was carried out using the aggregate-modular large-block method using progressive types of metal structures and synthetic materials. Features of the hull compared to previously built ones aircraft-carrying cruisers is a significantly improved underwater and surface structural protection, which has been tested on full-scale compartments. The total area of the flight deck is 14,700 square meters. m, its total length is 304.5 m, and the length of its section, located at an angle of 5.5° to the centerline of the ship, is 220 m. A ski-jump with a landing angle of 15° is mounted in the bow of the flight deck, and an aerofinisher is located at the stern. The deck is equipped with 10 take-off and landing pads for helicopters and 3 launching positions for aircraft; from two aircraft take off with a take-off run of 105 m, and from one - 195 m. It should be noted that the presence of three launch positions for aircraft take-off using a springboard is partly compensates for the lack of catapults on the ship, providing, for example, on American aircraft carriers the launch of up to four aircraft per minute. To protect the aircraft carrier cruiser from overheating, water-cooled deflector flaps are installed in the launch position area, and the launch is carried out using special devices that hold the aircraft at the launch position until its engines develop full thrust.
Based on operating experience aircraft-carrying cruisers in northern conditions, the flight deck is equipped with a heating system that prevents the formation of condensation in the spaces below deck.
The hangar located below the deck has dimensions of 7.2x26x153 m. In total, 50-52 aircraft and helicopters can be accommodated on the deck and in the hangar. To transport aircraft from the hangar to the flight deck, two onboard lifts with a lifting capacity of 40 tons each are provided. The size of the platform of each lift allows the simultaneous delivery of two helicopters or one aircraft with a tractor.
Although Projects 1160 and 1153 were supposed to be equipped with a main nuclear power plant, the Project 1143.5 aircraft carrier built instead has a boiler-turbine power plant, made according to the same design scheme as on heavy aircraft-carrying cruisers projects 1143-1143.4. This installation includes 8 KVG-4 boilers and 4 TV-124 main turbo-gear units with a total power of 200,000 hp. on four shafts. The highest speed is 29 knots. The cruising range at 29 knots is 3,850 miles, at 18 knots - 8,000 miles, and at 10 knots - 12,00 miles. Autonomy in terms of boiler fuel reserves is 3100 tons, provisions - 45 days.
The electric power plant includes 9 turbogenerators with a capacity of 1500 kW and 6 diesel generators of the same power. The total power is 22,500 kW, which is an order of magnitude greater than the electrical installation power of any American aircraft carrier with a typical power plant, but almost three times less than the power of a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
The main weapon is its air group. Up to 52 aircraft can be based on the ship. The air group includes 24 Su-33 naval fighters, 16 Ka-27PL anti-submarine helicopters, 3 Ka-31 AWACS helicopters and 2 Ka-27PS search and rescue helicopters. Lighting equipment ensures flights at night.
A special feature of the aircraft carrier's weapons system is the presence of powerful strike missile weapons in the form of the Granit anti-ship missile system. It consists of 12 individual below-deck vertical launch units located in the bow of the flight deck.
The complex fires anti-ship missiles cruise missiles long-range P-700. The maximum firing range of the complex is 550 km, the mass of the missile warhead is 750 kg.
Defensive weapons aircraft carrier includes four Kinzhal self-defense anti-aircraft missile systems, the vertical launch systems of which contain 192 9M332-2 anti-aircraft guided missiles. Six Kortik anti-aircraft missile and artillery systems and six 30-mm six-barreled AK-630M anti-aircraft artillery systems are also designed to combat air targets. The aircraft carrier's anti-torpedo protection is provided by two 10-charge launchers of the RBU-12000 "Udav" anti-torpedo complex.
February 4th, 2015
Car theft is by no means a rare event in our lives. Airplanes are hijacked, although much less frequently. We recently discussed with you... But in 1991, Russian sailors stole the entire aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov from Crimea, to which Ukraine claimed its rights.
Or maybe escape - this definition, perhaps, most accurately reflects the situation that forced the command of the Russian Navy, to put it mildly, to secretly withdraw the Admiral Kuznetsov TAVKR, which was undergoing state tests near Feodosia, and, simply put, to order the aircraft carrier commander to flee in the Arctic from the Ukrainian shores that have become inhospitable. It was a difficult and, by international standards, scandalous decision, dictated by the troubled times that engulfed the ground forces, air force and navy of the once mighty Soviet Union. A huge country was disintegrating, the former Soviet republics were feverishly dividing up military equipment, declaring air armies, naval bases, training grounds their property, dividing up aircraft, missile systems, ships...
Captain 2nd Rank Viktor Leonidovich Kanishevsky, a participant in those events, tells how the Russian aircraft carrier left Sevastopol.
A little history:
The ship was laid down at a shipyard in Nikolaev in 1982. The time of its construction fell on the violent years of perestroika, which was already reflected in the numerous renamings of the ship. In the project it was “Soviet Union”, “Riga” was laid down, “Leonid Brezhnev” was launched, “Tbilisi” was already undergoing testing.
TAVKR "Tbilisi" 1990
In October 1990, the cruiser was renamed for the 4th and last time, becoming Admiral Kuznetsov. In January 1991, the ship was enlisted in the Northern Fleet, and the naval flag was raised on it.
Officially, Admiral Kuznetsov was not the first aircraft carrier of the USSR Navy. “Minsk”, “Kyiv”, “Baku” and “Novorossiysk” have already sailed. However, the ships of the previous series were carriers of vertical take-off and landing aircraft. Essentially, these were helicopter carriers. In contrast, the Admiral Kuznetsov was based on traditional fixed-wing aircraft. She was the first and still remains the only full-fledged aircraft carrier in the Russian Navy.
On August 24, 1991, the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR adopted an Act declaring Ukraine an independent state. Along with the Act, a resolution was adopted that subordinated all military formations stationed on the territory of Ukraine to the newly formed state.
In November 1991, the cruiser was tested near Feodosia. On one of the last days of autumn, the commander received a telegram signed by Leonid Kravchuk, declaring the cruiser the property of Ukraine and ordering him to remain in the roadstead of Sevastopol until the relevant government decision was made. The officers were perplexed: why does Ukraine, with its Black Sea, need an ocean cruiser? And on what basis does she claim rights to a ship assigned to the Russian Northern Fleet?
Let's return to the memories of Viktor Leonidovich. Here's what he says:
I still remember the excitement of that autumn day, when on the Kuznetsov, upon returning from the training ground, where carrier-based aviation pilots practiced takeoffs and landings on an aircraft carrier during flight design and government tests, they received a telegram from the President of Ukraine Kravchuk. It announced that the ship was the property of Ukraine, and that until a government decision was made it should remain in the Sevastopol roadstead. Having broken up in groups in their cabins, the officers and just the sailors wondered how Russian President B. Yeltsin, Navy Commander V. Chernavin, and Northern Fleet Commander F. Gromov would react to this.
I just can’t figure it out: why does Ukraine, with its closed Black Sea, need a ship intended for ocean service? If she really wants to have an aircraft carrier, then let Varyag complete construction or Ulyanovsk,” the commander of the BC-5, Captain 1st Rank Andrei Utushkin, was perplexed. - This is pure politicking...
“Not without that,” Captain 1st Rank Vladimir Ivanov, political officer, agreed with him. “Only Russia will never give up Kuznetsov.”
However, the declaration of independence of Ukraine, adopted shortly before the ill-fated telegram, had already destroyed the seemingly indestructible maritime brotherhood of the aircraft carrier crew. Some of the officers and midshipmen, whose families were in Sevastopol, did not hide their desire to serve under the Ukrainian “trident”, and therefore openly rejoiced at the telegram. Like, why ruin such a beautiful ship in the North. He needs to be based closer to the repair base. And it is available for an aircraft carrier only in Nikolaev.
In the Arctic, indeed, there was no one to service Kuznetsov. But we still have families in Severomorsk, because from the day it was laid down, the aircraft carrier was intended for the Northern Fleet and was manned by Severomorsk soldiers. Naturally, we were eager to go to the Arctic - home. And these were the majority. I was among them. And most importantly, we wanted to return the aircraft carrier to Russia at all costs.
“Just think, we’ll be standing not on the warm Sevastopol roadstead, but on the Severomorsk,” my cabin neighbor, Captain 3rd Rank Pavel Storchak, got excited. In Severomorsk he left behind his beautiful wife Elena and daughter, whom he missed very much and with whom he spoke almost daily by telephone. This phone, by the way, is a very good thing. You sign up 24 hours in advance, and for five minutes the ship’s signalmen give you the opportunity to talk with those you wanted to hear.
Despite the ban received from Kyiv, we nevertheless left the roadstead at dawn and arrived in the area of the Feodosia training ground to practice landings and takeoffs of carrier-based aircraft, whose pilots usually spent the night on the shore. The tests were carried out in dynamics. The aircraft carrier was following a predetermined course, carrier-based fighters Su-33k and MiG-29k, which had taken off from the airfield in Saki, approached it, slowed down, precisely aimed at the section of the Kuznetsov’s stern and, grabbing the arresting device with a special hook, landed on the deck with the roar of turbines, running there are only a few tens of meters along it.
Despite the fact that such work had been going on for months, it was impossible to watch with indifference how the arrow-shaped iron bird first descended from the sky or, in afterburner, rushed to the “springboard” on the bow of the aircraft carrier and, rushing 80 meters along the deck, soared into the blue heights. Night flights were an even more colorful picture. During two months of such work, more than a hundred “sushki” and “migs” carried out 500 landings and takeoffs on the steel deck. We already knew from the “handwriting” how the legendary pilot, pioneer of carrier-based aviation, honored test pilot Viktor Pugachev, air division commander Colonel Ivan Bakhonko, squadron commander Konstantin Kochkarev, pilots Yaroslav Chibir, Igor Kozhin, Viktor Dubovoy and others, were landing.
At such moments, you feel especially proud of our Motherland’s first aircraft carrier, on which it was not only prestigious to serve, but was also considered an honor: the selection of officers and midshipmen was carried out on a competitive basis, and all military ranks one step higher in position. The first commander of Kuznetsov was Captain 1st Rank Viktor Pavlovich Yarygin. On this floating air city, capable of carrying a mixed air division, including a helicopter regiment, I had the position of assistant commander of the TAVKR for survivability. In other words, he was responsible for ensuring that a huge ship with a length of 302 meters, a width of 70 meters and a displacement of more than 55 thousand tons, inhabited by 6 thousand sailors and pilots, remained afloat in the most critical situations.
Kyiv was silent. Meanwhile, a radio dispatch came from the Arctic that the First Deputy Commander of the Northern Fleet, Vice Admiral Yuri Ustimenko, had flown to Crimea. We were not allowed into Sevastopol Bay after the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier, under the pressure of a heavy wind, almost tore the entire berth wall with its powerful stern. The long-awaited guest arrived on the aircraft carrier by boat. Despite the late hour, a large gathering was played. Having greeted the crew, the vice admiral with a Ukrainian surname and Ukrainian roots, which then, I note, did not even cause any hesitation among the TAVR officers, ordered the sailors to be dismissed, and ordered the commander to immediately weigh anchor. Yarygin began to explain that two-thirds of the officers and midshipmen, as well as the delivery team, remained on the shore and would arrive by boat tomorrow morning.
“It’s okay, we can manage without them,” the red-haired guest said decisively. And he added. - They will overtake us on the train. We leave immediately...
But what about the planes that remained in Saki? — political officer Ivanov became worried.
“They will fly to Safonovo themselves,” Ustimenko reassured. Judging by the decisive tone of the guest, one could conclude that he received an order to take the “property of Ukraine” to the North not only from the commander of the Northern Fleet F. Gromov, but also from the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy V. Chernavin himself. And maybe even the Minister of Defense himself. This means that Moscow gave the go-ahead! In a word, the management officers of the aircraft-carrying cruiser felt like participants in an unannounced disagreement between two, yesterday still interdependent, capitals. At 23.40, without giving any signals, the aircraft carrier left the Sevastopol roadstead in pitch darkness and headed for the Bosphorus. When the shore was far astern, the running lights were turned on.
They went to the Turkish Strait at a 30-knot speed. At dawn, the outskirts of Istanbul appeared, and then its famous bridge across the Bosphorus, on the approach to which a slow-moving rescue tug with the Soviet Naval flag joined us. Applications to the Turkish authorities for passage through the strait zone, which, according to the Convention on the Regime of the Black Sea Straits, concluded in the Swiss town of Montreux in 1936, were not submitted by our consulate in Istanbul. Ustimenko, of course, knew about this, just as he knew that there were no articles in this convention categorically prohibiting passage without applications. He ordered to slow down to 20 knots and move at that speed. At this time I was in the central command post, located ten floors below the navigation bridge. But three dozen outdoor television cameras provided a complete picture of what was happening around Kuznetsov. The bulk of the aircraft carrier, almost flush with the shores, as between Scylla and Charybdis, passed under the bridge and rushed into the Sea of Marmara. The Turks did not interfere with the passage. Even the reconnaissance boat under the Turkish flag, which is usual in such cases, was absent. Only small boats scurried along the side. We were photographed, greeted with waves of hands, and smiled. It was felt that the owners of the boats were amazed by the unusual contours of the Kuznetsov.
Especially the “springboard” on the tank - an invention of domestic designers that allows planes to take off without a catapult. Already at the exit from the strait, the tug signaled “Man overboard”. It turns out that several sailors from the aircraft carrier threw a life raft and tried to swim to the Turkish coast. The tugboat crew caught them and delivered them to the Kuznetsov. The fugitives, who turned out to be conscript sailors, were put in a punishment cell, where they remained until they arrived in the village of Vidyaevo. Later, they all served their term and left for Ukraine. One of them, as I know, a year or two later wrote a letter of repentance to the ship and very much regretted that he had not stayed in Russia. Since almost two-thirds of the officers and midshipmen remained in Sevastopol, the workload on the sailors remaining on the aircraft carrier naturally increased. In many units, interchangeability was worked out, so there were no special problems with keeping watches. The “half-crew”, one might say, passed through the Mediterranean Sea in one breath. But before Gibraltar there was an unexpected delay. The aircraft carrier wrapped all four propellers in fishing nets torn off by the storm so tightly that it lost speed and dropped anchor. For four days, the ship's divers and some of the officers, including me, took turns going under the water to cut off the nylon fetters with diving knives.
Beyond Gibraltar we were met by the American aircraft carrier George Washington, which urgently left Norfolk. He, unlike us, was accompanied by a dozen escort ships. Without ceremony, they launched large-scale exercises and began simulating attacks. Their planes were flying at a dangerous altitude above the Kuznetsov’s settings, and several dozen cables along the course and abeam were swelled from practice bombing. One of the American helicopters even attempted to photograph the inside of the Kuznetsov aircraft hangar through the rear opening. In excitement, he almost flew inside the gigantic room. But at this time the cruiser sharply increased its speed and the helicopter swayed on a wake of air behind the stern of the aircraft carrier. But even after this, the Americans did not curtail their unannounced bilateral maneuvers. Anti-submarine buoys swayed on the waves, dropped by helicopters from the George Washington along the Kuznetsov's course. They probably thought that an atomic bomb was accompanying us. submarine. Of course, there was no submarine - we walked in splendid isolation. With what regret we remembered at these moments our “drying” and “migas”. Eh, they should be here! With what passion our aces would demonstrate to the Yankees their skills - to confidently ride a steel floating airfield on the Atlantic wave. In order to somehow protect ourselves from impudent attacks, we gave the signal “I’m conducting an exercise” and raised the two Ka-27ps helicopters on board. Meanwhile, the Zadorny TFR, which met us at the appointed point beyond Gibraltar, began to enthusiastically hunt for American buoys, sometimes making very daring circulations around the guard ships. Finally, the American aircraft carrier and its escort went west, passing the tracking baton to the English frigate. He “led” us to the Norwegian Sea, where he was replaced by a Norwegian patrolman, who walked with us to the North Cape. And before the Kola Bay, we constantly observed the large reconnaissance ship of the Norwegian Navy, Maryatta, abeam.
The entire transition from the “inhospitable Ukrainian shores” to the Arctic took 27 days. We were greeted in the village of Vidyaevo as heroes by the entire command of the Northern Fleet, formations and formations. A brass band was playing among the snow-covered hills of the Arctic. There were solemn greetings and words of gratitude for high professional training and loyalty to military duty...
By the day of arrival, it turns out that in Vidyaevo they managed to install a floating pier for the Kuznetsov, which was built by Severodvinsk shipbuilders. For three whole years it became the home of the aircraft-carrying cruiser and the entire crew. And the fact that Kuznetsov is the only aircraft carrier in the world based in the Arctic gave us a feeling of pride and some uncertainty.
In the Ukrainian media, the epic with the cruiser is still referred to as the theft of a Ukrainian ship by Russians. But the sailors believe that “Admiral Kuznetsov” had a wonderful fate. Just look at how Ukraine used the wealth it inherited.
Ukraine sold the heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser Kiev to China, which turned it into an amusement attraction with a hotel and restaurant.
TAVKR "Varyag", May 1999
The Varyag, 2/3 completed, was sold to the Chinese for the world's largest floating casino. The Chinese did not turn the ship into a gambling house, but completed the construction of the ship and renamed it “Liaoning”
“Varyag” became the first aircraft carrier of the Chinese Navy - the pride of the Celestial Empire and a headache for the US Pacific Fleet.
Guess how much Ukraine sold the aircraft carrier for, with a willingness above 90%? You won't guess. In 1998, a heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser was sold for 23 million dollars (An-142 costs 30 million, a tank 2-3 million). I don’t even want to think how many tens of millions of bribes the participants in the sale put into their pockets.
The Ulyanovsk, the same type as the Admiral Kuznetsov, was laid down at the Nikolaev shipyard, but the Ukrainian authorities were unable to complete it and cut it up for scrap.
And only “Admiral Kuznetsov” proudly plows the seas and oceans under the native St. Andrew’s flag, and is glad that at one time it did not fall to Ukraine.
Present day
“Sevmash has gained serious experience in repairing and modernizing aircraft carriers thanks to Vikramaditya. This plant today is absolutely ready for normal repairs of Kuznetsov,” said a source in the military-industrial complex.
For now, maintaining the technical readiness of the Russian aircraft-carrying cruiser is carried out at the 35th ship repair plant in Murmansk. "Admiral Kuznetsov" goes to sea without overhaul for over 20 years and is still a reliable ship.
“The quality of ship design and construction in the Soviet Union was amazing. Of course, Kuznetsov will be repaired in three or four years. I think that it will certainly be Sevmash,” the source said.
According to him, “this will be a serious repair and modernization for at least three years.”
sources
http://road-crimea.narod.ru/2003/admiral.htm
http://cont.ws/post/74044
http://legion.wplus.net/typhoon/1999/kuz.shtml
And we also studied in detail what it is, and also learned about and what kind of ship it is. And here it is like this The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy was made -The editors received a letter from a serviceman who served for some time on the aircraft carrier Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov. We think this material will be of interest to the reader, since the process of reducing our fleet, sadly enough, is ongoing. And the more important becomes the competent, high-quality and full-fledged operation of those few modern ships that remain in our fleet.
With a guide to the Ark
First, a small description of the dimensions and general location the only Russian aircraft carrier.
The total displacement of the Kuznetsov has now probably already exceeded 60,000 tons. Its greatest length is more than 300 m, width is 72 m.
The main power plant of the ship, at the behest of various leaders from our recent past, was made boiler-turbine, and not nuclear (like the Americans) - four-shaft, with a total power of 200,000 hp, previously provided a speed of 29 knots (but this was back in 1990. ).
The ship has 8 tiers of superstructure, 7 decks and 2 platforms, bow and stern MKO (4 boilers and 2 GTZA in each), 5 power compartments (with diesel and steam turbine generators); a hangar with a length of more than 150 and a width of 26 m, occupying the space between the 2nd and 5th decks in height and connected to the flight deck by two aircraft lifts measuring approximately 14x16 m (if not for their on-board location, our Su -33 with a length of about 21 m would be simply impossible), as many as 6 galleys, a punishment cell and its own guardhouse.
Perhaps this is quite enough for a narrative, the purpose of which is not a technical description of the ship, but an outline of its “social status”.
For convenience, the entire ship is divided into “gatherings” - from the 1st to the 53rd. The same system was used on the ships of Project 1143. For those who were not there, we explain: all the gangways (except for the “island”) are numbered; in this case, the ladders, located one below the other, carry one number, even ones on the left side, and odd ones on the right side.
Example. Let's say we need to send a messenger - "golden hooves" (I beg your pardon, defender of the fatherland, i.e. sailor) to the command communications post (CPS). And he, the sailor, even though he served for a year, still does not know where this CPS is located (a common occurrence). Then he should be told: “Go to the 17th gathering, 4th deck, to the KPS.”
Now let's take a walk around the ship. First, let's climb aboard the aircraft carrier along the ladder. It is located in the midship area on the starboard side (if the Kuznetsov is in the factory). On the platform of the right ladder (4th deck) we will be met by a watch officer on the ladder, with a cutlass, and a Marine with a bayonet. If you do" authorized person", it is quite possible to pass for one of our own (documents are rarely checked on the ramp) and enter the ship. Having climbed to the 3rd tier of the superstructure (living), we will begin the inspection from here.
Here, the assistant commander and the EMBC commander ("senior engineer") live in single cabins. Going lower, on the ladder we come across a “block post”. This phenomenon is worth talking about separately, especially since this type of watch does not exist on any other ship. A “block post” is a conscript sailor who acts as a guard for a certain area (deck, gangway, etc.) under his control. He does not guard secret objects at all, but light bulbs, fire hoses, fire extinguishers, stands, loud bells, etc. And since the sailor can fall asleep, leave, and finally this wealth can be taken away from him at night, a safety net is also made. Thus, fire extinguishers and fire hoses may not be displayed at all - and indeed, you will not find them anywhere on the ship. The only exception is the time of “highest” reviews, when the ship is walked around the “E.I.V.” with his retinue (commander, first mate, etc.). Then everything that is available is exposed, and the “block posts” are necessarily doubled. An inquisitive reader may ask: “What about the light bulbs? After all, you can’t remove them, otherwise how can you walk in complete darkness?” I hasten to reassure you: this problem has long been solved at a high ideological and technical level. Light bulbs: a) glued with epoxy resin; b) wrapped with wire - preferably barbed; c) supply current to the wire or lampshade. All this is usually used in combination. And still, these damn light bulbs are stolen.
Let's get back to our walk. The commander and flagships live on the tier below; here is a “block post”, which means light and carpets. Let's go down to the second, gallery deck, located between the hangar and the flight deck. There are “checkpoints” here, which means there is light. But don’t delude yourself, because the BC-5 is always ready to “help”, so you need to keep the flashlight (there’s nowhere without it) at the ready. Having gone down to the deck below, we will walk along the 3rd deck on the port side (it is walkable from bow to stern). There are also “checkpoints” and lights here.
Now let's turn on the flashlight and go even lower... Here we will witness another aircraft carrier miracle that makes this ship unlike any other. You can walk along the clean 3rd deck, flooded with light, but as soon as you go down below, you find yourself in the “catacombs” - with torn posts, abandoned cabins, all this - without light and very often flooded (sometimes with sewage, so the smell "high quality") Below is the same. Of course, this is not the case everywhere (no more than 60% of departures are below the 3rd deck). If you find yourself at a lit gathering, it means there are crew quarters or warehouses for the supply service.
We go down even lower, into the holds. Everything there is covered in fuel oil and water, there are heaps of garbage here and there (it’s a long way to carry it to the pier, and they’re only allowed there at a certain time, but tidying up on the ship is always done, so they throw garbage into the hold). Do you know how much fuel oil and water we have in our holds? How much, how much? 50 tons you say? Sorry, this is rude. After all, we are an aircraft carrier, and not some kind of gunboat. Then 500. Well, impressive - almost 10 railway tanks. It's still wrong - add another zero, and it will be just right. Dissatisfied exclamations from the outside are possible: they say, we swam, we know, and we had this too, we lived only in the superstructure. May I know what kind of ship this is? Ah, BOD “Udaloy”! This is the one that has been laid up for 10 years after the fire, and the crew on it is 30 people. Sorry, the comparison is incorrect, we are not telling you about a layaway ship, but about an entire aircraft carrier that goes to sea!
We declare with full responsibility that there is simply no other ship like it. Now in the Northern Fleet all ships are divided into two groups: “running”, i.e. clean, tidy and ready to go to sea, but standing still due to lack of fuel, and the ships are “slack” (nowadays the majority of them). “Kuznetsov” is the only hybrid that “runs and sucks.”
Facilities in the yard
Please note: when they talk about some miracle ship, they first give the number of guns, their caliber, the thickness of the armor, etc., and only then, in between, and even then rarely, about the living conditions of the crew. Meanwhile, this is not entirely true, because it is the crew that operates all this variety of weapons. Therefore, to avoid this error, let's reverse special attention on the crew's living conditions.
The first thing to note is the absence of heating on the ship, which, you see, is important for the North. There are many reasons for this, but perhaps the main one is the lack of a constantly operating auxiliary boiler. Therefore, steam for household needs is taken from the power plant, which is very expensive, because requires not ordinary, but special boiler water, of which there is always little in the fleet. You can also supply steam from the ENS (energy-carrying vessel pr. 305), but the pressure from there is “the cat crying” (and in the winter of 1998/1999 nothing was supplied at all). As a result, steam is supplied periodically for heating, which is not provided for in the system, because there is no condensate drain. The steam heating system runs along the BPTZ (on-board anti-torpedo protection) or, as it is called on the ship, pipe corridors, i.e. along the side. Therefore, when the steam supply stops, the pipes freeze very quickly. And then everything is like in a physics textbook: condensate turns into ice, the ice expands, the pipe bursts. As a result, there is no heating, no heat, there is frost in places on the bulkheads, and ice on the deck. The crew even wears greatcoats in the hangar. If it’s +5°C in the cockpit or cabin, then that’s already good, but if it’s +12-15°, that’s, excuse me, lordship!
In such a situation, only heating pads can save you. Since it is expensive to buy them, and it is difficult to get a ship's one, they are “sculpted” as best they can. The authorities confiscate “non-standard electrical equipment”, while its owners receive “rewards”. But the cold is not a problem, and the ranks of those dreaming of an individual electric sun are not dimming.
Most often it is not the heating pads that burn, but the transformers of the lighting network. They are simply not designed for the loads that heating pads mounted on them provide. As a result, the voltage in the network is always significantly lower than the standard TAKR “Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov” on the North Sea roadstead (100 V instead of 127 - far from the limit). Adding fuel to the fire is the lack of a 220 V network in the cabins (there are only 127 V, which no one needs), so everyone is trying to get 220 V for themselves. They do magic in different ways: someone “throws a phase” from 380 V, another adds 127 V phases B, the third drags kilometer-long wires from rare 220 V switchboards. And this, in turn, contributes to numerous short circuits.
But that’s not the only thing that’s scary about the cold. It permeates all ship life. After all, not only condensate freezes - the same happens to other pipes that contain water. For this reason, water is not supplied to all cabins on the 2nd deck (which is almost 60% of all ship cabins) neither in winter nor in summer. Not a single officer's shower works. Therefore, the slogan about equality and brotherhood is especially applicable here; everyone - both sailors and officers - wash in the bow (the stern does not work) personnel bathhouse. Of course, this does not apply to the command - they have their own shower.
Water is not supplied to all galleys. The lack of drainage from the cabins has also become common in winter. Accordingly, it is difficult on a ship and with latrines. There are more than fifty of them in total, but a good half do not work, and a significant part of the rest are locked: if you are not the happy owner of the “golden key”, then you have less “good”, especially since the RF Ministry of Defense is always ready to go in this regard towards.
Winter 1998/1999 Even the pipes in one of the main boilers froze.
Our ventilation is also bad - 50% of the fan motors burned out long ago. And without ventilation it’s difficult, because, unlike other ships, there are few portholes here, and the vast majority of living quarters do not have them at all. So, only forced ventilation is possible, and if it is not there, the cabin will smell of mold, condensation will drip from the ceiling, and the stuffiness will be like hell.
Finally, it’s worth talking about our wardroom. There is no such thing, but there is a canteen for officers, where more than 150 of them only eat - and nothing more. The premises are more reminiscent of a rural canteen for machine operators during the harvest. There are no tablecloths at all, knives are also superfluous, the dishes are not that dirty, but it is still better to wipe the cutlery “before use.” In principle, the food is cooked well, and the food is good by today’s naval standards. However, all this may not be enough, because... they steal from the buffet. Therefore, it is better not to be late for the wardroom. It probably made more sense to make several wardrooms (for example, for each warhead).
All the king's men
What a nightmare, who would live in such conditions? I'm telling you.
It was assumed that one and a half thousand people would serve on the Kuznetsov (without an air group and landing force), but gradually the crew grew to 2000. The commander is a rear admiral (this is the only floating admiral!), He has a number of assistants: a first mate (captain 1st rank) , assistant, educational assistant, combat control assistant, aviation assistant, survivability assistant and legal assistant. The ship has seven combat units, four services and three commands: navigation (BCh-1), rocket and artillery (BCh-2), mine and torpedo (BCh-3), communications (BCh-4), electromechanical (BCh-5) , aviation (BCh-6) and radio engineering (BCh-7); medical, chemical, survivability services (this is only available on Kuznetsov); control commands ("CU"), boatswain's ("BC") and commandant's commands. There is also "RO" - a security company that performs the functions of the ship's riot police.
A little more about our organization. We have an average of 10 formations per day, each lasting about 35 minutes (thus, over the course of a year we stand idle on formations for almost 65 days). At formations they always say: “The crew of the AIRCRAFT CARRIER... is completed.” And in general, the command always emphasizes that we serve on an AIRCRAFT CARRIER. Let me remind you that no one has yet changed the classification of ships of the Russian Navy, and there is no aircraft carrier there, there is only a heavy aircraft carrier cruiser. And airplanes on our ship are rare, and they visit it in rather pitiful numbers. And during formations, the commander likes to say (he generally likes to talk at formations for at least half an hour): “We must work out the aircraft carrier organization.” And this is on the fifth TAKR!
It is tough with the disembarkation of officers, midshipmen and contract sailors on the Kuznetsov. Here there is a “two-shift”: one week is released on Monday and Wednesday, from 18.00 to 7.30, and also on Saturday, from 18.00 to 7.30 Monday; and next week - from 18.00 Tuesday to 7.30 and from 18.00 Thursday to 7.30 Saturday. It turns out that in one week you rest for 64.5 hours, and in the second - 51 out of 168. Forget about the “soldier status” with all its days off - the laws of the Russian Federation do not apply here (as, indeed, on most other ships). True, some benefits are still provided: for example, you can get an apartment almost free of charge, but in the village of Vidyaevo, and this is the “devil on its horns”, and it takes four hours to get there by bus. And you will see your family once a week. You understand that only special people can serve in such conditions.
Our bosses are also amazing. On April 12, the whole country celebrates Cosmonautics Day, and we celebrate the Day of our leadership, which soars in the clouds while we, sinners, walk on earth. This style of command makes you feel like a pygmy.
After all that has been said, it is not surprising that Kuznetsov enjoys a bad reputation. The bosses everywhere are just as scary: “If you behave badly, we’ll send you to Kuznetsov (nickname: Kuzya).” Well, those who were “lucky” to get to serve on “Kuznetsov” don’t really want to serve there. Hence the high staff turnover. Every 4-5 years (at the end of the contract), the junior officers - and this is the main backbone of the ship - changes by 80%. Experienced people leave, and “greenies” come to take their place. The same applies to midshipmen. All this clearly does not contribute to improving the operation of equipment. Due to such conditions, contracts after military service on an aircraft carrier are concluded only by those who are not at all suitable for “civilian life” - and this, you see, is far from the best “human material”. It is no coincidence that not all officers consider it desirable to have “contract soldiers” on the ship.
As for the personnel, i.e. sailors, then looking at them, you believe that the USSR is alive, is living and will live. There are so many nationalities here! Russians - no more than 60%, although, it seems, only residents of the Russian Federation are called up. The point is probably that among us Russians, “mowing down a sacred duty” is considered an indicator of one’s position in society and prestige. Therefore, they are rowing all those who did not have enough intelligence or money to evade. You read the addresses of the conscripts and believe: Rus' has not become scarce in land. A village, a town, a collective farm, but among the young sailors there are neither Muscovites nor St. Petersburg residents (Admiral N.O. Essen used to say: “We don’t need tillers in the navy”). Another thing is the North Caucasus. It is believed there that a real man must go through army school, but they consider it happiness to get into the navy. Therefore, not the worst representatives of the North Caucasus come on board the ship. Of course, they quickly get used to the situation, organizing small-town groups and seizing power among the sailors. The situation is different with the Tuvans and Bashkirs: apparently, due to the lack of close acquaintance with civilizations, they simply do not know how to evade an honorable state duty. Now it is probably clear why every tenth conscript does not speak Russian.
To be safe, this entire contingent is not even allowed to go on leave (so that they don’t do anything wrong in Murmansk). So they sit on the hardware for 2 years. The main educational measure towards sailors has now become the “lash” (there is no “carrot”), i.e. a punishment cell where even midshipmen sometimes end up. From such a life, sailors like to “get lost”, fortunately the ship is large. This happens 3-4 times a month. Then all the officers and midshipmen are assigned to the gatherings, and we look for the hidden sailor. Searches usually last 1-2 days (if they are not found on the first day, and this is a 50% chance, then the sailor, as a rule, comes out on his own after 2-3 days), but there were also record holders. So, they searched for one sailor in the Mediterranean for a week. And the most famous case was that of an aircraft technician who went missing while heavily intoxicated. He (or rather, his mummy) was found FOUR YEARS later in a place that to this day no one can understand how he got there...
"Prokhindiada"
“If you want to live, know how to spin.” This is a good old truth that well characterizes the lifestyle at Kuznetsov. The commander loves to talk about fools - junior commanders who set impossible tasks to “get” something, pushing the sailors to steal, and immediately threatens that some warhead will cover the landing if it does not illuminate its corridors by morning. Where can I get these same light bulbs if they are not issued on the ship? We know where - with the neighbors, at night...
They steal everything from everyone. Once they stole 200 pairs (we all do it on a large scale) of officer’s boots, and then almost openly sold them on the ship for 50 rubles per pair. And the commander kept shouting that he would put everyone in prison.
The most fruitful field here, of course, is the galleys. Everyone who is not too lazy takes money from them, but everyone here is not too lazy. What is not carried away is eaten, and at night all the galleys smell fried potatoes. Specially punched canned food is provided to the galleys, but it is still sold at a reduced price to factory workers. And the first violin here is, of course, played by the supply service.
It has already been said that we have a problem with showers. But this is not the case for everyone. Particularly “gifted” people make themselves “homemade” showers with electric heating - fortunately, there are a huge number of abandoned showers and washbasins on the ship. No less interesting is the situation with the cabins. There are many looted and abandoned cabins of landing officers, pilots and aircraft technicians on the ship. If you really want, you can find a suitable one and repair it. Therefore, often even midshipmen or contract sailors live in single cabins. “If you want to live, know how to spin.”
The main thing: "Eaglets learn to fly"
Not clear; What is the main weapon on an aircraft carrier cruiser - aviation or attack missiles. The Kuznetsov is still more aircraft carrier than missile, so aviation is considered the main weapon here. Theoretically, the ship can carry up to 40 Su-33s. In fact, the country forked out only 24, and with great difficulty prepared only seven vehicles for permanent deployment.
Our aircraft, unlike the more “backward” American ones, are capable of solving only air defense tasks (although the Air Force has the Su-35 universal aircraft), so the aircraft carrier solves the strike mission with the help of anti-ship missiles. Due to the springboard (instead of ejection) takeoff, the Su-33 is subject to takeoff weight restrictions. If we take into account that (partly due to the fault of the power plant) flights are carried out at 6-8 knots, it becomes clear why they happen only in windy weather and, as a rule, without outboard weapons and with a reduced fuel supply.
The ship is equipped with an automatic landing system, which theoretically provides for the possibility of flights in any visibility, but it has not been tested in practice. Therefore, flights are carried out only in GOOD windy weather.
In general, the basing of aircraft at Kuznetsov is of some strange nature. Aviation does not even appear in the hangar, but instead of airplanes there peacefully stand there: a 25-ton truck crane, four towing tractors, GAZ-66 and ZIL firefighters, a Gazelle, a UAZ-452, a “goat” and a tractor with a jet engine installed on it (to clear the flight deck of snow and ice).
Our weapons
In the summer of 1998, on Navy Day, we took fuel oil. You ask: “What does this have to do with weapons?” And here’s what: we accepted him not only into the tanks, but also into one of the fire control posts. True, only 60 tons, and without malicious intent. The bilge workers apparently closed the wrong valve and continued to take fuel oil into a full tank, the loosely closed neck of which was located near the mentioned post. Through this neck the post was flooded, in which for some reason there was no BC-2 watch. The sealed racks failed and the post failed.
Two of the four air defense missile systems were also flooded at one time with seawater from the irrigation system. It was at night, there was a fistula in the pipe, and all the rooms of both complexes were flooded “to the roof.” All eight "Dirks" require scheduled adjustments, for which there is no money. To top off all the troubles, the horizon-azimuth system is malfunctioning. Therefore, we can shoot, but hit...
"And instead of a heart there is a fiery engine"
When people talk about the warhead-5, they usually mean the power plant. Let's talk about her.
Firstly, one of the eight boilers and one GTZA are temporarily not working - due to a flue explosion due to an operational error (they forgot to ventilate the gas duct before igniting the boiler). Thus, theoretically, the power of the power plant was reduced to 75%. But this is in theory, and in practice - even less.
All four dywoods leak, so the bearings of the shaft lines are periodically flooded, which imposes a limit on the maximum number of revolutions. The automation of the power plant has long exhausted its service life, which makes the Kuznetsov smoke like a battleship from a photograph from the beginning of the century. In addition, the pipelines are already “barely breathing,” and the sailors servicing the power plant do not shine with professional skills and knowledge. As a result, instead of almost 29 knots that Kuznetsov gave in tests, or at least 24, on three machines it barely holds 16-18, and usually no more than 10-12 knots.
The situation is “good” with the electrical part as well. Either the turbogenerator will run down and the backup diesel generator will not be able to start, or something else will happen. And the whole ship plunges into darkness. It looks especially piquant when on the move: the locators do not emit, there is no communication, the boilers go out - not an aircraft carrier, but a “Flying Dutchman”. It was under such circumstances that in the summer of 1998, the Fearless EM almost died, and even earlier, the Kyiv. In both cases, the ships were carried ashore in a storm, and only miraculously they managed to put the power plant into operation. On “Kyiv” this happened 3-4 cables away from the rocks...
It should also be said about the aircraft carrier’s home base. The official location for it is ship repair plant No. 35 (SRZ-35). I don’t know how things are in other fleets, but in the North not a single ship is permanently based in a plant. For Kuznetsov, this is perhaps the ideal option, because... otherwise, he would have to be based in the village of Vidyaevo (where his regular place was previously located). There is nothing there except hills and a dozen houses. Now the decommissioned Kyiv is living out its life in Vidyaevo.
Next to us stands “Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov.” Once he came to SRZ-35 for repairs and his feed machine burned out. Now it is officially being preserved, but in reality it is simply dying. After all, conservation also requires money, but here they simply “put a lock on the ship.” The working day there is strictly until 17.00, the crew is only 75 people, and the sailors go on leave every day - not service, but a fairy tale. So they stand half a cable away from each other, two antipodes - “hard labor” and “resort” of the Northern Fleet. Wonderful are your works, Lord!
The SRZ-35 is not so well suited for basing an aircraft carrier. Steam is produced poorly or not at all. It's the same with water, because... the pressure is not enough to supply it to the tiers of the superstructure. Electricity is also scarce - the “shore” is rather weak, and in winter, when the load on the network increases due to heating pads, the shore power supply panel periodically “cuts down”.
But the story about SRZ-35 will not be complete without a story about VOKhR. It is staffed by women of “Balzac age”, which, however, does not in the least affect its combat effectiveness - God forbid it falls into their female hands (it is no coincidence that Zimny was defended by a female shock battalion). At the checkpoint of the plant you will definitely be searched, sniffed (for the slightest smell of alcohol) and, of course, checked for a pass. This is not Kuznetsov. All this has been brought to the point of absurdity. For example, carrying large bags, backpacks and “diplomats” (even empty ones) through a checkpoint without a special pass is prohibited. But if you stuff them in a plastic bag (even a two-meter one), then you can carry them without any gaps.
The reader probably has a bad aftertaste from everything that was said - and that’s understandable. Some will say that this cannot happen, while others will be indignant: what has the fleet come to and how the current military has sunk. We had to hear such offensive speeches quite often - and certainly from civilians. Such judgments always caused a feeling of bewilderment rather than resentment. Our country, even with all its extravagance, is not a “banana republic” where the army is the state. Our Ministry of Defense is only part of the state mechanism. And in general, over the past 100 years, the army in Russia has been far from the leading political force. Unlike the civilian sector, we, the military, depend on the government not indirectly (through laws), but directly (through orders). So we are an exact replica of our state-government. And since every people deserves its own government, there is no need to dissociate ourselves from our, or rather, common problems.
If we continue to develop this topic, it is worth dispelling another misunderstanding, which is extremely persistent in “civilian circles” - about the supposed natural totalitarianism of the military. We are the flesh of our people, and there are no more supporters of the RNU or LDPR among the military than among the rest of the people. And there are probably even fewer supporters of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation.
I also heard this from some military personnel: they say, since we don’t know how to operate aircraft carriers, then we don’t need them, just EVs and BODs are enough. But then why are these same EM and BOD needed? After all, far from the coast without the support of aviation they will be destroyed, but near the coast their tasks are calmly carried out by RTOs and MPKs. And the Navy command, thank God, understands this in lately, to the best of its ability, is trying to save this unique ship, and indeed the “aircraft carrier direction” in general. There are even rumors that “Kuznetsov” will no longer winter in the north. But can all this be done without support at the very top? To operate it and especially to commission at least two dozen Su-33s, a lot of money is needed...
It's a terrible shame for our unique and beloved ship.