The power plant of the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov. Aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov"

The editors received a letter from a serviceman who served for some time on the aircraft carrier "Admiral of the Fleet 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 is 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 size and general location of the only Russian aircraft carrier.

The total displacement of the Kuznetsov has now probably already exceeded 60,000 tons. Its maximum length is more than 300 m, and its width is 72 m.

The main power plant of the ship, at the behest of various kinds of leaders from our recent past, was made boiler-turbine, and not nuclear (like the Americans) - four-shaft, with a total capacity of 200,000 hp, previously provided a speed of 29 knots (but this was back in 1990. ).

The ship has 8 superstructure tiers, 7 decks and 2 platforms, bow and stern MKOs (4 boilers and 2 GTZA 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 approximately 14x16 m in size (if it were not for their onboard location, lift 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 it is quite enough for a narrative, the purpose of which is not a technical description of the ship, but an outline of its "social position".

For convenience, the entire ship is divided into "descent" - 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 ladders (except for the "island") are numbered; at the same time, the ladders, located one below the other, carry one number, even on the port side, and odd - on the starboard side.

Example. Suppose you need to send a messenger - "golden hooves" (I beg your pardon, the defender of the fatherland, that is, a sailor) to the command communications post (CPC). And he, a sailor, although he served a year, still does not know where this KPS is located (a common occurrence). Then he should say: "Go to the 17th gathering, 4th deck, in the KPS."

Now let's walk around the ship. First, we will climb aboard the aircraft carrier along the gangway. It is located in the midship area on the starboard side (if the Kuznetsov is in the factory). On the platform of the right gangway (4th deck) we will be met by the watch officer on the gangway, with a dagger, and a marine with a bayonet-knife. If you make a "statutory face", it is quite possible to pass for your own (documents on the gangway are rarely checked) and enter the ship. Having risen to the 3rd tier of the superstructure (residential), we will start the inspection from here.

Here, assistant commanders and the commander of the EMBCH ("chief mechanic") live in single cabins. Going down, on the ladder we run into a "checkpoint". It is worth talking about this phenomenon separately, especially since there is no such type of watch on any other ship. A "block post" is a sailor on military service who acts as a watchman of a certain area (deck, gangway, etc.) under his control. He guards not secret objects at all, but electric bulbs, fire hoses, fire extinguishers, stands, loud ringing bells, etc. And since a sailor can fall asleep, leave, and finally, this wealth can be taken away from him at night, there is also a safety net. So, fire extinguishers and fire hoses can be omitted at all - and indeed, you will not find them anywhere on the ship. The only exception is the time of the "highest" reviews, when the ship is bypassed by the "E.I.V." with retinue (commander, first mate, etc.). Then everything that is is exposed, and "checkpoints" are necessarily doubled. An inquisitive reader may ask: "But what about the light bulbs? After all, you can't take them off, 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) they are wound with wire - preferably barbed; c) supply current to the wire or ceiling. All of these are usually used in combination. And still, those damn light bulbs steal.

Let's get back to our walk. A tier below lives the commander and flagships, here is a "checkpoint", 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 do not flatter yourself, because the BC-5 is always ready to "help", so the flashlight (without it there is nowhere here) must be kept on "tovs". Having descended to the deck below, we will pass along the 3rd deck of the port side (it is walkable from bow to stern). Here, too, "checkpoints" and light.

Now let's turn on the flashlight and go down even lower... Here we will witness another aircraft carrier miracle that makes this ship unlike any other. You can walk along the light-filled clean 3rd deck, but as soon as you go down, 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 everywhere (no more than 60% of exits below the 3rd deck). If you find yourself at a lighted gathering, it means that there are cockpits or warehouses of the supply service.

We go down even lower, into the hold. There everything is in fuel oil and water, here and there - heaps of garbage (it is far to carry it to the pier, and they are allowed there only at a certain time, and 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 inappropriate. After all, we are an aircraft carrier, not some gunboat. Then 500. Well, impressive - read, 10 railway tanks. Still wrong - add another zero, and it will be just right. Dissatisfied exclamations from the outside are possible: they say, they swam, we know, and we had this, we lived only in the superstructure. May I know what ship this is? Ah, BOD "Udaloy"! This is the one that is already 10 years after the fire in the sludge, and the crew on it is 30 people. Sorry, the comparison is incorrect, because we are not telling you about a sludge ship, but about an entire aircraft carrier that goes to sea!

We declare with all responsibility that there is simply no second such ship. Now in the Northern Fleet all ships are divided into two groups: "running", i.e. clean, tidy and ready to go to sea, but stopped due to lack of fuel, and ships "slack" (they are now the majority). "Kuznetsov" is the only hybrid, "running-sucks."

Facilities in the yard

Please note: when they talk about some kind of miracle ship, they first give the number of guns, their caliber, armor thickness, etc., and only then, in between times, 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, in order to avoid this error, we will pay special attention to the crew habitation conditions.

The first thing to note is the lack 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 permanent 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, which is always scarce in the fleet. You can still apply steam from the ENS (energy-carrying vessel pr. 305), but the pressure from there - "the cat cried" (and in the winter of 1998/1999 nothing was supplied at all). As a result, steam is supplied for heating periodically, which is not provided for in the system, because. 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: the condensate turns into ice, the ice expands, the pipe bursts. As a result, there is no heating, no heat, there is frost on the bulkheads in places, and ice on the deck. The crew, even in the hangar, is built in overcoats. If it's +5°C in the cockpit or cabin, then that's good, but if it's +12-15°, that's, excuse me, nobility!

In such an environment, only heating pads save. Since it is expensive to buy them, and it is difficult to get a ship's one, they are "molded" by whoever is into what. The authorities, on the other hand, seize "non-standard electrical equipment", while its owners receive "awards". But the cold is not an aunt, and the ranks of those who dream of an individual electric sun do not grow dim.

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 the heating pads hung on them give. As a result, the voltage in the network is always significantly lower than the TAKR "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" on the North Sea roadstead of the regular one (100 V instead of 127 - far from the limit). It adds fuel to the fire and the absence of a 220 V network in the cabins (there is only 127 V that no one needs), so everyone tries to use 220 V for themselves. B, the third one drags kilometer-long wires from rare 220 V shields. And this, in turn, contributes to numerous short circuits.

But the cold is terrible not only for this. They permeate the entire ship's life. After all, not only condensate freezes - the same thing happens with other pipes in which there is water. For this reason, all cabins on the 2nd deck (and this is almost 60% of all ship cabins) are not supplied with water either in winter or in summer. Not a single officer's shower works. Therefore, the slogan of equality and fraternity is especially applicable here, everyone - both sailors and officers - wash in the bow (stern does not work) personnel bath. Of course, this does not apply to the command - they have their own shower.

Water is not supplied to all galleys. The lack of runoff from the cabins has also become a common thing in winter. Accordingly, it is hard on the 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 up: 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.

It's also bad with ventilation - 50% of the fan motors burned out long ago. And without ventilation, it is 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 like mold, condensation will drip from the ceiling, and stuffiness - "even hang an ax."

Finally, it is worth talking about our wardroom. As such, it does not exist, but there is a dining room for officers, where they, in the amount of more than 150 people, only eat - and nothing more. In terms of space, it looks more like a rural canteen for machine operators during the harvest. There are no tablecloths at all, knives are also an excess, dishes are not that completely dirty, but it is still better to wipe cutlery "before use". They cook, in principle, well, and the products are good by today's naval standards. However, all this may not be enough, because. stealing in the cafeteria. Therefore, it is better not to be late for the wardroom. Probably, it would have been wiser to make several wardrooms (for example, for each warhead).

All the king's men

What a nightmare, who will live in such conditions? I'm telling.

It was assumed that one and a half thousand people would serve on the Kuznetsov (without an air group and landing), 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: first mate (captain of the 1st rank) assistant, assistant educational work, combat control assistant, aviation assistant, survivability assistant and air traffic assistant legal work. The ship has seven combat units, four services and three teams: navigational (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 on Kuznetsov); management teams ("KU"), boatswain ("BK") and commandant's. There is also "RO" - a security company that performs the functions of a ship's OMON.

A little more about our organization. We have an average of 10 builds per day, each lasting about 35 minutes (thus, we spend almost 65 days on builds per year). At the formations they always say: "The crew of the AIRLINE CARRIER ... is built." And in general, the command always emphasizes that we serve on the 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. Yes, and the planes on our ship are rare, and they visit it in rather pitiful numbers. And the commander likes to say at formations (he generally likes to talk at formations for at least half an hour): "We must work out an aircraft carrier organization." And this is on the fifth TAKR!

With officers, midshipmen and sailors going ashore contract service on "Kuznetsov" hard. Here 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 64.5 hours, and in the second - 51 out of 168. Forget about the "status of a soldier" with all his days off - the laws of the Russian Federation do not apply here (as, indeed, on most other ships). True, some benefits are still being implemented: for example, you can get an apartment almost for free, but - in the village of Vidyaevo, and this is at the "hell on the horns", and it takes four hours to go 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 amazing too. 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 the earth. From this style of command you feel like a pygmy.

After all that has been said, it is not surprising that "Kuznetsov" is notorious. The authorities everywhere scare like that: "If you behave badly, we will send to Kuznetsov (nickname -" Kuzya ")". Well, those who are "lucky" to get to serve on the Kuznetsov do not 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 ones leave, and "green" ones come in their place. The same applies to midshipmen. All this clearly does not contribute to the improvement of the operation of equipment. In connection with such conditions, a contract after military service on an aircraft carrier is concluded only by those who are not at all suitable for a "citizen" - 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 servicemen" on board.

As for the personnel, i.e. sailors, then looking at them, you believe that the USSR is alive, lives and will live. What nationalities are not here! Russians - no more than 60%, although they call, it seems, only residents of the Russian Federation. The point, probably, is that among us Russians, "to mow down a sacred duty" is considered an indicator of position in society and prestige. Therefore, all those who did not have the intelligence or money to evade are rowed. You read the addresses of conscripts and believe: Russia has not become impoverished by the land. A village, a settlement, a collective farm, but among the young sailors there are neither Muscovites nor Petersburgers (even Admiral N.O. Essen used to say: "We don't need farmers in the Navy"). Another thing is the North Caucasus. There it is considered that a real man must go through an army school, and they consider it lucky to get into the navy. Therefore, not the worst representatives come to the ship North Caucasus. Of course, they quickly get used to the situation, organizing small-town groups and seizing power in the sailors' environment. 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 the honorable state duty. Now it is probably clear why every tenth conscript does not speak Russian.

Out of harm's way, this entire contingent is not even allowed to go on leave (so that they don't do anything in Murmansk). So they sit for 2 years on the "iron". The main educational measure in relation to the sailors has now become the "lash" ("carrot" is missing), i.e. punishment cell, where even midshipmen sometimes end up. From such a life, sailors like to "get lost", since the ship is large. This happens 3-4 times a month. Then all the officers and midshipmen are painted according to the gatherings, and we are looking for the hidden sailor. Searches usually last 1-2 days (if they do not find them on the first day, and this is a 50% probability, then the sailor, as a rule, goes out on his own in 2-3 days), but there were also record holders. So, one sailor in the Mediterranean was looking for a week. And the most famous was the case of an aircraft engineer who, in a state of extreme intoxication, went missing. He (or rather, his mummy) was found after FOUR YEARS in such a place that no one can still understand how he got there ...

"Prochindiada"

"If you want to live - know how to spin." This is the good old truth, which well characterizes the style of life on the Kuznetsovo. The commander likes to talk about fools - junior commanders who set impossible tasks to "get" something, pushing the sailors to steal, and immediately frightens that they will cover some warhead going ashore if it does not illuminate its corridors by morning. And where can I get these very light bulbs if they are not issued on the ship? Vestimo somewhere - at the neighbors, at night ...

They steal everything and everyone. Somehow they stole 200 pairs (everything is big here) of officer's boots, and then they were almost openly traded at 50 rubles per pair on the ship. And the commander kept shouting that he would imprison everyone.

The most fruitful field here, of course, are galleys. They are dragged from them by everyone who is not too lazy, and not too lazy here for everyone. What is not carried away is eaten, and at night all the galleys smell fried potatoes. Specially punched canned food is issued to the galleys, but they are still sold at a reduced price to workers from the factory. And the first violin here is played, of course, by the supply service.

It has already been said that we are tight with showers. But this is not for everyone. Particularly "gifted" make themselves "self-made" showers with electric heating - fortunately, on the ship of abandoned showers and washbasins great amount. No less interesting is the case with the cabins. There are many looted and abandoned cabins of landing officers, pilots and aircraft technicians on the ship. With a special desire, 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."

Main : "Eaglets learn to fly"

Unclear; what is the main weapon on an aircraft carrier cruiser - aircraft or attack missiles. "Kuznetsov" is still more aircraft carrier than missile, so aviation is considered the main weapon here. Theoretically, up to 40 Su-33s can be based on the ship. In fact, the country forked out only 24, and with great difficulty prepared only seven cars for permanent deployment.

Our aircraft, unlike the more "backward" American ones, are capable of solving only air defense tasks (although the Air Force has a Su-35 station wagon), so the aircraft carrier solves the strike task 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, theoretically providing for the possibility of flying in any visibility, but in practice it has not been tested. Therefore, flights are made only in GOOD windy weather.

In general, the basing of aircraft on the Kuznetsov is of some strange nature. Aviation does not even appear in the hangar, and instead of aircraft, there are peacefully standing there: a 25-ton truck crane, four towing tractors, firefighters GAZ-66 and ZIL, a Gazelle, UAZ-452, a "goat" and a tractor with a jet engine(for cleaning the flight deck from snow and ice).

Our weapons

In the summer of 1998, on Navy Day, we received fuel oil. You ask: "And where does the weapon?" And here's the thing: we took him not only to the tanks, but also to one of the fire control posts. True, only 60 tons, and without malicious intent. The bilge, 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 the BC-2 watch was not found. Hermetic racks could not stand it, and the post failed.

Two of the four air defense systems were also at one time flooded with outboard water from the irrigation system. It was at night, there was a fistula in the pipe, and all the premises of both complexes were flooded "up to the roof." All eight Dirks require scheduled adjustment, for which there is no money. To top it all off, the "horizon-azimuth" system is acting up. Therefore, we can shoot, but hit ...

"And instead of a heart - a fiery engine"

When they talk about the warhead-5, as a rule, they mean the power plant. Let's talk about her.

Firstly, one of the eight boilers and one GTZA are temporarily out of operation - due to the explosion of the gas duct due to an error in operation (they forgot to ventilate the gas duct before the boiler was ignited). Thus, theoretically, the power of the power plant has decreased to 75%. But this is in theory, and in practice - even less.

All four daywoods are leaking, so the bearings of the shaft lines are periodically heated, which imposes a limit on the maximum number of revolutions. The automation of the power plant has long worked out its resource, from this "Kuznetsov" smokes like an armadillo from a photograph of the beginning of the century. In addition, the pipelines are already "barely breathing", and the sailors serving the power plant do not shine with professional skills and knowledge. As a result, instead of almost 29 knots that Kuznetsov gave during tests, or at least 24, on three machines he barely holds 16-18, and usually no more than 10-12 knots.

"Good" is the case with the electrical part. Either the turbogenerator will “sit down”, and the backup diesel generator will not be able to start, then something else will happen. And the whole ship is plunged into darkness. It looks especially piquant on the move: the locators do not emit, there is no connection, the boilers go out - not an aircraft carrier, but a "flying Dutchman". It was under such circumstances that in the summer of 1998 the EM "Fearless" almost died, and even earlier - "Kyiv". In both cases, the ships were carried ashore in a storm, and only miraculously managed to put the power plant into operation. On the "Kyiv" it happened in 3-4 cables from the rocks ...

It should also be said about the base of the aircraft carrier. The official place for it is the shipyard 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 the plant. For Kuznetsov, this is, perhaps, perfect option, because otherwise, he would have to be based in the village of Vidyaevo, (where his regular place was earlier). There is nothing there, except for the hills and a dozen houses. Now the decommissioned "Kyiv" is living its life in Vidyaevo.

Next to us is "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov." Once he came to SRZ-35 for repairs and his stern machine burned down. Now he is officially on conservation, but for real he just dies. After all, money is also needed for conservation, but here they simply "hung 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 a service, but a fairy tale. So they stand in a semi-cable from each other, two antipodes - "hard labor" and "resort" Northern Fleet. Wonderful are thy works, Lord!

SRZ-35 is not so hot as it is adapted to basing an aircraft carrier. Steam is supplied badly or not supplied at all. With water, the same thing, because. there is not enough pressure to supply it to the tiers of the superstructure. Electricity is also short - the "shore" is rather weak, and in winter, when the load in the network increases due to heaters, the coastal power board periodically "cuts down".

But the story of the SRZ-35 would not be complete without a story about the VOKhR. It is staffed with women of "Balzac age", which, however, does not in the least affect combat effectiveness - God forbid that it falls into their female hands (it is no coincidence that the Winter Battalion was defended by the women's shock battalion). At the checkpoint of the plant, you will be searched, sniffed (for the slightest smell of alcohol) and, of course, checked for a pass. This is not "Kuznetsov" for you. All this is brought to the point of absurdity. For example, carrying large bags, backpacks and "diplomats" (even empty ones) through the checkpoint without a special pass is prohibited. But if you stuff them into a plastic bag (even if it's two meters), then you can carry it without any passes.

The reader probably left a bad aftertaste from everything that was said - this is understandable. Some will say that this cannot be, while others will be indignant: what the fleet has come to and how the current military has sunk. We had to hear such insulting speeches quite often - and certainly from civilians. Such judgments always evoked 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. In our country, the Ministry of Defense is only a part of the state mechanism. And in general, over the past 100 years, the army in Russia has been far from being 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 cast from our state-government. And since every nation is worthy of its own government, we should not dissociate ourselves from our, or rather, common problems.

If we continue to develop this topic, it is worth dispelling another misunderstanding, extremely persistent in "civilian circles" - about the supposedly natural totalitarianism of the military. We are the flesh of the flesh of our people, and there are no more supporters of the RNE or the Liberal Democratic Party among the military than among the rest of the people. And the supporters of the Communist Party, perhaps even less.

From some of the military I heard the following: they say, since we do not know how to operate aircraft carriers, then we do not need them, just EM and BOD are enough. But then why do we need these very EM and BOD? Indeed, far from the coast, without the support of aviation, they will be destroyed, and under the coast, their tasks are calmly solved by RTOs and the IPC. And the command of the Navy, thank God, understands this in recent times, to the best of its ability, is trying to save this unique ship, and indeed the "aircraft carrier direction". There are even rumors that the Kuznetsov will no longer spend the winter in the north. But can all this be done without support from the very top? For its operation, and especially for the commissioning of at least two dozen Su-33s, a lot of money is needed ...

Terribly shameful for our unique and beloved ship.

Source: AVL, Military Technical Almanac "Typhoon" No. 6/1999 (18)

Tactical and technical data:
Displacement, t:

full 70500
standard 55000
Dimensions, m:
length 304.5
width according to design waterline 38.0
draft 10.5
Flight deck width, m 75.0
PTU power, h.p. 4х50000
Travel speed, knots:

maximum 32.0
economic 18.0
Cruising range at economic speed, miles 8000
Number of aircraft, pcs. 26
Number of helicopters, pcs. 24
Stock of aviation fuel, t 2500
Crew, pers. 1980
including officers 520

And next to the sunken submarine! Intesno: maybe someone knows what's wrong with her?

Now a little inside

And quite a bit of an inner hangar. Empty. And fire engines :-)))

Here's what I caught on the Internet:

The editors received a letter from a serviceman who served for some time on the aircraft carrier "Admiral 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 is 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 size and general location of the only Russian aircraft carrier.

The total displacement of the Kuznetsov has now probably already exceeded 60,000 tons. Its maximum length is more than 300 m, and its width is 72 m.

Perhaps it is quite enough for a narrative, the purpose of which is not a technical description of the ship, but an outline of its "social position".

Facilities in the yard

Winter 1998/1999 even the pipes in one of the main boilers froze.

All the king's men

What a nightmare, who will live in such conditions? I'm telling.

It was assumed that one and a half thousand people would serve on the Kuznetsov (without an air group and landing), 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: first mate (captain of the 1st rank) , assistant, education assistant, combat control assistant, aviation assistant, survivability assistant, and legal work assistant. The ship has seven combat units, four services and three teams: navigational (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 on Kuznetsov); management teams ("KU"), boatswain ("BK") and commandant's. There is also "RO" - a security company that performs the functions of a ship's OMON.

With officers, midshipmen and contract service sailors going ashore on the Kuznetsov, it’s tough. Here 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 64.5 hours, and in the second - 51 out of 168. Forget about the "status of a soldier" with all his days off - the laws of the Russian Federation do not apply here (as, indeed, on most other ships). True, some benefits are still being implemented: for example, you can get an apartment almost for free, but - in the village of Vidyaevo, and this is at the "hell on the horns", and it takes four hours to go there by bus. And you will see your family once a week. You understand that only special people can serve in such conditions.

As for the personnel, i.e. sailors, then looking at them, you believe that the USSR is alive, lives and will live. What nationalities are not here! Russians - no more than 60%, although they call, it seems, only residents of the Russian Federation. The point, probably, is that among us Russians, "to mow down a sacred duty" is considered an indicator of position in society and prestige. Therefore, all those who did not have the intelligence or money to evade are rowed. You read the addresses of conscripts and believe: Russia has not become impoverished by the land. A village, a settlement, a collective farm, but among the young sailors there are neither Muscovites nor Petersburgers (even Admiral N.O. Essen used to say: "We don't need farmers in the Navy"). Another thing is the North Caucasus. There it is believed that a real man must go through an army school, and they consider it lucky to get into the navy. Therefore, not the worst representatives of the North Caucasus come to the ship. Of course, they quickly get used to the situation, organizing small-town groups and seizing power in the sailors' environment. 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 the honorable state duty. Now it is probably clear why every tenth conscript does not speak Russian.

"Prochindiada"

The most fruitful field here, of course, are galleys. They are dragged from them by everyone who is not too lazy, and not too lazy here for everyone. What is not carried away is eaten, and at night all the galleys smell of fried potatoes. Specially punched canned food is issued to the galleys, but they are still sold at a reduced price to workers from the factory. And the first violin here is played, of course, by the supply service.

It has already been said that we are tight with showers. But this is not for everyone. Particularly "gifted" make themselves "self-made" showers with electric heating - fortunately, there are a huge number of abandoned showers and washbasins on the ship. No less interesting is the case with the cabins. There are many looted and abandoned cabins of landing officers, pilots and aircraft technicians on the ship. With a special desire, 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."

Main weapon: "Eaglets learn to fly"

In general, the basing of aircraft on the Kuznetsov is of some strange nature. Aviation does not even appear in the hangar, and instead of aircraft, there are peacefully standing there: a 25-ton truck crane, four towing tractors, firefighters GAZ-66 and ZIL, a Gazelle, UAZ-452, a goat and a tractor with a jet engine installed on it (for cleaning the flight deck from snow and ice).

Our weapons

"And instead of a heart - a fiery engine"

When they talk about the warhead-5, as a rule, they mean the power plant. Let's talk about her.

It should also be said about the base of the aircraft carrier. The official place for it is the shipyard 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 the 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 earlier). There is nothing there, except for the hills and a dozen houses. Now the decommissioned "Kyiv" is living its life in Vidyaevo.

Next to us is "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov." Once he came to SRZ-35 for repairs and his stern machine burned down. Now he is officially on conservation, but for real he just dies. After all, money is also needed for conservation, but here they simply "hung 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 a service, but a fairy tale. So they stand half a cable from each other, two antipodes - the "hard labor" and the "resort" of the Northern Fleet. Wonderful are thy works, Lord!

From some of the military I heard the following: they say, since we do not know how to operate aircraft carriers, then we do not need them, just EM and BOD are enough. But then why do we need these very EM and BOD? Indeed, far from the coast, without the support of aviation, they will be destroyed, and under the coast, their tasks are calmly solved by RTOs and the IPC. And the command of the Navy, thank God, understands this and lately, to the best of its ability, is trying to save this unique ship, and indeed the "aircraft carrier direction." There are even rumors that the Kuznetsov will no longer spend the winter in the north. But can all this be done without support from the very top? For its operation, and especially for the commissioning of at least two dozen Su-33s, a lot of money is needed ...

Terribly shameful for our unique and beloved ship.

Heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser project 1143.5

Former names - in order of assignment:

- "Leonid Brezhnev" (launching),

- "Tbilisi" (tests)

The only one in the Navy Russian Federation in its class (as of 2015). Designed to destroy large surface targets, defend naval formations from attacks by a potential enemy.

Named after Nikolai Gerasimovich Kuznetsov, Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union.

Built in Nikolaev, at the Black Sea shipyard.

Part of the Northern Fleet. During cruises, the Su-25UTG and Su-33 aircraft of the 279th Shipborne Fighter Aviation Regiment (home base - Severomorsk-3) and the Ka-27 and Ka-29 helicopters of the 830th Separate Shipborne Anti-Submarine Helicopter Regiment (base airfield - Severomorsk-1).

building

The fifth heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser of the USSR - "Riga" was laid down on the slipway of the Black Sea Shipbuilding Plant on September 1, 1982. It differed from its predecessors by providing for the first time the ability to take off and land on it traditional aircraft, modified versions of the land-based Su-27, MiG-29 and Su-25. To do this, he had a significantly enlarged flight deck and a springboard for taking off aircraft. Construction for the first time in the USSR was carried out by a progressive method of forming a hull from large blocks weighing up to 1400 tons.

Even before the assembly was completed, after the death of Leonid Brezhnev, on November 22, 1982, the cruiser was renamed in his honor as Leonid Brezhnev. The launching took place on December 4, 1985, after which its completion afloat continued.

Loading and installation of weapons on an aircraft carrier (except for the zonal block launchers SCRC "Granit"), electrical equipment, aviation equipment, ventilation and air conditioning systems, as well as the equipment of the premises took place afloat, during the completion of the ship near the Northern embankment of the Big Bucket.

On August 11, 1987, it was renamed Tbilisi. On June 8, 1989, its mooring trials started, and on September 8, 1989, the crew check-in. On October 21, 1989, the unfinished and understaffed ship was put to sea, where it conducted a cycle of flight design tests of aircraft intended to be based on board. During these tests, the first takeoffs and landings of aircraft on it were carried out. On November 1, 1989, the first landings of the MiG-29K, Su-27K and Su-25UTG were carried out. The first takeoff from it was made by the MiG-29K on the same day and the Su-25UTG and Su-27K the next day, November 2, 1989. After the completion of the test cycle on November 23, 1989, he returned to the factory for completion. In 1990, he went to sea many times to carry out factory and state tests.

On October 4, 1990, it was renamed once again (4th) and became known as "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov."

Specifications

Dimensions

Length - 305.0 m
-Waterline length - 270 meters
- Width is the greatest - 72 meters
-Waterline width - 35.0 m
- Draft - 10.0 m
-Standard displacement - 43 thousand tons
-Total displacement - 55 thousand tons
-Maximum displacement - 58.6 thousand tons

Power plant

Steam turbines - 4 x 50 thousand horsepower
-Number of boilers - 8
-Number of screws - 4
- Power of turbogenerators - 9 x 1500 kilowatts
-Maximum speed - 29 knots
- cruising range top speed- 3850 miles at 29 knots
-Economic speed - 18 knots
-Maximum cruising range - 8000 miles at a speed of 18 knots
-Autonomy - 45 days

Armament

For 2014, the air wing includes 20 aircraft and 17 helicopters.

Aircraft carrier - a type of warship, which includes a certain amount of combat aviation technology, it also represents the main striking force. On board there is a runway of the required length for the takeoff of aircraft, hangars, facilities for refueling, maintenance and flight control. Despite its large dimensions, an aircraft carrier is a highly maneuverable ship and quickly responds to deployment signals. One of the representatives of such military equipment is the aircraft-carrying cruiser "Admiral Kuznetsov". More on this later.

Such ships are used by many countries to carry out duty services along the water borders of a particular state. They are also designed to assist in the invasion of enemy forces into the territory. They are used to destroy various enemy boats, as well as to destroy air equipment that is 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 stay at a distance from the coast for a long period.

historical path

The first steps in the construction of the above cruiser were taken in 1982. It has 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, a heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser was in the naval armament of Russia. This is a true fact.

At the time of the start of construction, there were already aircraft carriers in service. Each of them performed certain functions. However, the ship "Admiral Kuznetsov" had a significant difference. That is, it has an elongated deck size. This allowed the aircraft to perform the traditional type of takeoff and landing.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, in the early 1990s, the Russian Navy became quite worried that the Ukrainian authorities could make claims to own the cruiser. Therefore, at the end of 1991, it was secretly transported to the city of Severomorsk, which was the new base for the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov of the Fleet of the Soviet Union. Since that time, he has undergone many tests of various kinds. It is also replenished with a new combat unit - serial SU-33 fighters.

In 1995, in honor of the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the existence of the Russian fleet, the aircraft carrier-cruiser "Admiral Kuznetsov" set out on a campaign in the Mediterranean Sea. Having passed, he stopped off the coast of Tunisia. At the same time, an American ship was also present there. This made it possible to perform some training tests together. According to eyewitnesses, during the joint parking of the two aircraft carriers, corresponding takeoffs and landings of aviation equipment were made by both the Russian and American fleets. Some Russian servicemen were even able to ride on air technology USA. The aircraft-carrying cruiser "Admiral Kuznetsov" did not disappoint, and in further exercises with which the command remained satisfied. But not without negative sides. Throughout the sea voyage, there was a constant failure of the power plant, and there were problems with other systems of the ship. This testified to his incomplete combat readiness. And already after a short period of time after arriving home, after a thorough repair, the cruiser "Admiral Kuznetsov" again set off on another journey. Not without his participation, the operation "Kursk" took place in 2000.

In 2004, the cruiser "Admiral Kuznetsov" made a trip to 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 visits on duty (2005-2007). And in 2007, the cruiser went on another voyage to the Mediterranean Sea, where everything went well.

Of course, in addition to successful voyages, there were also emergencies on board the aircraft carrier, from which not a single super-modern warship in the world is insured:

The first incident happened at the end of 2004. As a result of the next departure, a small accident occurred on board the cruiser when landing on the deck of the SU-25UTG. But, fortunately, everything managed only with damage to the landing gear of the aircraft, and the ship did not suffer significant losses.
Also, misfortune overtook the aircraft carrier in the early autumn of 2005 in the North Atlantic. Here the cruiser "Admiral Kuznetsov" suffered more significant losses. During the landing approach of two SU-33 fighters, one could not resist and fell into the water. The pilot ejected already at a great depth. The second apparatus was saved by the joint efforts of the crew. A sunken car that contained secret technological developments, tried to destroy with water bombs. However, this was not possible. The cause of the emergency was a break in the air finisher cable.
The next emergency happened 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. The aircraft carrier itself did not suffer significant damage.

To date, 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. Heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser "Admiral Kuznetsov" looks worthy along with similar combat units various countries. How can a huge twenty-story building that moves freely through the water element not impress? On board the aircraft carrier there are 8 boilers and 4. With their help, it can accelerate to a maximum speed of 29 knots. At this pace, he overcomes up to 3800 miles, at a speed of 18 knots - 8500 miles. In order to make sure of its power, at least you can look at the aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov", the photo of which is presented in this text.

Design features

There are many interesting things here. Model "Admiral Kuznetsov" has the following decks: smooth and additional takeoff. These are important design elements. In the tail section of the ship there is a take-off springboard, that is, in terms of architecture, 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 vanishing 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 capable of accelerating a huge machine up 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 able to stay on the water for a long time. The maximum range of movement at a speed of 18 knots is approximately 8500 miles.

Armament

In this regard, the corresponding equipment is defined. The armament on the ship "Admiral Kuznetsov" is represented by aviation equipment and rocket launchers. This is an essential fact. The first type includes all kinds of military aviation in Russia. This includes about 28 aircraft (fighters of the SU-33, MiG-27K, Yak-141 series) and 24 combat helicopters.

In addition, the aircraft carrier includes a number of short-range, medium-range and long-range missile launchers. These devices at any time can both deliver a targeted strike to the enemy, and prevent damage by a torpedo or missile. In all likelihood, in the near future they will be improved as a result of the complete modernization of the specified ship.

Radio electronic equipment

It 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 such equipment nearby. It includes the Lumberjack system, the Mars-Passat multifunctional device. It also includes devices such as Fregat-2M, which allows detecting targets in three-dimensional space, and Podkat, for detecting aircraft on low altitudes. This ship also has certain communication and flight control systems. All this allows you to accurately determine the position of the enemy and deliver effective strikes, as well as to have constant communication with allies.

Specifications of this cruiser

The following is taken into account here:

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 - OAO "Nevskoe PKB".
The maximum speed of the ship is 29-30 knots. The usual running gear is 18.
The maximum range with optimal movement 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 represented by aviation technology, there are 626 pilots on board. Of these, the command staff consists of 40 people. Also on the specified ship is 3857 necessary premises. This includes 387 cabins, 50 showers and 6 dining rooms, 120 storage rooms.

improvement

Although the aircraft-carrying cruiser "Admiral Kuznetsov" for many years has been proving its full combat readiness and quite effectively performs the tasks assigned to it, like all equipment, it requires appropriate modern modernization. The designers and developers of the ship are not going to stop there and in the near future they plan to improve this combat vehicle, giving it additional power and installing additional modern weapons.

First of all, the modernization will affect the power plant, as this is the most problematic place and often leads to minor breakdowns. It is planned to replace the existing boiler and turbine plant. In this regard, several options are being considered, that is, they are going to replace it with a gas or nuclear turbine installation. Thus, the number of breakdowns will be limited, and additional carrying capacity of the ship will be added.

Armament will also be subject to some change. In the future, it is possible to eliminate the Granit rocket launchers. As a result, the area of aircraft parking spaces will increase, and, accordingly, the number of aviation units themselves. Also, the 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 a modern system of radio-electronic equipment on the specified aircraft-carrying cruiser. With its help, interaction with other warships will be monitored in the future.

As a launch system, it is planned to equip the aircraft carrier with catapults. Since no one is going to abandon the runway and ski jumps in the future, then, accordingly, they will be located on the corner deck. To ensure the launch using steam catapults, it is necessary to have a nuclear power plant. This is what developers are aiming for. But if the ship will have 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 their use. It was also tested by our developers even during the existence of the Soviet Union. Therefore, it is worth entering it correctly 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 possibilities of the updated cruiser, including the existing ones!

Current state of the ship

Today, this heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser is protecting the interests of Russia. In general, he regularly copes with the tasks assigned. It has advanced weapons and is able to prevent almost any enemy invasion. And it was his campaign in the Mediterranean and the North Atlantic that renewed the presence of the Russian navy in the oceans. 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

After reading the above, everyone can imagine what it is, what functions it performs, and also what kind of military equipment the aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov has. In general, this ship is definitely an impressive combat unit of the army of the Russian Federation.

"Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" (former names in order of assignment: "Soviet Union" (project), "Riga" (bookmark), "Leonid Brezhnev" (launching), "Tbilisi" (tests)) - heavy aircraft carrier cruiser (TAVKR) project 1143.5, the only one in the Russian Navy in its class (as of 2016). Designed to destroy large surface targets, protect naval formations from attacks by a potential enemy.

Aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov" - video

Named after Nikolai Gerasimovich Kuznetsov, Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union. Built in Nikolaev, at the Black Sea shipyard. Part of the Northern Fleet. During cruises, the MIG-29K, Su-25UTG and Su-33 aircraft of the 279th Shipborne Fighter Aviation Regiment (base airfield - Severomorsk-3) and the Ka-27 and Ka-29 helicopters of the 830th Separate Shipborne Anti-Submarine Helicopter Regiment are based on the cruiser (home base - Severomorsk-1), as well as the latest attack helicopters Ka-52K ship-based.

The aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov" has an extremely powerful and constantly modernized short-range missile defense of its own to repel missile and bomb attacks. The anti-aircraft armament of the ship consists of 4 six-barrel launchers of the Kinzhal air defense system (192 missiles), 8 Kortik launchers (256 missiles), 6 six-barreled 30-mm AK-630M rapid-fire launchers (48,000 shells). Also, the aircraft carrier has a very perfect layered protection against torpedoes from 2 RBU-12000 installations (60 missiles), including the setting of false acoustic targets, the rapid deployment of anti-torpedo minefields and the destruction of torpedoes with depth charges near the aircraft carrier itself. The aircraft carrier also has a survivability design with multiple bulkheads to withstand hit below the waterline of ammunition up to 400 kg of TNT. Thus, an aircraft carrier can repel massive rocket-bomb and torpedo attacks even without the help of the warrant itself, which can focus on destroying missile and torpedo carriers.

The aircraft carrier is also a carrier of 12 4K-80 vertical launchers for heavy Granit missiles capable of hitting targets at a distance of 700 km with a launch weight of 750 kg. The initial versions of the missile were created to destroy US aircraft carrier groups, the latest upgrades of the complex allow it to hit coastal targets as well.

The aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov" is the only aircraft carrier in the world that can operate in the Black Sea. Under the Montreux Convention, the passage of clean aircraft carriers through the Bosporus and Dardanelles is prohibited.

The fifth heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser of the USSR Navy - "Riga" was laid down on the slipway of the Black Sea Shipbuilding Plant on September 1, 1982 (Nikolaev, Ukrainian SSR). It differed from its predecessors by providing for the first time the ability to take off and land on it conventional aircraft, modified versions of the land-based Su-27, MiG-29 and Su-25. To do this, he had a significantly enlarged flight deck and a springboard for taking off aircraft. Construction for the first time in the USSR was carried out by a progressive method of forming a hull from large blocks weighing up to 1400 tons.

Even before the end of the assembly, after the death of Leonid Brezhnev, on November 22, 1982, the cruiser was renamed in his honor in the TAVKR "Leonid Brezhnev". Launched on December 4, 1985, after which its completion afloat continued.
Loading and installation of weapons on the aircraft carrier (except for the zonal block of launchers of the SCRC "Granit"), electrical equipment, aviation equipment, ventilation and air conditioning systems, as well as equipment of the premises were carried out afloat, during the completion of the ship near the Northern embankment of the Big Bucket.

On August 11, 1987, it was renamed TAVKR "Tbilisi". On June 8, 1989, its mooring trials began, and on September 8, 1989, the crew moved in. On October 21, 1989, the unfinished and understaffed ship was put to sea, where it conducted a cycle of flight design tests of aircraft intended to be based on board. As part of these tests, the first takeoffs and landings of aircraft on it were made. On November 1, 1989, the first landings of the MiG-29K, Su-27K and Su-25UTG were made. The first takeoff from it was made by the MiG-29K on the same day and the Su-25UTG and Su-27K the next day, November 2, 1989. After completing the test cycle on November 23, 1989, he returned to the factory for completion. In 1990, he went to sea many times to carry out factory and state tests.

On October 4, 1990, it was renamed once again (4th) and became known as TAVKR "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov."

Service TAKR "Admiral Kuznetsov"

On November 1, 1989, for the first time in the USSR, a Su-27K fighter (test pilot of the Sukhoi Design Bureau V. G. Pugachev) landed on the deck of the Tbilisi TAVKR. On the same day, it took off for the first time from the deck using the MiG-29K springboard (test pilot of the Mikoyan Design Bureau T. O. Aubakirov). Also on that day, the Su-25UTG training aircraft (test pilot of the Sukhoi Design Bureau Igor Votintsev and test pilot of the LII Alexander Krutov) made the first landing on the deck. On August 1, 1990, state tests began. During the tests, 16.2 thousand miles were covered, 454 aircraft flights were made. In May 1990, the ship was temporarily included in the 30th division of surface ships of the KChF.

In December 1991, the commander of the ship received a telegram from the President of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk, which explained that the cruiser was the property of Ukraine and until a government decision was made, it should remain on the Sevastopol roadstead. The command of the Russian Navy decided to transfer it to the Northern Fleet. At night, the ship left the Sevastopol raid and headed for the Bosphorus. On December 1-24, 1991, the cruiser made the transition around Europe to the place of permanent deployment in Vidyaevo, Murmansk region.

On December 25, 1990, 8 years, 3 months and 24 days after the laying, the acceptance certificate of the cruiser was signed. On January 20, 1991, he was officially transferred from Ukraine to Russia and enrolled in the Northern Fleet, on January 20, the naval flag was hoisted on him. In 1992-1994 various tests of the ship, its weapons and air group continued, the cruiser spent three to four months a year at sea, participated in exercises. In 1993, the first serial Su-33s began to arrive for his air group. In the winter of 1994-1995, the main boilers were repaired.

In the year of the 300th anniversary of the Russian fleet, on December 23, 1995, as part of a shipborne multipurpose group, he entered military service to the Mediterranean Sea, having on board an air group consisting of 13 Su-33s, 2 Su-25UTGs and 11 helicopters. Gibraltar passed through 10 days of the campaign, January 4, 1996. January 7, 1996 anchored off the coast of Tunisia until January 17. There, an exchange of visits took place with the US Navy, including landings of Russian helicopters on American aircraft carrier and vice versa, as well as the transportation of Russian pilots on US aircraft. From January 28 to February 2 he made a business call to Tartus. February 4, entry to the island of Crete. February 17 - 18 made a visit to La Valletta. March 2 - air defense exercises by an aircraft carrier multipurpose group with the development of Su-33 aircraft interceptions and cruise missiles. March 6 - Passage of Gibraltar. At the final stage of the campaign, he took part in the command and staff exercises of the Northern Fleet. As part of the exercises, a conditional repulse of an attack by 4 Tu-22M3s was carried out. They were intercepted at a distance of 450 km from the center of the warrant. March 22, 1996 moored at the base. In fact, 12 air targets were intercepted, two foreign submarines were detected, artillery and missile weapons were fired, including missile system"Granite". The entire campaign was accompanied by serious problems with the main power plant, as a result of which the ship repeatedly lost its course and could not reach full speed, as well as various problems with ship systems.

From 1996 to 1998 it was under repair, which was greatly delayed as a result of underfunding. In 1998 he took part in major exercises of the Northern Fleet. In 1999 he twice went to sea on combat training. In 2000, he participated in a major exercise during which the K-141 Kursk nuclear-powered missile submarine was killed, and took part in a rescue operation. As a result of this tragedy, the second campaign of the cruiser for military service in the Mediterranean Sea, which was to take place at the end of 2000, was canceled.

From 2001 to 2004 was on a scheduled average repair. In 2004, as part of a group of 9 ships of the Northern Fleet, including the heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser Pyotr Veliky, the missile cruiser Marshal Ustinov, destroyer"Admiral Ushakov" and support vessels participated in a month-long trip to the North Atlantic, during which flight and design tests of the Su-27KUB were also carried out. In 2005-2007, he carried out military service, went to sea two or three times a year. On December 5, 2007, as part of a naval strike group, he went on his second campaign for military service in the Mediterranean Sea, which lasted until February 3, 2008.

December 5, 2007 "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" led a detachment of warships that went on a campaign in Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Thus, the Russian Navy resumed its presence in the oceans.

On December 8, 2008, the repair was completed, which was carried out for 7 months at the facilities of the Zvyozdochka Ship Repair Center. The main power plant was updated on the ship, work was done to repair the boiler equipment, the air conditioning system, and mechanisms for lifting aircraft to the flight deck. Cable routes were replaced, separate blocks of the cruiser's weapons systems were restored.

December 6, 2011 TAVKR went along with a detachment of ships of the Northern Fleet to the Mediterranean Sea - to the coast of Syria.

According to representatives of the Russian Ministry of Defense, the TAVKR requires a major overhaul and, possibly, it will be carried out from 2012 to 2017 at the Sevmash shipbuilding enterprise, however, due to lack of funding, repairs are postponed indefinitely.

The ship's seventh long-range voyage was completed in May 2014.

From May 14 to August 20, 2015, the TAVKR "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" was under repair at the dock of the 82nd shipyard in Roslyakovo.

From January to June 15, 2016, the TAVKR "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" was under repair at the 35th shipyard in Murmansk, where it was restoring technical readiness before a long sea voyage.

At the beginning of July 2016, it was reported that the ship would lead the permanent grouping of the Navy in the Mediterranean Sea from October 2016 to January 2017, and would participate in the Russian operation in Syria (the trip was previously announced for the summer of 2016).

On August 8, 2016, a regular MiG-29KR fighter from the 100th Separate Shipborne Fighter Aviation Regiment (OKIAP) of the Naval Aviation of the Northern Fleet made its first landing on the deck of the cruiser; it was also reported that from mid-August to October 1, the ship will be at the 35th shipyard to undergo the second stage of maintenance and restore technical readiness.

On October 15, 2016 at 15:30, a ship group led by the TAVKR "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" set off on the first combat campaign to the coast of Syria. The group also included the Peter the Great TARKR, large anti-submarine ships Severomorsk and Vice Admiral Kulakov, as well as support vessels.

Assessment and prospects of the aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov"

Being the first full-fledged aircraft carrier in Soviet maritime practice (that is, capable of receiving horizontal takeoff and landing aircraft with high combat qualities), the TAVKR "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov", however, could not fully overcome the shortcomings of the first Soviet TAVKR type " Kyiv". The bet on replacing full-fledged steam catapults with springboards led to the difficulty of takeoff and landing operations (due to the presence of only one direction for launch). On the other hand, the use of a springboard made it possible to significantly save on the mass, internal volume and energy required to accommodate, maintain and power the steam catapult system. Also, the rejection of a complex system of steam catapults increased the combat stability of the air regiment in case of failures due to malfunctions or combat damage to the entire system, and, as a result, the impossibility of using the TAVKR air regiment. The absence of specialized AWACS aircraft that could take off from a springboard led to a short radar detection range. As a result, the capabilities of the TAVKR for over-the-horizon detection were limited to AWACS helicopters, which had a short range. BBC experts, commenting on these shortcomings, note that "possible skepticism on this issue should be somewhat moderated," because. the very maintenance of an aircraft carrier and its orders in a combat-ready state and their ability to carry out a long-range campaign represents a serious projection of strength.

The advantage of the unusual design of an aircraft carrier that combines the armament of a missile cruiser (aircraft carrier) is that the Admiral Kuznetsov is actually the only aircraft carrier in the world that can operate in the Black Sea. The fact is that the 1936 Montreux Convention prohibits the passage of "clean" aircraft carriers through the Bosporus and Dardanelles, but does not prohibit the passage of missile cruisers, which are additionally aircraft carriers, for the USSR and Russia.

The presence of the Granit SCRC perfect for its time with missile defense / air defense breakthrough technologies was intended to create advantages for the ship in a duel with other aircraft carriers and their warrants, since the Granit SCRC was designed to ensure that, without raising its air wing, Admiral Kuznetsov "could attack an enemy aircraft carrier group with a rocket salvo. For a long-range strike, the complex needs accurate target designation, carried out aviation complex"Success" from Tu-95RTs aircraft, Ka-25Ts helicopters or other systems for obtaining approximate target coordinates. The urban legend is quite popular that the Granit SCRC cannot function without target designation of the Legend ICRC, which has been decommissioned. However, even the initial versions of the Granit SCRC do not require control in flight and when attacking a target, as they simply require the introduction of target coordinates obtained in any way during launch, then the missile followed the inertial navigation system and independently found targets on its own radar at the finish line . In 2001, NPO Mashinostroeniya, according to the Decree of the Council of Ministers of Russia, began work on modernizing the on-board equipment of the Granit missiles to transfer navigation and computing electronics to one element base with the export version of the Yakhont SCRC with its navigation systems and electronic equipment. At the same time, it is envisaged to extend the service life of missiles up to 30 years, and the service life of the ship elements of the complex - for life for the carrier. On October 16, 2016, a previously unannounced version of the Granites upgrade for attacking coastal targets was tested, many experts, like Konstantin Sivkov, believe that this is the most likely use of Granites ending their service life. Granites can be very effective for hitting area targets, provided that the enemy has suppressed or does not have a local missile defense system, because. have a record mass and range for missile-tossed ammunition - 750 kg per 700 km.

Due to the deployment of Granit missiles, the aircraft carrier has a relatively small hangar.

In April 2016, National Interest and other sources reported on plans by the Russian Navy to replace the Granit with universal launchers based on the ZS-14 for more compact cruise missiles of the Caliber and Onyx families, as well as new rocket"Zircon", which has hypersonic speed to break through modern missile defense systems. Judging by the satellite images of the Admiral Nakhimov, which is under repair, the dismantling of the Granites launchers and the installation of the ZS-14 Admiral Kuznetsov, in turn, should undergo a comprehensive repair and modernization from 2017, during which the Granites are expected to be replaced by modern missile weapons.

BBC experts, evaluating the aircraft carrier project, note that its most important significance for the Russian Navy is maintaining the experience of using aircraft carriers and the availability of both specialists and pilots who can handle equipment on aircraft carriers. This makes it possible both to effectively modernize the aircraft carrier and to use experienced personnel to create new Russian aircraft carriers. In this regard, BBC experts note that if the aircraft carrier is used in a real strike operation in Syria, the Russian Armed Forces will gain experience that few countries in the world have.

Commanders of the aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov"

During the service, the ship was commanded by:

Captain 1st rank V.S. Yarygin (1987-1992);
- Rear Admiral (assigned while commanding the ship) I. F. Sanko (1992-1995);
- Rear Admiral (assigned while commanding the ship) A. V. Chelpanov (1995-2000);
- Captain 1st rank A.V. Turilin (2000-2003);
- Captain 1st rank A.P. Shevchenko (2003-2008);
- Captain 1st rank V. N. Rodionov (2008-2011);
- Captain 1st Rank S. G. Artamonov (since 2011).

Incidents at the TAVKR "Admiral Kuznetsov"

On October 19, 1995, an Mi-8 helicopter crashed. While taxiing on the flight deck, the helicopter was overturned by a strong side wind. The ship received no damage. At aircraft the main rotor was completely destroyed. A fragment of the blade hit the officer's hand and tore out the bone.

On October 18, 2004, the Su-25UTG crashed. The plane made hard landing, as a result of which the right landing gear broke. Major damage to the cruiser was avoided due to the fact that the Su-25UTG caught on the landing hook of the stopper cable. Among the alleged causes of the accident are crew error and metal fatigue stress. The aircraft was delivered to 121 ARZ (Kubinka), but was recognized as unrepairable, after which it was decommissioned.

On September 5, 2005, two emergency landings of Su-33 fighters took place in the North Atlantic on the TAVKR. One of the fighters fell into the ocean and sank at a depth of 1100 meters (Lieutenant Colonel Yuri Korneev, who was flying the plane, ejected), the second stayed on the deck. The cause of both accidents was a break in the stopper cable. It was planned to destroy the sunken plane with depth charges due to the presence of secret equipment (for example, the “friend or foe” identification system), but it turned out that this was impossible. The command of the Navy expressed the hope that the aircraft would destroy itself.

On January 6, 2009, during a stop in the roadstead as part of military exercises in the Turkish naval base Akzas, a fire broke out on board an aircraft carrier in one of the bow rooms. The fire was put out by the ship's crew. Conscript sailor Dmitry Sychev died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. According to experts, the TAVKR did not receive serious damage and on January 11 took part in joint exercises with Greece.

Aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov

Navigation weapons: Complex "Beysur"

Radar weapons: 1 × RLC with phased array "Mars-Passat"; 1 × radar MR-750 "Fregat-MA"; 2 × radar MR-360 "Tackle"; 3 × Radar "Vaigach"
- SU aviation: 1 × "Resistor-K42"; 1 × "Lawn"

Electronic weapons: BIUS "Lumberjack"; Communication complex "Buran-2"; SJSC "Polynom-T"; GAS "Zvezda-M1"; EW complex"Constellation-BR"

Anti-aircraft artillery: 6 × 6 AK-630 (48,000 rounds)

Missile armament: 12 × PU SCRC "Granit"; 4 × 2 ZRAK "Kortik" (256 missiles, 48,000 shells); 4 × 6 launchers of the Kinzhal air defense system (192 missiles)

Anti-submarine weapons: 2 × 10 RBU-12000 (60 bombs)

Aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov

Aviation group: 50 aircraft and helicopters
- According to the project: 26 × MiG-29K or Su-27K; 4 × Ka-27RLD; 18 × Ka-27 or Ka-29; 2 × Ka-27PS
- Actually: 14 × Su-33; 2 × Su-25UTG; 10 × MiG-29K; 4 × MiG-29KUB

The performance characteristics of the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov

Displacement of the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov

61 390 t the largest; 59 100 tons full; 53,050 tons normal; 46,540 t standard

Dimensions of the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov

Length: 270 m at the waterline; 306.45 m longest
- Width: 33.41 m at the waterline; 71.96 m longest
- Height: 64.49 m overall
- Depth (from DWL): 31.42 m in the bow; 25.7 m amidships; 25.7 m aft
- Draft Average (from OP): with a standard displacement of 8.05 m; with a normal displacement of 8.97 m; with a full displacement of 9.76 m
- Largest: 10.4 m
- Reservation: Rolled steel, duplication of the body with "dry compartments". Anti-torpedo three-layer protection 4.5 m wide, can withstand 400 kg of TNT charge.

Engines of the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov

Boiler turbine, four-shaft
- Steam turbines: 4 GTZA TV-12-4
- Number of boilers: 8 boilers KVG-4

Power
- Steam turbines: 4 × 50,000 hp
- Turbine generators: 9 × 1500 kW
- Diesel generators: 6 × 1500 kW
- Propeller: 4 five-blade propellers
- Travel speed: 29 knots (54 km / h) maximum; 18 knots (33 km/h) combat economic progress; 14 knots (26 km/h) economic speed

cruising range

At speed: 29 knots - 3850 miles; 18 knots - 7680 miles; 14 knots - 8417 miles
- Autonomy of navigation: 45 days