Russia developing new aircraft carrier

Interfax ^ | 05/15/05

[TigerLikesRooster]

May 15 2005 11:46AM

Russia developing new aircraft carrier

MOSCOW. May 15 (Interfax) - The Russian Navy is launching a project to develop a new aircraft carrier, the navy's commander Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov told Interfax.

"We are beginning work to develop a new aircraft carrier in 2005. Construction is to begin after 2010," Kuroyedov said.

"We are launching this development project and will involve leading experts to find out which materials and weapons we'll need and how many aircraft carriers should be built," he said.

Kuroyedov earlier told journalists that the navy is planning to put the new carrier into service in the Northern Fleet by 2016-17. Another carrier will be built for the Pacific Fleet, he said. "Deck aviation has a good future. A new multi-purpose aircraft will be created in a few years," Kuroyedov said.

The Russian Navy currently has only one aircraft-carrying cruiser, the Admiral Kuznetsov.

[Jeff Head]

The Soviets used to believe in the "lone wolf" strategy for their ships. They used to have enough fuel for 30,000 miles, no need for oilers etc.

This class was the ultimate epitomy of that concept and strategy.

Four of these big cruisers were built but only the Nakhimov and the Velikhiy remain active today.

[ProudVet77]

Even the froggies, don't have the good E-2 ;)
The Brits and several others have our E-3s, but again it is not the top of the line model.
Was just reading last night about a bistatic approach using the E-3/E-2 as the transmitter, and globalhawks and other UAVs as the recievers located way away from the E-3/E-2. They get to fly at 60Kft and extend the range of both systems quite a bit and are fairly stealthy to the bad guys. Nothing like unleashing American know how.

[ProudVet77]

The failure of the "lone wolf" strategy were our nuclear subs. These big old ships would made great targets for them. By operating in a mixed group with AWACS, subs and ASW helicopters, we could protect ourselves. Fortunately we are the master of combat communication systems. All our assets see what the others see. A very powerful feature.

[hosepipe]

[ Why are we sending them billions of dollars? ]

Democrits and RINOs.. who are stealth democrits..

[Jeff Head]

Actually, we sold it to them and the French do operate the E2-C off their Charles DeGaulle...

The DeGaulle carries three E2-C's. They are going to build a second carrier (albeit not nuclear powered) which will aslo carry three.

I believe the British are looking at the E2-C as well for the two carriers thay are planning, the first to start building in 2006, with commissioning in 2012.

[Jeff Head]

I have a son in law in nuclear subs. With the ADCAP LAs, the three Sea Wolfs, and now the Viginias coming online...and with the four conversions of Ohio class boats into SSGN's, we are going to own the underwater world for sometime to come...albeit we cannot underestimate the litoral capabilities and dangers of the new diesel/electrics like the latest Kilos.

[Jeff Head]

BTW, this is the artist conception of the new UK carriers.

[ProudVet77]

Yes we did sell the E-2 to them, but they were the export version of the E-2,and considering they are the French, we probably sold them a version beneath the one we will sell to the UK. Also the French will no be getting the upgrades.

[ProudVet77]

Love the Ohio class SSGNs. BTW - they can actually modify any Ohio class sub to fire the Tomahawks. Just remove a trident from a silo and replace it with a a MAC. The USS Florida launched Tomahawks that way before she even was brought in for conversion. The reason it takes so long is they are all being refuelled, which takes almost 3 years.
The SSKs/AIMs are troublesome, but only when they are on defense where they do not have to travel far or fast. I think that why "Tango Bravo" is on the front burner for sub development. Rummy has been SecDef for what 5.5 years, but has moved us ahead 15 years. He knows a good thing when he sees it, like UAVs and will not let the USAF get in the way. Same is true about carriers. He is smart enough to hold off building the next as we are in a state of flux as to aircraft. And the DD(X) is a white elephant, but the LCS which has immediate value is on the fast track. He's a damn good manager.

[Jeff Head]

Well, with something over 50 Burkes eventually, we are in good DDG shape for a while in any case. I believe we are scaling the total procurement of DDX back to twelve anyway.

Agreed on the defensive nature of the threat the SSK/AIMs present...but in that environemnt we are going to have to be careful, it is precisely the environnment our enemies will try and lure us into because they know good and well they can't get outside of that.

Using the UAV's for mines and for sub detection in those waters (or any other) is going to do a lot of good. Also, we will control the overall space in most instances and pop those suckers whenever they come up for a breath.

[stripes1776]

Were it not for the scourge of Communism, the Russians and Americans would be much closer. There is a lot to admire in the Russian people but they have been poisoned by socialist thinking. Maybe future generations will finally erase that stain.

Good point.

How about this scenario: What if by 2010, Siberian oil will be coming to America in large amounts. Would Russia need aircraft carries to protect itself from a major trading partner? If America became an ally, who would be a potential enemy of Russia?

[JasonC]

Then there is the little fact that being a continental power, Russia has no actual defensive need for a serious navy. A decent sub fleet and air for maritime patrol, sure. A blue ocean navy, no, only one purpose, trouble making.

[Grzegorz 246]

"We are beginning work to develop a new aircraft carrier in 2005. Construction is to begin after 2010"

I'm not sure If this country will still exist after 2010.

[Grut]

THe T-34 couldn't of been if it weren't for the Christie tanks they bought.

But they did buy them when the US (Christie was an American) didn't. They developed the T-34's suspension from Christie's suspension design, but all technology builds on earlier designs and there was a lot more innovation in the T-34 than just the suspension.

[Grut]

One of those various Aircraft was I believe the B-26 bomber that they got their hands on and took it apart rivet by rivet and copied to the last detail.

Not exactly. It was a B-29, and in order to build copies they had to re-engineer the whole plane to be produced on metric tooling. One Russian expert estimated that the effort they put into producing an ersatz B-29 (instead of designing their own heavy bomber) set their bomber development back two years.

[ProudVet77]

Actually saw the DD(X) is down to 4, but we'll have to see, that can change easily. It just does not offer enough for the money (1-2 billion each), and weighs in at 14000 tons.
The LCS which they are moving ahead with at full speed (expect 10 to be completed by end of decade) are meant for littoral ASW/Minehunting/ASuW. Each carriers a pair of MH-60R helicopters, and uses underwater unmanned vehicles (we actually used some of them in Iraq). The cool thing is that the General Dynamics version can sustain 50+kts. And the price is good, around $200million each.
http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/littoral/

[gogogodzilla]

Heh Heh Heh...

I like that.

[Jeff Head]

Nope, the Kiev was an earlier ship that was only a VTOL carrier. They flew their very short leg Yak VTOL aircraft off of it. Our naval aviators called that aircraft the FUGSD. Fly up, get shot down. The ship itself had the entire front end like a cruiser, full of lots of missile launchers, guns, etc.

The Vayrag was the second ship in class to Kuznetzov I show a picture of earlier in this thread and is a true, full, angled deck carrier. They fly SU-27s, Mig-29 (supposedly) and other aircraft off of it. It is now in a Chinese ship yard being studied.

The Indians have actually bought the last Russian Kiev class ship and are going to convert it to a full deck carrier.

[roaddog727]

"Lockheed purchased the design data from Yakovlev."

There is the key component - Purchased vs stolen.

[Centurion2000]

Looks like a Nimitzski class aircraft carrier