Looks like some scifi fanart to me, at least it doesen't correspond to any "real" never where carrier project. Also the flying boxes were little wierd...
Soviet carrier development, lessons for China as well??
- Thread starter Gollevainen
- Start date
Golly you live. Thanks for responding. I too thought it was just art and I have no idea what those boxes are or what those large containers on the pier are either..
Well, to compliment the GREAT work Gollevainen did, I put together one of those pictorial presentations I like so much. This is of the Soviet/Russian Carriers development from the Moskva Class forward. These will be pictures of the actual vessels that were built in the various classes, plus what they had planned:
Moskva Class (1967-1991)
The Mozkva class were the Soviet Union's 1st attempt at building, launching, and commissioing large, flat deck, aviation vessels. They were built on large hulls where the entire forward portion of the vessel was dedicated to a guided missile cruiser weapons load, particularly for anti-submarine warfare. The aft section, straight behind the superstructure, was a large flat deck for helicopter operations. Three vessels were planned, but only two were built, the Moskva and the Lenningrad. They served between 1967 and 1991 and were decommissioned after the fall of the Soviet Union. Their specifications were as follows:
Number in Class: 2
Displacement: 17,500 tons
Length: 620 ft.
Beam: 75 ft.
Draft: 42 ft.
Propulsion: Steam Turbines, 2 Shafts
Speed: 31 knots
Crew: 850
Aircraft: 18 ASW Helicopters
Pictures:
Kiev Class (1975-1995)
The Kiev class were the Soviet Union's 2nd large aviation vessels. These ships took advantage of a lot of lessons learned from operating the Moskva Class vessels. They were much larger vessels, and also were built on large hulls where the entire forward portion of the vessel was dedicated to a guided missile cruiser anti-submarine warfare weapons load. The aft section was a large flat deck for both helicopter and Yak-36 Forger STOVL aircraft. The vessels had an angled deck and could provide a short take off run for the Forger aircraft that were employed.
Their principle function was anti-submarine warfare, but the Forger aircraft supplied a minimal air defense role for these vessels, and could also be outfitted with anti-surface weapons. Four vessels were built, the Kiev, Minsk, Novorossiysk, and Baku (later changed to the Gorshkov). They served between 1975 and 1995 when they were decommissioned and laid up as a result of the fall of the Soviet Union. Russia later sold the Gorshkov to India and refit it for them, rebuilding it as a full STOBAR carrier, . The Vikramaditay was launched in 2012, underwent trials in 2013, and was turned over to the Indians in the fall of 2013. Their specifications in service with the Soviet Union were as follows:
Number in Class: 4
Displacement: 45,000 tons
Length: 896 ft.
Beam: 174 ft.
Draft: 33 ft.
Propulsion: Steam Turbines, 4 Shafts
Speed: 32 knots
Crew: 1,600
Aircraft:
- 18 ASW Helicopters
- 12 Yak-38 STOVL aircraft
Pictures:
Kuznetsov Class (1990-Present)
The Kuznetsov class aircraft carrier was the Soviet Union's and Russia's last bult and commissioned large aviation vessel. It is a as a full STOBAR (Short Take-off, Barrier Arrested Recovery) class of aircraft carrier. They utilize a ski-jump to assit in launching strike aircraft, and then utilize trap wires to recover them as they land. They also were designed with a large guided missile compliment with 12 VLS ceslls located forward, at the start of and in the middile of her ski jump. Howerver, these are large, long-range, supersonic anti-ship missile and not anti-submarine missiles.
They are large carriers, displacing in excess of 65,000 tons, and have a full angled flight deck. They have a large hangar for their aircraft, with two large side elevators for transporting aircraft between the flight deck and hangar. They have mixed airwing of (in Russian service) SU-33 Flanker strike fighters (now switching over to Mig-29K Fulcrum fighters), SU-25 Frogfoot attack aircraft, Ka-27 ASW helicopters, and Ka-31 AEW helicopters. The principle function of these aircraft carrier was to to provide protection and support of Russias nuclear guided missile submaries.
Two carriers were built, the Kuznetsov and the Varyag. , was completed and outfitted before the fall of the Soviet Union, being launched in 1985, and outiftted and finally commmissioned in 1990. The Varyag was launched shortly before the fall of the Soviet Union but was never finished. She ended up in being kept and owned by the Ukaraine's after the break up of the Soviet Union. She was eventually sold to the People's Republic of China who refurbished her and refit her into the Chinese STOBAR carrier, .
The Kuznetsov continues to serve with the Russian NAvy to this day and is about to go into a four year, long term overhaul. Their specifications for the Kuznetsov are as follows::
Number in Class: 2
Displacement: 65,000 tons
Length: 1000 ft.
Beam: 235 ft.
Draft: 33 ft.
Propulsion: Steam Turbines, 4 Shafts
Speed: 30 knots
Crew: 1,700
Aircraft:
- 16 SU-33 or 28 Mig-29K
- 4 SU-35
- 12 Ka-27 ASW Helicopters
- 4 Ka-31 AEW helicopters
Pictures:
Cancelled Plans - Ulyanovsk (1991)
The Soviet UNion was actively building an even larger aircraft carrier when the Soviet Union collapsed and construction was halted. She would have been the first of her class, the Ulyanovsk. She was laid down in 1988 and was planned to be launched in 1995, but was struck in November 1991.
The Ulyanovsk would have displaced in excess of 75,000 tons, would have been nuclear powered, would have had three elevators, and would have had both a Ski Jump forward and two catapaults at her waist. The catapaults were to launch the planned Russian AEW aircraft under development at the time that would have been similar to the US Navy E-2 Hawkeye.
In addition, the Soviets had plans, finally, for an even larger, full CATOBAR (Catapault Take-off, Barrier Assisted Recovery) carrier that would have followed the Ulyanovsk Class. She was never started, but would have displaced in excess of 85,000 tons and was also planned to be nuclear powered. A picture of a model of that carrier from the era is included here, below. The specifications for the Ulyanovsk class would have been as follows:
Number Planned: 2
Displacement: 75,000 tons
Length: 1030 ft.
Beam: 275 ft.
Draft: 35 ft.
Propulsion: 4 Nuclear Reactors, 4 Shafts
Speed: 30 knots
Crew: 3,400
Aircraft:
- 40 SU-33 or Mig-29K
- 6 Yak-44
- 8 SU-25
- 12 Ka-27 ASW Helicopters
- 4 AEW aircraft
Pictures:
Ulyanovsk under construction
Ulyanovsk as she would have been completed
Model of planned Russian full Catobar Carrier
Moskva Class (1967-1991)
The Mozkva class were the Soviet Union's 1st attempt at building, launching, and commissioing large, flat deck, aviation vessels. They were built on large hulls where the entire forward portion of the vessel was dedicated to a guided missile cruiser weapons load, particularly for anti-submarine warfare. The aft section, straight behind the superstructure, was a large flat deck for helicopter operations. Three vessels were planned, but only two were built, the Moskva and the Lenningrad. They served between 1967 and 1991 and were decommissioned after the fall of the Soviet Union. Their specifications were as follows:
Number in Class: 2
Displacement: 17,500 tons
Length: 620 ft.
Beam: 75 ft.
Draft: 42 ft.
Propulsion: Steam Turbines, 2 Shafts
Speed: 31 knots
Crew: 850
Aircraft: 18 ASW Helicopters
Pictures:
Kiev Class (1975-1995)
The Kiev class were the Soviet Union's 2nd large aviation vessels. These ships took advantage of a lot of lessons learned from operating the Moskva Class vessels. They were much larger vessels, and also were built on large hulls where the entire forward portion of the vessel was dedicated to a guided missile cruiser anti-submarine warfare weapons load. The aft section was a large flat deck for both helicopter and Yak-36 Forger STOVL aircraft. The vessels had an angled deck and could provide a short take off run for the Forger aircraft that were employed.
Their principle function was anti-submarine warfare, but the Forger aircraft supplied a minimal air defense role for these vessels, and could also be outfitted with anti-surface weapons. Four vessels were built, the Kiev, Minsk, Novorossiysk, and Baku (later changed to the Gorshkov). They served between 1975 and 1995 when they were decommissioned and laid up as a result of the fall of the Soviet Union. Russia later sold the Gorshkov to India and refit it for them, rebuilding it as a full STOBAR carrier, . The Vikramaditay was launched in 2012, underwent trials in 2013, and was turned over to the Indians in the fall of 2013. Their specifications in service with the Soviet Union were as follows:
Number in Class: 4
Displacement: 45,000 tons
Length: 896 ft.
Beam: 174 ft.
Draft: 33 ft.
Propulsion: Steam Turbines, 4 Shafts
Speed: 32 knots
Crew: 1,600
Aircraft:
- 18 ASW Helicopters
- 12 Yak-38 STOVL aircraft
Pictures:
Kuznetsov Class (1990-Present)
The Kuznetsov class aircraft carrier was the Soviet Union's and Russia's last bult and commissioned large aviation vessel. It is a as a full STOBAR (Short Take-off, Barrier Arrested Recovery) class of aircraft carrier. They utilize a ski-jump to assit in launching strike aircraft, and then utilize trap wires to recover them as they land. They also were designed with a large guided missile compliment with 12 VLS ceslls located forward, at the start of and in the middile of her ski jump. Howerver, these are large, long-range, supersonic anti-ship missile and not anti-submarine missiles.
They are large carriers, displacing in excess of 65,000 tons, and have a full angled flight deck. They have a large hangar for their aircraft, with two large side elevators for transporting aircraft between the flight deck and hangar. They have mixed airwing of (in Russian service) SU-33 Flanker strike fighters (now switching over to Mig-29K Fulcrum fighters), SU-25 Frogfoot attack aircraft, Ka-27 ASW helicopters, and Ka-31 AEW helicopters. The principle function of these aircraft carrier was to to provide protection and support of Russias nuclear guided missile submaries.
Two carriers were built, the Kuznetsov and the Varyag. , was completed and outfitted before the fall of the Soviet Union, being launched in 1985, and outiftted and finally commmissioned in 1990. The Varyag was launched shortly before the fall of the Soviet Union but was never finished. She ended up in being kept and owned by the Ukaraine's after the break up of the Soviet Union. She was eventually sold to the People's Republic of China who refurbished her and refit her into the Chinese STOBAR carrier, .
The Kuznetsov continues to serve with the Russian NAvy to this day and is about to go into a four year, long term overhaul. Their specifications for the Kuznetsov are as follows::
Number in Class: 2
Displacement: 65,000 tons
Length: 1000 ft.
Beam: 235 ft.
Draft: 33 ft.
Propulsion: Steam Turbines, 4 Shafts
Speed: 30 knots
Crew: 1,700
Aircraft:
- 16 SU-33 or 28 Mig-29K
- 4 SU-35
- 12 Ka-27 ASW Helicopters
- 4 Ka-31 AEW helicopters
Pictures:
Cancelled Plans - Ulyanovsk (1991)
The Soviet UNion was actively building an even larger aircraft carrier when the Soviet Union collapsed and construction was halted. She would have been the first of her class, the Ulyanovsk. She was laid down in 1988 and was planned to be launched in 1995, but was struck in November 1991.
The Ulyanovsk would have displaced in excess of 75,000 tons, would have been nuclear powered, would have had three elevators, and would have had both a Ski Jump forward and two catapaults at her waist. The catapaults were to launch the planned Russian AEW aircraft under development at the time that would have been similar to the US Navy E-2 Hawkeye.
In addition, the Soviets had plans, finally, for an even larger, full CATOBAR (Catapault Take-off, Barrier Assisted Recovery) carrier that would have followed the Ulyanovsk Class. She was never started, but would have displaced in excess of 85,000 tons and was also planned to be nuclear powered. A picture of a model of that carrier from the era is included here, below. The specifications for the Ulyanovsk class would have been as follows:
Number Planned: 2
Displacement: 75,000 tons
Length: 1030 ft.
Beam: 275 ft.
Draft: 35 ft.
Propulsion: 4 Nuclear Reactors, 4 Shafts
Speed: 30 knots
Crew: 3,400
Aircraft:
- 40 SU-33 or Mig-29K
- 6 Yak-44
- 8 SU-25
- 12 Ka-27 ASW Helicopters
- 4 AEW aircraft
Pictures:
Ulyanovsk under construction
Ulyanovsk as she would have been completed
Model of planned Russian full Catobar Carrier
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I believe there was another planned but unbuilt full Catobar carrier that actually predates the Kiev, Kuznetsov, and Ulyanovsk, and which was probable the most important design in the evolution of soviet carrier aviation.
The soviet navy lobbied for this full sized, 80,000 ton nuclear powered CATOBAR carrier in the 1960s in response to the Enterprise right after the Moscow class helicopter carriers were commissioned. The project got considerable traction, all the design work was done, and and a special version of Mig-23, visually quite different from land based mig-23, was designed to operate from it. But it was cancelled in favor of smaller ASW oriented carrier, which turned out as the Kiev. As I understand it, the basic design of Kiev was actually a scaled down version of the cancelled 80,000 ton nuclear CATOBAR carrier, not a scale up of the Moscow class. The kuznetsov's design was based on a scaled up version of the kiev, But Ulyanovsk class was based directly on the design of the cancelled 80000 ton CVN.
So all three angle deck soviet carrier classes were direct descendants of this one unbuilt design from the late 1960s.
The soviet navy lobbied for this full sized, 80,000 ton nuclear powered CATOBAR carrier in the 1960s in response to the Enterprise right after the Moscow class helicopter carriers were commissioned. The project got considerable traction, all the design work was done, and and a special version of Mig-23, visually quite different from land based mig-23, was designed to operate from it. But it was cancelled in favor of smaller ASW oriented carrier, which turned out as the Kiev. As I understand it, the basic design of Kiev was actually a scaled down version of the cancelled 80,000 ton nuclear CATOBAR carrier, not a scale up of the Moscow class. The kuznetsov's design was based on a scaled up version of the kiev, But Ulyanovsk class was based directly on the design of the cancelled 80000 ton CVN.
So all three angle deck soviet carrier classes were direct descendants of this one unbuilt design from the late 1960s.
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Gollevainen covered this in his "Part II" work earlier in the thread. The Kiev design was one of nine designs put forth at the time, one of which was the larger nuclear powered carrier using the navalized Mig-23. I do not believe that the larger was actually chosen and started. It was presented and considered with the others when it was apparent that the Soviets needed to upgrade their opertions form what the Moskva class provided...and they had a lot of problems. Her's what Goll's research produced:
Gollevainen Part II said:
So, the larger designed was not chosen at the time because the larger design was considered not practical and too complicated for the Soviets at the time given their time constraints. So the Kiev design was selected. Was the Kiev based on the other diesgn? Were they similar in for? At this date we simply do not know...any documentaiton clarifying that matter would be great. I personally believe they were two seperate designs, presented in the same time frame, and that the Kiev was chosen.
However, we do know this, the 4th Kiev, Baku, which became the Gorshkov was clearly designed as a precursor, or transition for the Kuznetsov. The island was changed and the sensor fit was changed from the earlier Kiev class to prepars for this...similar in some ways to how CVN-77 was used as a transitional carrier to the Ford Class.
The Ulyanovsk was basically a slightly larger Kuznetsov, set up to include the waist cats and three elevators, but was otherwise very, very simliar to the Kuznetsov.
At any rate, my pictorial documentation was specifically focused on the Moskva, Kiev, Kusnetsov and the planned Ulyanovsk classes (all of which were either built or at least started building in a major way), with a little tid bit thrown in at the end for the CATOBAR carrier that was never started.
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