Latest news with #Su-33
Forbes
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Forbes
A Syria Deployment Exposed Russian Aircraft Carrier's Chronic Troubles
The Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov passes through the English channel on October 21, ... More 2016 near Dover, England. (Photo by) Russia has admitted that the fate of its sole aircraft carrier, the troubled Admiral Kuznetsov, is most likely either the scrapyard or an unlikely sale to another country. The move is hardly surprising in light of the ship's 2016 deployment to Syria's Mediterranean coast, an attempt to flex Russia's military muscles that ended up exposing the vessel's myriad problems. 'We believe there is no point in repairing it anymore. It is over 40 years old, and it is extremely expensive … I think the issue will be resolved in such a way that it will either be sold or disposed of,' Andrei Kostin, the chairman of Russia's state shipbuilding corporation, told Russia's Kommersant newspaper in July. While Kostin clarified that no final decision has been made, it has been clear for a decade now that the Admiral Kuznetsov is more trouble than it's worth. In 2016, it failed to even serve as a symbol of Russian power projection when Moscow dispatched it to Syria. In late October 2016, the carrier was photographed emitting its characteristic and ominous-looking black smoke as it steamed through the English Channel en route to the Eastern Mediterranean. The voyage came one year after Russia intervened in the civil war in Syria, where Russian warplanes based on the Syrian coast bombed cities in support of Syria's embattled dictator, Bashar al-Assad. As the Kuznetsov set off for Syria, media reports noted that if the 15 fighters on its deck joined its counterparts flying from Hmeimim Airbase in Syria's Latakia, it would mark the carrier's first-ever combat role. However, even before the carrier appeared off the Syrian coast, it was readily apparent that the few fighters it could carry mostly lacked ground attack capabilities. Unlike American carriers, the Kuznetsov launches fighters with a ski-jump on the bow rather than a catapult. Consequently, its Su-33 fighters take off with limited fuel and payloads and were only configured for air-to-air combat, making them ill-equipped to join in the horrific bombing of Syria's second city, Aleppo, at the time. The Kuznetsov also carried a smaller number of more advanced MiG-29KR carrier fighters of the kind Russia developed for the Indian Navy, which, incidentally, lost several in a spate of accidents. Unlike the Su-33, the MiG-29KR can conduct bombing attacks, but the Kuznetsov carried so few that they would make little discernible difference over Syria. Things quickly went wrong. A MiG-29KR crashed attempting to land on Kuznetsov on Nov. 14 before it even made it to Syria. Then, after it arrived off the war-torn country's coast, one of its Su-33 crashed into the sea in another landing accident on Dec. 5. Of course, accidents happen. The USS Harry S. Truman lost three of its F/A-18 Super Hornets in separate incidents earlier this year during the U.S. air campaign against the Houthis in Yemen. However, the Kuznetsov carries a fraction of the aircraft that the U.S. carriers like the Truman do, and significantly less advanced fighters at that. Consequently, the loss of the MiG-29KR and Su-33 marked approximately 13 percent of its fighter wing. Worse, satellite images revealed shortly after that the majority of the Kuznetsov's fighters had landed at Hmeimim rather than demonstrating their ability to conduct operations from the carrier off the coast—proof of concept for an aircraft carrier rather than an aircraft transport. With no less than four MiG-29KRs and Su-33s left on her deck, the Kuznetsov briefly operated with fewer combat aircraft than a typical U.S. Navy Wasp-class landing helicopter dock, which carries F-35Bs or AV-8B Harrier jump jets. The Russian carrier headed home in January 2017. Needless to say, its deployment hardly even succeeded as a symbolic projection of power for Moscow. That was hardly surprising considering that on an earlier Mediterranean deployment in December 2011, the U.S. Navy Sixth Fleet tracked the Russian carrier in case its chronic problems caused another accident and potential sinking. The Kuznetsov would spend seven years in a shipyard undergoing overhaul, leading to speculation in 2024 that it may never deploy again, especially given that its MiG-29KRs were reassigned for land-based missions. With Kostin's remark, it seems the Kuznetsov is destined for scrap as it's hard to conceive of any country wanting to buy such a decrepit, accident-prone, and maintenance-heavy warship from a country sanctioned for invading its neighbor. Although one never knows. It's somewhat amusing to recall that in 2021, former Turkish Rear Admiral Cihat Yayci suggested Turkey should obtain the Brazilian Navy's former flagship, the carrier NAe São Paulo. The oldest active aircraft carrier at the time, the Brazilian vessel also suffered chronic mechanical problems and ultimately spent less than a year at sea. Commissioned by France as the Foch in 1963, Brazil acquired it from France in 2000 and eventually concluded it was easier to sell it for scrap than invest millions more in trying to keep it operational. It sold it for scrap to Turkey, prompting Yayci to suggest that Turkey buy it and use it for naval training. (Ultimately, Turkey revoked the vessel's permission to dock after concluding it was packed with asbestos. Brazil later scuttled it in the Atlantic Ocean.) More perversely, speaking almost five years after the Kuznetsov's disastrous Syria deployment, Yayci even suggested that Turkey look into acquiring Su-33s 'as an aircraft alternative that we can use with the ship.' However, Russia only ever built a few dozen Su-33s in the 1990s, meaning any Su-33s Turkey acquired would have been secondhand and probably lack a reliable supply of spare parts. Unsurprisingly, Turkish officials dismissed Yayci's proposal on feasibility grounds as would any country today considering buying the Kuznetsov for anything other than scrap metal, presuming said countries don't have a Yayci-type figure guiding the ship of state.
The Irish Sun
11-07-2025
- General
- The Irish Sun
Putin's ONLY rustbucket aircraft carrier that limped through Channel in pathetic show of force ‘to finally be scrapped'
VLADIMIR Putin's only rustbucket aircraft carrier that struggled through the Channel is poised to be scrapped after seven years of failed repairs. Work on the hulking 7 Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov in the English Channel Credit: EPA 7 The rust bucket is said to be doomed for the scrap heap Credit: AFP or licensors 7 The vessel has been dubbed Putin's 'Ship of Shame' Credit: Reuters 7 It's believed the rust bucket - Former Pacific Fleet commander Admiral Sergey Avakyants applauded the decision to cease repairs, calling He said today: 'The aircraft carrier is already a fading era. Read more on World 'It is a very expensive and inefficient naval weapon. 'The future belongs to carriers of robotic complexes and unmanned aviation. 'If the decision is made not to continue repairs the Admiral Kuznetsov should just be taken, cut up for scrap, and disposed of." The ship was inherited by the Most read in The US Sun According to the report, it underwent repairs in 2018 after a trip to Syria and its future has remained "unclear" ever since. Reports said: 'Misfortunes continue to haunt the heavy aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, the only aircraft carrier in the Russian fleet that the Kremlin inherited from the USSR. Second huge cargo ship is attacked and SUNK by Houthi rebels in deadly Red Sea raid 'Having been put under repair in 2018 after a voyage to the shores of Syria, Admiral Kuznetsov was never able to return to service on time, and its future remains unclear.' The It used to carry up to 28 planes (Su-33 and MiG-29) and 17 helicopters (Ka-52K and Ka-27), and was armed with P-700 Granit missiles. But in 2019 and 2022, the vessel was struck by two separate fires whilst undergoing works - causing millions of pounds worth of damage. When the Admiral Kuznetsov came to the English Channel The Admiral Kuznetsov "sulked" past the UK on its way back to Russia from Syria in 2017. UK Defence Secretary Michael Fallon dubbed the carrier a "ship of shame" as the vessel and its task group was escorted by a Royal Navy frigate and jets. Britain sent HMS St Albans and Typhoon fighters to monitor the ship and "provide reassurance" to countries bordering the North Sea and English Channel. Fallon said: "We are man-marking these vessels every step of the way around the UK as part of our steadfast commitment to keep Britain safe." Cmdr Chris Ansell, in command of HMS St Albans, said: 'This tasking demonstrates the Royal Navy's commitment to protecting our home waters and readiness to undertake short notice operations. 'The movements of the Russian ships are being continually monitored in a co-ordinated response between the Royal Navy, RAF and our NATO partners. "As an island nation, the security of the seas around our coastline is vital and this sort of task is routine business for HMS St Albans and the Royal Navy, which stands ready at all times. The ship measures the length of three football pitches and weighs a staggering the 58,000-tonnes. Last year, crew members Ivan Akenchenkov, 51, and Sergey Ovsienko, 30, and Oleg Sosedov, 21, who served on the aircraft carrier, were reported missing during a Russian attack in Kharkiv. Oleg is now reported to have died during an attack in Kharkiv on July 23. His mother Natasha Simbirtseva has been told by fellow servicemen that he had been killed. She said: 'He has not been in touch since July 21. 'He was seen alive on July 23, and has not been seen since. 'But there is a fellow soldier who confirmed that the two [dead] are my son Oleg Sosedov and Dmitry Teplukhin [another seaman].' The desperate mother said: 'No official information has come. 'The commanders are not calling and are not reporting any information.' She slammed the 'complete inaction' of top brass in failing to search for missing men on they battlefield and repatriate the corpses of fallen fighters. 'It's ****ed up that fighters are being sent from our only aircraft carrier to storm a village in the Kharkiv region,' she raged. 7 Oleg Sosedov reportedly died after being sent from the warship to Ukraine 7 The ship was inherited by the Kremlin from the USSR and has a history of malfunctions Credit: East2West 7 It underwent repairs in 2018 after a trip to Syria and its future has remained 'unclear' ever since Credit: East2West
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Yahoo
NATO jets scramble three times to intercept Russian aircraft over Baltic Sea
Fighter jets conducting NATO's air policing mission in the Baltic states scrambled three times last week to identify and escort Russian aircraft violating flight regulations. Source: Lithuanian Ministry of Defence, as reported by European Pravda Details: The ministry reported that NATO air policing jets were scrambled on 3 June to identify two Su-30SM aircraft. The same day, NATO jets also took off to identify a Su-33 fighter jet and a Su-24MR reconnaissance aircraft flying in international airspace from mainland Russia. On 4 June, NATO fighters were again scrambled to identify two Su-30SM jets flying in international airspace from and later returning to Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast. All of the mentioned Russian aircraft were flying without flight plans and without radio contact with the regional area control centre (RFC). Tensions in the Baltic Sea area remain high due to instances of illegal reconnaissance and suspected sabotage activities. Background: In one week alone in May, NATO jets stationed in the Baltic states were scrambled four times to identify and escort Russian aircraft violating flight rules. At that time, it was also reported that Polish fighter jets intercepted a Russian Su-24 bomber over the Baltic Sea in international airspace. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
