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Key Points and Summary: Russia’s sole aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, has languished in disrepair for eight years and may never return to active service.

-Launched in 1985, the Soviet-era vessel has faced a troubled history of accidents, breakdowns, and outdated technology, including its mazut-fueled engines, which emit thick black smoke.

-Attempts at modernization have been marred by fires, accidents, and massive costs. The carrier’s air group lacks combat readiness, with no carrier operations since its disastrous Syria deployment in 2016-2017.

-Despite significant spending, the Kuznetsov remains obsolete, highlighting Russia’s inability to rival U.S. aircraft carrier capabilities. Experts suggest it’s time to scrap the ship.

Russia Must Scrap its Aircraft Carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov

The Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov has been in dry dock for eight years and will probably never sail again. Russia’s lone aircraft carrier was built during the Soviet era and has been an abject disaster. 

With the ship in such bad shape, the Kremlin transferred some of the sailors assigned to the Admiral Kuznetsov to the infantry to fight on the ground in Ukraine. The Kuznetsov is currently in Murmansk harbor and will stay there until someone with an ounce of leadership decides to scrap it.

History of the Cursed Admiral Kuznetsov Aircraft Carrier 

Sailors have traditionally been superstitious, but no one can fault the Russian sailors who believe the ship to be cursed. Almost from Day 1, the carrier has been a harbinger of poor design, engineering, training, lousy equipment, and just plain bad luck. 

The Kuznetsov is a Cold War relic. It was launched in 1985, then known as the Riga, and commissioned into the fleet in 1991. The Soviets wanted to build carriers to project power worldwide, like the United States. However, the US had more than a 50-year head start on building aircraft carriers, and it showed.

Admiral Kuznetsov Aircraft Carrier. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

The ship served under the headings the Riga, the Leonid Brezhnev, the Tbilisi, and the Kuznetsov. Since its commissioning, it has only gone on seven patrols. And many of those were a cluster … of mishaps.

The Admiral Kuznetsov doesn’t rely on nuclear power for the engines. But rather a sticky, tar-like substance called mazut. During the Cold War, this fuel was popular due to its thick viscosity. While older military and commercial vessels relied on mazut in the past, its use ended by the 1970s. The substance’s numerous shortcomings have led manufacturers to use nuclear or gas turbine propulsion systems instead. But not the Kuznetsov.

The fuel spews thick black smoke, which makes the carrier easy to find in the ocean but also hinders operations. The outdated fuel is just one reason the carrier was obsolete before it ever set sail. 

And therein lies the crux of the matter. The Soviet Union and now Russia can’t produce large naval engines. Ukraine has traditionally been the manufacturer of such engines. Now, with the war still raging, the Russians aren’t going to get Ukraine to sell them anything, let alone a carrier engine. 

The Soviet manufacturing “expertise” resulted in miles of steam pipes and boilers, which required constant maintenance to keep them running right.

Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov (Picture source: Creative Commons.)

Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov (Picture source: Creative Commons.)

The Russian Navy put two tugboats out with the Kuznetsov just in case the ship broke down, which it did in 2012 and had to be towed back to Syria.

When the boilers went down, which was often, the ship could only make four knots.

Aircraft Carrier Air Group is Untrained

Unlike US carriers, which use a catapult to launch aircraft off the flight deck, the Russians used a bow ramp. They only used the ramp twice during the war in Syria in 2016-2017. Both times, the aircraft, a Su-33, a relatively worthless plane for carrier operations, and a MiG-29, crashed when the faulty arresting wires gave way. 

The carrier’s pilots haven’t had any aircraft carrier takeoffs or landings since the debacle in Syria eight years ago. They are not even close to being combat-ready, even if the carrier is to be relaunched. 

Major Refit, Accidents, and Lots of Money Wasted

The ship has been as accident-prone as they come. A welding accident during repairs started a fire that killed two workers and injured many more. A drydock sank that was holding the ship in one incident, while in another, a crane gashed a massive hole in the flight deck.

A second fire upset the timeline for the aircraft carrier to rejoin the Navy again. 

Moscow has spent a fortune on constantly overhauling a ship that would never challenge the US on the sea. 

However, Putin wants the prestige of having a mobile airfield to project power worldwide, and the Russian Navy needs some good news after the disasters in the Black Sea. The Kuznetzov should have been scrapped years ago.

If Russia’s bellicose intentions eventually led to a shooting war with the West, an Admiral Kuznetsov carrier group would find itself sunk very quickly. That’s not very prestigious. 

About the Author: 

Steve Balestrieri is a 19FortyFive National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing for 19FortyFive, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in other military publications.