Russia all set to scrap its cursed aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov

The Russian Navy is considering dismantling its only aircraft carrier after years of stalled repairs and a string of high-profile accidents.

Commissioned in the early 1990s, the 58,000-tonne Soviet-born warship was intended to lead a class of Naval vessels.

Its sister ship became China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning.

But Russia’s chronic underinvestment in the carrier doctrine and shipbuilding left Admiral Kuznetsov without a viable maritime aviation platform.

Kuznetsov was 'cursed'

In its only combat deployment to Syria in 2016, the ship lost several deck-based aircraft due to technical failures.

The carrier gained notoriety in Britain in 2017 when then-Defence Secretary Michael Fallon dubbed it the “ship of shame” as it passed through waters near the English coast emitting black smoke.

The ship has been docked for repairs since.

It began a scheduled modernisation in 2018, originally intended to end in 2022. But the project suffered major setbacks.

In that year, a crane collapsed onto the flight deck while the ship was leaving dry dock, causing heavy damage.

In 2019, a fire during welding operations killed two crew members and injured 14. The blaze covered nearly 500 square metres, and burned for nearly 24 hours.

Recent photos showed that the vessel was still incomplete and anchored at a port in Murmansk.

The upgrade was expected to cost $257 million and extend the ship’s life by 20 years.

But, a plague of fires, drydock accidents, corruption allegations, and repeated delays in modernisation has led many in Russia to believe it's cursed.

Yet, Moscow's sole aircraft carried more than just bad luck.

Kuznetsov's objective

With a top speed of 29 knots, the Kuznetsov carried Su-33 and MiG-29K fighters, Kamov helicopters, and anti-submarine assets.

It was also equipped with 12 long-range P-700 Granit anti-ship missiles and a ski-jump launch system.

Unlike Western carriers powered by gas turbines or nuclear propulsion, it relied on mazut fuel, often producing a thick trail of black smoke that became a visual symbol of its ageing design and operational struggles.

Once the decommission process begins, Russia will be the only permanent member of the United Nations Security Council without an aircraft carrier.

But Moscow won’t necessarily mind that, as it's looking for lethal and cost-effective alternatives.

According to a report by the Russian newspaper, Izvestia, the Russian Navy is pivoting towards futuristic unmanned drone carriers.

Russia's future

Adm. Sergei Avakyants, the former commander of Russia’s Pacific Fleet, described aircraft carriers as “a thing of the past”.

Speaking to Izvestia, the retired admiral said that the Russian Navy has no use for aircraft carriers in their classic form in the long term, as they “can be destroyed in a few minutes by modern weapons.”

He said, and I quote, “It is a very expensive and ineffective naval weapon. The future belongs to carriers of robotic systems and unmanned aircraft. And if a decision is made not to continue the repairs, the only thing left to do is to take the Admiral Kuznetsov, cut it up for scrap metal, and dispose of it.”

Avakyants echoes a long-standing debate within Russia about the viability of naval carriers in a fast-changing warfare landscape.

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It is argued that the emergence of stealth submarines, anti-ship missiles and “carrier-killer” ballistic missiles have rendered large navy warships obsolete.

Also, the cost of building, maintaining, and operating naval carriers causes significant strain on a country’s military budget.

This is precisely why Russia is increasingly opting to acquire unmanned drone-equipped carriers, which cost a fraction of traditional flattops that range from $10 to $13 billion.

But not many within the Russian military apparatus agree with the notion that naval carriers are redundant.

Some have argued that carriers are still significant for projecting strength across the Arctic and the Pacific.

In 2017, a think tank in Russia released a document outlining a strategic vision for the country’s navy.

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It’s called the "Fundamentals of the State Policy of the Russian Federation in the Field of Naval Operations for the Period Until 2030."

The report argued that a fully-equipped aircraft carrier fleet was indispensable for a nation that aspired to be a major maritime power.

And that is perhaps why countries like the US, China and India continue to invest in the development of new and advanced carriers.

Russia, on the other hand, is on the verge of losing its only aircraft carrier and the only platform for carrier-based aviation.

Retiring the Kuznetsov would leave Russia with a major gap in naval capabilities, especially when faced with the NATO fleets that continue to expand.