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The Admiral Kuznetsov (successively named Riga, Leonid Brezhnev and Tbilisi) is a Russian aircraft carrier launched in 1985 and not
operative until 1995, which as 2016 remains as the only aircraft carrier in service in the Russian Navy, where she holds the distinction
of being the flagship. She is intended to remain operative until 2025-2030. A twin unit called Varyag was sold to China by Ukraine.
After her refit, the Varyag passed to operate with aircraft Shenyang J-15, the Chinese version of the Russian Sukhoi Su-33.
Somewhat smaller and rather lighter than her North American
counterparts, the Admiral Kuznetsov is nonetheless the largest aircraft carrier built in Europe and besides she operates with the largest
fighter aircraft embarked in a carrier, the Su-33, which takes off from the deck without using any catapult by taking impulse in the
ski-jump prow. And finally, the Admiral Kuznetsov is notable for her dotation of antiship, antiaircraft/missile and antisubmarine weapons.
Class: Admiral Kuznetsov (2 units - Admiral Kuznetsov, Varyag)
Type: Aircraft carrier missile cruiser
Length: 305 meters
Beam: 72 meters
Draught: 10 meters
Displacement (standard): 43000 tonnes
Propulsion: 4 x shaft, 2 x steam turbine, 8 x boiler, 200000 horsepower
Speed: 29 knots (54 kilometers/hour)
Range: 8500 nautical miles (15700 kilometers) at 18 knots
Complement: 1960 mariners and officers, 626 for air group, 40 for flag staff
Armament: 12 x SS-N-19 surface-to-surface missile launcher, 24 x 8-cell SA-N-9 surface-to-air missile launcher,
8 x CADS-N-1 Kashtan CIWS, 6 x AK-630 CIWS, 2 x RBU-12000 antisubmarine mortar
Aircraft: 14 x Su-33 fighter, 4 x Su-25 close air support aircraft, 17 x Ka-27 antisubmarine helicopter
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