View source for Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier

{{Short description|Russian and Chinese ship class}}
{{more citations needed|date=December 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = MilitarySportsHoliday2017-02.jpg
| Ship image size = 300px
| image alt = An overhead view of ''Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov''.
| Ship caption = ''Admiral Kuznetsov'' in 2017
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
| Name = ''Kuznetsov'' class
| Builders = *[[Black Sea Shipyard|Chernomorskiy Shipyard 444]]
*[[Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company|Dalian Shipbuilding Industry]]
| Operators = *{{navy|Soviet Union}}
*{{navy|Russia}}
*{{navy|China}}
| Class before = {{sclass|Kiev|aircraft carrier|4}}
| Class after = *{{ship|Soviet aircraft carrier|Ulyanovsk||2}} class (USSR &mdash; cancelled)
*[[Project 23000 aircraft carrier|Project 23000]] (Russia &mdash; planned)
*[[Type 003]] (China &mdash; launched)
| Subclasses = *[[Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning|Type 001]]
*[[Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong|Type 002]]
| Cost = 
| Built range = 1982–2019
| In service range = 
| In commission range = 25 December 1990–present
| Total ships building = 
| Total ships planned = 
| Total ships completed = 3
| Total ships cancelled = 
| Total ships active = 2 (Chinese PLA Navy) (+1 inactive Russian Navy vessel undergoing refit)
| Total ships lost = 
| Total ships retired = 
| Total ships laid up = 
| Total ships preserved = 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header = 
| Header caption = 
| Ship type = [[Aircraft cruiser]]/[[Aircraft carrier]]
| Ship displacement = *{{convert|43000|t|LT|lk=on|abbr=on}}, light<ref name="Kuzspecs">{{cite web |url=http://rusnavy.com/nowadays/strength/surfaceships/kuznetzov/ |title=Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov |website=Rusnavy.com |access-date=22 December 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141216124735/http://rusnavy.com/nowadays/strength/surfaceships/kuznetzov/ |archive-date=16 December 2014}}</ref><ref name="Kuznetsov specifications">{{cite web |title=Kuznetsov Class – Project 1143.5 |url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/1143_5-specs.htm |website=Globalsecurity.org |date=7 September 2011 |access-date=22 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008153638/http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/1143_5-specs.htm |archive-date=8 October 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>
*{{convert|55000|t|LT|abbr=on}}, standard<ref name="Kuzspecs" /><ref name="Kuznetsov specifications" /><ref name="ReferenceA"/>
*{{convert|58600|t|LT|abbr=on}}, max<ref name="Kuzspecs" /><ref name="Kuznetsov specifications" />
| Ship length = {{convert|305|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam = {{convert|72|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship height = 
| Ship draught = {{convert|11|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship power = 
| Ship propulsion = *Steam turbines {{convert|80000|shp|lk=on|abbr=on}}<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
*{{convert|200000|shp|abbr=on}}
| Ship speed = {{convert|29|kn|lk=in}}
| Ship range = * {{convert|8500|nmi|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|18|kn|abbr=on}} 
* {{convert|3800|nmi|abbr=on}} at {{convert|29|kn|abbr=on}}
| Ship endurance = 
| Ship troops = 
| Ship complement = 1,500
| Ship time to activate = 
| Ship sensors = 
| Ship EW = 
| Ship armament = *  (''Kuznetsov'') 
**12 [[P-700 Granit]] (SS-N-19 Shipwreck) anti-ship missiles<ref name="bbc.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/trad/world/2016/10/161026_spain_russia_carrier |title=俄羅斯航母戰鬥群取消停靠西班牙港口補給 |trans-title=Russian aircraft carrier battle group cancels docking at Spanish port for supply |website=BBC 中文网 |date=26 October 2016 |access-date=27 November 2017 |language=zh |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171216073302/http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/trad/world/2016/10/161026_spain_russia_carrier |archive-date=16 December 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>
**192 [[Tor Missile System#3K95 Kinzhal (naval variant)|3K95 Kinzhal]] (SA-N-9 Gauntlet) SAMs<ref name="bbc.com"/>
**8 [[Kashtan CIWS|Kashtan]] CIWS mounts
**6 [[AK-630]] AA guns
**1 [[Udav-1 anti-submarine system|UDAV-1]] ASW rocket launcher
*(''Liaoning'' and ''Shandong'')
**3 × Type 1130 CIWS
**3 × [[HQ-10]] SAMs
| Ship armour = 
| Ship aircraft = *30–50<ref name="bbc.com"/>
* 18–32 × fixed-wing aircraft
* 18–24 × helicopters
| Ship aircraft facilities = *Angled arrested landing flight deck
*[[Aircraft ski-jump|Bow ski-jump]]
| Ship notes = 
}}
|}

The '''''Kuznetsov''-class aircraft carrying cruiser''' (Russian: Авиано́сцы ти́па «Кузнецо́в» ''Avianо́stsii Tipa "Kuznetsо́v"''), Soviet designation '''Project 1143.5''', is a class of [[STOBAR]] [[aircraft carrier]]s operated by the [[Russian Navy|Russian]] and [[People's Liberation Army Navy|Chinese]] navies. Originally designed for the [[Soviet Navy]], the ''Kuznetsov''-class ships use a [[ski-jump (aviation)|ski-jump]] for [[takeoff|launching]] high-performance [[jet aircraft]] and [[arrestor gear]]s for [[landing]]. The design represented a major advance in Soviet fleet aviation over the {{sclass|Kiev|aircraft carrier|0}} carriers, which did not have full-length [[flight deck]] and could only launch [[VSTOL]] aircraft. The Soviet Union's classification for the class was as a [[aircraft cruiser|heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser]], which permits the ships to transit the Turkish Straits without violating the [[Montreux Convention]].<ref name="miller1990"/> However, the Chinese variants are classified as aircraft carriers.

Because of the [[dissolution of the Soviet Union]] in 1991, the three ''Kuznetsov''-class ships were built over a protracted construction period of almost four decades. Two ships were originally laid down at the [[Black Sea Shipyard|Nikolayev South Shipyard]] in the [[Ukrainian SSR]], to be followed by the first of the [[Soviet aircraft carrier Ulyanovsk|''Ulyanovsk''-class]] nuclear-powered [[supercarrier]]s. Only the lead ship {{ship|Russian aircraft carrier|Admiral Kuznetsov||2}} had been commissioned when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, and the ship now serves in the [[Russian Navy]]. Construction of her sister ship ''Varyag'' was abandoned until 1998, when an independent [[Ukraine]] sold the uncompleted ship to China for use as a [[floating casino]], along with a complete set of design blueprints. After a protracted [[tugboat|towed]] journey through three different oceans, ''Varyag'' arrived at the [[Dalian Shipyard]] and was eventually completed and commissioned in 2012 as China's first aircraft carrier, the '''Type 001''' aircraft carrier {{ship|Chinese aircraft carrier|Liaoning||2}}. China subsequently constructed a third ship to a modified '''Type 002''' design, commissioning {{ship|Chinese aircraft carrier|Shandong||2}} in 2019.

==Role==
The ''Kuznetsov''-class ships were described by their Soviet builders as ''Tyazholiy Avianesushchiy Kreyser'' (TAKR or TAVKR) – "heavy [[Aircraft cruiser|aircraft-carrying cruiser]]" – intended to support and defend strategic missile-carrying submarines, surface ships, and maritime missile-carrying aircraft of the Soviet fleet. In its fleet defense role, ''Admiral Kuznetsov''{{'}}s [[P-700 Granit]] (SS-N-19 [[NATO reporting name]]: ''Shipwreck'') anti-ship cruise missiles, [[Tor missile system#3K95 Kinzhal (naval variant)|3K95 Kinzhal]] (''Gauntlet'') surface-to-air missiles, and [[Su-33]] (''Flanker-D'') aircraft are its main weapons. The fixed-wing aircraft on ''Kuznetsov'' are intended for [[air superiority]] operations to protect a deployed task force. The carrier also carries numerous helicopters for [[anti-submarine warfare]] (ASW) and search and rescue (SAR) operations.

===Transiting the Turkish Straits===
{{See also|Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits#Aircraft carriers}}
The Russian naval system classifies its ''Kuznetsov''-class ship as a heavy [[aircraft cruiser|aircraft-carrying cruiser]] because it was fitted with long-range anti-ship cruise missiles. Under the 1936 [[Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits|Montreux Convention]], aircraft carriers heavier than 15,000 tons may not pass through the [[Turkish Straits]]. Since ''Kuznetsov'' exceeds the [[Displacement (ship)|displacement]] limit, it would have been confined to the [[Black Sea]] if it had been classified as an aircraft carrier. However, there is no tonnage restriction on other [[capital ship]]s operated by [[Black Sea]] Powers.<ref name="miller1990">{{cite book |last1=Miller |first1=David V. | last2=Hine | first2=Jonathan T. Jr. |title=Soviet Carriers in the Turkish Straits |date=31 January 1990 |publisher=Naval War College |location=Newport, Rhode Island |url=http://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a219829.pdf |access-date=14 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161114231831/http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a219829.pdf |archive-date=14 November 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> Turkey has allowed {{ship|Russian aircraft carrier| Admiral Kuznetsov||2}} to pass through the Straits, and no other signatory to the Montreux Convention has objected to its designation as an [[aircraft cruiser]].<ref>{{cite web |first=John |last=Pike |url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/naval-arms-control-1936.htm |title=Montreux Convention 1936 |website=Globalsecurity.org |access-date=20 July 2013}}</ref>

The Chinese Navy regards its Type 001 ships as aircraft carriers.<ref name="mod2015">
{{cite news
 |last1=Tao |first1=Zhang
 |title=Captain delegation of U.S. Navy visits Chinese Liaoning aircraft carrier
 |url=http://eng.mod.gov.cn/Photos/2015-10/20/content_4625081.htm
 |work=Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China
 |date=20 October 2015 |access-date=14 November 2016
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161204161821/http://eng.mod.gov.cn/Photos/2015-10/20/content_4625081.htm
 |archive-date=4 December 2016 |url-status=live}}
</ref>
The Chinese aircraft carrier ''Liaoning'' is armed with air-defense weapons, but it is not equipped with the anti-ship or anti-submarine missiles that are on ''Admiral Kuznetsov''. Instead, the hangar bay was extended to carry more aircraft.<ref name="sinodefence"/>

== History ==

[[File:ЧСЗ_АВИАНОСЕЦ.jpg|thumb|The launch of ''Admiral Kuznetsov'', formerly named as ''[[Leonid Brezhnev]]'' as shown in this image]]

In October 1978 the Soviet government decided to continue the production of additional [[Kiev-class aircraft carrier|Project 1143]] (''Kiev''-class) aircraft carriers, with the fifth vessel built with improved features like [[Aircraft catapult|catapults]] and arresting gear.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Polmar |first=Norman |title=Aircraft Carriers: A History of Carrier Aviation and its Influence on World Events, Volume II: 1946-2006 |publisher=Potomac Books, Inc. |year=2007 |isbn=9781574886658 |edition=2nd |location=Washington D.C. |pages=355 |chapter=Soviet Aircraft Carriers}}</ref> This resulted in the Project 1143.5 (''Kuznetsov'' class) plan created by the Nevskoye Bureau and approved at the end of 1979. As originally planned, Project 1143.5 was to have a full load displacement of 65,000 tons, [[CATOBAR]] capability, and an air wing based around fixed-wing aircraft and Kamov helicopters.<ref name=":0" /> However, by 1980 Soviet defense minister [[Dmitry Ustinov]] ordered the deletion of the catapults, reduction of the ship's displacement by 10,000 tons, and revision of the air component toward [[V/STOL|VSTOL]] aircraft.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Polmar |first=Norman |title=Aircraft Carriers: A History of Carrier Aviation and Its Influence on World Events, Volume II: 1946-2006 |publisher=Potomac Books Inc. |year=2007 |isbn=9781574886658 |edition=2nd |location=Washington D.C. |pages=356 |chapter=Soviet Aircraft Carriers}}</ref> The design was revised to support only VSTOL aircraft under the project name "Nitka", but then was revised again to its final configuration to provide for fixed-wing aircraft by adding a 12-degree [[Ski-jump (aviation)|ski-jump]].

==Design==

===Hull and flight deck===
The hull design is derived from the 1982 {{sclass|Kiev|aircraft carrier|4}},<ref name="navytech">{{cite web |title=Kuznetsov Class (Type 1143.5) Heavy Aircraft Carrying Cruiser, Russia |url=http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/kuznetsov/ |website=Naval Technology.com |access-date=22 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129092817/http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/kuznetsov/ |archive-date=29 November 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref> but is larger in both length and beam. The ''Kiev''-class ships had only an [[angled flight deck]], with surface weaponry on the foredeck. The ''Kuznetsov'' class is the first Soviet carrier to be designed with a full-length flight deck. The ship's 12 anti-ship cruise missiles are located in launchers below the flight deck, just aft of the ski-jump.

The aircraft carriers are of a [[STOBAR]] configuration: Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery. Short take-off is achieved by using a 14-degree [[Aircraft ski-jump|ski-jump]] on the bow. There is also an [[Flight deck#Angled flight deck|angled recovery deck]] with arresting wires, allowing aircraft to land without interfering with launching aircraft. The flight deck has a total area of {{convert|14700|m2|sqft}}. Two aircraft elevators, on the starboard side forward and aft of the island, move aircraft between the hangar deck and the flight deck.

===Air wing===
In the original project specifications, the ship should be able to carry up to 33 fixed-wing aircraft and 12 helicopters .<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite book |title=Ударные корабли |volume=11, part 1 |first=Ю.В. |last=Апалков |publisher=Галея Принт |location=Санкт-Петербург |year=2003 |language=ru}}</ref> The primary aircraft carried are [[Sukhoi Su-33]] fighters, naval variants of the [[Sukhoi Su-27]] Flanker. [[Kamov Ka-27]] naval utility helicopters (and subsequent variants) make up the helicopter wing, providing anti-submarine, maritime patrol and naval assault mobility capabilities. In addition, the [[Kamov Ka-50|Kamov Ka-52K]] "Katran" attack helicopter, a naval variant of the Kamov Ka-50, can also be included in its air wing.

===Armament===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Kuznetsov Deck Missiles.jpg|thumb|The 12 launch bays of the P-700 Granit anti-ship missiles open aboard the Kuznetsov.]] -->
The ''Kuznetsov''-class ships were originally designed as [[aircraft cruiser]]s. ''Kuznetsov'' carried twelve launchers for [[P-700 Granit]] (SS-N-19 ''Shipwreck'') anti-ship surface-to-surface missiles, which also form the main armament of the {{sclass|Kirov|battlecruiser}}s. The Granits were stored in 12 vertical launchers located beneath the ship's front deck, just before the inclined ski-jump. The top deck hatches of these launchers open to fire the missiles; however, when open they prevent the simultaneous launch of aircraft.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/5700/russias-carrier-was-designed-to-be-heavily-armed-even-without-its-air-wing |title=Russia's Carrier Was Designed To Be Heavily Armed Even Without Its Air Wing |date=25 October 2016 |last=Rogoway |first=Tyler |website=The Drive |access-date=2019-02-13}}</ref> ''Kuznetsov's'' heavy surface armament differs from that of other countries' aircraft carriers, which carry only defensive armament and rely on their aircraft for strike power.

For long-range air defense, ''Kuznetsov'' carries 24 vertical [[Tor missile system]] (SA-N-9 ''Gauntlet'') [[surface-to-air missiles|surface-to-air missile]] launchers, with 192 missiles. For close-range air defense, the ship carries eight [[Kashtan CIWS|Kashtan]] [[close-in weapon system]] (CIWS) mounts. Each mount has two launchers for [[9M311 Tunguska|9M311]] SAMs, twin [[Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-6-30|GSh-30]] 30&nbsp;mm rotary cannons, and a radar/optronic director. The ship also carries six [[AK-630]] 30&nbsp;mm rotary cannons in single mounts. For defense against underwater attack, the ship carries the [[Udav-1 anti-submarine system|UDAV-1]] ASW rocket launcher.

The Russian Navy reportedly removed the Granit missile tubes in the late 2000s to make room for a larger hangar bay, but it was never clear that the tubes were ever actually removed. During a major overhaul set to begin in September 2017, the P-700 tubes were to be replaced with new vertical launch tubes capable of housing newer [[3M-54 Klub|Kalibr]] and [[P-800 Oniks]] cruise missiles.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.defensenews.com/articles/russias-putin-drafts-new-rearmament-program |title=Russia's Putin drafts new rearmament program |first=Matthew |last=Bodner |website=[[Defense News]] |date=26 May 2017}} |quote=Originally designed by the Soviets as a heavy aircraft-carrying missile cruiser, the Russian Navy reportedly removed the old Granit anti-ship missile tubes in the late 2000s to make room for a larger hangar bay. In this role, the service tried to reinvent Kuznetsov as something of a strike carrier. It was never clear that the tubes were really removed.</ref> Air defense upgrades would include replacement of the Kashtan CIWS with the [[Pantsir-M]] and the 3K95 Kinzhal/Tor system with the [[S-350E Vityaz 50R6|Poliment-Redut]] system.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/2018/may-2018-navy-naval-defense-news/6222-russian-aircraft-carrier-to-be-armed-with-poliment-redut-sam.html |title=Russian aircraft carrier to be armed with Poliment-Redut SAM |date=15 May 2018 |website=Defense News |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180517082234/https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/2018/may-2018-navy-naval-defense-news/6222-russian-aircraft-carrier-to-be-armed-with-poliment-redut-sam.html |archive-date=17 May 2018}}</ref>{{Update inline|date=March 2022}}

===Electronics===
[[File:Dmitry Medvedev on the Admiral Kuznetsov-9.jpg|thumb|Kamov [[Ka-27PL]] ASW helicopter on board ''Admiral Kuznetsov'' with [[Dmitry Medvedev]] in 2008]]

''Admiral Kuznetsov'' has [[D band (NATO)|D]]/[[E band (NATO)|E band]] air and surface target acquisition radar ([[passive electronically scanned array]]), [[F band (NATO)|F band]] surface search radar, [[G band (NATO)|G]]/[[H band (NATO)|H band]] flight control radar, [[I band (NATO)|I band]] navigation radar, and four [[K band (NATO)|K band]] fire-control radars for the Kashtan CIWS.

The ship has hull-mounted medium- and low-frequency search and attack [[sonar]]. The ASW helicopters have surface search radar, dipping sonar, sonobuoys, and magnetic anomaly detectors.

===Propulsion and performance===
''Admiral Kuznetsov'' is conventionally powered by [[mazut]] fuelled steam boilers{{clarify|date=December 2019}} which feed four steam turbines, each producing {{convert|50000|hp|MW|lk=in|abbr=on}}, driving four shafts with fixed-pitch propellers. The maximum speed is {{convert|29|kn}}, and her range at maximum speed is {{convert|3800|nmi}}. At {{convert|18|kn}}, her maximum economical range is {{convert|8500|nmi}}.{{citation needed|date=December 2018}}

===Reliability===

''Admiral Kuznetsov'' has been plagued by years of technical problems. The vessel's steam turbines and turbo-pressurised boilers have been reported to be so unreliable that the carrier is accompanied by a large ocean-going tug whenever it deploys, in case it breaks down. There are also flaws in the water piping system, which causes it to freeze during winter. To prevent pipes from bursting, the water is turned off in most of the cabins, and half the latrines do not work.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/10/21/russian-carrier-plagued-by-technical-problems/ |title=Belching smoke through the Channel, Russian aircraft carrier so unreliable it sails with its own breakdown tug |first=Ben |last=Farmer |date=21 October 2016 |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=27 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171223234127/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/10/21/russian-carrier-plagued-by-technical-problems/ |archive-date=23 December 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Type 001 design changes===

The Chinese Type 001 ships are configured as aircraft carriers. The cruise missile launchers were never installed, and the launcher base was removed during the refit to incorporate a larger hangar bay. The air-defense system consists of [[HQ-10#FL-3000N|FL-3000N]] surface-to-air-missiles and the [[Type 730 CIWS#Type 1130|Type 1130 CIWS]].<ref name="sinodefence">{{cite web |title=Type 001 aircraft carrier Liaoning |url=https://sinodefence.com/2017/01/14/type-001-aircraft-carrier-liaoning/ |website=SinoDefence |date=14 January 2017 |access-date=24 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224130028/https://sinodefence.com/2017/01/14/type-001-aircraft-carrier-liaoning/ |archive-date=24 February 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Chinese Navy Liaoning Aircraft Carrier's H/PJ-14 (Type 1130) new generation CIWS |url=http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/year-2013-news/march-2013-navy-world-naval-forces-maritime-industry-technology-news/951-chinese-navy-liaoning-aircraft-carriers-hpj-14-type-1130-new-generation-ciws-.html |website=Navy Recognition |date=21 March 2013 |access-date=24 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170214102704/http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/year-2013-news/march-2013-navy-world-naval-forces-maritime-industry-technology-news/951-chinese-navy-liaoning-aircraft-carriers-hpj-14-type-1130-new-generation-ciws-.html |archive-date=14 February 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Type 002 design changes===

Several design changes were made to the Type 002 aircraft carrier. Length, width, and displacement have been slightly increased.<ref name="scmp.com">{{Cite news |url=http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2087064/10-things-you-should-know-about-chinas-first-home-built |title=10 things you should know about China's first home-built aircraft carrier |first=Minnie |last=Chan |date=12 April 2017 |work=[[South China Morning Post]] |access-date=26 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180227161441/http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2087064/10-things-you-should-know-about-chinas-first-home-built |archive-date=27 February 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="wsj.com">{{Cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-launches-first-home-built-aircraft-carrier-boosting-naval-power-1493182896 |title=China Launches First Home-Built Aircraft Carrier, Boosting Naval Power |first1=Jeremy |last1=Page |first2=Ben |last2=Kesling |date=27 April 2017 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]}}</ref><ref name="nytimes.com"/> The island of the ship has been reduced in size to increase the size of the flight deck, and it carries a [[Active electronically scanned array|3-D phased array radar]].<ref name="janes2016">{{cite news |last1=Tate |first1=Andrew |title=Further progress made on China's Type 001A carrier |url=http://www.janes.com/article/64097/further-progress-made-on-china-s-type-001a-carrier |work=IHS Jane's Defence Weekly |date=26 September 2016 |access-date=13 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161101102534/http://www.janes.com/article/64097/further-progress-made-on-china-s-type-001a-carrier |archive-date=1 November 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> The ship is claimed to carry 36 aircraft instead of the 24 J-15 fighters carried by ''Liaoning''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3042580/chinas-new-aircraft-carrier-shandong-could-confront-other |title=China's new aircraft carrier the Shandong could confront other nations in disputed South China Sea, state media says |first=Teddy |last=Ng |date=18 December 2019 |work=South China Morning Post}}</ref>

==Ships==

{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Construction data
|-
! scope="col" | Name
! scope="col" | Class/{{wbr}}subclass
! scope="col" | Operator
! scope="col" | Namesake
! scope="col" | Builder
! scope="col" | Laid down
! scope="col" | Launched
! scope="col" | Commissioned
! scope="col" | Status
|-
! scope="row" | [[Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov|''Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov'']]<br/>(ex-''Riga'', ex-''[[Leonid Brezhnev]]'', ex-''Tbilisi'')
| ''Kuznetsov''
| {{navy|Russia}}
| [[Nikolay Gerasimovich Kuznetsov]]
| [[Black Sea Shipyard|Soviet Shipyard No. 444]]
| 1 April 1982
| 6 December 1985
| 25 December 1990
| Undergoing refit<ref name="Admiral Kuznetsov refit">{{cite web |url=https://bmpd.livejournal.com/3279970.html |title="Адмирал Кузнецов" в ремонте |trans-title="Admiral Kuznetsov" under repair |website=bmpd.livejournal.com |language=ru |date=23 July 2018 |access-date=23 July 2018}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" | {{ship|Chinese aircraft carrier|Liaoning||2}}<br/>(ex-''Riga'', ex-''Varyag'')
| Type 001
| {{navy|China}}
| [[Liaoning|Liaoning Province]]
| [[Black Sea Shipyard|Soviet Shipyard No. 444]]; <br />[[Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company|Dalian Shipyard]] (completion)
| 6 December 1985
| 4 December 1988; 2011 (formal)
| 25 September 2012
| Active
|-
! scope="row" | {{ship|Chinese aircraft carrier|Shandong||2}}
| Type 002
| {{navy|China}}
| [[Shandong|Shandong Province]]
| [[Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company|Dalian Shipyard]]
| March 2015
| 26 April 2017
| 17 December 2019
| Active 
|}

===''Admiral Kuznetsov''===
{{main|Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov}}

[[File:Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier.jpg|thumb|''Admiral Kuznetsov'' underway in 2012. The shadow of a Ka-27 is visible on the bow.]]

''Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov'' was designed by the Neva Design Bureau, St. Petersburg, and built at the [[Black Sea Shipyard|Nikolayev South Shipyard]] (Chernomorskoye Shipyard) in the [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic|Ukrainian SSR]]. She was launched in 1985, commissioned in 1990, and became fully operational in 1995. The vessel was named ''Riga'', ''Leonid Brezhnev'', and ''Tbilisi'',<ref name="ReferenceA"/> before finally being named after Soviet admiral [[Nikolay Kuznetsov (officer)|Nikolay Kuznetsov]].

During the winter of 1995–1996, ''Admiral Kuznetsov'' deployed to the Mediterranean Sea to mark the 300th anniversary of the Russian Navy. In late 2000, ''Admiral Kuznetsov'' went to sea for recovery and salvage operations for the submarine {{ship|Russian submarine K-141|Kursk||2}}. In late 2007 and early 2008, ''Admiral Kuznetsov'' again deployed to the Mediterranean. Most recently, ''Admiral Kuznetsov'' was deployed to the Mediterranean in late 2016 and early 2017 to support [[Russian involvement in the Syrian Civil War|Russian operations in Syria]].

''Admiral Kuznetsov'' started an overhaul and modernization program in the first quarter of 2017 to extend its service life by 25 years,<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Soper|first=Karl|title=''Admiral Kuznetsov'' overhaul designed to maintain carrier capability while Russia considers future carrier options|journal=Jane's Navy International|volume=121|issue=6|date=1 August 2016}}</ref> but several setbacks have hampered this effort. Prior to a December 2022 fire the overhaul of the carrier was projected to last into 2024.<ref name=Cole2022>{{cite news|last=Cole|first=Brendan|title=Russia's Only Aircraft Carrier Catches Fire|newspaper=[[Newsweek]]|date=22 December 2022|url=https://www.newsweek.com/russia-kuznetsov-murkansk-fire-aircraft-carrier-1768956|access-date=11 January 2023}}</ref>

{{Asof|2024|10}} the non-operational ''Admiral Kuznetsov'' is the Russian Navy's only carrier leaving the Russian Navy without an operational aircraft carrier. Reports that the ''Admiral Kuznetsov'''s crew of 1500 has been reassigned to the [[Russian Army]] for [[Russian invasion of Ukraine|combat duty in Ukraine]] have fueled speculation that there is no plan to make ''Admiral Kuznetsov'' seaworthy again.<ref name=forbes-2024-09-22>{{cite news|url= https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2024/09/22/the-kremlin-pulled-sailors-off-the-decrepit-aircraft-carrier-admiral-kuznetsov-and-sent-them-to-fight-and-die-in-ukraine/ |website= [[forbes.com]] |title= The Kremlin Pulled Sailors Off The Decrepit Aircraft Carrier 'Admiral Kuznetsov' And Sent Them To Fight, And Die, In Ukraine |first= David |last= Axe |author-link= David Axe |date= 2024-09-22 |access-date= 2024-10-24}}</ref>

===''Liaoning''===
{{main|Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning}}

[[File:Aircraft Carrier Liaoning CV-16.jpg|thumb|''Liaoning'' in [[Hong Kong]] in 2017]]

The second member of the ''Kuznetsov'' class took a much more roundabout route to active service. Known first as ''Riga'' and then ''Varyag'', she was laid down by the [[Black Sea Shipyard|Nikolayev South Shipyard]] in 1985 and launched in 1988. ''Varyag'' had not yet been commissioned when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, and the ship was left to deteriorate in the elements. In 1998, the unfinished hull was sold by Ukraine to what was apparently a Chinese travel agency for ostensible use as a floating hotel and casino.<ref>{{cite web |title=Giant vessel shuts the Bosphorus |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1632156.stm |website=BBC News |date=1 November 2001 |access-date=24 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224135701/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1632156.stm |archive-date=24 February 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> After an eventful journey under tow, she arrived in China in February 2002 and was berthed at the [[Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company|Dalian naval shipyard]], where she was overhauled and completed as China's first aircraft carrier.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14470882 |title=China's first aircraft carrier 'starts sea trials' |website=BBC News |date=10 August 2011 |access-date=22 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150110091110/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14470882 |archive-date=10 January 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="english.peopledaily.com.cn">{{cite news |title=Liaoning Ship's first berthing at home port |url=http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90786/8148672.html |newspaper=[[People's Daily]] |date=1 March 2013 |access-date=22 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131013080839/http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90786/8148672.html |archive-date=13 October 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In September 2012, the ship was commissioned in the [[People's Liberation Army Navy|Chinese navy]] as ''Liaoning''.<ref>{{cite web |website=SpaceWar.com |url=http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Chinas_Liaoning_carrier_enters_service_999.html |title=China's Liaoning carrier enters service |date=27 September 2012 |access-date=22 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141222202100/http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Chinas_Liaoning_carrier_enters_service_999.html |archive-date=22 December 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref> The ship was named after the [[Liaoning|province]] where the shipyard is located, and its Chinese ship class is '''Type 001'''. Today, she serves as the first aircraft carrier of the [[People's Liberation Army Navy|PLAN]], and its home port is [[Qingdao]].<ref name="english.peopledaily.com.cn"/>

===''Shandong''===
{{Main|Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong}}
[[File:停泊于大连港的001A.jpg|thumb|''Shandong'' after launching]]

The second Chinese aircraft carrier was constructed in China according to a modified design, known as Type 002. The ship was laid down in 2013 at the [[Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company|Dalian naval shipyard]] and was launched on 26 April 2017. Sea trials began on 13 May 2018,<ref>{{cite news |title=Work under way on China's second aircraft carrier at Dalian yard |url=https://www.foxnews.com/tech/chinas-first-domestically-made-aircraft-carrier-begins-sea-trials |work=[[Fox News]] |date=13 May 2018 |access-date=13 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180513170938/http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2018/05/13/chinas-first-domestically-made-aircraft-carrier-begins-sea-trials.html |archive-date=13 May 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> and the ship was commissioned as ''Shandong'' on 17 December 2019.<ref name="nytimes.com">{{cite news |last1=Myers |first1=Steven Lee |title=China Commissions 2nd Aircraft Carrier, Challenging U.S. Dominance |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/17/world/asia/china-aircraft-carrier.html |work=The New York Times |date=17 December 2019}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Project 23000 aircraft carrier|''Shtorm''-class supercarrier]]
* [[List of aircraft carriers]]
* [[List of aircraft carriers of Russia and the Soviet Union]]
* [[List of ships of the Soviet Navy]]
* [[List of ships of Russia by project number]]
* [[List of naval ship classes in service]]
* [[Chinese aircraft carrier programme]]
* [[Chinese aircraft carrier Fujian]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Admiral Kuznetsov class aircraft carriers}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/1143_5.htm |website=GlobalSecurity.org |title='Kreml' class aircraft carrier}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.faqs.org/docs/air/avsu25.html#m4 |title=The Sukhoi Su-25 "Frogfoot" |website=FAQs.org}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.rjlee.org/rcar.html |title=A Brief Look at Russian Aircraft Carrier Development |first=Robin J. |last=Lee |date=9 January 1996}}

{{Admiral Kuznetsov class aircraft carrier}}
{{Soviet and Russian ships after 1945}}
{{Ukrainian ships}}
{{Ship classes of the Chinese Navy|collapsed}}
{{Aircraft carrier classes in service}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kuznetsov Class Aircraft Carrier}}
[[Category:Aircraft cruiser classes]]
[[Category:Admiral Kuznetsov-class aircraft carriers|Kuznetsov class aircraft carrier]]
[[Category:Aircraft carriers of Russia|Kuznetsov class aircraft carrier]]
[[Category:Ship classes of the Russian Navy]]