Repair and modernization of the Admiral Kuznetsov cruiser has been suspended

The Russian Ministry of Defense may refuse to restore the Admiral Kuznetsov heavy aircraft carrier, Izvestia found out. Currently, its repair and modernization have been suspended, sources told the publication.

In the near future, representatives of the Navy and the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) will decide on the fate of the ship. Experts do not rule out that a morally and physically obsolete aircraft carrier may be decommissioned and sent for disposal.

"The decision to stop repairs will be absolutely correct," Admiral Sergei Avakyants, ex-commander of the Pacific Fleet, told Izvestia. "The Russian Navy does not need aircraft carriers in a classic form. The aircraft carrier is a passing era. This is a very expensive and inefficient naval weapon. The future belongs to the carriers of robotic systems and unmanned aircraft. And if the Admiral Kuznetsov is decided not to continue repairs, it remains only to be cut into scrap metal and disposed of."

At the same time, Ilya Kramnik, a researcher at the IMEMO RAS Center for Strategic Planning Studies, believes that aircraft carriers are necessary for the Russian navy to provide air support on long-range voyages. He believes that another ship should replace Admiral Kuznetsov.

"There is an opinion that further modernization and repair of the Kuznetsov is impractical. It is physically quite an old ship. It has a rather ancient design and not the most reliable power plant. The ship will be 50 in 10 years. Even if it lasts until 2040, it won't last long. Therefore, taking into account the experience gained during the operation of the Kuznetsov, it is necessary to build another ship. We can do this, we have shipyards that allow us to build ships of this size," the expert explained.

Admiral Kuznetsov has been upgraded since 2017. At the same time, several incidents occurred during the renovation. So, in 2018, the largest floating dock in the Russian Federation sank, damaging the ship's hull. And in 2019, there was a major fire on the aircraft carrier.