Admiral Kuznetsov's jet fighter airwing is now on land, probably at Russia's Khmeimim Air Base, Latakia, north coastal Syria (see map below). This Airbus/IHS photo is a reconnaissance satellite's view of 6 x Sukhoi Su-33 multirole fighters from Kuznetsovparked (upper centre).
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The Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is apparently no longer launching air strikes after a complete failure of its arrester wire landing system - see http://www.chinatopix.com/articles/107336/20161203/russian-aircraft-carrier-admiral-kuznetsov-longer-launching-air-strikes-complete.htm
The Admiral Kuznetsov caught fire during a previous deployment to the Mediterranean in 2009, an incident that killed one sailor. Her condition was so pitiful, Russian tugboats had to escort her in case her engines broke down.”
COMMENTS
In addition to arrester wire problems the relocation of Kuznetsov’s jetfighter airwing to a land base may be due to:
- Russia's first shooting war carrier opeations of jets in Syria from November 15, 2016 may always
have been intended merely as a temporary international-public relations opportunity by Putin
- the jets can only carry relatively light, tactically insufficient, loads of fuel and weapons when
launched from Kuznetsov's ski-jump.
: China and India's ski-jump carriers do (or will) suffer from the same fuel and weapon's load
limitations
: China and India's ski-jump carriers do (or will) suffer from the same fuel and weapon's load
limitations
- the greater, unforgiving, danger (see MiG-29 crash below) of fighters operating from a carrier
compared to longer, non-shifting runways on air bases
below) than Kuznetsov can get.
- attempts to move Kuznetsov too far north up the Syrian coast may cause political-legal-sea zone
problems with Turkey.
- Turkish Type 209 and future (Piri Reis?) 214TNs? submarines are a remote but still significant
threat to Kuznetsov
- the strategically and legally surer "permanent Russian" treaty staus of Khmeimim Air Base
(since October 2016) makes this air base option increasingly attractive compared to a carrier
- carrier operations cause wear and tear on the landing gear, and increased salt rust, for Su-33s and
MiG-29Ks. These are downsides not present at an air base
attaining sufficient speed over the bow, to guarantee safe ski-jump launch of jets and to assist in
effective arrested landing of jets.
ARTICLE
Arthur Dominic Villasanta on Chinese-American website China TopixDecember 3, 2016 reports “Russian Aircraft Carrier Admiral Kuznetsov no Longer Launching Air Strikes after Complete Failure of Landing System”. http://www.chinatopix.com/articles/107336/20161203/russian-aircraft-carrier-admiral-kuznetsov-longer-launching-air-strikes-complete.htm
Russia has called off naval air strikes against anti-Assad rebels in Syria launched from the dilapidated RFS Admiral Kuznetsov (063), apparently after a complete failure of the carrier's arrester landing system that couldn't be fixed.
Western intelligence sources reveal the Kuznetsov embarked at least eight Sukhoi Su-33s carrier based air superiority fighters and four of the new MiG-29KR [in English K can mean carrier, R can mean Russian (carrier) variant] multirole fighters for its deployment to the Eastern Mediterranean.
On Nov. 14, one of the carrier's Cold War-era Mikoyan MiG-29KR naval multirole fighters crashed into the Mediterranean Sea shortly after take-off in the aging carrier's first bombing mission against anti-Assad rebels.
[see longer explanation in article]
The failure of Kuznetsov's arresting gear system has forced the Russian Navy to remove all its fighters from the carrier and station them at the [Russia's Khmeimim/Hmeimim/Humaymim) Air Base in Latakia province], Russia's largest air base in Syria a few days later.
Western reconnaissance photos show the carrier's Sukhoi and MiG jets parked alongside other jets belonging to the Russian Air Force. The carrier's jets have been launching air strikes from Humaymin for the past two weeks.
The Kuznetsov isn't a true aircraft carrier in the same category as U.S. Navy carriers but is classified by the Russian Navy as a heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser.
She's the largest ship ever built by Russia and is the flagship of the navy's Northern Fleet. She will be retired by the 2020s after being commissioned in the 1990s.
Western military analysts doubt her seaworthiness since this aircraft carrier's history has been marred by an unending series of engine failures and other technical mishaps. During her fourth deployment to the Mediterranean in 2011, she was shadowed by the United States Sixth Fleet that anticipated she would sink along the way given her poor condition.
Russia's Khmeimim Air Base (aka Hmeimim or Latakia Air Base) is at Latakia, north coastal Syria (see map above). This Air Base is only accessible to Russian personnel. In October 2016 Russia ratified a treaty with Syria making Khmeimin Russia's permanent air base abroad.
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Pete