In the spring of 1982, the first "real" aircraft carrier was laid down in Nikolaev. Project 1143.5 aircraft carrier was laid down under the name "Riga"; November 26, 1982 renamed "Leonid Brezhnev"; sea ​​trials in 1987, he passed under the name "Tbilisi"; entered service as "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov". Although he retained the project number of the first aircraft carrier, Kuznetsov has little in common with him, with the exception of the power plant

Its architecture acquired a more "carrier-like" look: a solid flight deck (75 m wide) with a springboard, arrester and emergency barrier, two airborne aircraft lifts. "Island" remained almost the same. Surface structural protection was improved, autonomy was increased, and underwater hull protection was installed.

"Admiral Kuznetsov" - heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser of project 1143.5

"Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" - heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser of project 1143.5

In the spring of 1982, the first "real" aircraft carrier was laid down in Nikolaev. Project 1143.5 aircraft carrier was laid down under the name "Riga"; November 26, 1982 renamed "Leonid Brezhnev"; sea ​​trials in 1987, he passed under the name "Tbilisi"; entered service as "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov". Although he retained the project number of the first aircraft carrier, Kuznetsov has little in common with him, with the exception of the power plant. Its architecture acquired a more "carrier-like" look: a solid flight deck (75 m wide) with a springboard, arrester and emergency barrier, two airborne aircraft lifts. "Island" remained almost the same. Surface structural protection was improved, autonomy was increased, and underwater hull protection was installed.

The PTZ system has a depth of 4.5 m and consists of three chambers: expansion, absorption (filled with fuel), and filtration. Between the last two there is a protective bulkhead of variable height thickness, made of high-strength ductile steel Ak-25. Steam TZA are similar to those installed on "Baku".
According to the project, the air group was supposed to consist of 24 carrier-based aircraft and 42 helicopters, but the regular number of vehicles was not reached due to lack of funds. Aircraft landing control was provided by the Luna optical system. In the bow of the aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov" 12 under-deck launchers for attack cruise missiles P-700 "Granit" were installed. Four six-rocket modules of the Kinzhal air defense system are placed in the bow and stern on the side sponsons.

The defense of the ship is provided by 8 Kortik anti-aircraft artillery systems, 6-30-mm AK-630M gun mounts, 2 launchers of the Udav anti-torpedo defense system. In parallel with the construction of the ship, deck-based aircraft for it and aviation technical equipment were being worked out. In the Crimea, at the Novo-Fedorovka airfield, a landfill was built with a steel airfield in the form of a ship deck, called "Thread". In the summer of 1982, the first Su-27 and MiG-29 takeoffs were made from a ground springboard with an angle of 8.5 degrees. A year later, the development of the Svetlana-2 arrester began. On September 1, 1984, the first landing of the Su-27 took place with the help of an arrester.
In 1985, conventional planes began to take off from a steeper springboard (angle of 14 degrees), adopted for the TAKR. On September 1, 1989, test pilot Viktor Pugachev made the first landing on the deck of the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov. On the same day, test pilot Takhtar Aubakirov took off from the ship in a MiG-29 aircraft. Before the completion of state tests of the ship, more than 300 flights were performed from it. However, combatant pilots began to master the Kuznetsov deck much later.

01/20/1991 "Kuznetsov" became part of the Northern Fleet. The declining economy of the state significantly complicated and delayed the development of the ship, the completion of its air group with serial Su-27K fighters and the training of flight crews. It was only in 1993 that aircraft intended for the aircraft carrier arrived at the Northern Fleet, and only the following year did it manage to train ten combatant ship pilots.
At the end of August 1995, they made their first landings on the TAKR, and in September the Kuznetsov took part in the fleet exercises, during which the practical development of its aircraft weapons began.
As for the problem of basing, it has remained unresolved. True, a floating berth was built for Kuznetsov in Ura-guba, but they could not build a coastal power plant and a boiler house. The ship, in order to ensure its life, has to constantly “drive” the two main boilers.

Even during the operation of "Kyiv" in the North, one interesting feature was revealed. The aircraft carrier has a huge upper deck, which is actively cooled in cold weather (eight months a year). Since the heating system in the harsh conditions of the Arctic does not cope with its duties, there is a constant formation of condensate, causing corrosion of decks, bulkheads, cable routes, and failure of instruments. In addition to premature aging of ships, low temperatures and high humidity significantly worsen the living conditions of the crew. So, on the Kuznetsov in the cockpits located at the ends of the ship, the temperature in winter does not rise above 10-12 degrees.

The performance characteristics of the aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov"
Displacement 55000 (70500) tons
Dimensions 304.5 x 38 x 10.5 m

Power of the four-shaft power plant 200,000 hp: 4 PT
Speed ​​32 knots

Cruising range 8000 miles at 18 knots

Armament: 12 Granit anti-ship missile launchers, 4 Kinzhal air defense systems, 8 Kortik missile defense systems, 6-30 mm AK-630M assault rifles, 2 RBU-12000
Air group (March 1996) 15 Su-27K fighters, 1 Su-25UTG, 11 Ka-27 helicopters, 1 Ka-31 helicopter

16 years ago, the aircraft carrier "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" fled to Russian citizenship. And until now, the brainchild of the Nikolaev shipbuilders remains the flagship of the Northern Fleet. The biography of the ship is filled with dramatic events.

“Articles appeared in the press claiming that the aircraft carrier “Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov” on the eve of the referendum “On the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine” on December 1, 1991, allegedly secretly “escaped” from Sevastopol to Severomorsk. One of the articles was titled: “How the Admiral Escaped from Ukraine.” I discussed this issue with the warranty representatives of the Black Sea Plant, who were on this cruiser at that time, and they said that the departure of the ship was planned, they were preparing for it in advance, ”writes Valery Babich in his book“ The City of St. Nicholas and Its Aircraft Carriers ” . Valery Vasilyevich Babich is a recognized historian of the construction of aircraft-carrying cruisers in Nikolaev.

Writing about the recent history of our region is a thankless task. Many participants in the aircraft carrier epic are still alive and watching the agony of shipbuilding giants in the city. The recent past is an open wound for veterans. They built these ships themselves and do not want to agree with any private assessment of their unique being. Some time must pass for the cold mind of the historian to restore the objective causal relationship of real events.

For a decade and a half, Valery Babich's books were the only source on the history of the construction of our aircraft carriers. Recently, however, the author's monopoly has begun to crumble. Hundreds of forums have appeared on the Internet, the visitors of which share their memories of service on aircraft carriers. These are simple sailors, and commanders of combat units, and admirals. There was a kind of "popular cut" of the emotional perception of the aircraft carrier era.

The fate of the Nikolaev aircraft-carrying cruisers is sad. "Minsk" and "Kyiv" today entertain Chinese tourists, and "Varyag" is in the Celestial Empire in military service. "Admiral Gorshkov" (former "Baku") was sold to India, renamed "Vikramaditya" and a month ago pompously handed over to the host country. Only one TAKR "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" serves in the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy.

"Admiral" was stolen

The heavy aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov was laid down at the Black Sea Shipyard in 1982, launched in 1985 and has been in service since 1990.

The main characteristics of the ship are as follows: length - 302.3 meters, width - 72.3 meters, draft - 9.1 meters, maximum speed - 29 knots, displacement - 60 thousand tons, crew - about 2 thousand people (including 600 pilots and aircraft technicians), cruising range - 8400 miles. The aircraft carrier can be based on: 26 Su-33 and MiG-29K fighters, 18 Ka-27 and Ka-29 helicopters, two Ka-27PS helicopters and four Ka-31 helicopters.

The ship’s armament consists of two Udav rocket launchers, 12 Granit anti-ship missile launchers, 6 six-barreled 30-mm artillery mounts, 4 six-barreled Kinzhal anti-aircraft missile systems and 8 Kortik anti-aircraft missile and artillery systems.

On December 1, 1991, at 9:00 am, this huge ship quietly weighed anchor in the Sevastopol Bay and began moving towards the Bosphorus. The departure was sudden. Cargo, half of the crew and aircraft remained on the shore. Everyone on board the Admiral Kuznetsov understood that the ship was being secretly taken out of Ukrainian waters. A year and a half later, the newspaper Severny Rabochiy published the memoirs of Captain 2nd Rank Viktor Kanishevsky, who was a participant in the campaign from Sevastopol to Severodvinsk. Here is an excerpt from that article:

“... As I remember now, the excitement of that autumn day when the Kuznetsov received a telegram from the President of Ukraine Kravchuk. It declared that the ship was the property of Ukraine, that until a government decision was made, it should remain on the Sevastopol roadstead.

Having broken up in groups in cabins, officers, and just sailors, wondered how Russian President Yeltsin, Commander-in-Chief of the Navy Chernavin and Commander of the Northern Fleet Gromov would react to this.

- I just can’t understand: why does Ukraine, with its closed Black Sea, need a ship intended for ocean service? If she really wants to have an aircraft carrier, then let the Varyag complete the construction or the Ulyanovsk, - the commander of the BC-5, Captain 1st Rank Andrei Utushkin, was perplexed. This is pure politicking...

- Not without that, - the political officer captain of the 1st rank Vladimir Ivanov agreed with him. - Only Russia will not give up Kuznetsov for anything.

However, the declaration of Ukraine's independence, adopted shortly before the ill-fated telegram, had already destroyed the seemingly indestructible maritime brotherhood of the aircraft carrier's crew. Some of the officers and midshipmen, whose families were in Sevastopol, did not hide their desire to serve under the Ukrainian "trident", and therefore frankly rejoiced at the telegram. Like, why ruin such a beautiful ship in the North. He needs to be based closer to the repair base. And it is available for an aircraft carrier only in Nikolaev ...

Days passed. Kyiv was silent. In the meantime, a radio message came from the Arctic that Vice Admiral Yuri Ustimenko, First Deputy Commander of the Northern Fleet, flew to the Crimea. The long-awaited guest arrived at the aircraft carrier by boat. Despite the late hour, a big gathering was played. Having greeted the crew, the vice-admiral with a Ukrainian surname ordered the sailors to disband, and ordered the commander to immediately weigh anchor. Yarygin began to explain that two-thirds of the officers and midshipmen, as well as the surrender team, remained on the shore, and would arrive by boats only tomorrow morning.

- And what about the planes that remained in Saki? - the political officer Ivanov got excited.

“They will fly to Safonovo themselves,” Ustimenko reassured. From the resolute tone of the guest, it could be concluded that he received an order to withdraw the "property of Ukraine" to the North not only from the commander of the Northern Fleet Gromov, but also from the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy Chernavin. Or maybe the Minister of Defense himself. So, Moscow gave the go-ahead. The control officers of the aircraft-carrying cruiser felt themselves involved in an unannounced quarrel between the two yesterday friendly capitals.

At 23.40, without giving any signals, the aircraft carrier left the Sevastopol raid in pitch darkness and headed for the Bosphorus. When the shore was far astern, they turned on the running lights ... ".

Captain 2nd rank Viktor Kanishevsky was the assistant commander of the ship and was responsible for the "survivability" of the ship. He belonged to the senior commanding staff and knew the situation well. Junior officers and sailors looked at this "northern campaign" with different eyes.

Through the eyes of junior officers and sailors

There are as many as three posts on the Balancer forum in which the authors share their impressions about the Admiral Kuznetsov’s campaign from Sevastopol to the village of Vidyaevo, the base of the aircraft-carrying cruiser in the Northern Fleet.

A visitor under the nickname Oldcondor reports: “... We got into such trouble for three weeks that we don’t even want to remember. Half of the crew was recruited from other ships, the other half - all sorts of engineers, adjusters from the factory, special forces, officers of the Black Sea Fleet headquarters, and so on. There were even border guards and some kind of coast guard from Sevastopol.

And we have, just in case, eight tiers of the superstructure, seven decks and two platforms. All this is divided into 53 gatherings. Nobody really knows the geography of the ship. Personnel - blind kittens - poke all over the decks. Nobody can be sent anywhere. The messenger will definitely get lost, and then you need to announce a “driven hunt” in order to find the wanderer ... However, you can not announce the hunt, the person will get hungry and return to the people himself. True, there is a danger that this sailor will be sheltered by the "fellow countrymen", then he will sleep for two days, slack off the watch, and this, with a shortage of people, is not welcomed by the authorities ... ".

“Countrymen” is a unique invention. - Continues the memories of a forum member under the nickname Capitan Sidor. - On the "Kuznetsov" fraternities appeared already on the second day of the move, immediately after the Bosphorus. The entire crew was divided into "Russians", "Khokhlov", "Moldovans", "Georgians" and "Balts". There were also, it seems, some Asians: either Tajiks or Uzbeks, I don’t remember exactly. Khokhols always wanted to flee to their homeland. When leaving the Bosphorus, they threw three rafts overboard, trying to get to the Turkish coast en masse. Everyone, of course, was caught and hidden in a punishment cell all the way to Vidyaevo...

The Georgians dragged everything from the galley. Once, when loading food, they took away a whole beef carcass under the nose of the watch officer ... They had their own barbecue room on the fourth tier, where there were empty cabins for pilots and paratroopers. The guys were briskly trading ...

Moldovans are a peaceful, uncomplaining people. Everyone concentrated in the boatswain's team and did not give us much trouble. But the Estonians and Latvians immediately went into the "catacombs" - to the lowest tiers - they could not be driven upstairs ... ".

The security company - the ship's OMON - was involved in the campaign in full. The guys guarded the white bone on the "island" (command superstructure - author) and guarded it well. No one moved anywhere without OMON. Only Sreznevsky - the commander of the BCh-6 - was not afraid to go below the 4th tier ... All the other officers were waiting for the inevitable reprisal. They, as a rule, were undressed and robbed in the dark…”.

You can not treat messages on the forums as reliable facts and, moreover, as a historical source. Anonymous correspondents go unpunished in their writings. They say what they want. No responsibility. Nevertheless, the statistics of negative reviews about the last Nikolaev-built aircraft-carrying cruiser makes you wonder.

Russian biography of "Admiral Kuznetsov"

The Russian biography of the ship is filled with dramatic events. The "stolen thing" did not bring happiness to the new owner. Here is an incomplete track record of his "misfortunes":

1. In April 1995, Kuznetsov got into a severe storm. At the same time, several steam boilers failed, the ship lost its course and was almost thrown ashore on Novaya Zemlya.

2. In December 1995, the aircraft-carrying cruiser set off for the Mediterranean Sea. At the very beginning of the campaign, he discovered serious problems in the operation of the main power plant. It turned out that two of the eight steam boilers had salted tubes - instead of distilled water, the sailors poured outboard water. During the entire campaign, the tubes of other boilers regularly burst and leaked. Evaporators, turbogenerators, diesel generators constantly failed. As a result, "Kuznetsov" moved at an average speed of 2-4 knots.

3. In February 1996, when visiting Malta, Kuznetsov lost all boilers (!) And the ship was left without a move. Due to strong winds, there was a danger of the aircraft carrier being thrown ashore. Admiral Valentin Selivanov, who led the campaign at the last stage, recalled: “... I remember how it is now. We are sitting at a reception with the Minister of Defense of Malta in the palace. The communications officer reports to me: “The wind is increasing to thirty meters per second. Not a single boiler is working at Kuznetsov. I immediately figure out: our anchor-chain is etched a hundred meters, the length of the hull is 304 meters, to the rocks 250 meters. The sail of the ship is huge, it is dragged onto the rocks.

I drop the minister and rush to the helipad. According to all flight rules, landing on the deck in such a wind is prohibited, but the helicopter pilots landed me. I already foresaw the greatest disgrace in history. The largest ship in Russia in the year of the anniversary lies broken on the rocks of Malta. The whole world would see it on TV...

The stern was carried to the rocks, and we, with matyuks and prayers, worked on the cauldron. As a result, one boiler was launched. It gives power for one and a half knots of travel. This is not enough, but our approach to the rocks has slowed down. Finally, another boiler was put into operation. Thank God and the sailors from the warhead-5 - the disaster did not take place. I don’t know how I would have lived later if I had ruined Kuznetsov. In general, he brought the ship to Severodvinsk, returned to Moscow and wrote a letter of resignation.

4. In August 1998, while receiving fuel, the wrong valve was closed by mistake, and 60 tons of fuel oil spilled into the fire control post. The post is out of order. A little earlier, due to a pipe break at Kuznetsov, two of the four Kortik anti-aircraft systems were flooded.

5. In October 2003, "Admiral Kuznetsov" went after docking in the Barents Sea for sea trials, during which a fire broke out in the main gas duct.

6. In 2000, a BCh-5 sailor died on the ship from electric shock.

7. On January 17, 2002, a fire broke out at Kuznetsovo during repairs on the roadstead of Severomorsk. The foreman of the 1st article, V. Bobylev, died - he was poisoned by carbon monoxide.

9. On January 6, 2009, another fire broke out on board the Admiral Kuznetsov while anchored in the Turkish port of Akzas-Karagach. According to preliminary data, one of the causes of the fire could be a malfunction in the fuel system of the engine room. The fire lasted about two hours. D. Sychev, a conscript sailor, who suffocated from smoke, died.

The sad biography of the aircraft-carrying cruiser attracted wide attention of the Russian public and the media to it. Moscow engineer Krotov wrote an open letter to the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, in conclusion of which he put forward the demand: “Stop wasting people's money! TAKR "Kuznetsov" is inefficient, dangerous to operate and very expensive to maintain. I urge the Secretary of Defense to mothball this ship."

In 2008, the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky, stated at an expanded government meeting that the fleet needed six aircraft carriers at a cost of $5 billion each to maintain combat capability.

In Nikolaev, everyone held their breath, and ... in vain. Two years later, Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov told the Rossiyskaya Gazeta correspondent: “... Russia does not plan to build new aircraft carriers in the coming years. True, we commissioned an appropriate preliminary design in order to understand what a modern aircraft carrier should look like. Then the General Staff and the command of the Navy will evaluate these proposals. In the meantime, the bet is made on floating airfields. More precisely, for the purchase in France and the construction of four Mistral-class helicopter carriers. Of course, they will not replace ships like the Admiral Kuznetsov. But they will contribute to the demonstration of the St. Andrew's flag in the oceans."

For 20 years, the Russian Navy has operated its only aircraft-carrying cruiser. For all the time, this ship has been a full-fledged unit of the Russian fleet for only six years. The rest of the time was spent on major repairs and planned docking of the ship.

The costs of maintaining an aircraft carrier in a functional state are high, and Russia hardly bears this burden. The military had big doubts about the advisability of maintaining the ship. However, Russia endures, turning "Kuznetsov" into a symbol of a powerful state. And while the construction of a new aircraft carrier is at the design stage, we have to tighten our belts to service the old ship. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation is inclined to sell the aircraft-carrying cruiser to China.

From a military point of view, an aircraft carrier cannot compete with more modern models. On the other hand, judging by the experience of the Varyag, it can seriously reduce the time for the development of Chinese aircraft carriers. Independent experts believe that the Kuznetsov is not hopeless, although there are some problems with the takeoff and landing of aircraft, but in terms of combat characteristics it is better than light-weight aircraft carriers and landing ships.

In Nikolaev, this situation is being watched through the eyes of an outsider. Our aircraft carrier shipbuilding is dead. Will it be revived? - Unknown.

The director of ChSY, Yuri Makarov, under whom the assembly line for the production of aircraft-carrying cruisers was created, was skeptical about the prospect of reviving the construction of the “masters of the oceans”. Shortly before his death, in an interview with a local TV channel, he said: “In order to restart the construction of aircraft-carrying cruisers, it is necessary to return the planned economy, the CPSU, the Komsomol, the pioneers and the October star ... otherwise nothing will happen ... ".

The heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" of the Nikolaev assembly continues to perform combat missions today. And the Admiral spent the New Year holidays in the Atlantic Ocean, performing the tasks of long-distance voyages ...

(Ed. 2016) The heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov of the Russian Northern Fleet set off for the coast of Syria. The aircraft carrier will become part of the Russian Navy grouping in the eastern Mediterranean.

This information was confirmed by the Russian Ministry of Defense. Earlier on Saturday, the dispatch of the Admiral Kuznetsov to the Mediterranean Sea was reported by correspondents from several Russian agencies, including directly from the Northern Fleet base in Severomorsk.

The Admiral Kuznetsov air wing includes MiG-29KR and MiG-29KUBR ship-based fighters, as well as fourth-generation Su-33 carrier-based fighters.

Sergey Gavrilov, journalist, via

ill. 1. TAVKR "Admiral Kuznetsov" with 16 (! ) Aircraft on the flight deck: 9 Su-33, 2 Su-25UTG, 5 Ka-27/29 - Atlantic, 01/18/2008 (photo from Slava2014, forums.airbase.ru, 3190 pix.)

Theory

The most authoritative sources (*) agree that the size of the Kuznetsov air group under the project is 50 (fifty) aircraft, namely : 26 Su-27K (Su-33), 4 Ka-252 RLD(Ka-31), 18 Ka-27(PL), 2 Ka-27PS. The project developer (Nevskoye Design Bureau) gives 40 LA ( link 1 ), Defense Department - 36 (12 Su-33 and 24- ! Ka-27, link 2 ). The scatter of values ​​is most likely caused by the accounting / non-accounting of aircraft on the flight deck (about 30% , more specifically - 14/36 ). On the other hand, according to (conditional) design standards (one aircraft per 1000 tons standard - A.Sh. displacement, link 3 ) it turns out 46-47 aircraft and helicopters, according to the blog author (D Pwave /1250) - 47 (**).

(*) In addition to the direct participation of V. Zablotsky in the construction and testing of aircraft-carrying cruisers, confidence in his data is due to the fact that the author gives not only standard, normal and full displacement (which in itself is impressive), but also the corresponding average drafts with centimeter accurate ( ! ), . thus demonstrating the highest aerobatics in the field of technical literary seascapes.
(**) Standard displacement TAVKR project 11435 - 46 540 t, full - 59 100 t .

Practice

For 25 years (without 13 days) as part of the Navy of the USSR and the Russian Federation, "Admiral Kuznetsov" recorded in his asset seven combat services: five in the Mediterranean and two in the northeast Atlantic. With the exception of the very first BS, the exact number of aircraft on board is unknown, but there are observations of a colleague Polikarpoff(forums.airforce.ru participant), who recorded the side numbers of all Su-33s that were captured in the video and photo reports ( link 4 ) (the author of the blog is ready to confirm the accuracy of the information on the BS 2013-2014). Below are all available data on the TAVKR air group in all its long-distance campaigns:

1 ) 23.12.1995-22.03.1996 , Mediterranean Sea -26 LA: 13 Su-33 (w / n61, 64, 65, 67, 76, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 88 and experienced109 blue),2 Su-25UTG,11 Ka-27/27PS/29 (* ) ;
2 ) 27.09-24.10.2004 , North Atlantic - minimum7 Su-33 (60, 67, 68, 80, 82, 85, 88 ) and2 Su-25UTG (07, 14 ) ;
3 ) 23.08-14.09.2005 , North Atlantic - Su-33 b / n was lost due to a break in the arrester cable82 , on other sides- n/a ;
4 ) 05.12.2007-03.02.2008 , Mediterranean - minimum10 Su-33 (60, 61, 66, 72, 79, 80, 81, 86, 87, 88 ) and2 Su-25UTG (08, 11 ) ;
5 ) 05.12.2008-27.02.2009 , Mediterranean - minimum_ 8 Su-33 (60, 61, 64, 68, 72, 76, 81, 88 ) and1 Su-25UTG (08 ) ;
6 ) 06.12.2011-17.02.2012 , Mediterranean - minimum10 Su-33 (62, 66, 68, 76, 77, 78, 80, 81, 86, 87 ) ;
7 ) 17.12.2013-17.05.2014 , Mediterranean - minimum_ 6 Su-33 (62, 66, 68, 76, 77, 78 ) (BS 2-7 - only seen cars).

( * ) During the transition from Ireland to Gibraltar, the SF ship group got into a storm, which is why it was decided to postpone the planned flights until they arrived in the Mediterranean Sea.. This fact is interesting in that it allows you to indirectly estimate the capacity of the hangar, since in stormy conditions all 26 aircraft were most likely removed from the flight deck.

It is clear that the given census of boards (most likely incomplete) does not reflect the real "aircraft capacity" of the aircraft carrier, but only states the lack of Su-33s in airworthy condition and, possibly, trained flight personnel. At the same time, the chronic shortage of the air group not only gets on the nerves, but also greatly diminishes the combat capabilities of the Kuznetsov in the eyes of potential adversaries and potential allies.

ill. 2. TAVKR "Admiral Kuznetsov", Atlantic, 01/18/2008 (photo from Slava2014, forums.airbase.ru, 3160 pix.)

hangar geometry

Aviation hangar TAVKR pr. 11435 has dimensions 153 X 26,0 X 7,2 m, an area of ​​3,980 m2 and a volume of 28,640 m3, it occupies 57 % length and 74 % of the width of the ship in DWL (for "Nimitz" - 66 % and 82 % ). Aircraft lifts - two (16x14 m): in front of the "island" and behind it, both - on the starboard side. The aircraft transportation system in the hangar is semi-automatic chain, from the hangar to the lift platforms - using tractors.. There are turning circles in front of the lifts for quick orientation of the aircraft with the keel to the side.

To date, the greatest contribution to understanding the capacity of the hangar, without a doubt, was made by a colleagueparalay - the author of the diagram below (ill. 3). A test with passion :) showed a good correspondence of its elements to the available data: the dimensions of the hangar, the location and length of the lifts, the proportions of the Su-33 with folded wings, stabilizers and a VTG boom and Ka-27 with folded blades ( 20,7 X 7,4 and 12,25 X 4,0 m). The apparent implausibility of a very dense placement of aircraft - "jack" (*) four in a row, is refuted by the photograph following the diagram (ill. 4). The only remark concerns the scattering of helicopters over free "patch" - in practice, they are also likely to moor in orderly rows ( ill. 1 2 ). In addition, we should not forget that in addition to aircraft, some part of the hangar area is occupied by vehicles for their maintenance (fire, gas-jet, tractors - ill. 13).

(*) "Valet" was born exactly 40 years ago: "The design capacity of the hangar [TAVKR pr. 1143] was 22 aircraft, but after the Minister of Defense Marshal A. Grechko visited Kyiv in 1975, times, the layout of the aircraft in the hangar was revised.After the Minister canceled the ban on the mandatory clearance between them of 0.75 m and the . hangar capacity increased to 36 LAC ".

ill. 3. The layout of the Su-33 and Ka-27 in the hangar TAVKR pr. 11435 withparalay.iboards.ru (original - click)

ill. 4. Dense deployment of the Su-33 in combat service in 1995-96.- "Jack" four in a row (in the middle row)

Flight Deck Geometry

On the solid flight deck of an aircraft carrier with a length 305 m, wide 70 m and an area of ​​14,800 m2, there are three starting positions: No. 1 and No. 2 - in front of the springboard (running 105 m), No. 3 - in the middle part of the corner deck (run 195 m), and nine technical - along the "island" and behind the aft lift. The same number of runways for shipborne helicopters (plus one "overlap" for the base Mi-8) are marked at the springboard and on the corner deck, which is why during takeoff and landing operations of aircraft squadrons for mooring helicopters cannot be used. In this case, the Ka-31 and Ka-27PS on duty, the need for which may arise at any moment, can wait for their turn on the free deck area, in the very stern on the starboard side - where the Yak- 41M and forward. (similar to how the leftmost Ka-29 stands in Fig. 14).

ill. 5. Plan of the flight deck TAVKR pr. 11435 (break in the center - due to a scanning defect). Some designations: 6 - runway for Ka-27/29/31 helicopters; 9, 10, 20 - Su-33, respectively, in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd starting positions; 26 - estimated point of touching the deck with the hook of the aircraft; 27 - runway for a Mi-8 helicopter; 31 - Su-33 in a technical position; 32 - VTOL Yak-41M at the technical position

Outdoor mooring

Even after a cursory preliminary acquaintance with the features of the TAVKR hangar, it becomes clear that one cannot hope for a comfortable basing in a heated splash-proof room of a full-fledged air group corresponding to the displacement of the ship. There is no other way to increase the number of aircraft on board,. except to carry them on the flight deck throughout the entire combat service - both in a storm and in a cold. Regarding negative temperatures and the icing they cause, we can immediately say : to the Arctic and the winter North Atlantic with an air group reinforced by "deck" aircraft "Kuznetsov" the road is ordered.. We can only talk about a few duty aircraft and helicopters. (for example, 2 Su-33, Ka-31 and Ka-27PS), heated in the hangar on a rotational basis.

As for the storm (rolling, flooding and heavy wind), things are somewhat better. They say that US Navy aircraft carriers with their 20-meter freeboard have no problems at all in fresh weather - the waves simply don’t reach the deck, and the aircraft’s mooring in a storm allows you not to worry about non-combat losses of valuable combat units (although this, of course, , no one is insured) (*). The almost 17-meter side height of 11435 (versus 13.5 m for other 1143) allows us to think that everything is more or less successful with it, and half a century of experience in operating deck-based aircraft - to hope that our today's "moorings" (lashings) ) is no worse than American ones (**).

(*) An American technician who served on the "Coral-Sea" in paints talks about how . how one day I almost flew overboard on my Skyhawk, and our compatriot, who served the Yak-38 on Minsk, about the loss, thank God, of an empty car on one of the BSs in equatorial latitudes: link 5 . It is worth paying attention to the following facts from the memoirs of an American: each Skyhawk was fastened with nine chains - three for each landing gear, and when a warning was received about a possible meeting with a typhoon. (this is no longer a storm, this is - Hurricane), . the flight director ordered to additionally secure the machines with storm ends - three steel cables. Aircraft in the hangar didn't clean up.

(**) "All aircraft attachment points are designed for roll up to 40 degrees, while forces up to 10 tons can occur on one node, and we calculated and tested them with a double load of 20 tons and there were four such nodes for each aircraft. Helicopters were attached In 1988, on the "Baku" in the North Atlantic, we got into a severe storm that lasted a week and the roll reached 25 degrees with the dampers turned on ... there was not a single aircraft on the deck (streams of water rushed through it), everything is in the hangar, but not a single aircraft was torn off the mounts, which are similar to those on the flight deck "(V. Babich - link 6 ).

The deceptive small size of the MiG

At one time, the Su-33 (Su-27K) almost lost its place on the deck of an aircraft carrier due to the fact that its overall width is much larger than that of the MiG-29K of the 1988 model (9.8 versus 7. 8 m), did not allow to place a sufficient number of vehicles on board.As a result, the designers of the Sukhoi Design Bureau created a small miracle by folding the wing not at half the length of the console, but 1/4 from the center section (and with it also the stabilizer), as a result which "Dry" has become 40 cm more compact than the MiG! Today, the situation is exactly the opposite. - in the sense that now the MiG-29K with a wing folding in the middle of the console is holding back the build-up of the TAVKR air group (more on that later).

ill. 6 . Signature - on the illustration. Note: "The overall width of the aircraft with folded wings (without suspension devices - beam holders, aircraft catapults and APU - A.Sh.) - 7.46 m. ​​The span of the stabilizer is 7.695 m ".

On ill. 6 shows the MiG-29KUB for the Indian Navy, however, the hope that during the "Russification" of the naval MiG its wing was optimized for hangar 11435, collapses after viewing photographs of the first batch of aircraft (n/n 31 and 50), which clearly show that the console folding line is in the same place as that of the Indian "prototype" (ill. 15, 16). Hope that the wing of the sides of the release of 2014-2015. arranged otherwise, it would be naive. It is unlikely that the issue of reducing the size of the MiG was not raised at all - most likely, at one of the interdepartmental meetings_ it was decided not to include the alteration of the wing in the R&D, so as not to delay the adoption of the new aircraft by the Navy MA.

Let's play airplanes

To solve the task - to assess the real (achievable in practice) composition of the updated Kuznetsov air group - based on the layoutparalay to the best of the author's modest capabilities, a new layout of the aircraft in the hangar of an aircraft carrier was drawn. The result not only lived up to expectations, but did not disappoint either - the hangar accommodates three two-section aircraft squadrons (one Su-33 and two MiG-29K) and one helicopter, total32 aircraft (ill. 7).

A much greater effect from the introduction of MiGs into the air group (compared to the original versionparalay ) could be observed when finalizing the MiG-29K wing in order to reduce the overall width. As seen in Fig. 8, in this case, four more aircraft could be placed in the hangar, making one assault (fighter-bomber) squadron three-tier and bringing the total number of aircraft to36 .

ill. Fig. 7. Option for placing an aircraft in the hangar of the TAVKR pr. 11435 with the regular folding of the MiG-29K (UB) wing

ill. eight.The option of placing the aircraft in the hangar TAVKR pr. 11435 with "space-saving" folding of the MiG-29K (UB) wing

On the flight deck, in a not too harsh climate, 12 aircraft can be additionally placed (moored) (three Su-33s at launch positions and another Su-33 and 8 MiGs at technical ones) and at least two helicopters. On a combat alert, it will be possible to quickly raise a flight of heavy fighters into the air, thereby ensuring long-range reconnaissance and air defense in a threatened direction. Further - according to the circumstances: either saturate air escorts with "Dry", or raise the first wave of MiGs to attack coastal targets or an enemy ship grouping. With an empty deck (in the "everything in the hangar" option), the procedure is approximately the same: first, 4 Su-33s leave the garage on the aft lift, Ka-31 and Ka-27PS on the bow, then the rest of the Sukhoi or MiGs.

Conclusion

According to the author, the above quite convincingly demonstrates the possibility of basing a full-fledged air group on 11435, which significantly expands the scope of combat use not only for a single ship, but also for the Russian Navy as a whole. Of course, it will be possible to speak of true "fullness" only when the landing gear wheels of the long-awaited RLD aircraft touch the flight deck, and if Russian aircraft designers manage to create a "hokai" capable of taking off without a catapult (from the 3rd starting position),. such a machine can already be seen at Kuznetsov. In the meantime, the Russian aircraft carrier will have an air group of approximately the same composition:

46 aircraft, about80% which are first-class fighters and fighter-bombers, and 70% can be based in a hangar - not a bad result at all. It remains only to wish that the RAC MiG finalized the wing of its aircraft in order to bring the size of the air group to the cherished 50 aircraft. Another wish applies to the officers of the Department of Shipbuilding and Armament of the Navy, the scientists of the Krylov Research Center and the designers of the Nevsky Design Bureau, who are working on the appearance of a new aircraft carrier : to minimize the impact of stormy weather and negative (arctic and subarctic) temperatures on the combat potential of the Northern Fleet and Pacific Fleet, the fleet needs aircraft carriers with large hangars - as large as technically possible.■

Sources (a hyphen can be used to indicate the page number).

1. Yu. Apalkov "Attack ships", Moscow, Morkniga, 2010.
2. V. Zablotsky "Heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser "Admiral Kuznetsov", "Marine Collection" No. 7/2005, supplement to the magazine "Model Designer".
3. A. Fomin "Su-33. Ship epic", M., RA Intervestnik, 2003.
4. S. Shumilin, N. Okolelov, A. Chechin, "Nuclear aircraft carrierUSS Nimitz", "Marine Collection" No. 7/2008, supplement to the magazine "Modeler-Constructor".
5. G. Belov "Atlantic squadron. 1968-2005", Moscow, Horizon, 2015.
6. A. Fomin "MiG-29K: the main weapon of the new Indian aircraft carriers", Vzlyot magazine No. 2/2005.

ill. 10. Hangar "Kuznetsov": close to the right - stern lift, in the distance - bow, straight ahead - turning circle, "nuts" in the foreground (at a distance they look like rivets) - mooring knots (photo from sam7 from forums.airbase.ru, 2650 pix.)

ill. eleven . Relatively free placement of the Su-33 in the hangar; clearly visible (especially when magnified) mooring knots (with slots like keyholes) and chain "moorings" - mooring devices, lashings(date and author - n/a)

ill. 12 . Placement of Ka-27 helicopters in "orderly rows" in a half-empty hangar - with large gaps between the machines (apparently, if necessary, the gap can be significantly reduced)(12/17/07, information about the author is missing)

ill. 13. Motorcade No. 063: few category C drivers can boast of driving skills on the high seas :) (photo from Slava2014, forums.airbase.ru)

ill. 14. Aft section of the flight deck of "Admiral Kuznetsov" during the BS 1995-96. .. The Ka-29 is of interest. moored like that. not to interfere. aircraft passages above the deck with touch . and landing on arresters

ill. 15. MiG-29K b / n 31 "blue" from the first batch (4 cars, late 2013) with folded wing panels, 08/26/2015 (photo vechernin from russianplanes.net)

ill. 16. MiG-29KUB b / n 50 "blue" from the first batch (4 cars, late 2013) with folded wing panels, 09/26/2015 (photo by Anton Gromov from russianplanes.net)

Source: AVL, Military Technical Almanac "Typhoon" No. 6/1999 (18)

Tactical and technical data:
Displacement, t:

full 70500
standard 55000
Dimensions, m:
length 304.5
width according to design waterline 38.0
draft 10.5
Flight deck width, m 75.0
PTU power, h.p. 4х50000
Travel speed, knots:

maximum 32.0
economic 18.0
Cruising range at economic speed, miles 8000
Number of aircraft, pcs. 26
Number of helicopters, pcs. 24
Stock of aviation fuel, t 2500
Crew, pers. 1980
including officers 520

And next to the sunken submarine! Intesno: maybe someone knows what's wrong with her?

Now a little inside

And quite a bit of an inner hangar. Empty. And fire engines :-)))

Here's what I caught on the Internet:

The editors received a letter from a serviceman who served for some time on the aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov". We think this material will be of interest to the reader, since the process of reducing our fleet, sadly enough, is ongoing. And the more important is the competent, high-quality and full-fledged operation of those few modern ships that remain in our fleet.

With a guide to the Ark

First - a small description of the size and general location of the only Russian aircraft carrier.

The total displacement of the Kuznetsov has now probably already exceeded 60,000 tons. Its maximum length is more than 300 m, and its width is 72 m.

The main power plant of the ship, at the behest of various kinds of leaders from our recent past, was made boiler-turbine, and not nuclear (like the Americans) - four-shaft, with a total capacity of 200,000 hp, previously provided a speed of 29 knots (but this was back in 1990. ).

The ship has 8 superstructure tiers, 7 decks and 2 platforms, bow and stern MKOs (4 boilers and 2 GTZA each), 5 power compartments (with diesel and steam turbine generators); a hangar with a length of more than 150 and a width of 26 m, occupying the space between the 2nd and 5th decks in height and connected to the flight deck by two aircraft lifts approximately 14x16 m in size (if not for their onboard location, lift our Su -33 with a length of about 21 m would be simply impossible), as many as 6 galleys, a punishment cell and its own guardhouse.

Perhaps it is quite enough for a narrative, the purpose of which is not a technical description of the ship, but an outline of its "social position".

For convenience, the entire ship is divided into "descent" - from the 1st to the 53rd. The same system was used on the ships of project 1143. For those who were not there, we explain: all ladders (except for the "island") are numbered; at the same time, the ladders, located one below the other, carry one number, even on the port side, and odd - on the starboard side.

Example. Suppose you need to send a messenger - "golden hooves" (I beg your pardon, the defender of the fatherland, that is, a sailor) to the command communications post (CPC). And he, a sailor, although he served a year, still does not know where this KPS is located (a common occurrence). Then he should say: "Go to the 17th gathering, 4th deck, in the KPS."

Now let's walk around the ship. First, we will climb aboard the aircraft carrier along the gangway. It is located in the midship area on the starboard side (if the Kuznetsov is in the factory). On the platform of the right gangway (4th deck) we will be met by the watch officer on the gangway, with a dagger, and a marine with a bayonet-knife. If you make a "statutory face", it is quite possible to pass for your own (documents on the gangway are rarely checked) and enter the ship. Having risen to the 3rd tier of the superstructure (residential), we will start the inspection from here.

Here, assistant commanders and the commander of the EMBCH ("chief mechanic") live in single cabins. Going down, on the ladder we run into a "checkpoint". It is worth talking about this phenomenon separately, especially since there is no such type of watch on any other ship. A "block post" is a sailor on military service who acts as a watchman of a certain area (deck, gangway, etc.) under his control. He guards not secret objects at all, but electric bulbs, fire hoses, fire extinguishers, stands, loud ringing bells, etc. And since a sailor can fall asleep, leave, and finally, this wealth can be taken away from him at night, there is also a safety net. So, fire extinguishers and fire hoses can be omitted at all - and indeed, you will not find them anywhere on the ship. The only exception is the time of the "highest" reviews, when the ship is bypassed by the "E.I.V." with retinue (commander, first mate, etc.). Then everything that is is exposed, and "checkpoints" are necessarily doubled. An inquisitive reader may ask: "But what about the light bulbs? After all, you can't take them off, otherwise how can you walk in complete darkness?" I hasten to reassure you: this problem has long been solved at a high ideological and technical level. Light bulbs: a) glued with epoxy resin; b) they are wound with wire - preferably barbed; c) supply current to the wire or ceiling. All of these are usually used in combination. And still, those damn light bulbs steal.

Let's get back to our walk. A tier below lives the commander and flagships, here is a "checkpoint", which means light and carpets. Let's go down to the second, gallery deck, located between the hangar and the flight deck. There are "checkpoints" here, which means there is light. But do not flatter yourself, because the BC-5 is always ready to "help", so the flashlight (without it there is nowhere here) must be kept on "tovs". Having descended to the deck below, we will pass along the 3rd deck of the port side (it is walkable from bow to stern). Here, too, "checkpoints" and light.

Now let's turn on the flashlight and go down even lower... Here we will witness another aircraft carrier miracle that makes this ship unlike any other. You can walk along the light-filled clean 3rd deck, but as soon as you go down, you find yourself in the "catacombs" - with torn posts, abandoned cabins, all this - without light and very often flooded (sometimes with sewage, so the smell "high quality"). Below is the same. Of course, this is not everywhere (no more than 60% of exits below the 3rd deck). If you find yourself at a lighted gathering, it means that there are cockpits or warehouses of the supply service.

We go down even lower, into the hold. There everything is in fuel oil and water, here and there - heaps of garbage (it is far to carry it to the pier, and they are allowed there only at a certain time, and tidying up on the ship is always done, so they throw garbage into the hold). Do you know how much fuel oil and water we have in our holds? How much, how much? 50 tons, you say? Sorry, this is inappropriate. After all, we are an aircraft carrier, not some gunboat. Then 500. Well, impressive - read, 10 railway tanks. Still wrong - add another zero, and it will be just right. Dissatisfied exclamations from the outside are possible: they say, they swam, we know, and we had this, we lived only in the superstructure. May I know what ship this is? Ah, BOD "Udaloy"! This is the one that is already 10 years after the fire in the sludge, and the crew on it is 30 people. Sorry, the comparison is incorrect, because we are not telling you about a sludge ship, but about an entire aircraft carrier that goes to sea!

We declare with all responsibility that there is simply no second such ship. Now in the Northern Fleet all ships are divided into two groups: "running", i.e. clean, tidy and ready to go to sea, but stopped due to lack of fuel, and ships "slack" (they are now the majority). "Kuznetsov" is the only hybrid, "running-sucks."

Facilities in the yard

Please note: when they talk about some kind of miracle ship, they first give the number of guns, their caliber, armor thickness, etc., and only then, in between times, and even then rarely - about the living conditions of the crew. Meanwhile, this is not entirely true, because it is the crew that operates all this variety of weapons. Therefore, in order to avoid this error, we will pay special attention to the crew habitation conditions.

The first thing to note is the lack of heating on the ship, which, you see, is important for the North. There are many reasons for this, but perhaps the main one is the lack of a permanent auxiliary boiler. Therefore, steam for household needs is taken from the power plant, which is very expensive, because. requires not ordinary, but special boiler water, which is always scarce in the fleet. You can still apply steam from the ENS (energy-carrying vessel pr. 305), but the pressure from there - "the cat cried" (and in the winter of 1998/1999 nothing was supplied at all). As a result, steam is supplied for heating periodically, which is not provided for in the system, because. no condensate drain. The steam heating system runs along the BPTZ (on-board anti-torpedo protection) or, as it is called on the ship, pipe corridors, i.e. along the side. Therefore, when the steam supply stops, the pipes freeze very quickly. And then everything is like in a physics textbook: the condensate turns into ice, the ice expands, the pipe bursts. As a result, there is no heating, no heat, there is frost on the bulkheads in places, and ice on the deck. The crew, even in the hangar, is built in overcoats. If it's +5°C in the cockpit or cabin, then that's good, but if it's +12-15°, that's, excuse me, nobility!

In such an environment, only heating pads save. Since it is expensive to buy them, and it is difficult to get a ship's one, they are "molded" by whoever is into what. The authorities, on the other hand, seize "non-standard electrical equipment", while its owners receive "awards". But the cold is not an aunt, and the ranks of those who dream of an individual electric sun do not grow dim.

Most often, it is not the heating pads that burn, but the transformers of the lighting network. They are simply not designed for the loads that the heating pads hung on them give. As a result, the voltage in the network is always significantly lower than the TAKR "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" on the North Sea roadstead of the regular one (100 V instead of 127 - far from the limit). It adds fuel to the fire and the absence of a 220 V network in the cabins (there is only 127 V that no one needs), so everyone tries to use 220 V for themselves. B, the third one drags kilometer-long wires from rare 220 V shields. And this, in turn, contributes to numerous short circuits.

But the cold is terrible not only for this. They permeate the entire ship's life. After all, not only condensate freezes - the same thing happens with other pipes in which there is water. For this reason, all cabins on the 2nd deck (and this is almost 60% of all ship cabins) are not supplied with water either in winter or in summer. Not a single officer's shower works. Therefore, the slogan of equality and fraternity is especially applicable here, everyone - both sailors and officers - wash in the bow (stern does not work) personnel bath. Of course, this does not apply to the command - they have their own shower.

Water is not supplied to all galleys. The lack of runoff from the cabins has also become a common thing in winter. Accordingly, it is hard on the ship and with latrines. There are more than fifty of them in total, but a good half do not work, and a significant part of the rest are locked up: if you are not the happy owner of the "golden key", then you have less "good", especially since the RF Ministry of Defense is always ready to go in this regard towards.

Winter 1998/1999 even the pipes in one of the main boilers froze.

It's also bad with ventilation - 50% of the fan motors burned out long ago. And without ventilation, it is difficult, because, unlike other ships, there are few portholes here, and the vast majority of living quarters do not have them at all. So only forced ventilation is possible, and if it is not there, the cabin will smell like mold, condensation will drip from the ceiling, and stuffiness - "even hang an ax."

Finally, it is worth talking about our wardroom. As such, it does not exist, but there is a dining room for officers, where they, in the amount of more than 150 people, only eat - and nothing more. In terms of space, it looks more like a rural canteen for machine operators during the harvest. There are no tablecloths at all, knives are also an excess, dishes are not that completely dirty, but it is still better to wipe cutlery "before use". They cook, in principle, well, and the products are good by today's naval standards. However, all this may not be enough, because. stealing in the cafeteria. Therefore, it is better not to be late for the wardroom. Probably, it would have been wiser to make several wardrooms (for example, for each warhead).

All the king's men

What a nightmare, who will live in such conditions? I'm telling.

It was assumed that one and a half thousand people would serve on the Kuznetsov (without an air group and landing), but gradually the crew grew to 2000. The commander is a rear admiral (this is the only floating admiral!), He has a number of assistants: first mate (captain of the 1st rank) , assistant, education assistant, combat control assistant, aviation assistant, survivability assistant, and legal work assistant. The ship has seven combat units, four services and three teams: navigational (BCh-1), rocket and artillery (BCh-2), mine and torpedo (BCh-3), communications (BCh-4), electromechanical (BCh-5) , aviation (BCh-6) and radio engineering (BCh-7); medical, chemical, survivability services (this is only on Kuznetsov); management teams ("KU"), boatswain ("BK") and commandant's. There is also "RO" - a security company that performs the functions of a ship's OMON.

A little more about our organization. We have an average of 10 builds per day, each lasting about 35 minutes (thus, we spend almost 65 days on builds per year). At the formations they always say: "The crew of the AIRLINE CARRIER ... is built." And in general, the command always emphasizes that we serve on the aircraft carrier. Let me remind you that no one has yet changed the classification of ships of the Russian Navy, and there is no aircraft carrier there, there is only a heavy aircraft carrier cruiser. Yes, and the planes on our ship are rare, and they visit it in rather pitiful numbers. And the commander likes to say at formations (he generally likes to talk at formations for at least half an hour): "We must work out an aircraft carrier organization." And this is on the fifth TAKR!

With officers, midshipmen and contract service sailors going ashore on the Kuznetsov, it’s tough. Here is a "two-shift": one week is released on Monday and Wednesday, from 18.00 to 7.30, and also on Saturday, from 18.00 to 7.30 Monday; and next week - from 18.00 Tuesday to 7.30 and from 18.00 Thursday to 7.30 Saturday. It turns out that in one week you rest 64.5 hours, and in the second - 51 out of 168. Forget about the "status of a soldier" with all his days off - the laws of the Russian Federation do not apply here (as, indeed, on most other ships). True, some benefits are still being implemented: for example, you can get an apartment almost for free, but - in the village of Vidyaevo, and this is at the "hell on the horns", and it takes four hours to go there by bus. And you will see your family once a week. You understand that only special people can serve in such conditions.

Our bosses are amazing too. On April 12, the whole country celebrates Cosmonautics Day, and we celebrate the Day of our leadership, which soars in the clouds, while we, sinners, walk the earth. From this style of command you feel like a pygmy.

After all that has been said, it is not surprising that "Kuznetsov" is notorious. The authorities everywhere scare like that: "If you behave badly, we will send to Kuznetsov (nickname -" Kuzya ")". Well, those who are "lucky" to get to serve on the Kuznetsov do not really want to serve there. Hence the high staff turnover. Every 4-5 years (at the end of the contract) the junior officers - and this is the main backbone of the ship - changes by 80%. Experienced ones leave, and "green" ones come in their place. The same applies to midshipmen. All this clearly does not contribute to the improvement of the operation of equipment. In connection with such conditions, a contract after military service on an aircraft carrier is concluded only by those who are not at all suitable for a "citizen" - and this, you see, is far from the best "human material". It is no coincidence that not all officers consider it desirable to have "contract servicemen" on board.

As for the personnel, i.e. sailors, then looking at them, you believe that the USSR is alive, lives and will live. What nationalities are not here! Russians - no more than 60%, although they call, it seems, only residents of the Russian Federation. The point, probably, is that among us Russians, "to mow down a sacred duty" is considered an indicator of position in society and prestige. Therefore, all those who did not have the intelligence or money to evade are rowed. You read the addresses of conscripts and believe: Russia has not become impoverished by the land. A village, a settlement, a collective farm, but among the young sailors there are neither Muscovites nor Petersburgers (even Admiral N.O. Essen used to say: "We don't need farmers in the Navy"). Another thing is the North Caucasus. There it is believed that a real man must go through an army school, and they consider it lucky to get into the navy. Therefore, not the worst representatives of the North Caucasus come to the ship. Of course, they quickly get used to the situation, organizing small-town groups and seizing power in the sailors' environment. The situation is different with the Tuvans and Bashkirs: apparently, due to the lack of close acquaintance with civilizations, they simply do not know how to evade the honorable state duty. Now it is probably clear why every tenth conscript does not speak Russian.

Out of harm's way, this entire contingent is not even allowed to go on leave (so that they don't do anything in Murmansk). So they sit for 2 years on the "iron". The main educational measure in relation to the sailors has now become the "lash" ("carrot" is missing), i.e. punishment cell, where even midshipmen sometimes end up. From such a life, sailors like to "get lost", since the ship is large. This happens 3-4 times a month. Then all the officers and midshipmen are painted according to the gatherings, and we are looking for the hidden sailor. Searches usually last 1-2 days (if they do not find them on the first day, and this is a 50% probability, then the sailor, as a rule, goes out on his own in 2-3 days), but there were also record holders. So, one sailor in the Mediterranean was looking for a week. And the most famous was the case of an aircraft engineer who, in a state of extreme intoxication, went missing. He (or rather, his mummy) was found after FOUR YEARS in such a place that no one can still understand how he got there ...

"Prochindiada"

"If you want to live - know how to spin." This is the good old truth, which well characterizes the style of life on the Kuznetsovo. The commander likes to talk about fools - junior commanders who set impossible tasks to "get" something, pushing the sailors to steal, and immediately frightens that they will cover some warhead going ashore if it does not illuminate its corridors by morning. And where can I get these very light bulbs if they are not issued on the ship? Vestimo somewhere - at the neighbors, at night ...

They steal everything and everyone. Somehow they stole 200 pairs (everything is big here) of officer's boots, and then they were almost openly traded at 50 rubles per pair on the ship. And the commander kept shouting that he would imprison everyone.

The most fruitful field here, of course, are galleys. They are dragged from them by everyone who is not too lazy, and not too lazy here for everyone. What is not carried away is eaten, and at night all the galleys smell of fried potatoes. Specially punched canned food is issued to the galleys, but they are still sold at a reduced price to workers from the factory. And the first violin here is played, of course, by the supply service.

It has already been said that we are tight with showers. But this is not for everyone. Particularly "gifted" make themselves "self-made" showers with electric heating - fortunately, there are a huge number of abandoned showers and washbasins on the ship. No less interesting is the case with the cabins. There are many looted and abandoned cabins of landing officers, pilots and aircraft technicians on the ship. With a special desire, you can find a suitable one and repair it. Therefore, often even midshipmen or contract sailors live in single cabins. "If you want to live - know how to spin."

Main weapon: "Eaglets learn to fly"

Unclear; what is the main weapon on an aircraft carrier cruiser - aircraft or attack missiles. "Kuznetsov" is still more aircraft carrier than missile, so aviation is considered the main weapon here. Theoretically, up to 40 Su-33s can be based on the ship. In fact, the country forked out only 24, and with great difficulty prepared only seven cars for permanent deployment.

Our aircraft, unlike the more "backward" American ones, are capable of solving only air defense tasks (although the Air Force has a Su-35 station wagon), so the aircraft carrier solves the strike task with the help of anti-ship missiles. Due to the springboard (instead of ejection) takeoff, the Su-33 is subject to takeoff weight restrictions. If we take into account that (partly due to the fault of the power plant) flights are carried out at 6-8 knots, it becomes clear why they happen only in windy weather and, as a rule, without outboard weapons and with a reduced fuel supply.

The ship is equipped with an automatic landing system, theoretically providing for the possibility of flying in any visibility, but in practice it has not been tested. Therefore, flights are made only in GOOD windy weather.

In general, the basing of aircraft on the Kuznetsov is of some strange nature. Aviation does not even appear in the hangar, and instead of aircraft, there are peacefully standing there: a 25-ton truck crane, four towing tractors, firefighters GAZ-66 and ZIL, a Gazelle, UAZ-452, a goat and a tractor with a jet engine installed on it (for cleaning the flight deck from snow and ice).

Our weapons

In the summer of 1998, on Navy Day, we received fuel oil. You ask: "And where does the weapon?" And here's the thing: we took him not only to the tanks, but also to one of the fire control posts. True, only 60 tons, and without malicious intent. The bilge, apparently, closed the wrong valve and continued to take fuel oil into a full tank, the loosely closed neck of which was located near the mentioned post. Through this neck, the post was flooded, in which for some reason the BC-2 watch was not found. Hermetic racks could not stand it, and the post failed.

Two of the four air defense systems were also at one time flooded with outboard water from the irrigation system. It was at night, there was a fistula in the pipe, and all the premises of both complexes were flooded "up to the roof." All eight Dirks require scheduled adjustment, for which there is no money. To top it all off, the "horizon-azimuth" system is acting up. Therefore, we can shoot, but hit ...

"And instead of a heart - a fiery engine"

When they talk about the warhead-5, as a rule, they mean the power plant. Let's talk about her.

Firstly, one of the eight boilers and one GTZA are temporarily out of operation - due to the explosion of the gas duct due to an error in operation (they forgot to ventilate the gas duct before the boiler was ignited). Thus, theoretically, the power of the power plant has decreased to 75%. But this is in theory, and in practice - even less.

All four daywoods are leaking, so the bearings of the shaft lines are periodically heated, which imposes a limit on the maximum number of revolutions. The automation of the power plant has long worked out its resource, from this "Kuznetsov" smokes like an armadillo from a photograph of the beginning of the century. In addition, the pipelines are already "barely breathing", and the sailors serving the power plant do not shine with professional skills and knowledge. As a result, instead of almost 29 knots that Kuznetsov gave during tests, or at least 24, on three machines he barely holds 16-18, and usually no more than 10-12 knots.

"Good" is the case with the electrical part. Either the turbogenerator will “sit down”, and the backup diesel generator will not be able to start, then something else will happen. And the whole ship is plunged into darkness. It looks especially piquant on the move: the locators do not emit, there is no connection, the boilers go out - not an aircraft carrier, but a "flying Dutchman". It was under such circumstances that in the summer of 1998 the EM "Fearless" almost died, and even earlier - "Kyiv". In both cases, the ships were carried ashore in a storm, and only miraculously managed to put the power plant into operation. On the "Kyiv" it happened in 3-4 cables from the rocks ...

It should also be said about the base of the aircraft carrier. The official place for it is the shipyard No. 35 (SRZ-35). I don’t know how things are in other fleets, but in the North not a single ship is permanently based in the plant. For Kuznetsov, this is perhaps the ideal option, because. otherwise, he would have to be based in the village of Vidyaevo, (where his regular place was earlier). There is nothing there, except for the hills and a dozen houses. Now the decommissioned "Kyiv" is living its life in Vidyaevo.

Next to us is "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov." Once he came to SRZ-35 for repairs and his stern machine burned down. Now he is officially on conservation, but for real he just dies. After all, money is also needed for conservation, but here they simply "hung a lock on the ship." The working day there is strictly until 17.00, the crew is only 75 people, and the sailors go on leave every day - not a service, but a fairy tale. So they stand half a cable from each other, two antipodes - the "hard labor" and the "resort" of the Northern Fleet. Wonderful are thy works, Lord!

SRZ-35 is not so hot as it is adapted to basing an aircraft carrier. Steam is supplied badly or not supplied at all. With water, the same thing, because. there is not enough pressure to supply it to the tiers of the superstructure. Electricity is also short - the "shore" is rather weak, and in winter, when the load in the network increases due to heaters, the coastal power board periodically "cuts down".

But the story of the SRZ-35 would not be complete without a story about the VOKhR. It is staffed with women of "Balzac age", which, however, does not in the least affect combat effectiveness - God forbid that it falls into their female hands (it is no coincidence that the Winter Battalion was defended by the women's strike battalion). At the checkpoint of the plant, you will be searched, sniffed (for the slightest smell of alcohol) and, of course, checked for a pass. This is not "Kuznetsov" for you. All this is brought to the point of absurdity. For example, carrying large bags, backpacks and "diplomats" (even empty ones) through the checkpoint without a special pass is prohibited. But if you stuff them into a plastic bag (even if it's two meters), then you can carry it without any passes.

The reader probably left a bad aftertaste from everything that was said - this is understandable. Some will say that this cannot be, while others will be indignant: what the fleet has come to and how the current military has sunk. We had to hear such insulting speeches quite often - and certainly from civilians. Such judgments always evoked a feeling of bewilderment rather than resentment. Our country, even with all its extravagance, is not a "banana republic" where the army is the state. In our country, the Ministry of Defense is only a part of the state mechanism. And in general, over the past 100 years, the army in Russia has been far from being the leading political force. Unlike the civilian sector, we, the military, depend on the government not indirectly (through laws), but directly (through orders). So we are an exact cast from our state-government. And since every nation is worthy of its own government, we should not dissociate ourselves from our, or rather, common problems.

If we continue to develop this topic, it is worth dispelling another misunderstanding, extremely persistent in "civilian circles" - about the supposedly natural totalitarianism of the military. We are the flesh of the flesh of our people, and there are no more supporters of the RNE or the Liberal Democratic Party among the military than among the rest of the people. And the supporters of the Communist Party, perhaps even less.

From some of the military I heard the following: they say, since we do not know how to operate aircraft carriers, then we do not need them, just EM and BOD are enough. But then why do we need these very EM and BOD? Indeed, far from the coast, without the support of aviation, they will be destroyed, and under the coast, their tasks are calmly solved by RTOs and the IPC. And the command of the Navy, thank God, understands this and lately, to the best of its ability, is trying to save this unique ship, and indeed the "aircraft carrier direction." There are even rumors that the Kuznetsov will no longer spend the winter in the north. But can all this be done without support from the very top? For its operation, and especially for the commissioning of at least two dozen Su-33s, a lot of money is needed ...

Terribly shameful for our unique and beloved ship.

The great Russian commanders created the glory of Russian weapons on land, in the air and at sea. Peter I planned the development of the country as a maritime power, laying the first shipyards and attracting foreign engineers. His works enabled Russia to win many high-profile victories at sea. Ushakov, Nakhimov are the first naval commanders whose names our country can be proud of. In the USSR, Admiral Kuznetsov became the successor of their victories, his life was inextricably linked with the naval forces.

Biography

According to Nikolai Gerasimovich Kuznetsov himself, the experience of managing a ship is not given immediately, it must be obtained by passing the path from a sailor. This is how the rapid career of a young boy from the village of Medvedki, Astrakhan Region, began. The future Admiral Kuznetsov joined the fleet at the age of 15, adding two years to his age, he volunteered for the Civil War. In 1919, he fought as a sailor on a ship of the North Dvina Flotilla. After graduating from the naval school, and then the academy with honors, Kuznetsov is sent to serve in the Black Sea Fleet. The cruiser "Chervona Ukraine" became for him a sailor's school, which began with the position of watch officer. Since 1933, he became the commander of the cruiser, over the next five years of service, the ship was noted as exemplary in military training, discipline, and shooting performance. In the navy, they started talking about the creation of the Kuznetsov system, which became a method of military training of ships in all fleets of the USSR. The youngest in 1935 was awarded the Order of the Red Star. During his service on the cruiser, Kuznetsov developed new tactical methods of naval combat, and realized the importance of aviation reconnaissance. In his theoretical calculations, it is said that the interaction of all should give high results in military operations. Aviation played the most important role in it. In the future, this theory was not only confirmed, but, thanks to Kuznetsov, saved many lives, making a tangible contribution to the victory of the USSR on the fronts of World War II.

Spain

In 1936, the tasks of volunteer sailors in the fight against fascism were the timely delivery and unloading of aid coming from the USSR. Kuznetsov, as a naval attache in Spain, is convinced in practice of the correctness of his theory. Enemy aircraft sank transport ships on the approaches to ports, their actions significantly complicated unloading, which affected the effectiveness of military operations. Kuznetsov creates a new branch of the military - naval aviation, which is based in the port area and repels attacks by enemy fighters. For this work, he was awarded the Orders of the Red Banner and Lenin. Returning from Spain in 1937, Kuznetsov was appointed first as a deputy, and then as the main rule, which he learned from the hostilities in Spain, is the constant readiness of each ship and fleet as a whole.

Before the war

In the 1930s, the USSR began to create a new, more powerful fleet, which was destroyed during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904. The future Admiral Kuznetsov in 1937 is a member of the command staff of the Main Military Council of the Navy, which is being created under the People's Commissariat. At 34, he becomes the youngest People's Commissar of the Navy. In his submission were young, not very experienced, but striving to double the glory of Russian weapons officers. Kuznetsov reported directly to Stalin, which greatly complicated his work. The commander-in-chief was going to build a new fleet of large ships - battleships, cruisers. Kuznetsov, on the contrary, insisted on the release of sea vessels of various classes, including aircraft carriers. He proved to the leader the need to create coastal aviation capable of conducting rapid reconnaissance and ensuring the safe movement of ships. Kuznetsov assigned an important role to the training of personnel, combat situations were regularly practiced in the active troops, the readiness of each ship for a surprise attack. In the period from 1938 to 1948, many educational institutions were opened to create qualified naval officers and sailors. Kuznetsov personally visited each ship, monitored compliance with the ship's and disciplinary charters, and evaluated the actions of the ships in the exercises. By the time the war began, despite disagreements with Stalin, the young People's Commissar achieved the fulfillment of many of his plans and created a new combat-ready Soviet fleet.

The Great Patriotic War

TASS reports disproving the possibility became a signal for Kuznetsov to act. The ships were supplied with fuel reserves, a complete inventory of materiel and ammunition was carried out, patrols and reconnaissance were strengthened. From May 1941, shore leave was banned for personnel, at the same time, political training of fighters was intensified. The fleet met the beginning of the fascist aggression in full combat readiness, which made it possible to avoid losses. The plan of protective measures created before the war was unfolded on the orders of Kuznetsov without the direct intervention of the Commander-in-Chief. Mine barriers were set up, submarines were deployed, and enemy aircraft were destroyed on the way to the bases of the fleets. On June 24, the threat of blocking arose over the ships of the Baltic Navy, on the orders of Kuznetsov, he broke through to Kronstadt, leaving Tallinn. Naval artillery greatly helped in the defense of Leningrad and its liberation from the blockade. Sailors participated in land operations, helping to deter the fascist armada. Bombers of the Baltic Fleet in August 1941 launched several massive strikes on Berlin, they did not cause significant harm to the German capital, but raised the morale of our troops. Since 1944, by order of the Commander-in-Chief, Kuznetsov N. G. - Admiral of the Fleet, this rank was awarded for the first time and was equated with the marshal.

Result

Active hostilities of the Soviet fleet led to heavy losses on the part of the enemy. Admiral of the Fleet N. G. Kuznetsov personally developed all ongoing operations, then approved by the Commander-in-Chief, acted in constant consolidation with other branches of the military. During the war, ships and submarines destroyed 1,200 units (transport, security) of the enemy. Aviation of the Navy in battles and at airfields smashed more than 5,000 German aircraft. At the same time, the forces carried out the protection and transportation of goods from the allied states. Hundreds of thousands of people were taken along the road of life from besieged Leningrad, more than 10 tons of cargo was delivered to the starving city. More than 200 enemy ships were destroyed on minefields. Fleet Admiral Kuznetsov was awarded the 1st degree, "Red Banner" and "Lenin". More than 70 ships were awarded the title of guards, 513 sailors became Heroes of the Soviet Union. As Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Admiral Kuznetsov of the Soviet Union participated in international conferences, negotiations and meetings with allies.

After the war

The main task of peacetime was the restoration of the fleet. Shipbuilding projects (including aircraft carriers) and the development of the naval forces were presented to Stalin personally by the people's commissar. N. G. Kuznetsov, an admiral who became famous during the war years, insisted on his plans and requirements, which often differed from the opinion of the leader. Because of these disagreements and self-righteousness, in 1948 Kuznetsov was demoted to the rank of rear admiral and almost sat on the dock. He spent six months without service, suffered a heart attack, but was able to start working as Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Far East Navy. It was there that he received the next rank of vice admiral for the second time. In 1951, on Stalin's personal order, he returned to Moscow and was fully rehabilitated. Admiral N. Kuznetsov received the next rank in 1953, he was actively involved in the work and sought to revise the shipbuilding program.

Three times admiral

The further fate of Nikolai Gerasimovich is connected with the transformation of the fleet, his close cooperation with the relevant departments and the Academy of Sciences of the USSR made it possible to create nuclear submarines. He attached great importance to equipping ships with missiles. They were placed on submarines and surface transport. The idea of ​​creating aircraft carriers did not find its embodiment until 1972, when this need was dictated by the conditions of the Cold War with America. Kuznetsov's persistence helped advance the Navy's modernization program, but it strained his relationship with the establishment. Under Khrushchev, Admiral N. Kuznetsov was once again demoted in rank. His illness allowed him to be removed from the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Navy and, in fact, removed from the cause to which he devoted his whole life. But the fruits of his labors gave a result - the aircraft carrier of Admiral Kuznetsov was built. In retirement, Kuznetsov wrote a lot about the fleet, translated foreign literature and assessed his victories and defeats. He died on December 6, 1974, was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow. For the third time, Kuznetsov became an admiral of the fleet after his death, this title was returned to him in 1988 under pressure from colleagues and the family of Nikolai Gerasimovich.

Aircraft carrier of Admiral Kuznetsov

In 1982, the fifth heavy cruiser was laid down on the slipway of the Black Sea Shipbuilding Plant. Its deck was intended for basing, landing and takeoff of SU and MiG aircraft. From the moment the ship was laid down to the end of all types of tests, it had four names: "Riga", "Leonid Brezhnev", "Tbilisi". And only in 1990 the ship began to bear the name "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov." The ship was launched in 1985, while afloat it continued to be completed, equipped and armed. In 1989, the crew boarded it, and the pilots began testing the runway's takeoff and landing characteristics. MiG 29 successfully coped with the assigned tasks, after which the ship was transferred to the dock for completion.

Equipment

The aircraft carrier of Admiral Kuznetsov underwent several reconstructions. Its radar, navigation, electronic weapons must be constantly upgraded. A ship of this size and class is very difficult to refit and quite expensive to keep on alert, but it is still in service today, on duty as part of the Northern Fleet. Its displacement (maximum) is 61 tons, length - 306 meters, width - 71 meters. Overall height - 65 meters, maximum draft - 10 m. Four five-bladed propellers are used as a propeller, which are driven by diesel generators (6), steam turbines (4) and turbo generators (9). The armament consists of Granit, Kortik, Kinzhal missiles, AK-630 anti-aircraft artillery mounts, RBU anti-submarine bombs. The basic aviation group includes fifty aircraft and helicopters.

Development

Today it is the largest ship of this type. Its analogues are not produced, the long-term plans of the Navy in this direction are secret. But the leadership of the modern Russian fleet recognizes the fact that the development project created by N. G. Kuznetsov 50 years ago remains relevant at the present time. It is possible that soon new aircraft carriers will be laid down at modern shipyards, which will meet modern requirements to a greater extent. This applies to both weapons and ship engines. New sea vessels under the command of young naval commanders will conquer the vastness of the ocean and show the world the power of Russian weapons, but you should not forget about the people who wrote the first pages of this book.