The problematic carrier

[George K]

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/black-smoke-russias-admiral-kuznetsov-aircraft-carrier-has-problem-207452

Russia’s sole aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, is notorious for its numerous operational issues, including engine failures, costly repairs, deadly fires, and persistent black smoke emissions. Powered by Mazut, a heavy, tar-like bunker fuel, the Kuznetsov struggles with inefficient combustion due to low-quality piping and boiler systems.

What You Need to Know: Russia’s sole aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, is notorious for its numerous operational issues, including engine failures, costly repairs, deadly fires, and persistent black smoke emissions. Powered by Mazut, a heavy, tar-like bunker fuel, the Kuznetsov struggles with inefficient combustion due to low-quality piping and boiler systems.

-This leads to frequent boiler breakdowns, reducing the ship’s speed to a sluggish 4 knots and necessitating tugboat assistance, as seen in the 2012 incident near Syria. Despite these flaws, Russian officials downplay the problems, attributing the black smoke to maritime tradition.

Four knots?

A Gerald Ford class carrier can cruise at more than 30 knots.

How much more is classified.

This is what a Nimitz-class carrier looks like making a sharp turn. Remember this thing is a quarter of a mile long.

Link to video

[Mik]

It is difficult to believe their nuclear arsenal has been maintained any better.

[George K]

I find it interesting that Russia (and China) have such small carrier fleets - if you can count one ship as a "fleet."

Granted, they can be vulnerable, but there's no better way to project power.

[Copper]

@George-K said in The problematic carrier:

I find it interesting that Russia (and China) have such small carrier fleets

They can only steal our technology so fast.

Although I'm pretty sure the Bidens have speeded up the process.

[Renauda]

Originally the Moskva was to be a carrier, was then redesigned and built as a missile cruiser. When deployed into combat The Ukrainians reconfigured it once more. It ended its service as a submarine.

[George K]

@Renauda said in The problematic carrier:

Originally the Moskva was to be a carrier, was redesigned and built as missile cruiser. When deployed into combat The Ukrainians reconfigured it once more. It ended its service as a submarine.

I wondered where you were going with that.

[Mik]

I didn’t.

I guess I’m just a little quicker.

[George K]

@Mik said in The problematic carrier:

I didn’t.

I guess I’m just a little quicker.

Competitive mofo, aren’t you.

[Renauda]

@George-K

Seriously though first Russia then the USSR always aspired to having a real blue water navy. In the case of Russia its dream was sunk by the Japanese Imperial Navy in May 1905 at the battle of Tsushima Strait . Imperial Russia never recovered its loss. Up to 1945 the Soviets could only manage to build a coastal defence Navy for the Baltic and Black seas, the immediate western Arctic and Far East Pacific regions. In the Cold War their naval doctrine focused on more on a forward projecting submarine fleet than surface navy. It remained such until the 1970’s when consideration was given to making a blue water navy. It never really materialized and the surface fleet has remained to this day essentially a coastal defence force with very limited power projection capability.

[George K]

(unrelated)

I remain in awe of your knowledge of this history.

[Jolly]

Fleet carrier operation is systems dependent. Not one, but many smaller systems working together towards a single goal. It doesn't just happen overnight, which is why the Chinese are experiencing a steep learning curve.