The Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier is scheduled for a cruise to
the Mediterranean this summer, a ranking source in the Russian Navy
told TASS on Wednesday. "A cruise to the Mediterranean is planned
for the Kuznetsov this summer. The carrier will lead the standing naval
force in the region," the source said. |
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At
present, ship is at the 35th Shipyard in Murmansk, where she is being
maintained prior to the cruise. In particular, her magazines will have
been upgraded to accommodate new types of air-launched weapons by early
summer.
The officer did not go into detail on the carrier’s mission as
the flagship of the Russian Navy’s Mediterranean standing force.
After the carrier has completed its mission in the Mediterranean, she
will undergo repairs expected to take 24-36 months. "Kuznetsov
will start the repairs designed for 24-36 months late this year,"
the source said.
According to him, the Kuznetsov’s air wing will be updated too.
Russian Navy Shipbuilding Department Chief Vladimir Tryapichnikov previously
said that the Kuznetsov’s upgrade would afford the ship "a
new air wing and new capabilities". According to him, the carrier
will be able to carry advanced Mikoyan MiG-29K (NATO reporting name:
Fulcrum-D) fighters and "other planes".
The Russian Navy began to form a standing naval force in the Mediterranean
in 2013. As a rule, over 10 warships are there on the rotational basis.
Previously, the Project 11442 Pyotr Veliky (Kirov-class) nuclear-powered
heavy guided missile cruiser and Project 1164 Moskva and Varyag (Slava-class)
guided missile cruisers used to be the Russian Navy’s largest
ships leading the standing naval force in the Mediterranean. The Varyag,
the Pacific Fleet’s flagship, is in the Mediterranean at present.
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