The Russian Navy needs at least four aircraft carriers, Valery Polovinkin, scientific director of the Krylov State Scientific Center, has said.
Project 23000E Storm aircraft carrier showcased by Krylov during Army 2016 exhibition.
"Russia’s Northern and Pacific fleets should operate aircraft carriers by default. The arithmetic is simple: a ship cannot be in commission all the time. It should undergo various kinds of maintenance and repairs. Even theoretically it means that each region needs at least two ships," Polovinkin explained.
He noted that the U.S. Navy, which has 11 ships of this class in its arsenal, has an excessive number of aircraft carrier groups. However, the presence of only one aircraft carrier is a "deadlocked situation."
"One ship is unable to resolve the whole spectrum of tasks. Half of the fleet will have to do nothing except guarding it all the time," Polovinkin said.
Project 23000E Storm aircraft carrier showcased by Krylov during Army 2016 exhibition.
"As for a possible displacement of an advanced Russian aircraft carrier I would say that it could vary from 60,000 to 100,000 tons. This difference can be explained: the choice of water displacement depends directly on the type of energy used to operate a ship or its aircraft," the scientist went on to say.
The Admiral Kuznetsov (a heavy aircraft-carrying non-nuclear cruiser according to the domestic classification) is the only heavy multipurpose non-nuclear aircraft carrier in the Russian Navy.
Russian Navy officials said earlier that the Russian fleet expected to receive an advanced nuclear-powered aircraft carrier with a displacement of no less than 70,000 tons by the end of 2030.
The Krylov State Scientific Center has developed a pilot project of an aircraft carrier intended for a foreign customer. Its designers have presented it to the public. They have also offered it to the Russian Navy.
Project 23000 is named Shtorm ("Storm"). The preliminary sketch suggests a displacement of 80,000-90,000 tons. The ship will be equipped with a combined propulsion unit comprising a nuclear reactor and a gas turbine engine. The aircraft carrier group should consist of up 60 aircraft.
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Project 23000E Storm aircraft carrier showcased by Krylov during Army 2016 exhibition.
