List of aircraft carriers of Russia and the Soviet Union
The list of aircraft carriers of the Soviet Union and Russia includes all aircraft carriers built by, proposed for, or in service with the naval forces of either the Soviet Union or Russia. Although listed as aircraft carriers, none of them (with the exception of the never-built Ulyanovsk) is a "true" aircraft carrier (supercarrier). Specifically, they were all ASW helicopter carriers or aircraft cruisers, including the Admiral Kuznetsov, the only carrier still in service with the Russian Navy. Russia is currently considering building a supercarrier, code-named Project Shtorm.
| Name | Class | Type | Commission | Decommissioned | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moskva | Moskva class | Helicopter carrier | 1967 | 1996 | |
| Leningrad | Moskva class | Helicopter carrier | 1969 | 1991 | |
| Kiev | Kiev class | Aircraft cruiser | 1975 | 1993 | Sold to Chinese company. Converted to military theme park, then hotel.[1] |
| Minsk | Kiev class | Aircraft cruiser | 1978 | 1993 | Sold initially for scrap. Re-sold to China as museum piece.[citation needed] |
| Novorossiysk | Kiev class | Aircraft cruiser | 1982 | 1993 | Scrapped in 1997 in Pohang, South Korea.[citation needed] |
| Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Gorshkov (Baku till 1991) | Kiev class (modified) | Aircraft cruiser | 1987 | 1996 | Modified, rebuilt and sold to India. Re-commissioned 2013 as INS Vikramaditya.[2] |
| Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov | Admiral Kuznetsov | Aircraft cruiser | 1990 | In service with the Russian Navy. Under reconstruction. | |
| Varyag | Admiral Kuznetsov | Aircraft cruiser | 2012 | Launched 1988, construction stopped 1992; hull sold by Ukraine to China. Completed 2012 as Liaoning.[3] | |
| Ulyanovsk | Ulyanovsk | Supercarrier | Keel laid 1988, stopped 1991, scrapped 1992. |
See also
- Project 1153 OREL
- Project 23000E
- List of aircraft carriers
- List of aircraft carriers in service
- List of aircraft carriers by country
- Timeline for aircraft carrier service
- List of aircraft carriers by configuration
References
- ^ Nassef, Ghada (19 August 2011). "China turns aircraft carrier into a luxury hotel". BBC News. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
- ^ "Russia Delays INS Vikramaditya (Adm Gorshkov) Delivery Till 2012". India Defence. 11 November 2008. Archived from the original on 18 December 2008. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
- ^ Krishnamoorthy, Nandini (15 November 2016). "China says first aircraft carrier now ready to 'fight against enemies'". International Business Times. Retrieved 15 November 2016.