Key Points and Summary – Russia’s sole aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, is a troubled and cursed vessel that is likely to remain inoperable, yet the Kremlin refuses to scrap it.
-The ship is a symbol of Russia’s martial philosophy, which requires a “main enemy” and “super weapons” to project an image of national prestige, regardless of their actual effectiveness.
-Plagued by fires, accidents, and a fundamentally flawed design that relies on smoky Mazut fuel, the carrier has been in dry dock for eight years.
-Its crew has reportedly even been redeployed as infantry in Ukraine, a clear sign the ship’s operational future is non-existent.
Admiral Kuznetsov – The Troubled Russian Aircraft Carrier That Refuses to Die
Russia has one terrible aircraft carrier. The Admiral Kuznetsov has led an embarrassing service life, often remaining at port for repairs and maintenance longer than it has been in action.
Why does Russia continue to work on the troubled carrier? Should the unlucky beast just be scrapped?
Russia Always Needs a ‘Main Enemy’
Keeping it around says much about Russia’s combat mentality. The country is always looking for an enemy, whether it be Ukraine, NATO, or the United States.
War is a natural progression of events for the Russians. The Russian people are motivated and inspired by having a common struggle that energizes their efforts during warfare. This is known as the concept of glavnyi protivnik (main enemy or adversary).
Glavnyi protivnik creates an “us versus them” mentality that has motivated Tsars, generals, admirals, and Communist Party secretaries in the past.
The Super Weapon Fallacy
This brings us back to the Admiral Kuznetsov carrier. The Kremlin always pursues prestige and heightened national identity during times of war. Its military hardware is often considered a group of “super weapons.” Even though it is a cursed bucket of bolts, the Kuznetsov still has a role in this construct and martial philosophy. The Russians must have an aircraft carrier to keep up with NATO and the United States. Scrapping it would be unthinkable.
Additionally, Russia has a large and cumbersome military bureaucracy. Since the Kuznetsov is out of mind and mostly out of sight, Vladimir Putin has likely forgotten about it. When the Russian dictator does remember the Kuznetsov, he takes a limited form of action that hobbles the carrier further. One example is forcing the deactivated sailors on the carrier to be redeployed to the Ukrainian front as infantry riflemen.
Who Is Around to Operate the Kuznetsov?
This is another problem for the carrier. The Russian navy is losing experienced naval personnel to operate it. Pilots who would typically be rehearsing carrier aviation duties such as launching and landing aircraft are woefully out of practice.
Sailors working topside to assist the fighter jets in their operations are now at the front. Even if the Kuznetsov were to take to the waves tomorrow, there wouldn’t be enough officers and enlisted personnel to manage it effectively.
The Kuznetsov itself has been a comedy of errors. Since its launch in 1985, there have been deadly fires, crane collapses, breakdowns, electrical accidents, and floating dry dock sinkings. It is still moored in Murmansk and may never sail again.
The Russian Navy Has a Terrible War Record
Despite all of these terrible incidents, the Russians continue to double down on the carrier. Putin prosecutes a war that has seen his navy belittled. The sinking of the Black Sea flagship the Moskva by Ukrainian missiles sent a negative jolt to the Kremlin at the beginning of the conflict.
The Moskva was a super weapon that the fleet highlighted during the navy’s modernization program over the last two decades. That ship now sits in Davy Jones’ Locker – another symbol of Russian naval incompetence.
There is also a unique psychological component of the Russian way of war. Losing military hardware does not seem to faze Putin and his generals. Russia hardly flinched during a recent Ukrainian drone attack that destroyed and damaged 41 strategic bombers. Called Operation Spider Web, the 117 loitering munitions sent a shockwave to Moscow and gave the Ukrainians a public relations boost. Many analysts expected that Putin would order a shocking attack in response, but the response was muted.
This shows that the Russians swallow their losses with hardly a care in the world and continue fighting. It is this mentality that keeps the Admiral Kuznetsov from being scrapped. Ignore the realities of warfare, sustain casualties, and the destruction of weapons systems, and act like nothing is the matter. That’s the spirit and way of Russian defense strategy.
Admiral Kuznetsov: No Media and Lawmakers Call for the Carrier to Die
Another reason the Admiral Kuznetsov lives on is the lack of domestic political pressure and an independent media that can question and criticize military affairs. Usually, in the United States and the West, war critics would be out in force.
Members of Congress would hold hearings and bring admirals to Capitol Hill, demanding that a ship like the Kuznetsov be retired for good. News outlets would also write numerous stories holding the military leadership responsible for failures. There is not nearly enough oversight and checks and balances in Russia.
So we keep a watchful eye on the Kuznetsov and ponder its future. Russia loves having a main common enemy to motivate its populace. Giving up on the carrier would show that Putin and his admirals are wrong, and they would lose face. The Russian defense industrial base is resistant to change. Having a carrier gives the military national prestige, regardless of its condition.
We’ll continue to focus our attention on the Admiral Kuznetsov, but do not expect a change to the status quo.
It serves as a reminder to Western military analysts that the Russian approach to war has been ineffective; however, to Putin and his admirals, the carrier holds symbolic value, representing a “never give up” mentality.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
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