The Russian Navy has reportedly formed a new naval infantry battalion from the crew of the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, which will be deployed to the disputed Kharkiv region on the front line of the Russo-Ukrainian war. This decision is highly unusual because aircraft carrier crews require a high level of specialized training, which puts them at serious risk when operating on the front lines. Analysts widely viewed the decision as a step away from the country's ambitious aircraft carrier, which follows years of problems with the Admiral Kuznetsov, which has been undergoing repairs and maintenance for the past seven years. Modification. As Russia's only aircraft carrier, funding for the ship's refurbishment has been slashed and its capabilities are expected to remain far below those of rivals such as the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning. The 65,000-ton ship first entered service in the 1990s and deploys a fleet of Su-33 and MiG-29K fighter jets, Ka-31 airborne early warning and control helicopters and a range of other transport and Anti-submarine warfare rotary-wing aircraft missions. title=“Personnel and Su-33 fighter jets on board the Admiral Kuznetsov”
Russian sources said that the navy plans to return the aircraft carrier to service in 2024, and that the ship Kuznetsov The Admiral Nesov set out from dry dock in February 2023. Although it is belatedly, the possibility of forming a naval infantry battalion with the crew of the Admiral Kuznetsov is still very high and will not be delayed. The ship was later restored to service. One possible explanation for the battalion's formation is Significant increaseThanks to its “a href=” functionality, the level of automation of the vector is increased. target=”_blank”>refurbishment, which helped reduce the required crew size from approximately 1,900 to just 1,500. This leaves approximately 400 personnel available for other missions, such as deployment to Kharkov. Since Russia has invested so much in refurbishing its aircraft carriers, putting the future of its aircraft carriers at risk to add a naval infantry force would be a highly unusual decision. The decision has been widely re-reported by Western media and interpreted as signaling the end of Aeroflot's ambitions, although despite multiple delays and “a href=”>accident during the refurbishment, Kuznetsov It does appear that the Admiral will return to service and be able to operate with a smaller crew and more reliable and relatively smokeless engines. Although the Admiral Kuznetsov is no longer operational, the fighter force of the carrier air wing is still active, and two MiG-29K fighters malfunctioned. target=”_blank”>On July 11, a close encounter with German Eurofighters over the Baltic Sea.