The Russian Navy may start building a brand new aircraft carrier after 2025, according to a source with the Russian military industry. The new ship would support the sole aircraft carrier currently in the Russian Navy, the Admiral Kuznetsov.
The source was cited by RIA Novosti saying:
“Work for creating an aircraft carrier has never stopped. The Navy has strict demands for an aircraft carrier, but we so far don’t see anything in their demands that we can’t accomplish. We plan to begin construction of an aircraft carrier no earlier than 2025 or 2030.”
According to an earlier statement by Capt. 1st Rank Vladimir Tryapichnikov, head of the Russian Navy’s shipbuilding management department, it is highly likely that a new aircraft carrier will be ready in the period 2026-2027.
The currently operating Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier was launched in 1985 and became operational ten years later. It was built at the only Soviet aircraft carriers manufacturer – the Mykolaiv South Shipyard.
Meanwhile, the Russian Naval Forces have announced a modernization plan, which involves the upgrade of ten nuclear submarines with the latest armament and ship systems.
RIA Novosti quoted the Navy Commander Viktor Chirkov saying:
“The modernization is planned for about ten nuclear submarines of project 971 and 949 at the factory of Zvezdochka in Severodvinsk and the factory Zvezdochka in the Primorskiy Krai region.”