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Step aboard the Admiral Kuznetsov, Russia's aircraft carrier that's considered to be one of the worst in the world

Step aboard the Admiral Kuznetsov, Russia's aircraft carrier that's considered to be one of the worst in the world

The Kuzentsov was laid down in 1983, but not commissioned until 1990.

Kuznetsov-class carriers are about 932 feet long, 237 feet wide and 212 feet high. They also have a maximum displacement of about 58,000 tons.

Source: naval-technology.com, TASS

Kuznetsov-class carriers are powered by eight turbo-pressurized boilers, four steam turbines, and six diesel generators, bringing the carrier to a maximum speed of about 33 mph.

It also has a sea endurance of 45 days, and an operating range of 3,850 miles to 8,417 miles depending on the speed.

The shot above is of the Kuznetsov belching black smoke through the English Channel in October 2016.

Source: naval-technology.com

Kuznetsov-class carriers have a crew of 1,600 sailors.

Source: The National Interest, naval-technology.com

But unlike US carriers, the Kuzentsov was built as a defense carrier.

It's armed with 12 P-700 Granit anti-ship cruise missiles, a Kinzhal air defense missile system armed with about 200 anti-air missiles, one Udav-1 anti-torpedo multiple launch rocket system, and eight eight Kashstan air defence gun/missile systems.

The Kuzentsov's 12 P-700 Granit anti-ship cruise missiles are also housed in silos underneath its flight deck.

Source: Business Insider, TASS

The Kuznetsov will also be fitted with a Pantsir-M/EM air defense system with eight 57E6-E surface-to-air missile launchers, as well as two GSh-6-30K/AO-18KD 30 mm six-barrel rotary cannons, upon its return from the shipyard.

Source: The Diplomat

It can also carry up to 41 aircraft, including Su-27s, Su-33s, MiG-29s, as well as Ka-27, Ka-31, and Ka-52K helicopters.

Source: The Diplomat

And flight deck has a built-in ski jump, angled at 12 degrees, to help with take-offs.

Source: naval-technology.com

Here's a shot from the flight deck with the control tower in the background.

And the control tower from another angle.

The aircraft are brought up from the hangar bay using an elevator.

Here's a shot of Putin speaking in the Kuznetsov's hangar bay in 2014.

The Kuznetsov is slated to return to service in 2021, but it may take longer.

As The Diplomat noted in April:

"All Soviet carriers were constructed in Ukraine and Russia has lost valuable expertise and technology — particularly surface ship propulsion technology — due to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine."