TASS News Agency
The Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier of project 1143.5 will rejoin the Russian Navy after an overhaul and upgrade no earlier than 2024, a defense industry source told TASS.
“The Admiral Kuznetsov will be handed over after an upgrade and acceptance trials not earlier than in 2024.”
The source of TASS
The overhaul was delayed for several months because of exposed new defects, the source said. TASS did not obtain official confirmation of the report.
In early June, the aircraft carrier was placed in the dry dock of the 35th shipyard. The overhaul deadline was postponed to 2023. Deputy CEO of the United Shipbuilding Corporation Vladimir Korolev told TASS the upgraded aircraft carrier would get a completely new combat potential and will serve at least another 10-15 years.
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Naval News comments:
Admiral Kuznetsov began the overhaul in 2017 after operating on the Syrian coast. In October 2018, it was leaving the floating PD-50 dock of the 82nd shipyard in Roslyakovo when the dock began to sink. A crane fell on the deck because of the list. On December 12, 2019, a fire broke out on the carrier. Admiral Kuznetsov is currently in the 35th shipyard in Murmansk.
Repairs are expected to cost 300 to 350 million rubles. Some of the systems aboard the vessel will be upgraded, such as the CIWS.
