Russia is one of the most powerful countries in the world with a large navy, with several aircraft carriers. At present, Russia has a total of three aircraft carriers, namely the Kuznetsov, the Liaoning and the Vikramaditya.
The Kuznetsov is Russia's only aircraft carrier in service and one of the most powerful aircraft carriers in the world. The aircraft carrier entered service in 1991 with a displacement of 67,500 tons and a maximum capacity of 50 aircraft. The Kuznetsov aircraft carrier has powerful attack and defense capabilities, and can carry a variety of carrier-based aircraft, including fixed-wing fighters, anti-submarine aircraft, and early warning aircraft.
The Liaoning is an aircraft carrier under the Chinese Navy that can carry fixed-wing aircraft, and it is also China's first aircraft carrier. The aircraft carrier was originally the Marshal Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier subship Varyag of the Soviet Union, and in the mid-to-late 80s of the 20th century, the construction of the Varyag in Ukraine was interrupted by the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 1999, China purchased the Varyag, which arrived at the port of Dalian on March 4, 2002. On April 26, 2005, the construction and improvement by the Chinese Navy began. The PLA's goal is to rebuild the unfinished aircraft carrier and use it for scientific research, experimentation and training. On September 25, 2012, it was officially renamed Liaoning and delivered to the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy.
INS Vikramaditya is an aircraft carrier under the Indian Navy, formerly the Soviet Kiev-class aircraft carrier subship USS Gorshkov. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, in 1998, India purchased the USS Gorshkov, which entered service with the Indian Navy in April 2004. The Vikramaditya can carry about 24 carrier-based aircraft, including MiG-29K fighters, Ka-31 airborne early warning *** and Ka-27PS anti-submarine ***. The aircraft carrier has strong attack and defense capabilities, providing the Indian Navy with extensive sea and air control and combat capabilities.
In addition to these three active aircraft carriers, Russia has also had other aircraft carriers at one time. The first aircraft carrier of the Russian Navy, the Moskva, entered service in 1967, but due to technical and economic problems, the aircraft carrier was decommissioned in 1974. Russia has also bought Britain's second-hand aircraft carriers Athletic and Invincible, but these two aircraft carriers were ** or abandoned shortly after purchase.
Overall, the Russian Navy has a strong aircraft carrier force, and its three active aircraft carriers, the Kuznetsov, Liaoning and Vikramaditya, have strong offensive and defensive capabilities, which have a significant impact on the global naval power structure. In the future, with changes in the international situation and the development of technology, the aircraft carrier forces of the Russian Navy will continue to develop and grow.