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The largest and in many respects most capable surface warship ever to emerge from a Russian shipyard has cruised the Mediterranean, Atlantic, and Arctic on her first out-of-coastal-area deployment. She is the Kiev, the first Soviet aircraft carrier.
For the entire post-World War II era the Soviet Navy had been severely restricted by the range limitations of land-based aircraft flying from the U.S.S.R. or the few overseas bases made available for Soviet operations by her allies. The Kiev, which operates fixed- wing vertical/short take-off and landing (V/STOL) aircraft as well as helicopters, can overcome this limitation. Interestingly, the Kiev appears when the overseas land bases available to the U.S.S.R. are increasing, and now apparently include runways in Cuba, Guinea, Iraq, South Yemen, and Somalia, and possibly Angola, Libya, and Syria as well.
But the Kiev is the most significant base', she is mobile, flexible, politically independent, and a symbol of Soviet capability at sea. These are, of course, all words long used to describe U. S. aircraft carriers.
Western observers obtained their first clear look at the Kiev and unclassified photos of her, as she passed through the Dardanelles on 18 July and out into the Mediterranean to join the continuous Soviet deployment in that sea. The Kiev has an impressive appearance. At a distance she resembles a conventional, angled-deck carrier with a large, antenna-topped "island” structure on the starboard side.
Close up, the differences between the Kiev and traditional aircraft carrier designs are obvious and numerous. The ship has a sharply raked or clipper bow, possibly to place the bow anchor sufficiently forward to clear a bow-mounted sonar. The main deck forward of the island structure and angled deck is a forest of weapon systems, giving the Kiev the firepower of a modern cruiser. There are two RBU-2500A (or possibly later) antisubmarine rocket launchers, a twin-rail SUW-N-i antisubmarine missile launcher,* and eight tubes which appear to hold the SS-N-12-type missiles—replacements for the SS-N-3 "Shaddocks”—for use against distant surface targets. Between the first two pairs of SS-N-12 tubes is a twin 76-mm- gun mount and between the second two pairs is a twin-rail SA-N-3 "Goblet launcher for antiaircraft missiles. An elevator between the two sets of SS-N- launchers gives the Kiev a missile-reload capability.
*For additional information on these antisubifla' rine weapons, see N. Polmar, "Thinking About Soviet ASW,” U. S. Naval Institute Proceeding*’ Naval Review, May 1976, pp. 108-129.
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There are platforms port and starboard below the flight deck for what appear to be multi-barrel "Gatling” guns, probably of 23-mm., for close-in defense against antiship missiles. There are another two of these guns on the front °f the superstructure, and four more on the stern quarters, for a total of eight guns which can probably spit out rounds at the theoretical rate of thousands per minute. (The U. S. Navy’s 20-mm. Phalanx multi-barrel gun is not yet operational; the Soviet weapon is believed to have first gone to sea about 1970 in the "Kresta II”-class cruisers.) Several drum-like fire control radars, known as "Drum Tilt” by NATO, are positioned near the 23-mm. weapons.
The ship also seems to have two of the twin-rail SA-N-4 launchers, not normally visible, which fire a short-range defensive missile, somewhat akin to the U. S. Navy’s Sea Sparrow Basic Point Defense Missile System. The SA-N-4 launcher retracts downward when not m use, but the circular covers which open when the launcher is elevated can be seen in the Kiev, with apparently one launcher forward of the island structure and one aft. The small "Pop Group” radar, which is about the same size as the "Drum Tilt” system for the 23-mm. guns, is reportedly associated with the SA-N-4 missile.
Forward on the pyramid-like island structure is a "Hawk Screech” radar for the forward 76-mm. guns, followed by a large "Head Light” radar director for the SA-N-3 launcher, then huge "Top Sail” three-dimensional search radar, all topped by a radome (radar dome), the first seen on a large Soviet warship. Next, in descending position, is a radar, which may have been developed specifically for the Kiev, that appears to be a "Head Net” antenna backed to another antenna, possibly providing a backup 3-D capability, then a smaller radome, a second "Head Light” radar, and a second "Hawk Screech.” At the after end of the island is a prominent flight control "greenhouse,” similar to those found in U. S. carriers, and then a second SA-N-3 twin launcher and a second twin 76-mm. gun mount.
Other electronic equipment in the Kiev includes four large, bulb-like electronic warfare antennas (called "Side Globes”) on each side of the island and variable depth sonar housed in the ship’s large, broad stern.
The Kiev thus has a gun-missile armament the equal of any surface combatant now afloat. She may also have the large (21-inch) torpedo tubes common to all modern Soviet destroyers and cruisers. Several tubes—possibly ten in two quintuple mounts—may be installed behind panels in the hull, similar to the arrangement in the Moskva-cliss helicopter carriers.
This heavy offensive and defensive gun-missile armament is far different from the U. S. approach to carrier design. The Kiev configuration indicates that the ship will operate in high-threat areas, where there is the danger of carrier- or land-based air attack. It also provides the option of creating a formidable long-range, high-speed force by deploying only one or two guided-mis- sile cruisers of the "Kresta II” or "Kara” class with the carrier.
The Kiev's "main battery” is her air group, estimated at some 35 fixed-wing V/STOL aircraft and helicopters. The V/STOL is a much later aircraft than the "Freehand,” which was displayed at the Paris air show of 1967. The "Freehand” is a subsonic (Mach 0.85), single-seat, fighter-type aircraft with two turbojet engines exhausting through vector- thrust nozzles for vertical flight. Although a V/STOL is limited compared to
In the two photos below, the Kiev 5 two SA-N-3 launchers, eight SS-N-12 launchers (possibly SS-N-3s), two 76mm. gun mounts, eight 23-mm. "Gatling” gun mounts, three of her Ka-25 helos, and two of her Yak-36 V/STOL fighters are relatively easy to see. The two SA-N-4 launchers, which pop-up for firing, are covered by round hatches: one left of the aft port SS-N-12 launcher; and the other on the main deck, starboard side of the island.
The Kiev’s armament is impressive, but her 590-foot flight deck (pictured above with seven helo landing areas and the aft elevator lowered) and fighters make her significant. The Yak-56 V/STOL fighter—a new aircraft and not the "Freehand” first seen in 1967— reportedly carries air-to-surface and air-to-air weapons on its four wing pods and has a gunpack. The Yak-56 is seven to ten feet longer than the Harrier and could weigh up to 28,000 pounds for STOL operations. In the bottom photo, the V/STOL’s inlet and outlet doors are extended and the aft nozzle is vectoring the thrust straight downward.
U. S. carrier aircraft, the Soviet V/STOLs from the Kiev could be effective in strikes against Western second-line warships, fleet auxiliaries (especially oilers), and merchantmen. Also, in the air-to-air role the Soviet V/STOL could be used to intercept Western patrol aircraft and helicopters, including those launched from warships to provide over-the-horizon targeting or reconnaissance against Soviet warships.
The helicopters are "Hormone-A” Ka-25, twin-rotor, turbine-powered craft fitted for submarine detection and attack. A few of the "Hormone-B” type may be embarked, however, to provide long-range detection and targeting for the SS-N-12 antiship missiles which the Kiev carries. Thus, a variety of capabilities are available in the Kiev.
Little is known publicly about her navigation capabilities. The ship has steam turbine propulsion, probably with four propeller shafts producing a maximum speed of just over 30 knots.
While the Kiev has an angled flight deck of about 590 feet to facilitate short-run landings and take-offs for fixed-wing aircraft, she has neither the Cresting cables nor catapults common to Western aircraft carriers. Also, her two elevators are inboard near the island structure rather than being of the deck- edge type found in U. S. carriers and a<nphibious helicopter ships. The small a*t wing, about half that of a U. S. H<*ncock-chss carrier which is only slightly heavier, has partly been restricted in size because of the large internal ship volume taken up by equipment related to the ship’s large numbers °f weapons and sensors, and the elevator arrangement.
At just under 40,000 tons full load displacement the Kiev is the largest war- sfiip to be produced in Russia under e*ther tsars or commissars. She was built at the Black Sea Shipyard No. 444, formerly the Nosenko Yard at Nikolayev, northeast of the Black Sea port of Odessa. The shipyard, which dates back to the 19th century, earlier produced the Moskva-class helicopter carriers and the large "Kara” missile cruisers.
Several design features of the Kiev can ne seen in the Moskva and "Kara” classes, demonstrating the probable development of the three ships by the same design bureau associated with the Nosenko Yard. In the Soviet system there is a single ministry of shipbuilding which oversees naval and commercial design and construction, but with specialized yards and design offices to produce specific ship types. Two of the men who were intimately associated with development of the Kiev did not see her depart on her first out-of-coastal area deployment: Marshal of Aviation I. I. Borzov, the commander of naval aviation who was promoted to marshal when the Kiev was launched in December 1972, died in 1975, and B. Ye. Butoma, the minister of the shipbuilding industry, reportedly passed away shortly before the carrier deployed.
One of the other key participants in the Kiev development, Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union S. G. Gorshkov, head of the Soviet Navy since 1956, very likely is watching closely the ship’s deployment. He is the man who directed the development of the Red Fleet from a coastal, defensive force to an oceangoing navy. Gorshkov, who can be expected to retire in the near future, may view the Kiev as the final step in his personal efforts to build the Soviet Navy.
Beyond Kiev, Admiral Gorshkov has obtained sufficient support to construct at least two more V/STOL carriers of this type, the Minsk and another unit being built at Nikolayev. A U. S. Navy spokesman has said the Soviets probably will build at least four ships of this type. Although at this time only the Nikolayev yard has been identified as building the Kiev-class ships, the complex of shipyards at Leningrad also could build naval ships of this size and sophistication, with rumors periodically going about of a "large, unidentified” hull on the ways at Leningrad which might be a carrier.
Using only the Nikolayev yard, the Soviets could probably complete four Kiev-chss carriers by about 1982. As these ships go to sea and the naval and national leadership observes the capabilities (and limitations) of these carriers, there may well be an incentive to the Soviets for larger and more capable V/STOL ships. This certainly had been the trend in carrier-type ships in the U. S. Navy until Admiral Holloway’s recent commitment to develop V/STOL carriers after the proposed fourth Nimitz-class ship (CVN-71).
To quote from a recent U. S. Navy analysis of carrier development, "it is anticipated that after operational experience with the early Kiev class ships the Soviet Union will develop still larger carriers to gain the benefits that accrue to larger ship design (e.g., the greater aircraft, aviation fuel, and aviation ordnance capabilities).”