Soviet aircraft carrier Novorossiysk

For other ships with the same name, see Russian ship Novorossiysk.
Novorossiysk in 1986
History
Russia
NameNovorossiysk
NamesakeCity of Novorossiysk
BuilderChernomorskiy yard, Nikolayev
Laid down30 September 1975[1]
Launched26 December 1978[1]
Commissioned14 September 1982[1]
Decommissioned30 June 1993
FateScrapped 1997
General characteristics
Class and typeKiev-class aircraft cruiser
Displacement
  • 31,900 tons (standard)[1]
  • 43,220 tons (loaded)[1]
Length273.1 m (896 ft) overall[1]
Beam
  • 51.3 m (168 ft) o/a
  • 31 m (102 ft) w/l[1]
Draught9.3 m (31 ft)[1]
Propulsion4 shaft geared steam turbines, 140,000 shp
Speed32 knots (59 km/h)
Endurance13,500 nautical miles (25,000 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h)
Armament4 × twin SS-N-12 Sandbox SSM launchers (8 missiles),

2 × twin SA-N-3 Goblet SAM launchers (72 missiles), 2 × twin 76.2 mm AA guns, 8 × AK-630 30 mm CIWS,

1 × twin SUW-N-1 FRAS Anti-Submarine Rocket launcher
Aircraft carried

Novorossiysk (Russian: Новороссийск) was a conventionally powered aircraft carrier (heavy aircraft cruiser in Russian classification)[2] that served the Soviet Navy and the Russian Navy from 1982 to 1993. She was the third Kiev-class vessel to be built. She was designed to engage in offensive actions as a guided missile cruiser mostly using her deck mounted missiles as well as support anti-submarine and surface actions with her embarked air group.

History[edit]

Novorossiysk was laid down at the former Soviet Black Sea Shipyard in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, on 30 September 1975, launched on 24 December 1978, commissioned on 12 September 1982, and decommissioned in June 1993. The third ship in her class, she served in the Soviet Pacific Fleet.

In March 1985, Novorossiysk and escorting battle group departed the Sea of Japan, sailed to the south of Okinawa and then east across the Pacific. After approximately eight days, the ships turned and headed northwest toward the Kuril Islands, simulating an enemy carrier strike against the Soviet Union. As the Novorossiysk approached the islands, about 700 miles (1,100 km) east of Japan, Soviet Bear bombers flew reconnaissance missions near the battle group and helped vector some 20 Backfire bombers to their targets, practising the Soviet strategy of bomber launched anti-ship missile warfare. A U.S. Navy description of the Novorossisysk exercise notes that "The force was hit by simulated air strikes and probably by submarines firing torpedoes and cruise missiles from 1,120 km east of Japan, on 14 April. They came at it with submarines and aircraft--everything they had."[3] The Novorossiysk made its last voyage in mid-1991 just before the break-up of the Soviet Union.[4]

In 1995 the Novorossiysk hulk, which had suffered a serious engine room fire two years back,[4][5] was sold for scrapping, and was broken up in 1997 at Pohang, South Korea.[6]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Project 1143". Russian-ships.info. Archived from the original on 29 October 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  2. ^ Due to restrictions imposed by the Montreux Convention limiting the tonnage of aircraft carriers traveling through the Bosporus, all Soviet and Russian aircraft carriers are named as aircraft carrying cruisers. In the case of Novorossiysk, this accurately reflects the ship's mission and weapons fit.
  3. ^ Chipman, Donald D. "The Transformation of Soviet Maritime Air Operations". Airpower (Summer 1990). Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Project 1143 Kiev (Soviet Armed Forces 1945-1991 Organisation and order of battle)". ww2.dk.
  5. ^ Toppan, Andrew (2003). "sci.military.naval FAQ, Part E - Aircraft Carriers". Hazegray.org. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  6. ^ Toppan, Andrew (2003). "Haze Gray & Underway Photo Feature: Soviet & Russian Navy - Aviation Cruisers and Carriers". Hazegray.org. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
Sailors of the aircraft carrier Novorossiisk, Red Banner Pacific Fleet (1984)

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Novorossiysk (ship, 1978).


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