Russia Has One Great Option to Save its Aircraft Carrier: How Chinese Assistance Can Enhance the Admiral Kuznetsov

In early July Russian media outlet Izvestia reported that plans were being considered to retire the the Russian Navy’s sole aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, from service, and that work to repair and upgrade the vessel had been suspended some time ago. This followed reports in September 2024 that the crew of the aircraft carrier had formed a new naval infantry battalion, indicating that there were no plans to restore the warship to active service in the near future. The Admiral Kuznetsov has been undergoing repairs and a refitting for the past eight years, and has suffered from multiple delays and accidents during this time. The ship had previously seen funds for its refurbishment cut significantly, raising growing questions regarding its future. Refurbishment was intended to provide a major increase in levels of automation on the carrier, facilitating a contraction in required crew numbers from around 1900 to just 1500 personnel, while also modernising onboard electronics and propulsion systems.

Despite the difficulties the Russian Navy has faced operating its aircraft carrier, the Defence Ministry continues to perceive a need for such ships, with the Fundamentals of State Policy in the Sphere of Naval Activity Until 2030 state document stipulating that the Northern and Pacific Fleets should each have an aircraft carrier, for a total of two in service. A primary factor preventing the Admiral Kuznetsov from returning to service is that the Russian shipbuilding industry has declined very significantly since the disintegration of the Soviet Union, leaving it in a poor position to undertake such ambitious work. This has in turn raised the possibility of the Defence Ministry pursuing an alternative option to save its sole aircraft carrier, and the vital carrier aviation knowhow developed over decades, namely by seeking Chinese support to refurbish the Admiral Kuznetsov.

The Admiral Kuznetsov is one of three Kuznetsov Class ships to have been laid down, with the second ship laid down by the Soviet Union having never been completed by the country, and being purchased by China in the 1990s and developed into the country’s first carrier the Liaoning. China’s shipbuilding industry was subsequently able to construct amore capable new iteration of the Kuznetsov Class design domestically, which currently serves as the Shandong. Both are considered among the most capable carriers in the world, and have demonstrated far greater reliability than the Admiral Kuznetsov, while their subsystems including propulsion systems and sensors are cutting edge. Sending the Admiral Kuznetsov to China for a deep refurbishment could revolutionise its capabilities and bring its performance to par with those of the Liaoning, and likely do so at a much lower cost than a more limited domestic refurbishment due to the much healthier state and more efficient performance of the Chinese shipbuilding industry.

Should the Admiral Kuznetsov be refurbished in China, it could potentially dock in the country for service regularly if serving under the Arctic or Pacific fleets, and carry out joint exercises with Chinese carrier groups in these regions. The Admiral Kuznetsov would still be disadvantaged by its lack of fighters comparable to the Chinese J-15B or J-35, but could see its air wing modernised by enhancing the current MiG-29K fighters and developing a more modern successor to the Su-33 fighter, possibly based on the Su-35S or Su-57 fighters. The very considerable investment which China has made in strengthening its carrier aviation capabilities with ships of the same design as Russia’s own provides a major opportunity for Russian carrier aviation to catch up with international trends in the field through its strategic partnership with its neighbour. China could benefit from such a partnership not only by securing contracts for its shipbuilding industry, but also by strengthening of Russian maritime capabilities in the Pacific and Arctic, which will reduce pressure on its own forces to counter Western navies in these regions.