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While designated an aircraft carrier, Kuznetsov's design implies a mission different from that of either the United States Navy's carriers or those of the Royal Navy's. The Russian ship is termed by her builders to be a tyazholiy avionosnyy kreyser - a "heavy aviation cruiser" - intended to support and defend strategic missile-carrying submarines, surface ships, and maritime missile-carrying aircraft of the Russian fleet. The aircraft of the Kuznetsov are essentially constrained to air superiority operations. The lack of catapults on the Kuznetsov precludes launching strike aircraft with heavy loads, which makes it essentially impossible for aircraft to attack land or naval targets. The carrier can carry helicopters for anti-submarine operations, however, and it also carries anti-shipping missiles.
The hull design is based on the earlier Admiral Gorshkov , launched in 1982, but is larger. The flight deck area is 14,700 m² and aircraft take-off is assisted by a bow ski-jump angled at 12º. The flight deck is equipped with arrester wires but has no catapults. Two starboard lifts carry aircraft from the hangar to the flight deck.
The ship has the capacity to support 16 Yakovlev Yak-41M ( NATO reporting name "Freestyle"), twelve Sukhoi Su-27K fixed-wing aircraft and a range of helicopters including four Kamov Ka-27-LD ( NATO reporting name "Helix"), 18 Ka-27 PLO, and two Ka-27-S.
The ship has a Granit ( NATO reporting name SS-N-19 "Shipwreck" ) anti-ship missile system equipped with twelve surface-to-surface missile launchers. The Klinok air defence missile system, with 24 vertical launchers and 192 missiles, defends the ship against anti-ship missiles, aircraft and surface ships.
The Kashstan Air Defence Gun and Missile System, supplied by the Instrument Design Bureau and Tulamashzavod JSC in Tula, provides defence against precision weapons including anti-ship and anti-radar missiles, aircraft and small sea targets. Eight systems are fitted, combining missile launcher, 30 mm twin gun and radar/optronic director. The range of the laser beam-riding missiles is from 1.5 to 8km. The gun can fire up to 1,000 rounds per minute in the range 0.5 to 1.5km. Six AK630 30mm air defence guns are also fitted.
The ship is equipped with an Udav-1 anti-submarine system with 60 anti-submarine rockets. Udav-1, supplied by the Splav Research and Production Association in Moscow, protects surface ships by diverting and destroying incoming torpedoes. The system also provides defence against submarines and saboteur systems such as underwater vehicles. The system has ten barrels and is capable of firing 111SG depth chargeThe depth charge is the oldest anti- submarine weapon. A concept of a "dropping mine" was first discussed in 1911, and the idea was developed into practicality when the Royal Navy's Commander in Chief, Sir George Callaghan, requested its production in 191 projectiles, 111SZ mine laying projectiles and 111SO diverting projectiles. The range of the system is 3000 m and the submarine engagement depth is to 600m.