The Admiral Gorshkov was laid down in 1978 in Nikolayev as Project 1143.4. It is a Kiev-class heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser, a unique hybrid of aircraft carrier and missile-carrying cruiser developed by the Soviet navy defense sector.

Each Project 1143 vessel was to be equipped with an air wing consisting of submarine-chasing Ka-25 helicopters and Yak-36-Yak-38 VTOL aircraft. The exact purpose of these planes is unclear to this day -- experts and history buffs categorize them either as fighters or assault planes. But as fighters they were outperformed by the British Sea Harrier, let alone the standard MiG-23, Phantom or similar aircraft of the same class, and as assault aircraft they were inferior to practically any strike planes of the leading countries at that time.

The main weapons of the Project 1143 ships were their anti-ship missiles. The eight missiles each on the Kiev, Minsk and Novorossiisk, and 12 missiles on the Baku -- the future Admiral Gorshkov -- were a formidable force that, combined with other weapons of a squadron, were expected to destroy the Soviet navy's main opponent -- American aircraft carriers.

In the 1970s and 1980s the navy took delivery of four such ships, which became the largest combat units in the Soviet navy. The Admiral Gorshkov had a full-load displacement of more than 50,000 tons, only outdone by the Admiral Kuznetsov with a weight of approaching, or according to some sources exceeding, 60,000 tons.

Fourth in the series, the Admiral Gorshkov took the longest to build -- laid down in 1978, it was launched in 1982 and commissioned in 1987. That year the ship joined the Northern Fleet after making the only long-distance cruise in its career.

The collapse of the Soviet Union upset plans to retrofit the carrier to take the latest Yak-141 VTOL aircraft. In 1992 the Admiral Gorshkov was put in for repairs that were never completed.

The converted Admiral Gorshkov will resemble a slightly downscaled Admiral Kuznetsov. The ship will be stripped of its anti-ship missiles, and a ski-jump ramp will be fitted on the bow. New anti-aircraft systems and electronic countermeasures will also be added. As part of the Indian navy, it will be used in coordination with the latest Russian-built Project 11356 frigates.

As an element of the Indian navy, the Russian ship will replace the aircraft carrier Viraat, formerly the Hermes, built in 1959 and bought from Britain in 1985. By the time the Admiral Gorshkov takes over in 2010, the Viraat will have served a total of 51 years. The Admiral Gorshkov was built in 1987. One wonders how it would fare in 2038?

(Ilya Kramnik is a military commentator for RIA Novosti. This article is reprinted by permission of RIA Novosti. The opinions expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily represent those of RIA Novosti.)

(United Press International's "Outside View" commentaries are written by outside contributors who specialize in a variety of important issues. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of United Press International. In the interests of creating an open forum, original submissions are invited.)

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