Russia can earn billions of dollars if it retains its only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov.
This opinion was published by the Western magazine Military Watch Magazine, arguing that “the return of the warship to the front line with a modernized air wing can provide very significant future opportunities for the Russian defense sector.”
According to the article, maintaining the aircraft carrier will allow Russia not only to conduct complex strategic exercises with China and India, which have similar ships, but also to supply related military equipment to future customers.
Also, according to the publication, the Russian defense sector has already received $2.3 billion from the sale of the Vikramaditya aircraft carrier to the Indian Ministry of Defense and more than $2 billion for the purchase of MiG-29K fighters for this ship. In addition, several smaller contracts related to aircraft carriers were signed, including an order for 14 Ka-31 long-range radar detection and control helicopters.
Earlier, Izvestia wrote that the repair and modernization of the Admiral Kuznetsov cruiser had been suspended and representatives of the Russian Navy and the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) would soon make a decision on its fate.
Later, VTB CEO Andrey Kostin said that the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier could be scrapped or sold, since, in his opinion, it would be pointless to repair it.
The former commander of the Northern Fleet (from 1999 to 2001), Admiral Vyacheslav Popov, meanwhile, said that the Russian Navy needs nuclear aircraft carriers.
