MOSCOW, May 16 (RIA Novosti) - Russia will only start building modern aircraft carriers for the Russian navy in 2010 at the earliest, according to Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov, the Chief Commander of Russia's Navy.
"The designing, laying down, and building of aircraft carriers for Russia's Navy are only possible after 2010. The armaments program that will remain in force till 2010 does not envisage the construction of new aircraft carriers for economical considerations," he said.
Admiral Kuroyedov said program to be adopted after 2010 envisaged the designing and later on building of one aircraft carrier.
"It will be a modern version with updated tactical and technological characteristics. The navy obviously needs vessels of that class," said the admiral.
A whole series of warships built in the 1970s-1980s will be phased out from Russia's navy beginning from 2010. For example, Russia will lose all floating bases for their submarines, assault landing ships, reconnaissance ships, and hydrographic vessels, which will be a major blow on the naval forces.
In some estimates, there will be as few as 50 vessels in the Russian navy's active inventory in 2020.
There is one aircraft carrier in the Russian navy's use at the moment. The Admiral Kuznetsov heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser is the navy's flagship. It was built at the Black Sea shipyards based in Nikolayev, Ukraine. It is registered with Severomorsk, the Northern Fleet's main base on the Barents Sea's Cola Bay. The naval flag was hoisted on the cruiser in early 1991, while it made its first voyage in the Mediterranean in mid 1995.
The other aircraft-carrying heavy cruiser, Admiral Gorshkov, that was called Baku before the Soviet Union's breakup, was sold to India in December 1987. The cruiser was also built in Nikolayev, and it is currently being repaired and updated in Severodvinsk, Arkhangelsk region, northern Russia.
