Quote:
Originally Posted by Dmitry Markov
Kuzya (Kuznetsov) didn't get any major refit since mid 00's. He is now going to change airwing from Su-33 (which are ending their resource) to MiG-29 KUB. Pilots are not very happy - for them it's like changing from F-14 to F-18 in US navy. But it is believed to be a cost-effective interim option - new carriers that are being designed now would carry sea variant of PAK FA (maybe).
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He's long overdue for a refit, IIRC they want to keep the Kuzya (love that version of the name) until around 2025? Or something like that, which surely means the systems onboard will need upgrading in order to respond to new threats. I know that before they build the new carrier they've got to build the facilities to build the carrier since the Kuznetsovs shipyard was in western Ukraine. So Kuzya isn't going anywhere soon, and she does need that upgrade. Would make sense to do it sooner rather than later, especially since the pilots are going to be changing aircraft too.
