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Originally Posted by Kapitan
The SS-N-19 system is mainly for self defence everything bar the aircraft on that ship in terms of weapons systems are for defence but the kuzzie does realy on escorts.
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Not true. The SS-N-19 is the most potent long range anti surface weapon the Kuz class posesses. Think about it. 50 aircarft MAX, assuming they are all wired for air to surface. First of all, long range with any useful strike load is off the table right away. You said it yourself, no catapult. And not enough aircraft to buddy tank with and still have a strike more potent than the SS-N-19s. But let's assume these problems don't exist for the sake of argument...Now of that 50 (assuming they're all operational and it's not a problem to get the whole wing airborne at the same time) you can't send them all. You need escort for the strike and CAP for back home. Figure 12 aircraft MINIMUM for CAP duties. 12 more for escorting the package. That leaves you with 26 Moskits if none of the strikers end up swimming before they launch (kind of unlikely if they're playing against a US CVBG...er CSG IMO). And that means diddly against a US CSG, a coordinated SS-N-19 strike is necessary for half a chance of hitting anything. Put it'll probably suit the PLAN just fine for plinking at the ROC navy...
You see, the Kuznetsov class is purely defensive. Aircraft included. Because that what it was meant to do. Shield bastions. Not play viking (despite the name of the second in class
) raider against the USN.
And wasn't this thread about the Chinese getting a new carrier, not the Russian Navy?