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Russian Heel -> RE: Kuznetsov airwing (2/16/2014 2:15:42 PM)
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Well, the Su-33 is going to be retired as soon as the 20 MiG-29Ks on order are delivered. I think there are 14 or so serviceable Su-33s now anyways and I don't think she has ever been to sea with more than 30 aircraft. The official project can say whatever it wants, it doesn't mean it is practical or that there are even enough air frames for that. Some of those links list Yak-41 as part of the air-wing, that project was canceled in 1991 which shows were their source material is from.
The current actual number of the air-wing is 33 aircraft 4 of which are MiG-29K air frames. They only have 10 Su-33s assigned to the carrier, 2 Su-25s, and a total of 17 helicopters. There have never been enough airframes to fill out the compliment of the original project. So guess what happens to that space over 20 or so years? Repurposed.
It's another one of those things where the developers have to balance intended on paper with the way things really work. In my opinion they got it right. It can talk all day about carrying 28 MiG29s, but when only 20 of them will ever be delivered, it doesn't matter. Also people get confused and add highest numbers together, not thinking about the word "or" It happens a lot in translated specifications of Russian equipment I have noticed.
It would be nice to have a Russian MiG-29K 2015- in the database though ;)
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