The Russian aircraft carrier «Admiral Kuznetsov» hides a rather dangerous secret for Western ships. Such information was given by Robert Farley, an American military expert.
The Russian Navy has only one carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, and now it is under repair. The ship has gained wide popularity in the world because of its frequent breakdowns and it is regularly criticized in the Western media.
According to Robert Farley, the only Russian carrier is not just a ship with a specific reputation – it has a rather curious secret. This is reported by the publication 19FortyFive.
«A notable aspect of a carrier is its long and rather strange designation: a heavy aircraft-carrying missile cruiser. It is also interesting that when visually comparing the Admiral Kuznetsov and the American carrier Gerald R. Ford, it turns out that the Russian ship is armed to the teeth», the expert said.
The Admiral Kuznetsov’s armament includes 24 anti-aircraft missile launchers, six naval artillery pieces AK-630, close-combat complex «Kashtan», also an anti-torpedo and an anti-submarine protection.
While U.S. carriers rely on escort ships, the Admiral Kuznetsov is designed to be able to repel enemy attacks on its own. Plus, it has another secret.
«These weapons are defensive in nature. The real secret of the Admiral Kuznetsov is its incredibly powerful offensive arms, «the author of 19FortyFive stated.
The carrier of the Russian Navy is equipped with 12 huge anti-ship cruise missiles P-700 «Granit». Each of them weighs 7000 kg. In addition to the impressive size, they are also very fast. Their speed at low altitude is about Mach 1.6, and at high altitude it reaches Mach 2.5.
«Launched by a salvo of four or eight P-700 missiles, one of them will fly above the others and coordinate the actions of the rest. It classifies and distributes targets, and if the target missile is destroyed, its place is taken by another», the American analyst said.
But where are they located, Robert Farley asks. When visually inspecting the Admiral Kuznetsov, no P-700 missiles are visible. As it turned out, they are hidden inside the hull, right below the deck. R-700 are located in twelve special cells, when launched, their flaps open and the missiles break out.