the aircraft carrier club 81
one of the most formidable naval forces in the world, the Soviet carriers
remained small, largely experimental, and mostly insignificant. Several
high- ranking Soviet naval officers opposed carrier development because
they viewed these vessels as prestige vehicles lacking strategic justification
(Whitten 1998 , 76 ). The first and only large Russian carrier was laid down
in 1983 and launched in 1985.^24 However, this ship was procured at a time
when the navy was facing a sharp decrease in resources. The carrier was
under repairs until 1991 and subsequently was anchored in the Ura Guba
fjord with no aircraft on board. This was an uncomfortable position for
the Russian navy, which saw the ship as one of its greatest technological
achievements.
It would have been disastrous in terms of prestige if the only tangible result
was a 65000 - t ship with an inoperative combat system and a non- existent air
group.... The navy is determined to get the ship into service even if other ma-
jor vessels have to be scrapped or mothballed in order to finance the program.
(Jordan 1993 )
The navy chose to promote the carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, as its
flagship long before it was operational. The first Mediterranean deploy-
ment of the Kuznetsov was extensively covered by the Russian media and
was accompanied by a wave of patriotism. The members of every aviation
crew to train on board the carrier were given the title Hero of Russia (Vi-
nogradov 1996 ). The Moscow- based newspaper Rossiyskiye Vesti dedi-
cated a special celebratory cover to the event: “ 300 Years of the Russian
Fleet: Our Aircraft Carrier in the Mediterranean” (Maryukha 1996 ). Sub-
sequent budgetary constraints forced long periods of inactivity and poor
maintenance. The carrier lacks significant equipment, and the operational
status of its air wing is questionable more often than not. The carrier’s
aircrews conduct most of their training using simulators and shore- based
facilities. Since 1996 the Kuznetsov conducted several “show of flag” de-
ployments abroad. The most notable “accomplishments” of these tours so
far were a deadly fire on board the carrier and a major oil spill off the
coast of Ireland (“Major Oil Spill from Tanker Heads towards British
Isles,” Associated Press, February 18 , 2009 ).
Thailand
Thailand joined the carrier club with the purchase of the Spanish- built car-
rier Chakri Naruebet. The purchase of the Chakri Naruebet was the high
