Russian catamaran aircraft carrier would have good air power for size

Russia showed off a ship model and design for a small catamaran aircraft carrier. It would have less than half the weight than a US super-carrier but would have almost half the planes and close to the same flight deck.

The standard displacement is 37000 tons and full displacement is 44000 tons. The length is 304 meters (260 by construction waterline), the width is 78 meters and the draft is 8.5 meters. Full speed is 28 knots. Cruising range at 16 knots is 8000 miles, expandable endurance is 60 days. Aircraft engagement seaworthiness is force seven. The main power plant is a two-shaft gas turbine with a partial electric propulsion and a capacity of 81000 KW or 110000 HP. The electric system comprises three generators with a total capacity of 32MW (6.3 KV/50Hz).

A catamaran is a multi-hulled watercraft featuring two parallel hulls of equal size. It is a geometry-stabilized craft, deriving its stability from its wide beam, rather than from a ballasted keel as with a monohull sailboat.

The Russian navy catamaran would have 46 flying craft, including 12-14 Su-33, 12-14 MiG-39K/KUB, four airborne early warning aircraft, 12-14 Ka-27 helicopters. This would be about half as many planes as a US super-carrier.

It would be longer than a US small aircraft carrier – amphibious assault ship. The length and width of the flattop would be nearly to the size of a US Nimitz aircraft carrier. However, the displacement would be close to the small marine landing aircraft carrier.

The US Navy built the Spearhead Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) program is a cooperative effort for a high-speed, shallow draft vessel intended for rapid intratheater transport of medium-sized cargo payloads. The EPF will reach speeds of 35–45 knots (65–83 km/h; 40–52 mph) and will allow for the rapid transit and deployment of conventional or special forces as well as equipment and supplies.

The Spearhead is 103 meters long and 23 meters wide.

111 thoughts on “Russian catamaran aircraft carrier would have good air power for size”

  1. Beware. If Australia were just a little closer Putin would invade you for making such remarks, Phil.

  2. The Russians can’t even scrape up enough rubles to hire a decent PowerPoint artist to spin their bogus vaporware with. To think that we use to actually FEAR these people….

  3. The Russians can’t even scrape up enough rubles to hire a decent PowerPoint artist to spin their bogus vaporware with.To think that we use to actually FEAR these people….

  4. The US has itself been having trouble with the EMALS on the USS Gerald R Ford. Catapults are notoriously troublesome – look at the downtime for the steam catapults on the various US aircraft carriers.

  5. Uh, that’s definitely not a catamaran carrier, since it appears to have a single bow but two stern shapes associated with the rudder/propeller block, and doesn’t seem to be a trimaran where the center hull ends early. There’s some weirdness with the stern to be sure (lotta overhang, not a straight stern or with a platypus tail). Some kind of hybrid hull shape perhaps, a more extreme tunnel stern?

  6. The US has itself been having trouble with the EMALS on the USS Gerald R Ford. Catapults are notoriously troublesome – look at the downtime for the steam catapults on the various US aircraft carriers.

  7. Isn’t there some natural limit to the beam”” (width) of an aircraft carrier”””” due to roll at sea?”””

  8. Uh that’s definitely not a catamaran carrier since it appears to have a single bow but two stern shapes associated with the rudder/propeller block and doesn’t seem to be a trimaran where the center hull ends early. There’s some weirdness with the stern to be sure (lotta overhang not a straight stern or with a platypus tail). Some kind of hybrid hull shape perhaps a more extreme tunnel stern?

  9. Okay, but how many land borders does Australia have? If it had as many as Russia, maybe its perspective might be different

  10. In the end, why should the US worry, Chinese and Russian military tactics are akin to those of Zapp Brannigan. “I sent wave after wave of my own men at them until they reached their (kill) limit and shut down. Kif, show them the medal I won.” “When I am in command, son, every mission is a suicide mission.

  11. Okay but how many land borders does Australia have? If it had as many as Russia maybe its perspective might be different

  12. In the end why should the US worry Chinese and Russian military tactics are akin to those of Zapp Brannigan. I sent wave after wave of my own men at them until they reached their (kill) limit and shut down. Kif”” show them the medal I won.”” “”””When I am in command”” son”” every mission is a suicide mission.”””””””

  13. Just did a quick google and Australia has about 1/5th the population of Russia. That is a significant difference in living standards. Yeah, skip it for now. Ha!

  14. Just did a quick google and Australia has about 1/5th the population of Russia.That is a significant difference in living standards. Yeah skip it for now. Ha!

  15. I have no doubt that EMALS will work correctly in the end. The larger issue is the underlying design that requires the entire system to be offlined to service or repair any part of it.

  16. Hitler attacked Poland in 1939. He attacked the Soviet Union in 1941. I don’t see where Stalin started the war.

  17. Look, I am Australian. Our Gross Domestic Product is about 2.5 trillion. I understand that Russia is about 2.7 trillion – despite having a lot more people and straddling the largest land mass of any nation. Could Australia be a global power like Russia? Could we huge standing army, advance airforce, nuclear parity with the USA, space faring, occupation of neighboring countries etc..? Yes, if every Australian suffered a dramatic decline in living standards. And that is the problem with Russia – it doesn’t have a military industrial complex, it IS a military industrial complex.

  18. I have no doubt that EMALS will work correctly in the end. The larger issue is the underlying design that requires the entire system to be offlined to service or repair any part of it.

  19. Hitler attacked Poland in 1939. He attacked the Soviet Union in 1941. I don’t see where Stalin started the war.

  20. Look I am Australian. Our Gross Domestic Product is about 2.5 trillion. I understand that Russia is about 2.7 trillion – despite having a lot more people and straddling the largest land mass of any nation.Could Australia be a global power like Russia? Could we huge standing army advance airforce nuclear parity with the USA space faring occupation of neighboring countries etc..?Yes if every Australian suffered a dramatic decline in living standards. And that is the problem with Russia – it doesn’t have a military industrial complex it IS a military industrial complex.

  21. That’s true. I grew up with Churchill’s history of the war which may have given me a rather slanted viewpoint.

  22. Hitler invaded Poland from the west, Stalin from the east in 1939. They were allies under the Molotov-Ribbentrop non-aggression pact until Hitler attacked the USSR.

  23. That’s true. I grew up with Churchill’s history of the war which may have given me a rather slanted viewpoint.

  24. Hitler invaded Poland from the west Stalin from the east in 1939. They were allies under the Molotov-Ribbentrop non-aggression pact until Hitler attacked the USSR.

  25. Well you can have a ski ramp and a catapult side by side you know. You can even have an EMALS leading into a ski ramp. Ski ramp launches do have their merits (in theory only need a tailhook, no launch bar or bridle attach points to launch so fairly backwards compatible), but with no external boost they are very fuel thirsty launches and puts some pressure on steaming speed to assist with forward velocity. It you have a catapult before a ski ramp, you can get over the velocity hole. Doing this with a steam catapult is annoying due to the curve, but EMALS is amenable to a curved track. Though carrier ops prefer a flat forward area as additional parking/positioning space, and nobody has ever seriously proposed a variable/collapsible ramp as an alternative.

  26. Well you can have a ski ramp and a catapult side by side you know.You can even have an EMALS leading into a ski ramp. Ski ramp launches do have their merits (in theory only need a tailhook no launch bar or bridle attach points to launch so fairly backwards compatible) but with no external boost they are very fuel thirsty launches and puts some pressure on steaming speed to assist with forward velocity. It you have a catapult before a ski ramp you can get over the velocity hole. Doing this with a steam catapult is annoying due to the curve but EMALS is amenable to a curved track. Though carrier ops prefer a flat forward area as additional parking/positioning space and nobody has ever seriously proposed a variable/collapsible ramp as an alternative.

  27. Hence the line “Our land is girt by sea” in the national anthem. Which is SO MUCH BETTER than “Our land shares a border with Iran, China, Mongolia and North Korea” which only leaves out Germany and France for the full rogue’s gallery.

  28. Note that Australia has 2 ski ramp aircraft carriers as well. Full sized ones, not models. HMAS Canberra and HMAS Adelaide. Doesn’t have any carrier fighter jets to fly off the carriers, but the carriers are fine and operational.

  29. Russia likes to count how many nations have “invaded” it (sometime disingenuously) but most European countries are in the same category. And we are not counting how many countries Russia (or the USSR) have invaded. I have no doubt that without the USA the Soviets would have occupied Europe by 1946 – and remember, Hitler didn’t start WWII, it was Hitler and Stalin.

  30. Hence the line Our land is girt by sea”” in the national anthem. Which is SO MUCH BETTER than “”””Our land shares a border with Iran”” China”” Mongolia and North Korea”””” which only leaves out Germany and France for the full rogue’s gallery.”””

  31. Note that Australia has 2 ski ramp aircraft carriers as well. Full sized ones not models.HMAS Canberra and HMAS Adelaide.Doesn’t have any carrier fighter jets to fly off the carriers but the carriers are fine and operational.

  32. Russia likes to count how many nations have invaded”” it (sometime disingenuously)but most European countries are in the same category. And we are not counting howmany countries Russia (or the USSR) have invaded. I have no doubt that without the USA the Soviets would have occupied Europe by 1946 – and remember”” Hitler didn’tstart WWII”” it was Hitler and Stalin.”””

  33. Russia likes to count how many nations have “invaded” it (sometime disingenuously) but most European countries are in the same category. And we are not counting how many countries Russia (or the USSR) have invaded. I have no doubt that without the USA the Soviets would have occupied Europe by 1946 – and remember, Hitler didn’t start WWII, it was Hitler and Stalin.

  34. Russia likes to count how many nations have invaded”” it (sometime disingenuously)but most European countries are in the same category. And we are not counting howmany countries Russia (or the USSR) have invaded. I have no doubt that without the USA the Soviets would have occupied Europe by 1946 – and remember”” Hitler didn’tstart WWII”” it was Hitler and Stalin.”””

  35. Hence the line “Our land is girt by sea” in the national anthem. Which is SO MUCH BETTER than “Our land shares a border with Iran, China, Mongolia and North Korea” which only leaves out Germany and France for the full rogue’s gallery.

  36. Hence the line Our land is girt by sea”” in the national anthem. Which is SO MUCH BETTER than “”””Our land shares a border with Iran”” China”” Mongolia and North Korea”””” which only leaves out Germany and France for the full rogue’s gallery.”””

  37. Note that Australia has 2 ski ramp aircraft carriers as well. Full sized ones, not models. HMAS Canberra and HMAS Adelaide. Doesn’t have any carrier fighter jets to fly off the carriers, but the carriers are fine and operational.

  38. Note that Australia has 2 ski ramp aircraft carriers as well. Full sized ones not models.HMAS Canberra and HMAS Adelaide.Doesn’t have any carrier fighter jets to fly off the carriers but the carriers are fine and operational.

  39. Well you can have a ski ramp and a catapult side by side you know. You can even have an EMALS leading into a ski ramp. Ski ramp launches do have their merits (in theory only need a tailhook, no launch bar or bridle attach points to launch so fairly backwards compatible), but with no external boost they are very fuel thirsty launches and puts some pressure on steaming speed to assist with forward velocity. It you have a catapult before a ski ramp, you can get over the velocity hole. Doing this with a steam catapult is annoying due to the curve, but EMALS is amenable to a curved track. Though carrier ops prefer a flat forward area as additional parking/positioning space, and nobody has ever seriously proposed a variable/collapsible ramp as an alternative.

  40. Well you can have a ski ramp and a catapult side by side you know.You can even have an EMALS leading into a ski ramp. Ski ramp launches do have their merits (in theory only need a tailhook no launch bar or bridle attach points to launch so fairly backwards compatible) but with no external boost they are very fuel thirsty launches and puts some pressure on steaming speed to assist with forward velocity. It you have a catapult before a ski ramp you can get over the velocity hole. Doing this with a steam catapult is annoying due to the curve but EMALS is amenable to a curved track. Though carrier ops prefer a flat forward area as additional parking/positioning space and nobody has ever seriously proposed a variable/collapsible ramp as an alternative.

  41. That’s true. I grew up with Churchill’s history of the war which may have given me a rather slanted viewpoint.

  42. That’s true. I grew up with Churchill’s history of the war which may have given me a rather slanted viewpoint.

  43. Hitler invaded Poland from the west, Stalin from the east in 1939. They were allies under the Molotov-Ribbentrop non-aggression pact until Hitler attacked the USSR.

  44. Hitler invaded Poland from the west Stalin from the east in 1939. They were allies under the Molotov-Ribbentrop non-aggression pact until Hitler attacked the USSR.

  45. Look, I am Australian. Our Gross Domestic Product is about 2.5 trillion. I understand that Russia is about 2.7 trillion – despite having a lot more people and straddling the largest land mass of any nation. Could Australia be a global power like Russia? Could we huge standing army, advance airforce, nuclear parity with the USA, space faring, occupation of neighboring countries etc..? Yes, if every Australian suffered a dramatic decline in living standards. And that is the problem with Russia – it doesn’t have a military industrial complex, it IS a military industrial complex.

  46. Look I am Australian. Our Gross Domestic Product is about 2.5 trillion. I understand that Russia is about 2.7 trillion – despite having a lot more people and straddling the largest land mass of any nation.Could Australia be a global power like Russia? Could we huge standing army advance airforce nuclear parity with the USA space faring occupation of neighboring countries etc..?Yes if every Australian suffered a dramatic decline in living standards. And that is the problem with Russia – it doesn’t have a military industrial complex it IS a military industrial complex.

  47. I have no doubt that EMALS will work correctly in the end. The larger issue is the underlying design that requires the entire system to be offlined to service or repair any part of it.

  48. I have no doubt that EMALS will work correctly in the end. The larger issue is the underlying design that requires the entire system to be offlined to service or repair any part of it.

  49. Hitler attacked Poland in 1939. He attacked the Soviet Union in 1941. I don’t see where Stalin started the war.

  50. Hitler attacked Poland in 1939. He attacked the Soviet Union in 1941. I don’t see where Stalin started the war.

  51. Russia likes to count how many nations have “invaded” it (sometime disingenuously)
    but most European countries are in the same category. And we are not counting how
    many countries Russia (or the USSR) have invaded. I have no doubt that without the
    USA the Soviets would have occupied Europe by 1946 – and remember, Hitler didn’t
    start WWII, it was Hitler and Stalin.

  52. Hence the line “Our land is girt by sea” in the national anthem.

    Which is SO MUCH BETTER than “Our land shares a border with Iran, China, Mongolia and North Korea” which only leaves out Germany and France for the full rogue’s gallery.

  53. Note that Australia has 2 ski ramp aircraft carriers as well. Full sized ones, not models.

    HMAS Canberra and HMAS Adelaide.

    Doesn’t have any carrier fighter jets to fly off the carriers, but the carriers are fine and operational.

  54. Just did a quick google and Australia has about 1/5th the population of Russia. That is a significant difference in living standards. Yeah, skip it for now. Ha!

  55. Just did a quick google and Australia has about 1/5th the population of Russia.That is a significant difference in living standards. Yeah skip it for now. Ha!

  56. Well you can have a ski ramp and a catapult side by side you know.

    You can even have an EMALS leading into a ski ramp. Ski ramp launches do have their merits (in theory only need a tailhook, no launch bar or bridle attach points to launch so fairly backwards compatible), but with no external boost they are very fuel thirsty launches and puts some pressure on steaming speed to assist with forward velocity. It you have a catapult before a ski ramp, you can get over the velocity hole. Doing this with a steam catapult is annoying due to the curve, but EMALS is amenable to a curved track. Though carrier ops prefer a flat forward area as additional parking/positioning space, and nobody has ever seriously proposed a variable/collapsible ramp as an alternative.

  57. Okay, but how many land borders does Australia have? If it had as many as Russia, maybe its perspective might be different

  58. Okay but how many land borders does Australia have? If it had as many as Russia maybe its perspective might be different

  59. Hitler invaded Poland from the west, Stalin from the east in 1939. They were allies under the Molotov-Ribbentrop non-aggression pact until Hitler attacked the USSR.

  60. In the end, why should the US worry, Chinese and Russian military tactics are akin to those of Zapp Brannigan. “I sent wave after wave of my own men at them until they reached their (kill) limit and shut down. Kif, show them the medal I won.” “When I am in command, son, every mission is a suicide mission.

  61. In the end why should the US worry Chinese and Russian military tactics are akin to those of Zapp Brannigan. I sent wave after wave of my own men at them until they reached their (kill) limit and shut down. Kif”” show them the medal I won.”” “”””When I am in command”” son”” every mission is a suicide mission.”””””””

  62. Look, I am Australian. Our Gross Domestic Product is about 2.5 trillion. I understand that Russia is about 2.7 trillion – despite having a lot more people and straddling the largest land mass of any nation.
    Could Australia be a global power like Russia? Could we huge standing army, advance airforce, nuclear parity with the USA, space faring, occupation of neighboring countries etc..?
    Yes, if every Australian suffered a dramatic decline in living standards.
    And that is the problem with Russia – it doesn’t have a military industrial complex, it IS a military industrial complex.

  63. I have no doubt that EMALS will work correctly in the end. The larger issue is the underlying design that requires the entire system to be offlined to service or repair any part of it.

  64. The US has itself been having trouble with the EMALS on the USS Gerald R Ford. Catapults are notoriously troublesome – look at the downtime for the steam catapults on the various US aircraft carriers.

  65. The US has itself been having trouble with the EMALS on the USS Gerald R Ford. Catapults are notoriously troublesome – look at the downtime for the steam catapults on the various US aircraft carriers.

  66. Isn’t there some natural limit to the beam”” (width) of an aircraft carrier”””” due to roll at sea?”””

  67. Just did a quick google and Australia has about 1/5th the population of Russia.

    That is a significant difference in living standards. Yeah, skip it for now. Ha!

  68. Uh, that’s definitely not a catamaran carrier, since it appears to have a single bow but two stern shapes associated with the rudder/propeller block, and doesn’t seem to be a trimaran where the center hull ends early. There’s some weirdness with the stern to be sure (lotta overhang, not a straight stern or with a platypus tail). Some kind of hybrid hull shape perhaps, a more extreme tunnel stern?

  69. Uh that’s definitely not a catamaran carrier since it appears to have a single bow but two stern shapes associated with the rudder/propeller block and doesn’t seem to be a trimaran where the center hull ends early. There’s some weirdness with the stern to be sure (lotta overhang not a straight stern or with a platypus tail). Some kind of hybrid hull shape perhaps a more extreme tunnel stern?

  70. The Russians can’t even scrape up enough rubles to hire a decent PowerPoint artist to spin their bogus vaporware with. To think that we use to actually FEAR these people….

  71. The Russians can’t even scrape up enough rubles to hire a decent PowerPoint artist to spin their bogus vaporware with.To think that we use to actually FEAR these people….

  72. In the end, why should the US worry, Chinese and Russian military tactics are akin to those of Zapp Brannigan.
    “I sent wave after wave of my own men at them until they reached their (kill) limit and shut down. Kif, show them the medal I won.”

    “When I am in command, son, every mission is a suicide mission.”

  73. The US has itself been having trouble with the EMALS on the USS Gerald R Ford. Catapults are notoriously troublesome – look at the downtime for the steam catapults on the various US aircraft carriers.

  74. Uh, that’s definitely not a catamaran carrier, since it appears to have a single bow but two stern shapes associated with the rudder/propeller block, and doesn’t seem to be a trimaran where the center hull ends early. There’s some weirdness with the stern to be sure (lotta overhang, not a straight stern or with a platypus tail). Some kind of hybrid hull shape perhaps, a more extreme tunnel stern?

  75. The Russians can’t even scrape up enough rubles to hire a decent PowerPoint artist to spin their bogus vaporware with.

    To think that we use to actually FEAR these people….

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