Flight Tests Reported on Soviet Carrier
The Soviet Union is believed to be conducting flight tests from its first full-scale aircraft carrier, Western naval sources report.
They said the 65,000-ton Tbilisi is the first of at least three such carriers planned for the Soviet navy, which up to now has relied on submarines as its main offensive and defensive force.
“Tbilisi is at sea, apparently conducting sea trials with prototype aircraft,” one source said Wednesday. “This is what we would expect, but if anything the Soviets are a little ahead of schedule.”
The vessel, with angled and “ski-jump” flight decks, would probably be deployed eventually with the Northern Fleet based at Murmansk, near the Arctic Circle. Equipped at least with SU-27 “Flanker” jets, the Tblisi is likely to take about five years to become fully operational as a command and control center.
They said the Tbilisi’s sister ship, Riga, is being fitted out at the Nikolayev yard while a third is in an early stage of construction.
The vessel will be capable of carrying about 60 combat jets and helicopters.
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