Black on blue: Russian aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov" smokes the sky and the ocean

The aircraft carrier became a permanent problem in the Naval Fleet of Russia. But despite the fact that the ship is outdated in many understanding, Moscow still seeks to preserve this maritime asset. The Russian aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov" is sad that the thick black smoke is erupting - this looks like the work of its outdated power plant on fuel fuel. Focus has translated the article of the former Congress employee and geopolitical analyst Brandon J.

Weikhert about the Aviral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, which became a permanent problem of the Russian military fleet. Despite its ineffectiveness, Russia continues to invest in aircraft carrier, seeking at any cost to preserve such an outdated naval asset. Putting thick black smoke into the blue-blue sky, the Russian aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov" furrows the oceans, leaving behind a coal-black strip, which is seen by all its potential opponents.

It is a unique sight in the oceans, because most modern warships do not leave behind such dirt that is visible to the naked eye. But Admiral Kuznetsov is a rare and unique vessel. Not in the sense of value, but in the sense of the cost of its support. An aging, old aircraft carrier left over from the last days of the Soviet Union, Kuznetsov smokes the sky through its archaic force setting.

Kuznetsov works on fuel-a fuel similar to a resin, which is an indirect product of the oil processing process and is widely used for industrial and commercial purposes, such as heating and electricity production. Fuel oil is commonly used on large vessels and power plants. The fuel oil has a high sulfur content and is known for its thick, black smoky emissions.

During combustion, the fuel oil secretes a number of harmful contaminants into the air, including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and solid particles. These pollutants have a significant impact on the quality of the air and can contribute to a number of health problems, including respiratory diseases, heart disease and cancer. In addition to the impact on the quality of the air, the fuel oil can have a negative impact on water quality.

In the event of a spill or leak into the reservoir that "Admiral Kuznetsov" regularly and unceremoniously does, the fuel oil can form an oil spot that can harm water inhabitants and disrupt the surrounding ecosystem. Thus, the war of Russia with both neighbors and the environment continues even in the 21st century. The use of fuel oil on Admiral Kuznetsov causes a lot of controversy, as it contributes to the deterioration of the environmental characteristics of the ship.

Indeed, fuel oil, unlike other fuels used for warships, greatly limits the combat capabilities of a Russian fleet that dies, although it is relatively common and cheap. The decision to use fuel oil on Admiral Kuznets is probably due to several factors. Yes, it is common in Russia and cheap. But another possible reason is that the use of fuel oil was an attempt by Soviet engineers to simplify the aircraft carrier.

Gas turbine engines are usually produced to work on lighter and cleaner fuels, while the use of fuel oil could be considered as a way to reduce the complexity of the ship (and, therefore, to reduce its construction and maintenance). When the Soviets Produced "Admiral Kuznetsov", they did it rather for test purposes, without planning to start a new trend in the Soviet fleet.

If the Admiral K project proved to be successful (and, more importantly, if the USSR did not break up when it happened), Admiral would initiate the mass aircraft carrier operations of the Soviet Red Fleet challenging the US fleet. Since the USSR suddenly broke up, and after that the cloudy decade of despair (from which Russia is only selected now), Moscow was forced to keep even an outdated warship.

When - and if - the Russians really increase their aircraft dishering potential, we can expect that the next party of Russian aircraft carriers will be much more complicated and reliable than the current "Admiral Kuznetsov". At the same time, Russia has never been (and probably will never be) a maritime state. In view of this, it will be better for Russians to prefer land, cosmic and air forces, not the naval fleet.

Perhaps they should just focus on the construction of submarines and small surface ships, since the Russians understand better than waste operations with aircraft carriers. However, Moscow's decision to spend so much money by keeping the sinking "Admiral Kuznetsov", points to the frankly strange love of Moscow for "Admiral", which is not amenable to strategic logic and common sense. Brandon J.

Weikhert is a national security analyst, a former Congress employee and a geopolitical analyst who writes for The Washington Times, Asia Times and The-Pipeline. Author of the books "Winning Space: How America Remains a SuperPower", "Biohacked: China's Race to Control Life" and "The Shadow War: Iran's Quest for Supremacy". His next book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How The West Lost Ukraine, will be published by Encounter Books. Wayerrt can be monitored on Twitter: @wethebrandon.