It is curious to see how some people here is obsessed with smaller aircraft carriers than the US has (better if they are only helicopter carriers), or..., if big aircraft carriers are done, they must be to counter China (as US tools).
WTF.
There is here a bench of "Russian supporters" that are sistematically talking against every real Russian ally.
Some real Russians see China as a potential threat... and why would they not... China is no buddy of Russia and acts in its own interests.
Therefore it is best to ensure Russia has capabilities to counter them if needed.
If not needed of course they can be used against other more real problems like the US and UK etc.
The US needs huge carriers to bomb countries and to mount invasions... they need 100K ton super carriers with large capacities of aircraft types for strike roles, and helicopter carriers to mount landings in places like Somalia and Grenada and Iraq etc etc.
The Russians don't need that... a decent ability to carry capable fighters to escort their ships and subs is what they need... any land attack can be mounted by cruise missiles... currently by Kalibr but later by hypersonic Zircon...the F-35 on US carriers wont match Mach -8 penetration of enemy air space performance...
A really big carrier is more expensive to buy and to operate... it offers capabilities the Russians wont need or even want.
Ok guys, here's the thing, i have been looking at the map and the only places i can see for Russia to one day build a true blue-water fleet are the Northern regions of Murmansk and the Kamchatka region, because i am not to sure of the amount of ice these places have i was asking whether any future carrier would have ice-breaking abilities.
On that note, i have been wanting to ask whether there are any major plans to expand the naval base in Kamchatka?
The russians have the worlds largest fleet of icebreakers... if they want to operate carrier groups in ice they could.
The Northern Fleet and Pacific fleets are the only places they would find carrier groups useful to operate from most of the time.
The Black Sea can be bottled up with little Effort via the Bos straight. also, a carrier fleet will never be deployed within the black sea.
Vladivostok can be locked down by Japan with Ease with US assistance try again.
Are you a bit slow?
The point of carrier groups is not to hang out around their port of origin... you sail them out into open water and resupply them there... they leave port in times of tension... times of tension is not a good time to try to bottle up a fleet in the Black Sea or Vladivostok... the reaction could be lethal.
And yet there are also people that are saying how China is somehow biggest Russian ally, based on what.. noone really knows.
There is little to no benefit in making China an enemy of Russia.
Holy crap, somebody painted map green !!!
Russian allies confirmed
The real problem is that so many have their brains locked in the cold war.
Russia can have friendly relations with Turkey and China and India and Pakistan and Taiwan and North and South Korea... it is the advantage of a no longer communist Russia that is just interested in commerce and cooperation with countries not looking to screw them like the west does.
That is different, they do not use Gulf as permanent base, its not their homeport, they are there on deployment.
True, but then the threat of a nuclear strike on any country that attacks their carrier group in port... say Vladivostok, would be an excellent deterrent against a country like say Japan who might think of supporting a pre-emptive self defence attack.
As such that port is no less or more safe than any other on the planet... US ports hosting super carriers will be glowing 30 minutes after kickoff... I doubt US allies near Russian ports could do worse to be honest.
Besides in WWIII carrier groups and a navy are not going to be worth shit to Russia anyway.
It is during peace time that it gives her power and capacities to do certain things that a lack of such things means she can't do.
Britain and the US didn't become great and then develop their navies... they became great because they developed great naval forces.
Air power means air cover for their ships and subs away from Russia, and it also means better air warning of threats... better sight with AWACS platforms (fixed or rotary) and better protection with fighter aircraft that can be sent out to investigate threats rather than just shoot them down.
Flexibility and of course better information in times of conflict and times of peace.