Russian aircraft carriers will have the densest interceptor network

Russian Navy Deputy Commander-in-Chief Viktor Bursuk said last week that the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier will be equipped with Pantsir-ME short-range air defense systems during its modernization,Diplomatreport

The Russian Defense Ministry signed a contract with the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) to modernize and overhaul the Admiral Kuznetsov in April, after long delays due to contract disputes. The work will be carried out at the shipyard in Severodvinsk, northern Russia.

Pantsir-ME is the naval version of the Pantsir-S1 missile and gun system, which is notable for its ability to intercept missiles in rough sea conditions, even during storms. The components of Pantsir-ME are more compact than the original version, and are covered with materials that are resistant to seawater corrosion.

The big difference lies in the rate of fire of the gun. The Pantsir-S1 variant only has a rate of fire of 4,800 rounds/minute, while the Pantsir-ME is capable of firing up to 10,000 rounds/minute.

This allows the naval version to create a thicker bullet screen, increasing the ability to hit hypersonic missiles or missiles with complex flight trajectories. However, the number of combat missiles on the Pantsir-ME is reduced to only 8, instead of 12 like the Pantsir-S model.

Pantsir-ME can track and destroy four targets at the same time, including manned and unmanned aircraft, smart bombs and anti-ship missiles. The maximum range of the missile is 20 km, while the gun has an effective range of about 4 km.

In addition to the Pantsir-ME systems, the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier will be equipped with completely new propulsion systems, pumps and combat control complexes. The ship is expected to leave the shipyard in 2021.

In 2017, the Russian Defense Ministry cut the budget for modernizing the country's only aircraft carrier by half, with current investment at around $400-600 million. As a result, the Admiral Kuznetsov's electronic warfare, communications, intelligence, and navigation systemsmay not be upgraded.

In addition, diplomatic tensions between Russia and Ukraine have left the country lacking technical support from Ukraine, the country that built the Admiral Kuznetsov under the Soviet Union, making it unlikely that the aircraft carrier will leave the shipyard for overhaul in 2021.