Moskva-class helicopter carrier
The Moskva class, Soviet designation Project 1123 Kondor, was the first class of operational aircraft carriers built by the Soviet Union for the Soviet Navy.
These ships were laid down at Nikolayev South. The lead vessel was launched in 1965 and named vessels, and her weapons and sensor suite was optimized against the nuclear submarine threat. Their strategic role was to defend the Soviet ballistic missile submarine bastions against incursions by Western attack sumbarines, forming the flagships of an ASW task force.
Design
The operational requirement was issued by Admiral Sergey Gorshkov in 1959. The aim of the ships was to counter NATO Polaris submarines and act as a flagship for anti-submarine warfare. Initially it was hoped to operate ten helicopters from an 8000 ton ship. The design evolved into a larger vessel capable of operating up to 14 helicopters with self defence armament.Armament
Shipboard ASW armament included a twin SUW-N-1 launcher capable of delivering a FRAS-1 projectile carrying a torpedo ; a pair of RBU-6000 ASW mortars; and a set of torpedo tubes. For self-defence, the Moskvas had two twin SA-N-3 surface-to-air missile launchers with reloads for a total of 48 surface-to-air missiles, along with two twin /80 guns.Propulsion
Gas turbines were considered but were as yet untried in such a large vessel. Instead a high pressure steam plant similar to that used by the s was used. The machinery of Moskva had severe problems and had to be rebuilt in 1973 following a fire. Operational performance was disappointing with a practical maximum speed of and maximum sustainable speed. Sea keeping was also disappointing.Ships
Both vessels were part of the Black Sea Fleet. Leningrad was retired in 1991 and Moskva in 1996. Leningrad was scrapped in 1995 and Moskva in 1997. A third ship to be named Kiev was cancelled in 1969, which was to have been an anti-surface warfare vessel. The Moskva class was succeeded by the larger.| Name | Namesake | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Fate |
| City of Moscow | Soviet Shipyard No. 444, Mykolaiv | 15 December 1962 | 14 January 1965 | 25 December 1967 | Broken up at Alang, 1997 | |
| City of Leningrad | Soviet Shipyard No. 444, Mykolaiv | 15 January 1965 | 31 July 1968 | 2 June 1969 | Broken up, Greece, 1995 | |
| Kiev | City of Kiev | Soviet Shipyard No. 444, Mykolaiv | December 1967 | Cancelled 1969 |