MOSCOW. May 16 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Navy is launching a project to develop a new aircraft carrier, Navy Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Kuroyedov told Interfax-Military News Agency.
"We are beginning work to develop a new aircraft carrier in 2005. Construction is to begin after 2010," Kuroyedov said.
He declined to say how many aircraft carriers the navy will have, saying: "The more, the better."
"We are launching this development project and will involve leading experts to find out which materials and weapons we'll need and how many aircraft carriers should be built," he said.
Kuroyedov earlier told journalists that the navy is planning to put the new carrier into service in the Northern Fleet by 2016-17. Another carrier will be built for the Pacific Fleet, he said. "Deck aviation has a good future. A new multi-purpose aircraft will be created in a few years," Kuroyedov said.
The Russian Navy currently has only one aircraft-carrying cruiser, the Admiral Kuznetsov. The ship was supplied to the Navy in 1993 and is capable of carrying up to 52 aircraft, including Sukhoi Su-33 fighters and Kamov Ka-27 helicopters.