Soviet aircraft carrier Minsk

USS Elliot (DD-967) conducting surveillance operations against the Soviet aircraft carrier Minsk.

Minsk is an aircraft carrier that served the Soviet Navy from 1978 to 1994. It was the second Kiev-class vessel to be built.

History

Minsk was laid down in 1972, launched on 30 September 1975, completed on 27 September 1978, and decommissioned on 30 June 1993.

Minsk operated in the Pacific Fleet. She had to be retired as a result of a major accident which could only be repaired at Chernomorksi's facility, located in the newly-independent Ukraine. In 1995 she was sold to a South Korean businessman, and later resold to Shenzhen Minsk Aircraft Carrier Industry Co Ltd, China. Until 2006, when the company went bankrupt, Minsk was part of a military theme park in Shatoujiao, Shenzhen called "Minsk World". The aircraft carrier was put up for auction on 22 March 2006. No bids at the starting price of 128 million RMB (approx. 16 million U.S. dollars) were received, so the carrier was withdrawn from sale. On 31 May 2006, the Soviet aircraft carrier was finally auctioned off in Shenzhen for 128 million RMBFormer Soviet aircraft carrier sold in China for $16mln

General characteristics

* Builder: Chernomorskiy yard, Nikolayev
* Power Plant: 4 shaft geared steam turbines, 140,000 hp,
* Length: 273,1 m overall
* Beam: 31.0 m
* Draft: 8.2 m
* Displacement: 42,000 tons full load
* Speed: 32 knots
* Endurance: 13500 miles at 18 kt
* Armament: 4 x SN12 SSM (24 missiles), 2 x SAN3 SAM (72 missiles), 2 x SAN4 SAM, (40 missiles), 4 76mm guns (2x2), 8 x 30mm gatling guns, 10 x 533mm torpedo tubes, 1 x SUW ASW mortar
* Aircraft: 32
** 12 Yak-38M - fighter aircraft
** 20 helicopters

References

See also

*List of aircraft carriers
** List of aircraft carriers of Russia and the Soviet Union
*The following articles are about fates of other decommissioned ships.
**(Brazilian) Aircraft carrier Minas Gerais
**Soviet aircraft carrier Kiev
**Soviet aircraft carrier Varyag

External links

* Some photos from the Minsk World (Minsk Aircraft Theme park)
* "Bids fall short for ex-Soviet aircraft carrier"