On October 21, Russia's only aircraft carrier steamed through the English Channel on its way to Syria. Given the seemingly limited effectiveness of the 305-meter Admiral Kuznetsov, many analysts believe the attention that the vessel is generating is the real aim of its rare, and very public, outing.
Aboard The Admiral Kuznetsov
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The 305-meter Admiral Kuznetsov passing within sight of the white cliffs of Dover on October 21. The mission to the Syrian coast of the eastern Mediterranean will be the first-ever combat operation for this troubled relic of the Soviet Union.
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During the 1980s, the carrier and her sister craft, Varyag (pictured here), risked becoming stillborn projects as the U.S.S.R. neared collapse. The Varyag remained unfinished by the Soviet and Russian navies and was eventually sold to China, leaving the Kuznetsov as the sole aircraft carrier in the Russian Navy.
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Firefighters aboard the Admiral Kuznetsov. During a 2008-09 deployment, a blaze killed a sailor and then a large oil spill was spotted by the Irish coast guard near the Admiral Kuznetsov. Russia admitted responsibility, but the spill mostly broke up before reaching shore.
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A Sukhoi fighter landing on the deck of the Admiral Kuznetsov. In 2005, a fighter jet plummeted off the end of the carrier after an arresting cable snapped on landing. Both pilots escaped, but the plane plunged into 1-kilometer-deep water.