The US Navy’s Sixth Fleet closely monitored the Russian aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, in the Mediterranean Sea in 2011 out of concern that the ship might start sinking, as reported by Brandon Weichert in The National Interest. The Americans were not worried about the Russian military’s prowess, but rather the stability of the warship itself.
Photo: National Archives and Records Administration by Lt. Mitchell, U.S.Navy, PDM
“The Sixth Fleet was ordered to track the carrier and be prepared to render aid whenever the ship eventually sank,” wrote Weichert.
In recent reports, it was mentioned that the Russian Navy is forming aircrews for the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier and plans to transfer the repaired and modernized ship back to service by late 2024.
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Admiral Kuznetsov, originally named Riga, is an aircraft carrier serving as the flagship of the Russian navy. Built in 1985, it became fully operational in 1995 and is currently undergoing repairs since 2018.