[sukhoi-30mki]

Yak-141

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

Yakety Yak, don’t fly that!

Yakolev. How’d that flying banana Yak 9 work out for you? I think the Yak 12 or 15 was just as bad.

Stick to Ob Ugrian herders. They know how to handle Yaks, and can milk them too.

[Army Air Corps]

I wonder if they’ll pick-up where they left off with the Yak-141 or if Yakovlev shall start with a clean slate.

[Noob1999]

I’ve always wondered how that upturned end of runway deck has worked for the Russians? Seems to me better than a flat-top as the planes wings provide a better angle to provide more lift.

[DesertRhino]

A waste of money on their part if you ask me. They have no lines of communication or overseas interests demanding an aircraft carrier. Just the same as we have no need to fill CONUS with SAM missile sites.

We won’t be attacked at home by enemy aircraft, and they have no need to have fixed wing off a carrier that I can see. Syria is a fine example. They had a land base closer when they flew from Kuznetsov.

Their naval need is to interdict our atlantic sea lanes if we wanted a land war with them. That says “buy attack submarines”. Their other need is destroyer or heavy patrol craft to protect their coastlines.

[DesertRhino]

Maybe they hope to sell them internationally to small carrier operating nations?

[Garth Tater]

Today, Su-33 and MiG-29 aircraft are the backbone of aircraft carriers, specifically, the Admiral Kuznetsov.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the Admiral K their only carrier? Maybe they should wait to see if she survives the coming Syrian dust up before they start thinking about developing new planes for her. JMHO

[Churchillspirit]

A Harrier-yak?

[Crucial]

This is the future. Smaller carriers and vertical takeoff aircraft means you can have more vessels and probably near equivalent air capability with each vessel.

[poinq]

Expect to damage the ship and kill a few sailors to boot. Vertical take off works better on land. If you want to have a small quick attack force you can try the attack helicopter or jet/helicopter hybrid. Because a lifting blade that pivots works better on a ship than a jet engine that pivots. The reason is that a blade pulls itself up, while a jet pushes off the ground. Therefor there is far less blow back from a blade than a jet. And jet blow back can damage ships, surrounding planes and cause casualties.

[WASCWatch]

The building and operations of super-carriers is really, really hard to do; and only the United States Navy can do it in this day and age.

Russians may be going this route because they know it is impossible for them to build and operate carriers.

[doorgunner69]

You might think the Russians would have second thoughts about giving Yak the contract after their first abortion.

[Little Ray]

I was going to say, they already had a good start on that!