Moskva-class helicopter carrier

{{Short description|Soviet helicopter carrier class}}

{{about|helicopter carriers|the Moskva missile cruiser|Slava-class cruiser|other classes|Moskva class}}

{{redirect|Soviet helicopter carrier Kiev|the fixed-wing carrier|Soviet aircraft carrier Kiev|other ships|Kiev (ship)}}

{{more footnotes needed|date=January 2013}}

{{Infobox ship begin}} {{Infobox ship image |Ship image=File:DoD-Leningrad-DN-ST-90-07636 50pct.jpg |Ship caption=Leningrad underway in 1990. }} {{Infobox ship class overview |Name=Moskva class |Builders= |Operators=*{{navy|Soviet Union}} {{navy|Russia|1992}} |Class before= |Class after= *Merkuryy Delfin {{sclass2|Khalzan|helicopter carrier|4}} {{sclass|Kiev|aircraft carrier|4}} |Subclasses=Project 11780 |Cost= |Built range=1962–1969 |In service range=1967–1996 |In commission range= |Total ships building= |Total ships planned=3-12{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationalcoldwarexhibition.org/research/collections/moskva-class/|title = StackPath}} |Total ships completed= 2 |Total ships cancelled= 1 |Total ships active= |Total ships laid up= |Total ships lost= |Total ships retired= 2 |Total ships preserved= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption={{cite web|url=http://russianships.info/eng/warships/project_1123.htm|title=Project 1123 Kondor|website=russianships.info|access-date=22 July 2020}} |Ship type=Helicopter cruiser |Ship displacement=*11,920 tons standard 15,280 tons full load |Ship length={{convert|189|m|ft|abbr=on}} |Ship beam={{convert|34|m|ft|abbr=on}} |Ship draught={{convert|7.7|m|ft|abbr=on}} |Ship power= |Ship propulsion=2 × 45000 hp TV-12 steam turbines, 2 × fixed pitch propellers, 2 × 1500 kW TD-1500 turbine-type generators, 2 × 1500 kW diesel-generators |Ship speed={{convert|28.5|kn|km/h|0}} |Ship range={{convert|9,000|nmi|km|0}} at {{convert|15|kn|km/h|0}} |Ship endurance=15 days |Ship complement=850 |Ship time to activate= |Ship sensors=* MR-600 'Voskhod'/MR-310 'Angara-A' air/surface radar 'Don' navigation radar 'Gurzuf'/'Gurzuf-1' ESM radar system MRP-11-16 'Zaliv' ESM radar system 'Kremniy-2M' IFF ARP-50 radio direction finder MG-342 'Orion' or MG-325 'Vega' sonar MG-26 'Khosta' underwater communication system MVU-201 'Koren-1123' combat information control system |Ship EW= |Ship armament=*2 × twin SA-N-3 'Goblet' surface-to-air missile launchers 2 × twin {{convert|57|mm|in|abbr=on}}/80 guns 1 × SUW-N-1 launcher for FRAS-1 anti-submarine missiles 2 × RBU-6000 ASW rockets 10 × {{convert|553|mm|in|abbr=on|0}} torpedo tubes (2 × 5) 2 × ZIF-121 rocket launchers (PK-2 decoy) |Ship armour= |Ship aircraft=18 × Kamov Ka-25 'Hormone' or Mi-8 helicopters |Ship aircraft facilities=Hangar deck |Ship notes= }}

The Moskva class, Soviet designation Project 1123 Kondor (condor) and S-703 Project 1123M Kiev, was the first class of operational helicopter carriers (helicopter cruisers in the Soviet classification) built by the Soviet Union for the Soviet Navy.Jordan, John, 'Soviet Warships 1945 to Present', Revised & Expanded Edition, {{ISBN|1-85409-117-4}}, Published by Arms & Armour Press (London, UK), 1992

These ships were laid down at Nikolayev South (Shipyard No.444). The lead vessel was launched in 1965 and named {{ship|Soviet helicopter carrier|Moskva||2}} ({{langx|ru|Москва||Moscow}}); she entered service two years later. Moskva was followed by {{ship|Soviet helicopter carrier|Leningrad||2}} ({{langx|ru|Ленинград||Leningrad}}, which was commissioned in late 1968; there were no further vessels built, reportedly due to the poor handling of the ships in rough seas. Both were conventionally powered.

The Moskvas were not true "aircraft carriers" in that they did not carry any fixed-wing aircraft; the air wing was composed entirely of helicopters. They were designed primarily as anti-submarine warfare (ASW) vessels, and her weapons and sensor suite was optimized against the nuclear submarine threat. Their strategic role was to defend the Soviet ballistic missile submarine bastions against incursions by Western attack submarines, forming the flagships of an ASW task force.{{Cite web |last=Suciu |first=Peter |date=2023-12-23 |title=Moskva-Class: Russia's Aircraft Carrier That Really Isn't An Aircraft Carrier |url=https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/moskva-class-russias-aircraft-carrier-really-isnt-aircraft-carrier-208130 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240819234531/https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/moskva-class-russias-aircraft-carrier-really-isnt-aircraft-carrier-208130 |archive-date=2024-08-19 |access-date=2024-10-06 |website=The National Interest |language=en}}

As a result, the Moskva-class shouldn't be seen as an "aircraft carrier" in the traditional sense, as it wasn't designed to carry any fixed-wing aircraft. Instead its air wing was composed entirely of helicopters. The vessels were also designed primarily for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) role – to counter the NATO Polaris submarines – and to act as flagship for other ASW warships. As such the weapons and sensor suite was fully optimized against a nuclear submarine threat.

Moreover, instead of serving as part of the nation's force projection, the Soviet doctrine called for the warships to serve in a strategic role that included defending the Soviet ballistic missile submarine bastions against incursions by Western attack submarines.