IDonT

The old Soviet carriers of the Kiev class are used as heavy cruisers than actual carriers. The airwing itself plays a secondary and support role to its main batteries of heavy long range anti-ship missiles. The airwing provides additional and extended air and subsurface defence that compliments the large defensive armaments of the Kiev.

The Kuznetsov class carriers are the ultimate culmination of these design. This "aircraft carrying heavy missile cruiser" uses the SU-33 as the another layer of defence against air attack along with concentric SAM missile defence. The classification itself is a dead giveaway as to how the ship was meant to be used. In the Soviet fleet, the airwing is SECONDARY. The main armament are the long range anti-ship batteries. In this regard, the Kirov, Kiev and Kuznetsov are the direct descendant of the battleship mentality.

Without its airwing, the Kuznetsov is still one of the most powerful warships afloat with 16 Shipwreck missiles and a large SAM batteries. The Nimitz, carrier in a pure sense, is useless without its airwing. There is a difference between an actual carrier than a cruiser that carries aircraft.