Just wondering why:
1. The Russians only have 1 carrier
2. They have never really gone for the carrier as a means of power projection - even at the height of the cold war they were not using them
3. Why the Russian Navy (generally not just carriers) are not really seen around the world - unlike their US counterparts.................
Thoughts anyone ??
Arc
On the assumption it's a genuine question - and not a wah.....
1. Because that's the only one that had been completed when the USSR/CIS imploded 20-odd years ago. They hung on to it primarily for prestige and because, being non-nuclear, it was cheaper to keep "alive" than their submarines and large missile cruisers.
2. Primarily because when your land mass spans a good proportion of the globes circumference, most of the power projection you want to do can be achieved via land. A secondary reason was always that all they had to do was deny the free use of the sea to the US/NATO, much of which could be achieved by submarines (or threat thereof)
3. Because until relatively recently, they had no money to maintain ships, pay sailors, buy fuel. At all.