Novorossiysk in 1986
Novorossiysk was a conventionally powered heavy aircraft carrying cruiser or aircraft carrier that served the Soviet navy, and later the Russian navy, from 1982 to 1993. She was the third Kiev class vessel to be built. She was designed to engage in offensive actions as a guided missile cruiser mostly using her deck mounted missiles as well as support anti-submarine and surface actions with her embarked air group.
History
Novorossiysk was laid down at the former Soviet Black sea shipyard in Mykolaiv, Ukraine on 30 September 1975, launched on 24 December 1978, commissioned on 12 September 1982, and decommissioned in June 1993. The third ship in her class she served in the Soviet Pacific fleet.
In March 1985, the Novorossiysk and escorting battle group departed the Sea of Japan, sailed to the south of Okinawa and then west across the Pacific. After approximately eight days, the ships turned and headed northwest toward the Kuril Islands, simulating an enemy carrier strike against the Soviet Union. As the Novorossiysk approached the islands, about 700 miles east of Japan, Soviet bear bombers flew reconnaissance missions near the battle group and helped vector some 20 blackfire bombers to their targets, practising the Soviet strategy of bomber launched anti-ship missile warfare. A U.S. Navy description of the Novorossisysk exercise notes that "The force was hit by simulated air strikes and probably by submarines firing torpedoes and cruise missiles from 1,120 km east of Japan, on 14 April. They came at it with submarines and aircraft--everything they had."
In 1995 the Novorossiysk hulk, which had suffered a serious engine room fire, was sold for scrapping, and was broken up in 1997 at Pohang, South korea.