TRUMPETER
TRUMPETER USSR MINSK AIRCRAFT CARRIER - PLASTIC MODEL TO BUILD 05703 SCALE 1:700
Minsk was a Soviet light aircraft carrier with classical propulsion. The keel was laid under this ship in 1972, the launch took place in September 1975 and the entry into service took place in 1978. The total length of the ship was 273 meters, the overall width was 32.7 meters and its displacement total was approximately 38,000 tons. The maximum speed was up to 32 knots. Onboard armament included: 4 twin SS-N-12 rocket launchers, two twin SA-N-3 rocket launchers, two twin 76.2 mm cannons and eight sets of 30 mm AK-630. The aircraft carrier could take on board up to 28 aircraft, including, for example, Ka-25 or Ka-27 helicopters or Jak-38 aircraft. Minsk was the second largest Kijew (Kiev, project 1143) class aircraft carrier. This type of unit was built based on the experience gained from the operation of Moscow-class air cruisers. Similarly to them, they have a powerful on-board armament, corresponding to more than one destroyer of the time, but they also have a much larger airlift that allows the operation of Yak-38 aircraft. The main task of Kijew-type ships was to fight submarines (ZOP), especially American SSBN units armed with Polaris missiles. In peacetime, they mainly played a propaganda role and were supposed to represent the naval power of the Soviet Union. One of the ships of this class, namely Minsk, was built on the Black Sea in Nikolaev. Shortly after entering service, Minsk was assigned to the Black Sea Fleet, but in 1979 it was transferred to the Pacific Fleet. In the years 1981-1982, after a series of Yak-38 accidents, the architecture of the launch deck of the aircraft carrier was changed. In the years 1982-1983 the unit operated in the Indian Ocean basin and in 1986 represented the Soviet flag in the DPRK during a courtesy visit. A major overhaul of Minsk was planned in the early 1990s, but the unit was finally decommissioned in 1993. The decommissioned vessel was purchased by one of the Chinese companies, towed to the PRC and transformed into a museum ship and entertainment, a role it has held since 2000.