The Aircraft Carrier That Isn’t An Aircraft Carrier

YouTube / Not What You Think

It is, but it isn’t

How can a ship that looks and functions like an aircraft carrier not be called an aircraft carrier? Well, that is the story of the Russian carrier Admiral Kuznetsov.

The ship has an unreliable propulsion system that forces it to be accompanied by a giant tugboat in case of emergencies. Interestingly enough, the tugboats did actually help when the ship broke down in 2012. 

Regardless, this ship – by all accounts, IS an aircraft carrier. However, Russia had to classify it as a “Heavy Aircraft Cruiser” just so they could leave the Black Sea through the Turkish Straits without violating the Montreux Convention which prohibits the passage of carriers heavier than 15,000 tons through the straits.

They’re not fooling anyone with a ship that big!