Soviet interest in the Kiev class and related aviation ships reflected the status attached to serious blue-water power. That prestige rested on operational utility. Aircraft allowed a task group to defend itself, gather information, and influence events at distances surface weapons could not always reach. Those capabilities made other states take the fleet more seriously. The Soviet example ties naval diplomacy to the practical value of embarked aviation.
Notable Point · 40:20-40:53
Why the Soviet Union pursued Kiev-class aviation ships
The Kiev class carried prestige because aviation ships gave Soviet task groups genuine reach, defence, and international credibility.