The Yak-38 had not provided enough capability for Soviet ambitions in naval aviation. Kuznetsov offered a way to support diplomacy and cultivate alliances, particularly with India and African states. A carrier could provide that presence without the cost of constructing an overseas base. The trouble associated with Soviet bases in Cuba supplies the political background for preferring a mobile platform. In this argument, the carrier's main justification was global influence rather than matching the U.S. Navy carrier for carrier. Its expense also contributed to the procurement burden linked to Gorshkov's fall.
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Kuznetsov and Gorshkov's fall
Kuznetsov promised a stronger carrier presence for global diplomacy, while its cost contributed to the pressures surrounding Gorshkov's fall.