Soviet naval aviation and the geography of carrier need

The operational case for Soviet carriers differed by geography. The Baltic and Black Sea offered confined waters, limited maneuver space, and dense access to land-based aircraft, making battleships or shore aviation more attractive than a carrier. A fleet entering the Black Sea might value a carrier only if allied airfields were unavailable. The Northern and Pacific fleets faced far larger operating areas and much thinner infrastructure. There, a carrier could act as mobile aviation infrastructure for reconnaissance and support, giving the same ship type a stronger operational case.