Six aircraft were too few to maintain a continuous combat air patrol. A small group could still fly out to search for and identify contacts before the ship fired its missiles. That check mattered in a gray-zone encounter where firing at an uncertain target could start a war. Carrier-borne Harriers and Japan's later addition of F-35s to the Izumo class followed similar identification logic. Within the Kiev's missile-centered force, the Yak-38 helped establish what the ship was about to engage.
Notable Point · 25:00-25:54
Why six Yak-38s could still help a missile cruiser
Six Forgers were too few for continuous combat air patrols, yet they could identify distant contacts before the Kiev group committed its missiles.