Could a ski jump improve the Yak-38?

Would ski-jump takeoff have improved the Yak-38 Forger?

A ski jump could help, but adapting the aircraft and sacrificing some Kiev-class missile capacity would force a choice between aviation performance and cruiser armament.

The Yak-38 was designed around vertical takeoff and landing, although it could make rolling takeoffs. Exploiting a ski jump would probably require adjustments to its systems. On the Kiev class, the arrangement of the missile launchers creates a further problem with blast deflection and deck layout. One estimate is that accommodating the ramp would cost about two missiles from the ship's launch capacity. The personal preference expressed here favors accepting that loss for the aviation benefit, while the Soviet emphasis on cruiser armament would probably favor retaining the missiles.