Notable Point · 40:39-42:03

Six hundred Yak-38 sorties in mission context

A Kiev-class carrier sustained 600 Forger sorties on a five-month transfer despite a small air group, short airframe life and maintenance demands.

Aircraft Maintenance Carrier Groups Carrier Operations Invincible Class Aircraft Carriers Kiev Class Aircraft Carriers Naval Aviation Sortie Generation Soviet Navy Yak 38 Forger

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Notes

A Kiev-class carrier recorded 600 Yak-38 sorties while sailing from Kola Bay to Vladivostok between October 1983 and February 1984. Across roughly 150 days, that works out to about four sorties per day. The rate was poor beside expectations for a US carrier or an Invincible-class Harrier force. Its significance depends on the Forger's short airframe life, maintenance burden, small embarked group, and the Kiev class's different mission. Sustaining those flights for five months provided experience in spotting and checking contacts while keeping the aircraft operational.