Russia does not plan building aircraft-carriers till 2015

The building of aircraft-carriers is not in Russia's long-term plans, a high-ranking source in the Russian naval headquarters told RIA Novosti.

"Now the naval headquarters sees the aircraft-carriers' only goal in retaining the pilots' flying experience", said the headquarters. In 2015 work in this direction may be continued.

Today the Russian navy has only one heavy aircraft-capable cruiser, The Admiral Kuznetsov, which is for the most of time under repair, said the source.

Before 2005 the navy plans laying down keels for new types of ships and starting their mass building in 2006.

"We are abandoning the building of different classes of ships /missile, gun-firing, torpedo/ and going to focus on new multipurpose ships of the coastal, sea and oceanic operational zones", the source went on to say.

Meanwhile, the ship-building plans have been prepared until 2040, intending the development of ships for long-range and oceanic operations. They will constitute about 30 percent of the Russian naval forces.

"Already in 2004 the laying down of ships of long-range and oceanic operational zones will begin", said the source.

Development and industrial capabilities provide an outlook until 2050, he went on to say.

"So far, we have to run the fleet built in the times of the USSR", the source said.

"In the 2005 to 2015 period, we'll lay foundations for the future fleet capability. The economic grounds for it are even better than before", the naval headquarters assured.

Today the Russian navy has 300 warships and submarines, 400 aircraft.