Video Shows Historic First Landing of Su-33 on Aircraft Carrier Admiral Kuznetsov

The Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, also known as ‘Soviet designation Project 11435’, is a heavy Russian aircraft cruiser serving as the Russian Navy flagship. The carrier was first launched in 1985 and its initial name was Riga.

Zvezda, a TV network run by the Russian Ministry of Defence, published on YouTube on Tuesday a video that shows the first-ever landing of the Sukhoi Su-27K (Su-33) carrier-based jet fighter on the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier in November 1989. The video was initially released by Russian United Aircraft Corporation (UAC).

Zvezda TV stated that the aircraft’s first landing and take-off from the carrier was carried out by test pilot Viktor Pugachev. According to the channel, “complex tasks related to construction, durability, aerodynamics, control systems, navigation, weapons” were solved when designing the fighter.