area of the class is , and aircraft takeoff is assisted by a bow ski jump angled at 12° in lieu of steam catapults. Two starboard lifts carry aircraft from the hangar to the flight deck. The ship was designed with the capacity to support 16 Yakovlev Yak-41M (which was cancelled) and 12 Sukhoi Su-27K fixed-wing aircraft and a range of Kamov Ka-27 helicopters. The ship has a Granit anti-ship missile system equipped with 12 surface-to-surface missile launchers. The air defence gun and missile system includes the Klinok / SA-N-9 Gauntlet air defence missile system with 24 vertical launchers and 192 surface-to-air missiles, plus 8 CADS-N-1 Kashtan CIWS mounts. The system defends the ship against anti-ship missiles, aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles and surface ships. The ship is also equipped with an UDAV-1 integrated anti-submarine system with 60 anti-submarine missiles. Currently, the only ship ever commissioned in the class, the Kuznetsov, operates 24 Sukhoi Su-33, unknown numbers of Sukhoi Su-25UTG and 24 Kamov Ka-27 helicopters for use in various roles, such as long range radar, anti-submarine and other uses. In service References External links Warfare.be – Russian military analysis Cruisers of the Russian Navy