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Chelyabinsk Class Heavy Aviation Cruiser

Built as a follow-on to the Kiev-class carriers, the Project 1143.4, Chelyabinsk-class, carriers are four ships built between 1976 and 1985 at both in the Black Sea at Nikolayev and the Baltic Shipyard in Leningrad. The Chelyabinsk-class ships represent a significant capability advantage over the preceding Kiev-class carriers, without requiring a full supercarrier hull to the level of the Orel Class. The Chelyabinsk-class come equipped with the same air-defence and anti-ship armaments of the Kievs, but add a catapult and arresting gear to operate conventional carrier aircraft, such as the Ko-45 and MiG-23A. Unfortunately, the P-42 was deemed too large for operations from the Chelyabinsk-class, so the ASW and AEW roles are fulfilled by helicopters. The Chelyabinsk Class would serve the Soviet Union faithfully, proving far more capable in a strike role than the preceding Kiev Class on account of the far improved air wing afforded by the CATOBAR configuration.

Expanding on my alternate history universe, the Soviets are getting a significant amount of love, with the Marshal Zhukov Class, the Chelyabinsk Class, and the Kara II and Kresta III classes. For this one, it was partially inspired by the Chinese Type 076 and its EMALS, essentially to answer the question of "What if the Kievs had catapults?", thus creating this thing. Playstyle-wise, you want it somewhere between a Kiev and an Orel, because you have a decent fighter and strike complement, but still no fixed wing AEW, and a significant contingent of helicopters for ASW. With that, I won't let this run on for too long, enjoy!