MOSCOW, July 4. /TASS/. The heavy aircraft carrier The Admiral of the Soviet Fleet Kuznetsov may enter service with Russia’s Navy in late 2024, an official in the shipbuilding industry told TASS.

He referred to the latest plan under which factory sea tests should begin next spring to be followed by state trials in the fall of 2024. "If [the vessel] is tested flawlessly, it may be transferred to the Navy in late 2024. If something goes wrong during the trials, the process will inevitably be postponed to 2025," the official said.

According to him, the heavy aircraft carrier has been under repairs at the 35th Ship Repairing Plant for six years already and the delay is due to deliveries by the companies involved in the project being postponed, while the client, too, has been constantly tweaking its requirements.

According to him, upon the completion of repairs and upgrading works, the service life of the aircraft carrier will be extended by 20 years.

TASS does not have official confirmation of this information.