MOSCOW: Russia has worked out a long-term military development programme that envisages construction of an advanced aircraft carrier for the Navy, a high-ranking military official said Saturday.
"An aircraft carrier whose construction is planned will significantly differ from heavy aircraft cruisers that our Navy used to have and has now," Xinhua quoted Russian Navy Deputy Commander Viktor Bursuk as telling a local radio station.
This will be a versatile warship equipped with manned and unmanned aircraft systems and also robotic systems capable of operating in all possible environments, the official said.
The official added that Moscow will not seek to catch up with or outdo the US Navy in terms of the number of aircraft carriers in service.