A Closer Look: The RAS Svoboda (Freedom)

Laid down in 2003, the RAS Svoboda (Freedom in Russian; Свобода) is Aleksania's first domestic built capital ship. Design work started in 1995 when the Navel Department of Aleksania started a competition to design Aleksania's 21st century aircraft carrier, to replace their aging fleet of Moskva-class helicopter carriers, then nearing 40 years old. When the design competition ended, the winner was one that no one expected: the small Lincoln Design Firm of Lincoln, Aleksania. Heavily based off of the cancelled Soviet suppercarrier Ulyanovsk, the design was favored because one ship could replace all 5 of the smaller Moskva's, thus being much more economical, despite its much larger size. The ship was also designated to be Aleksania's first Nuclear powered ship, powered by 4 Aleksania Atomic Energy Department NR-H-3b Nuclear Reactors and with 2 small gas turbine engines to be used as reserves if the nuclear reactors had to be shut down or for short periods in conjunction to give a 5 knot speed boost. More Soon....