Term 'arcraft carrier' was avoided deliberately. To suplement those, a small carrier with around 30 fighters and AWACS planes were planned with under the designation of 'floating base for fighter aviation'.

However blue-water ASW ships needed defence against enemy air thread and the task was given to dedicated Air Defence missile ships (pr.1126).

To counter that thread a series of ASW ships (including the pr.1123 Moskva class helicopter carriers) were planned. Under Khrushchevs 'revolution of military affairs' doctrine which based heavy emphasis on missile-armed ships, need for fleet airdefence rose again after the USN itroduced Polaris SSBNs. However the project was canceled after Kuznetsovs seccond displacement in 1955. It was planned for 5 ships to enter service between 19. It was Kuznetsov's last attempt to get soviet carrier program going and work on the design started in 1954. This was a light carrier proposal dating back early 1950's when Admiral Kuznetsov was returned to office after Stalins death.