Dont look at it like its a conventional strike carrier, the fighters are there in a defensive role to keep american carrier fighters at arms length untill she can launch her 12 Granit antiship missiles to make a nimitz have a bad day(or not). They dont give a **** what payload the SU 33 have as long as they can stay up long enough for a decent CAP. They may look at it differently now but that was the original idea hence the Heavy aircraft carrying cruiser tag. Dont forget the 200 anti aircraft missiles and 8 CIWS. Shes much more like the RNs through deck anti submarine cruisers in concept (RN anti sub, Kuts anti aircraft carrier).