Summary and Key Points: After more than 20 years, the Kirov-class nuclear battlecruiser Admiral Nakhimov is finishing sea trials and should rejoin the Russian Navy by year’s end with 80 missile cells for Oniks, Kalibr, and Zircon, 96 tubes for navalized S-400s, and a bill put at $2.3 billion to $5 billion. Her sister, flagship Pyotr Velikiy, was to follow. At the end of October TASS reported she will get no modernization; a commission’s preliminary finding is that she cannot be restored.
Russia’s Kirov-Class Nuclear Battlecruiser Comeback Slowing Down?
For the past several decades, the Project 1144 Orlan (NATO designation: Kirov-class) nuclear battlecruiser Admiral Nakhimov has been inactive while undergoing extensive modernization.
After more than 20 years, the cruiser is finally wrapping up its sea trials and is expected to rejoin the Russian Navy by the end of this year.
However, her sister ship, Pyotr Velikiy, will not receive the same treatment.
At the end of October, Russian news media reported that the Navy had decided not to modernize the aging cruiser because of budget constraints.
While a final decision has not yet been made regarding her ultimate fate, the Russians will likely mothball or scrap the aging Kirov-class cruiser.
Pyotr Velikiy Will Not Be Modernized
The news was first reported by the Russian news agency TASS, which stated that Pyotr Velikiy would not receive any additional modernization.
According to Vladimir Maltsev, head of the All-Russian Fleet Support Movement (DPF), a special commission has decided against modernizing the Cold War-era nuclear battlecruiser. “The commission has already made a preliminary decision; the final one has not yet been announced. The cruiser cannot be restored,” he said on the sidelines of the All-Russian Forum “330 Years of the Russian Fleet.” Maltsev added that the decision was partly due to the “wear and tear” on the old battlecruiser. At the same time, the head of the DPF said Pyotr Velikiy should be modernized, adding that the Kirov-class cruisers were among the most successful shipbuilding projects in Soviet history. “There is nothing better than them today. Of the nuclear ones, we have only Admiral Nakhimov left.”
Previously, the Russian Navy had planned to modernize Pyotr Velikiy after Admiral Nakhimov returned to service so that at least one Kirov-class cruiser could remain in the Navy.
Kirov-Class Russian Navy. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Kirov-Class Battlecruiser Russian Navy
Kirov-Class Battlecruiser Russian Navy. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
However, as Nakhimov’s restoration dragged on, it became clear that modernizing Pyotr Velikiy would be impossible to accomplish in a timely and cost-effective manner.
According to Russian sources, the cruiser’s condition has deteriorated significantly after waiting so long for Nakhimov.
Given the wear and tear on her hull, the ship’s lifespan has reached the point where extending her service is not feasible within the Russian Navy’s current budget.
Sources familiar with the matter suggest that Pyotr Velikiy will be withdrawn from the fleet once Admiral Nakhimov returns to service.
Pyotr Velikiy currently serves as the Russian Navy’s flagship, a title that will likely transfer to Admiral Nakhimov upon her return.
In One Word: Obsolete?
Russian military analyst and founder of the war-monitoring channel Rybar, Mikhail Zvinchuk, noted that news of Pyotr Velikiy’s possible deactivation has been met with mixed reactions in Russian circles.
Although the Kirov class has considerable sentimental and historical value owing to its Soviet heritage, many military analysts, even in Russia, are skeptical that these Cold War-era behemoths have a role in modern naval warfare.
One such detractor is the former Commander of the Russian Pacific Fleet, Admiral Sergey Avakyants. Admiral Avakyants noted that the ships were far too costly for the value they provide and that the funds would be better spent on other, more modern ships. “Under no circumstances should you spend money on Pyotr Velikiy,” the admiral said. “It is much more effective to use these funds to build several ships in the ocean zone, carriers of modern weapons, new ships that, in terms of efficiency, will be far superior to one such monster.”
Some Russian sources have floated the idea of placing Pyotr Velikiy in reserve status and modernizing her when time and budget permit.
In 2023, the Russian outlet RIA Novosti reported that the cruiser was not slated for retirement after Admiral Nakhimov’s restoration.
According to a source in Russia’s Northern Fleet, a team of industry specialists was evaluating the ship’s condition, the cost of her potential modernization, and the state of her onboard systems. “No decisions have been made regarding the cruiser Pyotr Velikiy. It performs its intended tasks as part of the Northern Fleet,” the source said. Three years later, however, the situation has likely changed, especially as Russia’s defense budget tightens after almost five years of warfare.
Advanced Capabilities at a Steep Cost
Admiral Nakhimov received a major modernization, including upgrades to her weapon systems, radar, communications equipment, onboard electronics, and more.
Pre-modernization Kirov-class cruisers are equipped with 20 vertical launch systems (VLS) armed with P-700 Granit anti-ship missiles, in addition to their numerous anti-air missiles and guns.
Admiral Nakhimov, however, has 80 VLS cells that can carry P-800 Oniks anti-ship missiles, Kalibr cruise missiles, and Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles.
The cruiser is also armed with 96 tubes for navalized S-400 surface-to-air missiles, six Pantsir-M close-in weapon systems, and two Osa-M short-range air-defense launchers.
As a result, Admiral Nakhimov is heavily armed, while its modernized sensors let it detect enemy targets from much greater distances.
However, these advanced capabilities came at a great cost. According to some estimates, modernizing Admiral Nakhimov cost around 200 billion rubles, or roughly $2.3 billion (higher estimates place the cruiser’s modernization cost at around $5 billion).
Although there are arguments in favor of large, long-endurance cruisers, the Russian Navy simply does not have the funds to maintain multiple Kirov-class cruisers.
Officially, Pyotr Velikiy has not yet been removed from service. However, once Admiral Nakhimov finishes her sea trials, Pyotr Velikiy is unlikely to see much action.
About the Author: Isaac Seitz
Isaac Seitz, a Defense Columnist, graduated from Patrick Henry College’s Strategic Intelligence and National Security program. He has also studied Russian at Middlebury Language Schools and has worked as an intelligence Analyst in the private sector.