Nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines are typical nuclear-powered surface and underwater vessels in navies worldwide. However, Russia possesses the world's only two nuclear-powered cruisers. They are the 24,300-ton "Admiral Nakhimov," deployed in 1988, and the 23,700-ton "Pyotr Velikiy," commissioned in 1998.
These ships are classified by NATO as Kirov-class cruisers. They were planned as escort vessels for the Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier to counter U.S. aircraft carrier groups. Although anti-submarine, anti-ship, and anti-aircraft versions were planned, the Kuznetsov-class carrier was eventually fitted with diesel engines, eliminating the need for escort forces. Due to budget issues, only the Kirov-class cruiser project survived.
A total of four Kirov-class cruisers were commissioned between 1980 and 1998. The class was later renamed and is now also known as the "Admiral Ushakov" class. During the Soviet era, these ships served as the main force in the Northern, Black Sea, and Pacific Fleets. However, three were retired early due to reactor accidents, fires, and economic difficulties following the Soviet Union's collapse.
Only the fourth ship, "Pyotr Velikiy," remains in active service as the flagship of Russia's Northern Fleet. Recently, only the third ship in the class has been refitted and recommissioned. The Admiral Nakhimov has returned to sea after 25 years of repairs and modernization work. This comes as Russia has intensively strengthened its naval power in recent years to reclaim its Soviet-era superpower status.
Last August, U.S. military specialty outlets including The War Zone reported that the Admiral Nakhimov recently conducted sea trials in the White Sea off Russia's northwestern coast. State-run TASS news agency also reported that this had been briefed to President Vladimir Putin and that the ship would become the flagship of the Russian fleet, replacing the fourth ship, Pyotr Velikiy, whose modernization plans have been suspended.
According to reports, the Admiral Nakhimov was first launched in 1986 under the name Kalinin and deployed in 1988. The ship measures 250 meters in length and 28 meters in width. It is powered by two nuclear reactors and steam turbines and carries a crew of approximately 700. Its displacement exceeds 24,000 tons. It has been refitted to counter U.S. aircraft carrier groups and possesses substantial firepower.
Excluding aircraft carriers and large transport vessels, the Kirov-class cruiser is the largest combat ship among surface vessels currently in active service worldwide. In particular, since it boasts dimensions comparable to the battleships of World War I and the battlecruisers that emerged afterward, some refer to the Kirov-class cruiser as a "battlecruiser."
The vessel is reportedly equipped with the advanced fifth-generation S-500 air defense missile, the new Kalibr cruise missile, and the Zircon hypersonic cruise missile. The S-500, which has been in development since 2011 and is nearing completion, flies at 7 kilometers per second with a maximum range of 600 kilometers. It is capable of simultaneously intercepting stealth fighters, spy satellites at an altitude of 200 kilometers, and 10 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
Military experts refer to the S-500 as a "first-generation space defense system" because it has the capability to intercept even spy satellites. In addition, the 3M-54 Kalibr cruise missile, deployed since 2012, is a fearsome missile with a range of 2,500 kilometers that can carry a 500-kilogram high-explosive warhead or a 500-kiloton nuclear warhead.
Another advanced weapon is the Zircon hypersonic cruise missile, which Russia is known to have secretly developed and deployed. The Zircon reportedly flies at six times the speed of sound (Mach 6) with a range of 600 kilometers. Foreign media have analyzed that the refitted battlecruiser is part of Russia's efforts to reclaim superpower status through naval power enhancement.
The War Zone reported that "the supersonic Oniks missile, a new radar system, and the 130mm AK-192M naval gun have also been installed," adding that "the core of the Admiral Nakhimov's modernization is the installation of as many as 174 vertical launch tubes, making it Russia's most powerful warship currently in existence, surpassing any surface combat ship or submarine in the world."
