Russia’s Big Kirov-Class Battlecruisers Never Saw The End Coming

Summary and Key Points: Russia is reactivating its massive Kirov-class battlecruiser, the Admiral Nakhimov, a Cold War-era nuclear-powered warship. The 28,000-ton vessel, originally designed to counter NATO carrier groups, has recently restarted its two nuclear reactors after decades of delays.

-Despite Russia’s lofty ambitions, the ship’s outdated design, vulnerabilities to precision-guided munitions, and limited air cover make it an easy target in modern naval warfare. Without robust naval aviation, the Nakhimov’s survivability is questionable, casting doubt on its operational value.

-Its return to service appears more symbolic than practical, highlighting Russia’s struggle to maintain military relevance amidst economic sanctions and the ongoing Ukraine conflict.

-Most likely, many experts have declares these warships will never make a comeback. 

Russia’s Nuclear Battlecruiser Admiral Nakhimov: Powerful Warship or Giant Target?

The Russian Navy has fired up the two nuclear reactors onboard the Kirov-class battlecruiser Admiral Nakhimov, bringing them back online. The first was done in December, and the second was returned online on February 2nd. This is so the Navy can put the Cold War-era ship back in action. 

The Nakhimov is the third of four battlecruisers built for the Soviet Navy in the 1980s. At the time, the Nakhimov was known as the Kalinin. The Soviet Navy had by far one of the world’s most formidable surface combat ships. 

The 28,000-ton ships are more than three times the size of American Arleigh Burke Class destroyers and over twice the size of any other surface combat ship. They have comparable displacements to aircraft carriers such as the Japanese Izumo Class. 

As the only surface combat ships using nuclear propulsion systems, the cruisers are capable of sustaining high 32-knot speeds and powering high-energy armaments and sensors for extended periods.

But is the big battle cruiser truly a modern weapon for the Russian Navy, or is it just an oversized target in the oceans of today’s navies?

Meet the Admiral Nakhimov

The Russian Navy laid the keel for the Nakhimov in the spring of 1983 at Baltiysky Naval Shipyard in Leningrad. She was commissioned on December 30, 1988, and joined the fleet on April 21, 1989, after her shakedown cruise. 

After a long Mediterranean cruise in 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the ship was rarely seen at sea and by 1996 had been retired. Russia announced several times that it was being reactivated for service, but those dates announced came and went, with no work being done. 

But finally, in 2023, the ship began a slow modernization. State-owned media reported that fuel loading and work on the power supply had begun and that ship testing would begin later in the year. Of course, that hasn’t happened yet. 

If true, the news that the two reactors were back online would represent a huge step forward for the ship’s possible re-entry into the Russian Navy. The original plan was to reactivate its sister ship, the Pyotr Veliky. 

However, Russian state media reported in 2023 that the Veliky will be decommissioned as soon as Admiral Nakhimov is back in the fleet. That will leave Russia with just one Kirov-class ship. 

The Admiral Nakhimov Is A Big Ship

The massive battle cruiser is 827 feet long and weighs 28,000 tons. It was designed to defeat American and NATO carrier strike groups. But like the American battleships of long ago, the Nakhimov is best utilized as a floating museum rather than a combat ship. 

The modernization efforts have dragged on for nearly two decades, and the Russians insist on continuing with this effort when Western sanctions already cripple their economy due to its invasion of Ukraine. 

The Russian Navy’s attempt to breathe new life into an old Cold War relic does not seem to make sense. The modern maritime battlefield has changed since then, and improvements in surveillance platforms and precision-guided munitions have made ships like the Nakhimov vulnerable. 

The Russian Navy’s Soviet Naval Doctrine, which was designed for the Nakhimov during the Cold War, is outdated. 

However,  as Caleb Larson wrote, “their usefulness was contingent on Soviet naval aviation to provide air cover — a dependency that has become glaringly insufficient as time goes on and in light of Russia’s minimal naval aviation capability.”

A Death Star That Will Serve 30 Years?

Mikhail Budnichenko, the director general of the Sevmash shipyard, states the Russian narrative with the usual Russian hyperbole. He claims, “After being transferred to the fleet, Admiral Nakhimov will serve for at least 30 years.” Others state that the Nakhimov will be the equivalent of a modern-day “Death Star.”

According to open-source reports, Admiral Nakhimov’s new armament will consist of a universal vertical-launch system capable of launching P-800 Oniks (SS-N-26 ‘Strobile’) anti-ship missiles, missiles of the Kalibr family, and scramjet-powered 3M22 Tsirkon (SS-N-33) hypersonic anti-ship cruise missiles.

Another story is about how the Russians plan to get the Nakhimov close enough to carrier strike groups to launch the missiles. During the aforementioned Cold War, the Soviet Navy had naval aviation aircraft totaling close to 1,000 aircraft, divided into four fleet air forces. 

Their available aircraft today are numbered in the dozens due to the fighting in Ukraine. The Nakhimov’s survival today would depend on her remaining close to shore in Russia. 

Even in the Black Sea, the Russian Navy has seen its ships either sunk or chased out of the sea by Ukraine’s “mosquito fleet.” How would it survive a shooting war with the US and NATO?

Russia still has delusions of grandeur and talks about building an aircraft carrier the size of a US Nimitz-class carrier. Would the Nakhimov survive against dedicated surface, aviation, and submarine attacks by US/NATO vessels? 

Replay the “Return of the Jedi” episode of the Star Wars saga. That’s what happens to the “Death Star.” That is what awaits the Admiral Nakhimov.

Most likely, as many experts state, this warship is going nowhere. 

About the Author: Steve Balestrieri 

Steve Balestrieri is a 19FortyFive National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing for 19FortyFive, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.