176 Missile Cells And Zircon Hypersonics: What Russia’s Kirov-Class Admiral Nakhimov Really Brings
The Russian Navy’s Kirov-class Admiral Nakhimov battlecruiser is back in the water and moving under her own power for the first time since 1997.
Kirov-Class Russian Navy. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Kirov-Class Battlecruiser Russian Navy
Kirov-Class Battlecruiser Russian Navy. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
The ship’s sorely needed refit was pushed back repeatedly because of economic crisis until 2013. But the Kirov-class nuclear-powered battlecruiser is now reportedly undergoing trials to return to sea duty.
The Nakhimov has undergone significant upgrades for more than two decades. The sea trials are now taking place after a major upgrade to its weapons and protective measures. If the ship passes the sea trials, it will rejoin the fleet for the first time since 1999.
Kirov battlecruisers use the Combined Nuclear and Steam (CONAS) propulsion system. Two conventional boilers back up the nuclear reactor in case of a reactor failure. Both components can drive two geared steam turbines, generating 120,000 horsepower at two prop shafts. The ship is capable of 31 knots.
Russian state-run media claims the 28,000-ton battlecruiser’s two nuclear reactors are now online. However, the warship’s return to service has been delayed multiple times in the past.
Meet The Battlecruiser Admiral Nakhimov:
The 827-foot-long Admiral Nakhimov is the third nuclear-powered guided-missile cruiser in the Russian Navy’s four-strong Kirov-class, which is down now to three after the scrapping of the Admiral Lazarev in 2021.
The Admiral Nakhimov was laid down in Leningrad in 1983 and launched in 1986 under its original name, Kalinin.
In 2006, the Russian Government decided to modernize the cruiser with upgraded weaponry and return it to operational status. However, work only began in 2014 and has been continuously delayed. In December 2024, TASS reported that the ship had begun factory sea trials. Later came the reports that the reactors are back online.
Kirov Class to Return to the Black Sea?
The Admiral Nakhimov is heavily armed with a mix of Kalibr, Oniks, and Zircon missiles. The 3M22 Zircon is a Russian hypersonic cruise missile—primarily an anti-ship munition—known for its extreme speed and maneuverability. It can be launched from naval vessels or submarines, with recent tests also showing ground-launch capability.
Kirov-Class battlecruiser. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Kirov-Class Battlecruiser. Image Credit: Russian Navy.
Kirov-Class. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
The Zircon uses a scramjet engine for sustained hypersonic flight and is designed to challenge advanced air defenses such as the Aegis system. According to claims, the missile has a range of up to 1,000 kilometers.
But as always, Russian claims should be absorbed with a heavy dose of salt.
Kirov-Class Battlecruisers Are Huge:
Among naval combatants, only aircraft carriers are bigger than Kirov-class cruisers, which are easily distinguished by the well-known S-300 air-defense systems they carry.
The S-300F is a maritime variant of the S-300P land-fired air-defense system, and its integration into a battlecruiser gives the Russian Navy an air- and ballistic-missile defense capability it otherwise would lack.
Would Russian President Vladimir Putin risk the Admiral Nakhimov in the Black Sea after the sinking of the Moskva? That is doubtful, especially considering how dangerous the Black Sea has become to any kind of shipping in the years since the Black Sea Fleet’s flagship was sunk. I wrote some time ago that I believe the Nakhimov will end up serving in the Arctic Fleet, protecting Russia’s northern borders, as Dr. Brent Eastwood has written.
At the heart of the Admiral Nakhimov’s modernization was the plan to install 176 vertical launch tubes, which would provide it with more than any other surface combatant or submarine in the world. China’s Type 55 “super destroyer” has 112 vertical launch system cells. A Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer has 96 cells, while a Ticonderoga-class cruiser has 122 cells. The Zumwalt-class stealth destroyers currently have 80 cells.
However, if Putin were to send any of his battlecruisers back into the Black Sea, they’d be sitting ducks for Ukraine’s missiles—S-300s or not, Zircon missiles or not.
Putin dreams of rebuilding a blue-water Navy, but Russia’s Navy doesn’t have the surface power to deliver it. The Nakhimov’s nuclear reactors are on their last legs and have little useful life left before they have to be replaced.
The Admiral Nakhimov isn’t a modern warship but a Cold War holdover; just like Russia’s trouble-plagued aircraft carrier, it will do precious little to give the country a blue-water Navy.
Instead, it will likely be confined close to ports in the Arctic. Due to its reactors’ age, the Russians will not sail it very much or very far. And it is not suited to handle 21st-century anti-access/area denial defenses.
The refit is political theater, a boutique warship rather than a true game changer.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, 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.
