Kirov-class battlecruiser

For the World War II era class, see Kirov-class cruiser.

The Kirov-class battlecruiser is a class of nuclear-

powered warship of the Russian Navy, the largest and
heaviest surface combatant warships (i.e. not an aircraft
carrier or amphibious assault ship) in operation in the
world. Among modern warships, they are second in
size only to large aircraft carriers, and of similar size
to a World War II era battleship. The ocial designa-
tion of the ship-type is heavy nuclear-powered guided
missile cruiser" (Russian:
). The ships are often referred to as battlecruisers
by western defense commentators due to their size and Admiral Ushakov (ex-Kirov), lead ship of the class.
general appearance.[3]
Originally built for the Soviet Navy, the class is named for
the rst of a series of four ships to be constructed, Kirov,
which was renamed Admiral Ushakov in 1992. Original
plans called for the construction of ve ships, however the
last was cancelled. In Russia this class of ship is usually
referred to by the designation Project 1144 Orlan (sea ea-
gle). Only Pyotr Velikiy is currently operational. Admiral
Nakhimov is projected to re-enter the Russian Navy in
2018. Russia planned to reactivate the remaining two
vessels by 2020,[2][4] but recent reporting suggests that
the reactors in Admiral Ushakov and Admiral Lazarev
ships these were replaced with 9K331 Tor surface-to-air
are in a poor condition, and these ships cannot be safely
missile (SAM) systems. The Tor installation is in fact
reactivated.[5][6]
mounted further forward of the old SS-N-14 mounting,
The appearance of the Kirov class played a key role in in the structure directly behind the blast shield for the
the recommissioning of the Iowa-class battleships by the bow mounted RBU ASW rocket launcher. Kirov and
United States Navy in the 1980s.[7][8][9] Frunze had eight 30 mm (1.2 in) AK-630 close-in weapon
The Kirov hull design also was used for the nuclear- systems, which were supplanted with the Kashtan air-
powered SSV-33 command ship Ural. defence system on later ships.
Other weapons are the automatic 130 mm (5 in) AK-
130 gun system (except in Kirov which had two single
1 Design 100 mm (4 in) guns instead), 10 21-inch (533 mm) tor-
pedo/missile tubes (capable of ring SS-N-15 ASW mis-
siles on later ships) and Udav1 with 40 anti-submarine
1.1 Armament rockets and two sextuple RBU-1000 launchers.

The Kirov classs main weapons are 20 P-700 Granit (SS-
N-19 Shipwreck) missiles mounted in deck, designed to
engage large surface targets. Air defense is provided by
twelve octuple S-300F launchers with 96 missiles and
a pair of Osa-MA batteries with 20 missiles each. Py-
otr Velikiy carries some S-300FM missiles and is the
only ship in the Russian Navy capable of ballistic mis-
sile defence.[2] The ships had some dierences in sen-
sor and weapons suites: Kirov came with SS-N-14 anti-
submarine warfare (ASW) missiles, while on subsequent
Russia is developing a new anti-ship missile to equip
Kirov-class ships called the 3M22 Tsirkon, which is ca-
pable of traveling at hypersonic speeds out to at least 620
mi (540 nmi; 1,000 km)[10][11] . If the missile passes de-
velopmental tests, it could enter service in 2020, being
deployed rst aboard the Admiral Nakhimov and later on
the Pyotr Veliky when it nishes upgrades in 2022.[12][13]
Depending on the choice of types of missiles will amount
to 40 - 80.[14]
Comparison of weapons t of Kirov class

1
2 2 DEPLOYMENT

aft sections of Kirov (left) and Frunze (right) showing
dierences in weapons t - Kirov has a pair of single
100mm guns, and two pairs of AK-630 CIWS mounts
either side of the ight deck, whereas Frunze has a twin
130mm turret and eight SA-N-9 VLS in place of the
CIWS mounts.
The
Aerial starboard view of the foredeck of Kirov.
4 single 30mm rotary cannons
2 pop-up (lowered) SA-N-4 SAM launchers
20 SS-N-19 cruise missile launchers
12 SA-N-6 SAM launchers
1 twin SS-N-14 antisubmarine warfare/surface-to-surface
missile launcher

1.2 Fire control

2 Deployment

Aerial port view of the foredeck of Kalinin illustrating the

dierences from the lead ship of the class.
The Russian agship Pyotr Veliky
2 Kashtan point defense gun/missile system
2 SA-N-9 vertical SAM launchers
The lead ship, Kirov (renamed Admiral Ushakov in 1992
after the dissolution of the Soviet Union) was laid down
in June 1973 at Leningrad's Baltiysky Naval Shipyard,
2 Top Dome for SA-N-6 re control radar (the
launched on 27 December 1977 and commissioned on
forward Top Dome is replaced with Tomb Stone
30 December 1980. When she appeared for the rst time
(Passive electronically scanned array) in Pyotr Ve-
in 1981, NATO observers called her BALCOM I (Baltic
liky)
Combatant I).
4 Bass Tilt for AK-360 CIWS System re control Kirov suered a reactor accident in 1990 while serving in
(not in Admiral Nakhimov or Pyotr Veliky) the Mediterranean Sea. Repairs were never carried out,
2 Eye Bowl for SA-N-4 re control (also for SS- due to lack of funds and the changing political situation
N-14 in Admiral Ushakov) in the Soviet Union.

2 Hot Flash/Hot Spot for SA-N-11 Grisom In 1983, a command and control ship, the SSV-33 Ural
(CADS-N-1 units only) was launched, although the ship would not be ocially
commissioned until 1989. She utilized the basic hull de-
1 Kite Screech for AK-100 or AK-130 sign of the Kirov-class vessels, but with a modied super-
2 Cross Sword for SA-N-9 (Gauntlet-equipped structure, dierent armament, and was intended for a dif-
units only) ferent role within the Soviet Navy. Ural was decommis-
sioned and laid up in 2001, due to high operating costs,
 3

and is scheduled to be scrapped in 2017. 2018)[28] with the modernization of Pyotr Velikiy to last
[29]
Frunze, the second vessel in the class, was commissioned from 2018 until 2021.
in 1984. She was assigned to the Pacic Fleet. In 1992,
she was renamed Admiral Lazarev. The ship became in-
active in 1994 and was decommissioned four years later.
She is currently in reserve. On 19 September 2009, Gen-
eral Popovkin, Deputy MOD for Armaments, said the
MOD is looking into bringing Admiral Lazarev back into
service.[15]
Kalinin, now Admiral Nakhimov, was the third ship to en-
ter service, in 1988. She was also assigned to the North-
ern Fleet. Renamed Admiral Nakhimov, she was moth-
balled in 1999 and reactivated in 2005. She is in overhaul
at Severodvinsk Shipyard.
Construction of the fourth ship, Yuriy Andropov, encoun-
The ight deck of Kalinin showing the hangar doors open and a
tered many delays; her construction was started in 1986 Ka-25 and a Ka-27.
but was not commissioned until 1998. She was renamed
Pyotr Veliky (Peter the Great) in 1992.[16] She currently
serves as the agship of the Russian Northern Fleet.
On 23 March 2004, English language press reported 4 See also
the Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief, Fleet Admiral
Vladimir Kuroedov said Pyotr Veliky's reactor was in an List of ships of the Soviet Navy
extremely bad condition and could explode at any mo-
List of ships of Russia by project number
ment, a statement which may have been the result of in-
ternal politics within the Russian Navy.[17] The ship was Nuclear powered cruisers of the United States Navy
sent to port for a month, and the crew lost one-third of
their pay.
A fth Kirov-class cruiser was planned; originally named 5 References
Fleet Admiral of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov (also re-
ported as Dzerzhinsky), the ship was never laid down.[16] [1] Archived April 15, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
The name was later changed to Oktyabrskaya Revolutsiya
(October Revolution),[18] and then just Kuznetsov;[19] - [2] Russian Warship Tests Missile Defense Capability. RIA
Novosti. 20 September 2012.
nally, on 4 October 1990, the plan for a fth ship was
abandoned.[16] [3] Armi da guerra, De Agostini, Novara, 1985.

[4] Upgraded Nuclear Cruiser to Rejoin Russian Navy in

2018 | Defense. RIA Novosti. 2013-06-13. Retrieved
3 Ships 2014-02-09.

The Russian Navy initially planned to return both Admi- [5] Shipyard director fears radiation accident. Barentsob-
server. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
ral Ushakov and Admiral Lazarev to service after sev-
eral years of disuse. It was later indicated that the con- [6] Only one nuclear cruiser to be modernized. Barentsob-
dition of the reactor cores of both ships was such that server. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
it would prove dicult, expensive and potentially dan-
gerous to remove the spent nuclear fuel and repair the [7] Middleton, Drew (1981-03-13). Pentagon likes budget
proposal, but questions specics. The New York Times.
cores. As a consequence, it is likely that both ships will
[5][6] p. A14.
be scrapped. The modernization of Admiral Ushakov
seems unlikely due to an alleged nuclear incident which [8] Bishop, p. 80.
may have left one of its reactors damaged[23] with scrap-
[9] Miller and Miller, p. 114.
ping to start in 2016 or later.[24] Other sources disagree,
stating that all four ships will be modernized and returned [10] http://ruspolitica.ru/post/
to service.[25] In 2014 some maintenance work was per- raketyi-tsirkon-okonchatelno-opredelili-tehnologicheskoe-prevoshodstvo-ro
formed on Admiral Lazarev (the only cruiser located in
the Pacic).[26][27] Skepticism was expressed regarding [11] http://www.vesti.ru/doc.html?id=2732278
the ability of Sevmash shipyard to simultaneously mod- [12] Russias Monster Battlecruisers Are Getting Hypersonic
ernize two Kirov-class battlecruisers.[26] Modernization Anti-Ship Missiles - Nationalinterest.org, 19 February
of Admiral Nakhimov is ongoing (to be completed by 2016
4 7 EXTERNAL LINKS

[13] 3M22 Zircon Hypersonic Missile in Development Test- 7 External links

ing for Russian Navy Kirov-class Cruiser - Navyrecogni-
tion.com, 19 February 2016 Illustrated article about the Kirov class.
[14] https://rg.ru/2016/03/17/ Globalsecurity.org page on Kirov class
nachalis-letnye-ispytaniia-giperzvukovoj-rakety-cirkon.
html Kirov class photos from Mark Meredith

[15] Agentsvo Natsionalnykh Novostey (Russian) 19 Septem- (in Russian) Encyclopedia of ships
ber 2009
(in Russian) Military Reform Support Fund
[16] , 11, 1, .. ,
, -, 2003 (in Russian) Forum discussion of ships armament

FAS.org article
[17] Kuroyedov declares 'Peter the Great' could explode 'at
any moment'". Bellona. Retrieved 2011-12-28. (in English) All Kirov Class Battlecruisers - Com-
plete Ship List
[18] John Pike (2012-03-19). Kirov Class - Project 1144.2.
Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2014-02-09.

[19] John Pike. Kirov Class - Project 1144.2. Globalsecu-

rity.org. Retrieved 2014-02-09.

[20] http://flotprom.ru/2014/178567/

[21] https://ria.ru/defense_safety/20170421/1492683612.
html

[22] Russian Shipyard Sevmash Ordered New Equipment for

Overhaul of Kirov Class Cruiser Nakhimov. 6 January
2015.

[23] Kirov Class Large Guided-Missile Cruiser - Military-

Today.com.

[24] Long-time push to dismantle huge Soviet nuclear battle

cruiser again put o - Bellona.org. 11 June 2014.

[25] Rogoway, Tyler. Kirov Class Battle Cruiser: The

Worlds Largest Surface Combatant.

[26] " " "

".

[27] Ramm, Alexey (31 October 2014). Admiral Nakhimov

to become most powerful missile cruiser in Russian eet.

[28] Admiral Nakhimov Should Return to Service in 2018.

[29] Russias agship nuclear battle cruiser the worlds

largest puts in for repairs - Bellona.org. 9 September
2015.

6 Sources
Bishop, Chris (1988). The Encyclopedia of World
Sea Power. New York: Crescent Books. ISBN 0-
517-65342-7. OCLC 18199237.

Miller, David; Chris Miller (1986). Modern Naval

Combat. London: Salamander Books. ISBN 0-
86101-231-3. OCLC 17397400.
 5

8 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

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