Russia’s Project 1144 heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser Admiral Nakhimov has begun sea trials after a prolonged modernization effort that stretched over nearly a quarter of a century.
According to Defense Express on August 19, the vessel was initially sent for repairs in 1999, but substantial work only started in 2013 at the Sevmash shipyard.
The project faced repeated delays, with completion dates shifting from 2018 to 2025. The overall cost has exceeded 200 billion rubles, estimated at about 5 billion dollars over recent years.
Today, the Project 11442M Kirov-class heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser Admiral Nakhimov after repair and modernization went to sea for factory sea trials.
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The modernization includes replacing launchers for 20 outdated P-700 Granit anti-ship missiles with 80 universal UKSK 3S14 launchers, capable of firing Kalibr, Oniks, and Zircon missiles. The ship has also received new radar systems and a 130-mm AK-192M naval gun.
Russian sources previously indicated that the original missile launchers were dismantled, though it remains unclear whether the full weapons package—such as Pantsir-M and Fort-M air defense systems, Paket-NK anti-submarine torpedoes, and Otvet missiles—has been installed.
Production of the AK-192M naval gun. Illustrative photo. (Source: Open source)
The cruiser, originally commissioned in 1988 under the name Kalinin, belongs to the Northern Fleet. It displaces more than 24,000 tons, measures about 250 meters in length and 28 meters in width, and is powered by two nuclear reactors with an output of 150 MW each, supplemented by boilers for steam turbines.
The propulsion system enables speeds above 30 knots and months of operational endurance. The crew consists of roughly 700 personnel.
The Admiral Nakhimov was designed during the Cold War to counter aircraft carrier strike groups. Its original armament included Granit missiles, S-300F Fort air defense systems, short-range Osa-MA and Kinzhal systems, AK-630 close-in weapon systems, and anti-submarine complexes such as Vodopad.
The overhaul aims to extend its service life and allow it to employ modern precision weapons.
The modernization also positions the cruiser as a potential replacement for its sister ship Pyotr Velikiy, which is expected to be withdrawn from active service.
With the uncertainty surrounding the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, the Project 1144 nuclear cruisers remain the largest surface combatants in Russia’s navy outside of carriers, representing some of the last operational nuclear-powered surface warships worldwide.
Earlier, on August 14, Russia launched the frigate Admiral Amelko at the Severnaya Verf shipyard in St. Petersburg. It is the first Project 22350 vessel built in a modified configuration with 24 vertical launch cells for Kalibr, Oniks, and Tsirkon missiles, compared to 16 on earlier ships.
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