The head of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), Alexei Rakhmanov, said in an interview with RIA Novosti that the nuclear-powered missile cruiser Admiral Nakhimov of project 1144.2 will be transferred to the Russian Navy in 2022.

“The terms for the transfer of the ship of the Navy remain unchanged, despite the re-equipment of the ship, this is 2022,” Rakhmanov said.

Currently, “Admiral Nakhimov” is located in the dry dock of the “Northern Machine-Building Enterprise” (Severodvinsk), where it undergoes repair and modernization. The completion date for the cruiser was postponed several times. It was originally planned to complete the upgrade of the ship in 2018.

According to experts, the postponement is due to changes to the modernization plan and the military’s decision to equip the Admiral Nakhimov with Zircon hypersonic missiles. The fact that the ship will receive the latest ammunition, in an interview with the National Defense magazine in May 2020, said Deputy Minister of Defense Alexei Krivoruchko. The range of "Zircon" exceeds 1 thousand km, the flight speed reaches 9 Machs.

In December last year, in an interview with the Zvezda television channel, First Deputy General Director of Sevmash Sergey Voronko said that in 2020, “Admiral Nakhimov will be prepared for the start of factory tests.

In March 2020, the company's press service announced the start of a new phase of work related to the installation of large equipment on the cruiser. Engineers and workers must mount the turbine and ship's shaft.

“Spiers are prepared - mechanisms for pulling the anchor chain out of the water and mooring operations. Cabins are formed on the ship, insulation is laid, cable ... The shipbuilders are faced with a large-scale task - to bring the ship out of the dry dock to the water and continue work at one of the Sevmash embankments, the company’s website said.

“Admiral Nakhimov” was laid down on May 17, 1983 at the Baltic Shipyard (St. Petersburg). The ship was launched on April 25, 1986. On December 30, 1988, he replenished the combat strength of the Northern Fleet under the name Kalinin.

After the collapse of the USSR, in 1992 the military renamed the vessel Admiral Nakhimov. Previously, the name was the first cruiser of the imperial fleet with tower artillery. The ship was also built at the Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg. In May 1905, as part of the 2nd Pacific Squadron, the cruiser took part in the Tsushima battle. The ship received serious damage and was eventually sunk by the crew.

Radical modernization

"Admiral Nakhimov" is designed to perform a wide range of tasks in the far sea zone and is one of the largest platforms in the Navy. Like other cruisers of project 1144.2, the ship is capable of hitting all types of naval targets, firing at ground targets and covering formations from aerospace attacks.

The total displacement of Admiral Nakhimov is 26.19 tons, length - 252 m, width - 28.5 m, draft - 9.1 m, crew - more than 700 people. Cruiser movement is provided by two boiler plants and a nuclear reactor with a capacity of 140 thousand hp.

  • © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

Prior to modernization, the Admiral Nakhimov’s ammunition included P-700 Granit missiles with a range of up to 700-800 km, capable of destroying large surface objects, including aircraft carriers. The cruiser’s arsenal also included several types of torpedo-mine weapons.

The S-300F Fort anti-aircraft missile system (SAM), the 4K33 Osa-M system and the 3M87 Kortik artillery system were in charge of the ship’s air defense.

According to experts, as of the end of the 1990s and the beginning of the 21st century, a ship with such weapons could “feel confident” in the vast oceans. However, at the present stage, weapons, anti-aircraft missile systems, electronic equipment and cruiser mechanisms are outdated. In this regard, a decision was made to radically update Admiral Nakhimov.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the cruiser will be replaced by various components, assemblies, life support systems of the ship, radio equipment, ship power. As Rakhmanov had previously told Interfax, 18 development projects were opened as part of the modernization.

According to media reports, the Admiral Nakhimov’s air defense systems will be substantially updated.

According to Interfax, the long-range defense task will be carried out by the 3K96-2 Polyment-Redut vertical-launch air defense system. The system will be able to intercept targets at ranges up to 400 km with the advent of an ultra-long missile. Currently, the complex’s ammunition includes 9M100, 9M96 and 9M96D missiles with a range of 15 km, 120 km and 150 km, respectively.

At the same time, RIA Novosti reports that Admiral Nakhimov will most likely have a naval modification of the S-400 Triumph long-range air defense system with an arsenal of 96 missiles and an upgraded version of the Fort.

According to experts, if the presence of Polyment-Reduta is confirmed, then Admiral Nakhimov should be equipped with launchers of the 3S14 universal ship complex (UKSK), which are used in the Navy to use Caliber cruise missiles, Onyx anti-ship missiles, and in modified form - “Zircons”.

Pride of the Navy

As the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation has repeatedly noted, the “Admiral Nakhimov” will have completely new tactical and technical characteristics, and its commissioning “will significantly enhance the potential of the surface forces” of the Northern Fleet. According to its capabilities, the Soviet cruiser will become a practically new ship.

In October 2019, the American Military Watch magazine named Admiral Nakhimov the most dangerous naval warship. The publication attributed the advantages of the cruiser to electronic warfare, anti-aircraft and hypersonic missiles.

Analysts also consider Admiral Nakhimov an extremely formidable ship for a potential adversary. According to them, the dimensions of the ship allow you to place on it a wide range of electronic equipment, means of attack and defense.

  • "Admiral Nakhimov" at sea
  • RIA News
  • © Oleg Lastochkin

“There is reason to believe that the ammunition capacity of Admiral Nakhimov will increase to 72 missiles. The destruction of the carrier group will be provided in one gulp, and missiles will fly in a flock, building attack tactics using the algorithms embedded in them, ”Dmitry Litovkin, editor of Independent Military Review, said in an interview with RT.

In addition, the analyst does not exclude that the upgraded ship will receive new artillery systems, in particular, the naval version of the 152-mm self-propelled howitzer "Coalition-SV", whose firing range is 70-80 km. Currently, it is being tested in parts of the Russian army.

“Russia needs ocean-class ships. “Admiral Nakhimov” and his twin brother “Peter the Great”, who also expects modernization, are able to operate autonomously away from their native shores. They have weapon systems for causing serious damage to the enemy. These ships can counteract large naval groups, ”emphasized Litovkin.

In a RT commentary, former Deputy Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Igor Katasonov called powerful anti-submarine weapons one of the main advantages of the updated Admiral Nakhimov. According to open sources, Sevmash employees will install the Package-NK and Response systems on the cruiser.

“The capabilities of Admiral Nakhimov after modernization will allow them to effectively resist the enemy carrier groups and submarines. It will be a multi-functional ship, the pride of the Navy, capable of solving various problems at the highest level, ”Igor Katasonov summarized.