Russia’s Admiral Nakhimov, a massive nuclear-powered battlecruiser of the Soviet-era Kirov-class, has returned to sea trials for the first time since 1997.
The 28,000-ton warship, officially known in Russia as Project 1144.2 Orlan, began factory sea trials this week in the White Sea after years of delays. According to state media agency TASS, the ship’s two nuclear reactors were restarted earlier this year, allowing the vessel to move under its own power once again. The progress was confirmed by the United Shipbuilding Corporation, which reported the development directly to President Vladimir Putin.
Originally laid down in Leningrad in 1983 and launched three years later as Kalinin, the vessel was renamed Admiral Nakhimov in 1992 in honor of Admiral Pavel Nakhimov. It joined Russia’s Northern Fleet in 1988 but has remained at the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk since its last voyage in 1997. Comprehensive modernization finally began in 2014, but the timeline has repeatedly slipped from an initial target of 2018, later pushed to 2020, 2021, and most recently 2024.
The overhaul has been described as the most extensive refit of any Russian surface combatant in decades, intended to transform the ship into the future flagship of the Russian Navy.
At the heart of the refit is the installation of 174 vertical launch tubes—the largest missile capacity of any surface warship in the world. By comparison, China’s advanced Type 055 destroyers carry 112 cells, while the U.S. Navy’s Ticonderoga-class cruisers carry 122.
Of these, 78 cells are expected to carry a mix of Kalibr cruise missiles, Oniks supersonic missiles, and the new Zircon hypersonic weapons. Kalibr missiles have already been used extensively in Ukraine, while Zircon has so far only been declared operational on smaller Admiral Gorshkov-class frigates. The remaining launch tubes are slated for S-300FM Fort series surface-to-air missiles, with the possibility of future upgrades to S-400 interceptors for stronger air and missile defense.
Close-in protection will be handled by Pantsir-M gun-and-missile systems, though observers note only six of the eight originally planned units have been installed. Other upgrades include new radar and command systems, as well as the replacement of the ship’s main gun with the modern AK-192M 130mm cannon.
The modernization of Admiral Nakhimov comes at a pivotal time for the Russian Navy. With the country’s only aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, still undergoing troubled repairs and facing an uncertain future, the nuclear-powered cruiser is expected to serve as the centerpiece of Russia’s surface fleet once operational.
Admiral Nakhimov is the first of the Kirov-class to undergo such a deep modernization. Its sister ship, Pyotr Velikiy, currently the flagship of the Northern Fleet, is expected to be decommissioned once Nakhimov officially reenters service. The other two Kirov-class hulls have already been scrapped.
The Kirov-class remains unique as the world’s only nuclear-powered surface combatants, following the retirement of the U.S. Navy’s nuclear cruisers in the 1990s.
