Nuclear-powered cruiser Admiral Nakhimov of Russia – Project 1144M, according to the assessment, will have outstanding power after upgradation.
The Russian Navy possesses a substantial Soviet-era fleet, and they need to be upgraded, modernized and improved to meet the requirements of modern warfare. They will be supplemented with advanced interceptor missiles, close-range defense systems, upgraded long-range air defense systems, onboard integration and even hypersonic weapons. Nuclear-powered cruiser Admiral Nakhimov of Russia – Project 1144M, according to the assessment, will have outstanding power after upgradation.
According to Russian media, as part of the modernization process for the Admiral Nakhimov cruiser, the installation of new weapons systems has officially begun. According to Moscow’s plans, this ship will become the flagship of the Russian Navy, since it will be the most powerful cruiser in service and be able to radically change the balance of power in a particular war with a powerful opponent.
Currently, work on the completion of the Russian cruiser is actively underway, which includes more than 150 suppliers. New electronic systems and nuclear fuel are being received. In August 2020, Admiral Nakhimov was taken to a special dock to complete repairs and begin the second phase of modernization.
Arming a battle cruiser with hypersonic missiles would be a substantial step forward when it comes to changing and upgrading the offensive firepower of the 1980s-era Russian battlecruiser Admiral Nakhimov. The Admiral Nakimov is being upgraded with ship-tailored Fort M missiles, an upgrade to Russia’s S-300 type anti-aircraft defenses, land-attack missiles, AK 192 guns, close-in defenses and new anti-submarine weapons.
The large Russian battlecruiser is also armed with a host of additional weapons, according to the Forbes report, which says the Admiral Nakimow’s “carrier killer” missiles include 20 large Granite supersonic missiles. The ship is also armed with 40 9K33 Osa short-range missiles and as many as 96 S-300 long range missiles. Also of significant importance, the ship is armed with a Kashtan close-in weapons system, armed with Gatling guns and eighth 9M322 short range missiles. The full displacement of the cruiser after modernization will be 24 thousand tons.
Next year, it is expected that the nuclear reactor will be accepted for installation and operation. Along with that, during the ship’s upgrade, a number of innovative solutions related to life support systems will be introduced. The Project 1114 nuclear cruiser is now among the largest surface warships in the world, about the same size as the battleships of World War I, only inferior to modern amphibious assault ships and aircraft carriers.
The Russian Navy currently maintains two ships of the class, the Admiral Nakhimov and Peter the Great, both of which are part of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Federation. It should be noted that the program to modernize these large cruisers received mixed reviews. Some experts say that even with upgrades, they will still be difficult to meet the requirements of modern warfare.
The major disadvantage of this class is their large size, but the design is not capable of scattering radar waves, making it easy to be detected by the enemy from a distance. Not to mention the weapons it carries, it is difficult to take full advantage of its maximum range because of the limitations of the radar. The reality of the battlefield shows that a large cruiser like the Slava-class Moskva of the Black Sea Fleet proved too vulnerable to an anti-ship cruise missile attack.
The most controversial factor is the cost of the upgrade. It is equivalent to building 4 new stealth frigates Project 22350 much more modern and also has a much longer service life than the Admiral Nakhimov. But anyway, the work is already underway, and the experience gained will help the Russians consider whether to carry out similar projects in the future.
