Russian Nuclear Cruiser Admiral Nakhimov Sets Sail After a Quarter Century of Repairs

The heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser Admiral Nakhimov has set sail following extensive repairs and modernization that lasted nearly a quarter of a century.

Several media outlets reported on this, including the specialized resource BTVT.INFO.

The upgraded ship is equipped with new radar systems and a AK-192M 130mm gun.

Modernization work began back in 1999, but the active phase only started in 2013 at the Sevmash shipyard. Initially, completion was planned for 2018, but the deadlines were repeatedly postponed – first to 2020, then to 2021, 2022, 2024, and finally to 2025.

Overall, the repair and modernization lasted about 25 years, with costs exceeding RUB 200 billion – approximately $5 billion at the average exchange rate of recent years.

Earlier, in December 2024, this cruiser had already gone out for trials.

The Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is currently mothballed, and its fate is still being decided.

Admiral Nakhimov

The Admiral Nakhimov, a Project 1144 Orlan cruiser, was laid down in 1983 at the Baltic Shipyard in Leningrad and commissioned in 1988 under the name Kalinin.

In 1992, after the dissolution of the USSR, the ship was renamed in honor of Pavel Nakhimov. It is part of the Russian Northern Fleet but has spent most of its existence undergoing repairs.

The cruiser has a displacement of over 24,000 tons, a length of about 250 meters, and a width of over 28 meters. Its main feature is its nuclear power plant, which provides virtually unlimited sailing range, along with a combined system that also uses boilers for steam turbines.

The maximum speed reaches over 30 knots, and the ship’s endurance is several months. The crew consists of around 700 personnel.

The cruiser’s original armament included 20 P-700 Granit anti-ship missiles, designed to destroy enemy aircraft carrier groups. Additionally, the ship was equipped with a multi-layered air defense system – S-300F Fort surface-to-air missile systems, Osa-MA and Kinzhal medium- and short-range air defense systems, as well as AK-630 close-in weapon systems.

In order to hit submarines, the ship was equipped with torpedo tubes and Vodopad anti-submarine missile systems.

During its modernization, Admiral Nakhimov underwent significant rearmament.

New universal launchers were installed, capable of deploying a wide range of missiles, including Kalibr, Oniks, and advanced Zircon missiles.