Jeff you know what will happen to the Kirov class cruisers? From what I have managed to read up on, only the Pyotr Velikiy is active. The Admiral Nakhimov, Admiral Lazarev and Admiral Ushakov are supposedly being modernized and are in either port or dry dock. Do you know what will be the disposition of these vessels?
These are incredible powerful vessels (at least on paper). I cannot see the Russians giving them up, unless the modernization and operational costs outweigh the benefits of the vessel.
Thanks
Well, lets take them one at a time, form newest to oldest:
Pyotr Velikiy CGN 099: This vessel is active now. She was the last one built, being laid down in 1986 as the Yuri Andropov, and launched in 1989. But this was just before the Soviet Union fell, and there were no funds to complete her outfitting and commissioning. She was finally completed and commissioned in 1996. This allowed her to be outfitted with some more modern equipment. Like the Admiral Nakhimon, she was fitted with 6 Kashtan CADS-N-A CIWS systems. She is the flagship of the Northern Fleet. Outside of some engineering problems with her steerage that were corrected and repaired in 2004, she has been on many deployments with various Russian task forces. she is a very visible part of the Russian Navy.
Admiral Nakhimov CGN 085: She was laid down in 1983 as the Kaliniin and launched in 1986 and commissioned in late 1989 just before the fall of the Soviet Union. She was rarely used and fell into a state of disrepair due to lack of funds, and by 1999 was permanently docked. In 2006 the decision was taken to repair and update her, and work began. But by 2011 it had not been completed and the project languished. In 2012, work was stopped because firm decisions had not been made on her final configuration. In 2013, work was said to have started again with the idea of finishing her by 2017 and having her become the flagship of the Pacific fleet in 2018. Funding appears firm at this point and the decision has been made to change her principle anti-surface missile armament to the P-800 Oniks supersonic anti-ship missile, and to change her principle anti-air missile system to a navalized version of the S-400 system. She differed from the 1st two vessels having the six Kashtan CIWS systems and a single dual barrel 130mm main gun aft instead of two single barreled 100mm guns, which the Pyotr Velikiy also received.
Admiral Lazarev CGN: This was the second Kirov class cruiser. Laid down in 1978 as the Frunze, she was launched in 1981 and commissioned in 1984. The major difference between her and the 1st ship, the Kirov was getting a greater anti-air defense with the SA-N-9 VLS system forward replacing anti-submarine guided missiles there. The following two ships would also have this feature. She was taken out of service in 1999, having been laid up after the fall of the Soviet Union. They planned to scrap her and her nuclear fuel was unloaded in 2005. Currently the ship is moored near Vladivostok and in a general state of disrepair. Despite talk of overhauling and modernizing her, given her current state, her lack of a fueled reactor, and the massive costs all fo this would incur, it seems very unlikely that she will ever go to sea again. I just do not see them overhauling her.
Admiral Ushakov CGN: This is the first Kirov-class nuclear powered battle cruiser. She was laid down in 1974 as the Kirov, launched in 1978 and commissioned in 1981. She was the largest modern naval surface combatant built since World War II, and the entire class remains in that distinction to this day. She served ably in the Soviet fleet and was the pride and flagship of that fleet. But, in 1990, as the Soviet Union teetered and collapsed, she suffered a major reactor accident while in the Mediterranean. The necessary repairs were never carried out. Russia did not have the funds for it. She has languished at dockside ever since, for 24 years now. It is likely that she was been highly cannibalized for other ships throughout the 1990s, particularly for the Lazarev until she was laid up in 1999. Given the damage, the likely cannibalization, and the long term state of disrepair, it is far less likely, even than for the Lazarev, that she will ever put to sea again.
The last I had heard was that the newest two will go forward. Pyotr Velikiy as the flagship of the Northern Fleet, and, after her overhaul and upgrade, the Admiral Nakhimov as the flagship of the Pacific fleet (which are by far the two largest Russian fleets).
I doubt very, very seriously if either of the other two will ever be overhauled and modernized...or go to sea again.
