Russia is preparing to test the new nuclear cruiser ‘Admiral Nakhimov’ armed with 478 missiles

The ship’s trials are scheduled for late 2023. After commissioning, the ship will continue to perform tasks as part of the Northern Fleet. “Today we will introduce measures that will allow to complete the upgrade of the cruiser by the end of 2024,” Shoigu said.

At the heart of escalating military tensions, particularly in the Ukraine conflict, Russia is about to mark an important strategic turning point. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday that the nuclear-powered cruiser Admiral Nakhimov will undergo sea trials by the end of the year. According to information received from the Russian news agency “Tass”, this statement came during a communications meeting. Minister Shoigu explained that the ship was equipped with more modern equipment and missile systems, which can greatly enhance Russia’s military capability.

The ship’s trials are scheduled for late 2023. After commissioning, the ship will continue to perform tasks as part of the Northern Fleet. “Today we will introduce measures that will allow to complete the upgrade of the cruiser by the end of 2024,” Shoigu said.

The Admiral Nakhimov battlecruiser is the only Russian nuclear cruiser to have been rebuilt after Russia initially announced in 2009 that it would rebuild the three remaining Soviet nuclear cruisers. This new deployment of resources highlights the importance Russia places on modernizing its navy and preserving its position as a major global power.

Despite international protests and concerns about the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, Russia continues to strengthen its nuclear defense. Admiral Nakhimov’s experiments, if they go as planned, would represent an important step in this strategy.

arming

Armament will be one of the main changes after the repair of the Admiral Nakhimov cruiser. Currently, its armament includes P-700 Granit anti-ship missiles. And the cruiser will be equipped with at least ten more 3S14 vertical launchers, possibly version M. This means that in addition to the P-700 Granit, the Admiral Nakhimov will be equipped with an additional 80 missiles of various modifications and models.

The P-700 Granit’s range varies depending on the flight altitude, which also affects detection – a maximum of 625 kilometers, but on an elevated trajectory. The range could be significantly reduced to 200 km, but if the cruiser launched it at a lower altitude. This type of launch is done when it is necessary to avoid enemy anti-aircraft defense.

In addition to increasing the number of missiles and launchers, it is assumed that the Admiral Nakhimov cruiser will receive Zircon missiles. [Tsirkon] faster than the speed of sound (hypersonics). This information has not been confirmed, but based on a press release from the Russian Defense Ministry, which says that many ships of the Russian Navy will receive these missiles, it is quite logical to assume that Admiral Nakhimov is also on this list. The number of Zircon missiles that will be on board this cruiser is unknown.