What are the general characteristics of the Project 1144.2 “Orlan” nuclear-powered cruiser, and what considerations might be driving this hopelessly outdated project?
The press service of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy states that the modernized nuclear-powered cruiser “Admiral Nakhimov” of Project 1144.2 “Orlan” has allegedly begun the third stage of its sea trials, after which, in theory, practical missile and torpedo firings may take place.
Against this backdrop, the question arises once again: why do racists even need a 40-year-old nuclear-powered cruiser that has been undergoing repairs for almost 30 years at a cost equivalent to 5 billion dollars, after which the ship is expected to feature 80 launchers for “Kalibr”, “Onyx”, and “Zircon” missiles.
Let’s start with the basic details: the nuclear-powered cruiser “Admiral Nakhimov” was commissioned into the USSR Navy in 1988, under the name “Kalinin”; it received its current name in 1992. As early as 1997, this ship began repairs and further modernization, which effectively stretched until 2026 inclusive.
“Admiral Nakhimov” is one of the largest ships in the Russian Navy, with a hull length of 251 meters, a hull width of 28 meters, and a designed full displacement of 23.5 thousand tons. Moreover, the rashists need a new “candidate” for the role of flagship of the Northern Fleet, especially after the de facto withdrawal from active service of the similarly-designed nuclear-powered cruiser “Pyotr Velikiy” and the only aircraft carrier “Kuznetsov.”
If the primary goal of the modernization, namely the replacement of the main armament from 20 launchers for P-700 “Granit” anti-ship missiles to 80 launchers for “Onyx”, “Kalibr”, and “Zircon” missiles, has been realized, then the “Nakhimov” should also become the most heavily armed ship in the Russian fleet.
However, overall, it turns out that the Russians are returning to their fleet a ship that initially had only 9 years of active service, and then stood idle for almost 30 years undergoing repairs, becoming completely incapacitated. There could have been arguments both for and against such a decision, so it is likely that the concept of “expediency” for the military-political leadership of the Russian Federation looked something like this.
As strange as it may sound, Russia currently also feels like a “state without a fleet,” especially against the backdrop of a systemic crisis in military shipbuilding. This is evident, for example, in the fact that the rashists have been unable to complete the construction of three Project 22800 “Karakurt” class missile corvettes for several years due to problems with their diesel engines.
Currently, the Russian fleet has a very limited number of ocean-class ships that could be used for “power projection” in regions of the world important to the Kremlin. A huge amount of resources has been invested in the work on the nuclear-powered cruiser “Admiral Nakhimov,” so leaving the work unfinished would be too irrational, even by Russian standards.
Therefore, the overall picture is that the Russians are persistently working to complete an extremely costly modernization project of a 40-year-old Soviet-built ship, which is now intended to carry as many as 80 “Onyx,” “Kalibr,” and “Zircon” missiles.
Ivan Kyrychevsky, serviceman of the 413th SBS Regiment “Raid”, expert of Defense Express