Russia’s battlecruiser prepares for sea trials as nuclear reactors reactivated

The Russian Navy has reactivated the two nuclear reactors aboard its last Kirov-class battlecruiser, the Admiral Nakhimov, signalling that the warship is likely to begin sea trials in the near future.

The first reactor was brought online in late December, with the second following on February 2. “The consecutive physical launch of the cruiser’s two reactors demonstrates the readiness of the entire nuclear powerplant of the ship for operation in all modes,” Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The Admiral Nakhimov is one of four Kirov-class battlecruisers built for the Soviet Navy in the 1980s, then regarded as the most formidable surface combatants in the world. Weighing in at 28,000 tons, these warships are more than three times the size of American Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and exceed the displacement of most other contemporary surface combatants. Their nuclear propulsion systems allow them to sustain high speeds of up to 32 knots and power advanced weapons and sensors for extended durations.

Undergoing modernization at the Sevmash shipyard on the White Sea since 2008, the Admiral Nakhimov was initially slated to return to service in 2018. However, challenges in Russia’s post-Soviet shipbuilding industry, particularly concerning large surface combatants, led to significant delays. The ship’s extensive upgrade program has drastically enhanced its combat capabilities, replacing its original 20 P-700 Granit anti-ship cruise missiles with 80 vertical launch cells for modern munitions. These include the P-800 Oniks, 3M54T Kalibr, and hypersonic Zircon missiles for maritime strike roles, as well as the 3M14T Kalibr for long-range precision attacks against land-based targets.

The ship’s air defence systems have also been significantly upgraded. Originally designed to carry the S-300F surface-to-air missile system, the battlecruiser is now equipped with a navalized version of the S-400 system, boasting 96 launch cells—equivalent to three full ground-based battalions. It also features the Pantsir-ME close-in weapon system and a navalized S-350 Vityaz system, replacing the outdated OSA-M missiles. Furthermore, all onboard sensors have been modernized to integrate with these new weapons systems.

In 2021, Severnoye Design Bureau CEO Andrei Dyachkov highlighted the Admiral Nakhimov’s advancements, stating, “The high modernisation potential integrated in these ships upon their designing helped carry out certain works and outfit the Admiral Nakhimov with the most advanced weapons, which makes it the world’s strongest surface combat ship.” With a formidable arsenal of 176 long-range missiles, cutting-edge hypersonic weaponry, and dual nuclear propulsion, the ship is a powerful force despite lacking the stealth capabilities of newer designs like the Chinese Type 055-class or American Zumwalt-class destroyers.

Originally conceived during an era when the Soviet Union was rapidly expanding its blue-water navy to rival the United States, the Admiral Nakhimov now stands as a relic of a bygone naval doctrine. In contrast, modern Russian shipbuilding has not produced a single new destroyer or cruiser-sized vessel for domestic use, with most new combatants being significantly smaller in displacement. With Russia’s only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, experiencing persistent technical difficulties, the Admiral Nakhimov is expected to serve as the flagship of the Russian Navy upon re-entering service.

By Vugar Khalilov