Admiral Nakhimov on the way to return to service

The heavy nuclear missile cruiser of Project 11442M Admiral Nakhimov, one of the most powerful warships of the Russian fleet, has completed the long-awaited stage of modernization and has begun factory tests. This ship, launched in 1988, was sent for major repairs and renovation back in 1999, and now, 25 years later, is ready to return to service, significantly strengthening the defense capability of the Russian Federation.

It is worth noting that the modernization process was complex and lengthy. During the work, almost all the equipment was replaced, and essentially only the ship's strong hull was preserved.



At the same time, its combat capabilities have increased several times. Now, the Admiral Nakhimov carries modern anti-submarine systems Paket-NK and Otvet, improved anti-ship missiles Oniks, cruise missiles Kalibr and, most importantly, hypersonic missiles Zircon. The number of anti-ship missiles that the cruiser has at its disposal has increased from 20 to 80, and the universal vertical launchers 3S14 allow the use of all of these products regardless of the ship's location relative to the target.

In turn, the protection of the Admiral Nakhimov was seriously improved during the modernization, which received a naval version of the Pantsir, a universal artillery system Ak-130, as well as helicopters and, possibly, drones located on board. There is also information about the installation of a naval version of the S-400F anti-aircraft system on the ship.

Naturally, it was equipped with new means of communication, navigation and hydroacoustics. But most importantly, the cruiser received a modernized nuclear power plant, the capacity of which would be enough to provide electricity and heat to a city with a population of 150 thousand people.

The upgraded cruiser is expected to be delivered to the Northern Fleet next year. This ship will form a powerful strike force capable of effectively countering modern threats.

However, the project does not end there. Another heavy nuclear missile cruiser of Project 11442, Pyotr Velikiy, is also awaiting a similar upgrade. The question of its future remains open, but the experience of restoring Admiral Nakhimov could be an important step towards upgrading this ship as well.