Russia's Admiral Nakhimov: High stakes in 2025 sea trials
The Russian nuclear cruiser "Admiral Nakhimov" may soon commence sea trials, reports The War Zone, citing information from Russia. This would mark a significant step in the history of the vessel, which has been under repair since 1997 and has cost the Russians over five billion dollars.
The Russian defence industry has long struggled with the nuclear cruiser "Admiral Nakhimov". At the end of 2024, the Ukrainian military-themed portal Defense Express reported that there seemed to be no end in sight for the repairs that began in 1997. Despite substantial investments by the Russians, the sea trials have continually been postponed, and the vessel has yet to leave the shipyard.
Will "Admiral Nakhimov" return to the sea?
The latest reports from Russia, highlighted by The War Zone, suggest that this may soon change. Russian state media claim that the cruiser's two nuclear reactors are now operational and that the vessel should begin sea trials in the summer of 2025. However, it is worth noting that previously, the Russians had cited November 2024 as the date for these trials. Therefore, the timeline for "Admiral Nakhimov" may still be uncertain.
An anonymous source from the Russian state news agency TASS, believed to be associated with the Russian defence industry, reported that the activation of the first reactor took place at the end of December 2024, with the second reactor activated at the beginning of 2025. "Factory sea trials of the cruiser with its going to sea will begin in the summer of 2025," the TASS informant, quoted by The War Zone, added.
The "Admiral Nakhimov", which the Russians state is currently at the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk on the White Sea, is a heavy missile cruiser of project 1144.2 (NATO designation: Kirov-class). The vessel was launched in 1986 under the name Kalinin and was renamed in honour of Russian Admiral Pavel Nakhimov after the dissolution of the USSR in 1992.
"Admiral Nakhimov" and years-long refurbishment
The vessel is over 820 feet long and has a displacement of approximately 26,000 tons. It is powered by two KN-3 nuclear reactors, providing virtually unlimited operational range, restricted only by the provisions for the crew of nearly 700 people. The maximum speed of Admiral Nakhimov reaches 32 knots (approximately 37 mph).
Before modernization, the cruiser was armed with 20 powerful P-700 Granit anti-ship missiles, S-300F Fort and Osa-M air defence systems, as well as 130 mm artillery and AK-630 close-in weapon systems. It also had torpedo and RBU-rocket torpedo launchers, making it a versatile tool for combating surface ships, submarines, and aerial targets.
The modernization of Admiral Nakhimov began in the late 1990s, but actual work only started in 2013. The plan was to transform the vessel into the most powerful surface unit of the Russian navy. This includes replacing obsolete armaments with modern missile systems, including the Kalibr, Oniks, and hypersonic Zircon missiles, which are intended to give Russia an edge in naval warfare.
The air defence systems were also updated, introducing modern variants of S-300 and Pantsir-M systems, as well as installing new radars, sonars, and electronic warfare systems. The modernization also covered the nuclear reactors and propulsion systems.
