Russians test nuclear cruiser after 25 years of repairs

The Russian nuclear cruiser Admiral Nakhimov has begun sea trials after a modernization that began in 1999.

The nuclear missile cruiser Admiral Nakhimov has begun sea trials after a 25-year repair and modernization. This is  reported by “Militarnyi”.

The Project 1144.2M cruiser Orlan began repairs in 1999 at the Sevmash plant. The modernization included the installation of modern radar systems, weapons control, and the integration of new types of weapons.

The ship, which was accepted into the Soviet fleet in 1988, was equipped with Zircon hypersonic missiles, Caliber cruise missiles, and Onyx supersonic anti-ship missiles during the modernization. Air defense was reinforced with the Fort-M and Pantsir-M complexes, and anti-submarine capabilities with the Paket-NK and Otvet torpedoes.

To launch the increased arsenal of weapons, the cruiser was equipped with a vertical launch system “UKSK 3S14” with 80 cells.

The modernization of the cruiser, which lasted for more than two decades, became a symbol of the decline of the Russian shipbuilding sector. Delays associated with repairs and ship construction are typical due to the technological and organizational degradation of the industry in the Russian Federation.

Experts note that the long terms of modernization and ship construction undermine the combat capability of the Russian fleet and indicate systemic problems in the country’s military-industrial complex.

The average age of the ships of the Russian Navy is currently about 35 years. Due to the low ability to timely update the fleet, this indicator will only increase.

Before that, the Russians launched the carrier of the hypersonic missiles “Tsyrcon” – the frigate “Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Isakov”. At the same time, the construction of this ship was delayed for 11 years, although it was originally planned to be completed by 2018.

As the USM wrote the day before, Russia launched a new tanker “Engineer-Admiral Kotov” to support the Navy.