Russia upgrades Soviet-era "floating super fortress"

"The upgrade of the Project 11442M cruiser is still ongoing. The overhaul and hull painting phase has been completed. The ship is expected to undergo sea trials in 2020,"TASSciting a statement released by the Sevmash shipyard, where the Admiral Nakhimov warship was modernized, yesterday.

Admiral Nakhimov is one of four nuclear-powered cruisers of Project 1144 "Orlan", also known as the Kirov class, commissioned by the Soviet Union on December 30, 1988. Each Kirov-class warship possesses a powerful weapon system equivalent to a fleet of warships, making them known as "super floating fortresses" during the Soviet era.

The Russian government signed a contract to modernize the Admiral Nakhimov in 2013, reviving the warship after years of being idle in the shipyard. The ship has been undergoing overhaul since 2014 and is expected to return to service in the Russian navy in 2021.

Although the exterior has not changed much since the Soviet era, the Admiral Nakhimov will be equipped with the most modern electronic, communication and weapons systems in Russia today. The nuclear reactor on board will remain the same, but the equipment to maintain operations and control will be upgraded, ensuring stable and safe operation for decades.

The 20 P-700 Granit supersonic anti-ship missiles will be replaced by 70-80 vertical launch tubes for Kalibr or P-800 Oniks cruise missiles, which have superior range and power while being more compact in size. The Kalibr missiles will turn the Admiral Nakhimov into a multi-purpose combat platform, capable of anti-ship, anti-submarine and ground attack targets from a distance of 2,500 km.