The Kirov-class nuclear-powered battlecruisers of the Russian Navy, which were once the crowning jewel of Soviet naval engineering, are now nearing obsolescence. Of its class, only the Pyotr Velikiy remains in operational service, suffering not only from outdated systems but also from concerns regarding the age of the nuclear reactors and the enormous costs of operation.
The Kirov-class battlecruisers, built for a Cold War threat environment, are thereby susceptible to modern anti-ship missiles and require a large crew of 750 or so people, a level of personnel numbers that Russia is barely sustaining. The vessel’s specs alone look impressive on paper: 28,000 tons fully loaded, 252 meters in length, and powered by two nuclear reactors generating 140,000 shaft horsepower. But that’s long since not enough to get the job done for modern naval warfare.
The Kirov-class ships have a history going back many decades. Four have been commissioned since 1980. The first to be laid down was originally given the name Leonid Brezhnev, then changed to Kirov, and decommissioned in 1999 after having a nuclear reactor explosion in 1990. The Frunze and the Kalinin were both decommissioned, with the Frunze becoming Admiral Ushakov, in 2001 and the Kalinin, now renamed Admiral Lazarev, in 2021. This means that the Pyotr Velikiy is the only ship of its class in operation.
The operational history has also been marred by a succession of incidents and accidents, and it is becoming impractical for Moscow to keep the peace with these warships as flagships of its fleet. The age and maintenance requirements of the Kirov class are major issues. Vessels over 30 years old require major overhauls and continuous upgrading to stay operational, expensive, and time-consuming at a time when Russia is calling for simplicity and cost-effectiveness.
Technical issues abound. The nuclear reactors, another Soviet-era signature, are infamous for their unreliability and danger to life. The Kirov class lacks modern sensors, communications, and weapons systems, which severely reduce their real battle effectiveness where size and price alone tell more.
Russian Navy has decided not to refurbish the Pyotr Velikiy while refurbishing only the sister ship, Admiral Nakhimov. This decision was conditioned by the very high maintenance cost, persistent technical problems, and archaic technical equipment of the Kirov class, which were created during the Cold War. The Admirals Nakhimov, originally called Kalinin, has been repairing since 1999, and since 2013, major modernization works have been conducted. Nowadays, a universal firing system, UKSK 3S14, is installed on naval ships that are fitted with Kalibr Oniks or Zircon missiles.
As the war continues in Ukraine to place increasing strains on resources, the Kirov class likely is to be decommissioned entirely shortly. It seems that the Russian Navy would be best to use its resources for more up-to-date, cheaper naval assets for contemporary warfare rather than continuing to throw away resources on the maintenance of these aging behemoths.