Story by TASS Russian news agency
On December 16, Deputy Defense Minister Alexey Krivoruchko visited the Sevmash shipyard (a subsidiary of the United Shipbuilding Corporation) in order to check the construction of the Project 955A (Borei-A-class) nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) and the Project 885M (Yasen-M-class) nuclear-powered guided missile submarines (SSGNs), and the modernization of the Project 11442M battlecruiser ‘Admiral Nakhimov’.
“The implementation of the works was checked. Under the plan, the [‘Admiral Nakhimov’] ship is expected to be delivered [to the Navy] in late 2022. These terms are not challenged,”
Krivoruchko.
According to the official, the implementation of the state defense order (Gosoboronzakaz, GOZ) meets the approved schedules for the most part.
The Sevmash shipyard carries out its obligations, noted the MoD.
The modernization will provide the ‘Admiral Nakhimov’ with the capability to fire high-precision weapons, including the Zircon hypersonic missiles, the Oniks (SS-N-26 Strobile), and the Kalibr-family (SS-N-27 Sizzler) missiles. The ships’ air defense suite will comprise the Fort-M (SA-N-6 Grumble) surface-to-air missile system and the Pantsir-M naval anti-aircraft gun-missile systems. The battlecruiser will also carry powerful anti-submarine warfare weapons.
The modernization of the Project 11442M battlecruiser ‘Admiral Nakhimov’ was launched in 2013.
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Naval News comments
For the record, the “Admiral Nakhimov” (Project 1144 “Orlan”) was named “Kalinin” until 1992. It was laid down on May 17, 1983 at the Baltic Shipyard. Launched on April 25, 1986 and commissioned with the Soviet Navy on December 30, 1988. On April 22, 1992 it was renamed “Admiral Nakhimov”.
The vessel arrived from Severomorsk to Severodvinsk at Sevmash shipyard to undergo repair and modernization back in 1997. On August 14, 1999, the ship was officially accepted for repair and modernization at the shipyard. However, the work did not start fora while, and only in September 2008 the spent nuclear fuel was unloaded.
In 2012, the technical project for the modernization of the ship under the project 11442M was completed. On June 13, 2013, Sevmash signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense worth 50 billion rubles for the repair and modernization of the cruiser, with a contractual deadline for its return to the fleet in 2018. On October 24, 2014, the cruiser was brought into the Sevmash pool/dry dock, after which the actual modernization work began. The vessel was put back in the water in August 2020. Experts estimate that the vessel won’t be back at sea for post-modernization sea trials until 2022 at best.
Modernization of the weapon systems includes, according to Sevmash CEO, the Fort-M (NATO reporting name: SA-N-6 Grumble) and Pantsyr-M (SA-22 Greyhound) air defense systems and the high-power Paket-NK and Otvet antisubmarine warfare weapons. According to H I Sutton, the cruiser will be also armed with the 3M22 Zircon hypersonic anti-ship missile, possibly a total of 60 missiles.
