Story by TASS Russian news agency
“The handover of the Admiral Nakhimov was postponed to 2023 at best because of problems with suppliers,” the source said.
Sevmash refused comment.
In August 2020, Sevmash CEO Mikhail Budnichenko said the overhaul of the cruiser was on schedule and weapons were installed. The Admiral Nakhimov would begin trials in 2021 and join the Navy in 2022, he said.
The upgrade has to develop the cruiser into the most powerful Russian warship. Its size allows installing various electronic equipment and weapons.
The Admiral Nakhimov has been awaiting an overhaul since 1999. The work began in 2013. The cruiser will carry Kalibr and Onyx missiles and hypersonic Tsirkon in future.
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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.
