Kirov-class battlecruiser

The Kirov class, Soviet designation Project 1144 Orlan (Russian: Орлан, lit. 'sea eagle'), is a class of nuclear-powered guided-missile battlecruisers of the Soviet Navy and Russian Navy, the largest and heaviest surface combatant warships (i.e. not an aircraft carrier or amphibious assault ship) in operation in the world. Among modern warships, they are second in size only to large aircraft carriers; they are similar in size to a World War I-era battleship. Defence commentators in the West often refer to these ships as battlecruisers - due to their size and general appearance. The Soviet classification of the ship-type is "heavy nuclear-powered guided-missile cruiser" (Russian: тяжёлый атомный ракетный крейсер).

For the World War II era class, see Kirov-class cruiser.

Kirov-class battlecruiser Frunze
Class overview
NameKirov class
BuildersBaltic Shipyard, Leningrad
Operators
  •  Soviet Navy
  •  Russian Navy
Preceded byKara class
Succeeded byLider class
Built1974–1998
In service1980–present
Planned5
Completed4
Cancelled1
Active1 (1 undergoing refit)
Retired2
General characteristics
TypeHeavy guided-missile cruiser/battlecruiser
Displacement
  • 24,300 tons standard
  • 28,000 tons full load
Length252 m (827 ft)
Beam28.5 m (94 ft)
Draft9.1 m (30 ft)
Propulsion
  • 2-shaft CONAS, 2× KN-3 nuclear marine propulsion with 2× GT3A-688 steam turbines
  • 140,000 shp (100,000 kW)
Speed32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph)
Range
  • 1,000 nmi (1,900 km; 1,200 mi) at 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph) (combined propulsion)
  • unlimited at 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph) on nuclear power
Complement710
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Radars: (NATO reporting name):
    • Voskhod MR-800 (Top Pair) search 3D radar, foremast
    • Fregat MR-710 (Top Plate) 3D search radar, main mast
    • 2 × Palm Frond navigation radar, foremast
  • Sonar:
    • Horse Jaw LF hull sonar
    • Horse Tail VDS (Variable Depth Sonar)
  • Combat Management System:
    • Lesorub-44 combat information control system
Electronic warfare
& decoys		2 × PK-2 Decoy dispensers (400 rockets)
Armament
  • Missiles:
    • 20 × P-700 Granit (SS-N-19 Shipwreck) AShM
    • 96 × S-300F Fort (SA-N-6 Grumble) surface-to-air missiles (Ushakov, Lazarev, Nakhimov)
    • 48 × S-300F Fort and 48 S-300FM Fort-M (SA-N-20 Gargoyle) long-range SAM (Pyotr Velikhy)
    • 64 × 3K95 Kinzhal (SA-N-9 Gauntlet) Only installed on Pyotr Veiliky (8 x 8). Space reserved for 128 missiles on Admiral Lazarev, Admiral Nakhimov and Pyotr Veiliky point defense SAM
    • 40 × OSA-MA (SA-N-4 Gecko) PD SAM. Not on Pyotr Velikiy
  • Guns:
  • Torpedoes and others:
    • 2 × 6 RBU-1000 305 mm ASW rocket launchers
    • 1 × 10 (Udav-1) 254 mm ASW rocket launchers
    • 10 × 533 mm ASW/ASuW torpedo tubes, Type 53 torpedo or RPK-2 Vyuga (SS-N-15) ASW missile
Armour76 mm plating around reactor compartment, light splinter protection
Aircraft carried3 helicopters
Aviation facilitiesBelow-deck hangar

The appearance of the Kirov class (first exemplar commissioned in 1979) played a key role in the recommissioning of the Iowa-class battleships by the United States Navy in the 1980s.

The Kirov class hull-design was also used for the Soviet nuclear-powered command and control ship SSV-33 Ural.

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