Will new missile cruisers be built? Russia will receive new cruisers
In the second half of the twentieth century, 180 independent states appeared on the world map, but out of this wild diversity of countries and peoples, only two superpowers had a powerful ocean fleet - the Soviet Union and the United States. For example, no one except us and the Americans built missile cruisers en masse. Four more European countries, in order to maintain their former status as “maritime powers,” made efforts to create their own missile cruisers, but all their attempts ended in the construction of a single ship with predominantly American weapons and systems. “Ships of prestige”, nothing more.
The Americans were pioneers in the field of creating missile cruisers; by the end of the 40s, their military industry had created the first combat-ready air defense systems suitable for installation on a ship. Subsequently, the fate of the US Navy's missile cruisers was determined exclusively by escort functions as part of aircraft carrier groups; American cruisers were never designed for a serious naval battle with surface ships.
But missile cruisers were especially respected in our country: during the existence of the USSR, dozens of different designs appeared in the vastness of the World Ocean: heavy and light, surface and underwater, with a conventional or nuclear power plant, there were even anti-submarine cruisers and aircraft carrier cruisers! It is no coincidence that missile cruisers became the main striking force of the USSR Navy.
In a general sense, the concept of “Soviet missile cruiser” meant a large multi-purpose surface ship with a powerful anti-ship missile system.
About the seven best missile cruisers - just a brief excursion into maritime history associated with the development of this unique class of warships. The author does not consider himself entitled to give any specific ratings or create a rating of “the best of the best.” No, this will just be a story about the most outstanding designs of the Cold War era, indicating their known advantages, disadvantages and interesting facts associated with these death machines. However, the nature of the presentation of the material will help the reader independently determine which of this “magnificent seven” is still worthy of the highest pedestal.
Albany-class guided missile cruisers
1944/1962 Total displacement 17,500 tons. Crew 1200 people.
Full speed – 32 knots. Cruising range - 9000 miles (at 15 knots).
Weapons:
- Talos long-range air defense system (2 launchers, ammunition 104 missiles);
- Tartar short-range air defense system (2 launchers, ammunition 84 anti-aircraft missiles);
- anti-submarine missile system ASROC (ammunition 24 missile torpedoes);
- 8 Polaris intercontinental ballistic missiles (never installed);
- two universal guns of 127 mm caliber.
Three American monsters, rebuilt from heavy cruisers of World War II. After the first successful experiments with missiles, the US Navy decided to undertake a global modernization of the Baltimore-class artillery cruisers - all weapons were removed from the ships, the superstructure was cut off and the insides were torn apart. And so, 4 years later, an incredible “thug” with a tall superstructure and mast pipes studded with secret electronic equipment entered the sea. The fact that this ship was once a heavy artillery cruiser of the Baltimore class was only reminiscent of the shape of the bow.
Despite its ugly appearance, the “Albany series” of cruisers were cool warships capable of providing high-quality air defense of aircraft carrier formations in the near zone (by the standards of those years) - the firing range of the Talos air defense system was more than 100 km, and two hundred missiles on board allowed fend off enemy aircraft for a long time.
Advantages:
15-centimeter armor belt, inherited from the heavy cruiser Baltimore,
- 8 fire control radars,
- high installation height of radars,
Flaws:
- lack of strike weapons,
- superstructures made of aluminum alloys,
- archaic, in general, design.
Baltimore-class heavy artillery cruiser - this is what the Albany cruisers looked like before modernization
Belknap-class guided missile cruisers
1964 Total displacement 8,000 tons. Crew 380 people.
Full speed – 32 knots. Cruising range - 7000 miles (at 20 knots).
Weapons:
- universal launcher Mk.10 (80 anti-aircraft and anti-submarine missiles);
- automated artillery mount Mk.42 127 mm caliber;
- 3 unmanned anti-submarine helicopters DASH (later replaced by the conventional SH-2 Sea Sprite helicopter);
- two auxiliary guns of 76 mm caliber (later replaced by Phalanx anti-aircraft guns);
- 8 Harpoon anti-ship missiles (added after modernization in the early 1980s).
A series of 9 light escort cruisers, on which great hopes were pinned - already at birth, the Belknap-class cruisers received a universal complex of naval weapons, including the original computerized BIUS, unmanned helicopters and a new under-keel hydroacoustic station AN/SQS-26, supposedly capable hear the propellers of Soviet boats tens of miles from the side of the ship.
In some ways the ship justified itself, in others it did not, for example, the daring project of the unmanned helicopter DASH turned out to be of little use for real use on the open sea - the control systems were too imperfect. We had to expand the hangar and helipad to accommodate a full-fledged anti-submarine helicopter.
It is noteworthy that after a short disappearance, 127 mm guns returned to the ship - the American sailors did not dare to completely abandon artillery.
In the 60s...70s, cruisers of this type regularly patrolled off the coast of Vietnam, firing anti-aircraft missiles at North Vietnamese MiGs that carelessly flew into the cruisers’ kill zone. But the Belknap became famous not for its feats of arms - in 1975, the lead ship of this type was crushed in the Mediterranean Sea by the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy.
Its navigational error cost the cruiser dearly - the flight deck of the aircraft carrier literally “cut off” all the superstructures, and a shower of kerosene from the torn fuel lines of the aircraft carrier fell on top of the mangled remains of the ship. The ensuing eight-hour fire completely destroyed the cruiser. The restoration of the Belknap was a purely political decision, otherwise such a stupid death of the ship could undermine the prestige of the US Navy.
Advantages of Belknap:
- computerized combat information and control system NTDS;
- availability of a helicopter on board;
- small size and cost.
Flaws:
- the only launcher, the failure of which left the ship essentially unarmed;
- fire hazardous aluminum superstructures;
- lack of strike weapons (which, however, is dictated by the purpose of the cruiser).
Burnt out "Belknap"
Project 58 missile cruisers (code "Grozny")
1962 Total displacement 5,500 tons. Crew 340 people.
Full speed – 34 knots. Cruising range - 3500 miles (at 18 knots).
Weapons:
- anti-ship complex P-35 (2 launchers, ammunition 16 anti-ship missiles);
- short-range air defense system M-1 “Volna” (16 anti-aircraft missiles);
- two automatic twin guns of 76 mm caliber;
- 6 torpedoes of 533 mm caliber;
- 2 x 12 RBU-6000 rocket launchers;
- Helipad
Nikita Khrushchev's favorite ship. A small Soviet cruiser with colossal striking power for its size. The world's first warship equipped with anti-ship missiles.
Even with the naked eye it is noticeable how overloaded the baby was with weapons - according to the plans of those years, “Grozny” had to almost alone carry out watches in the far latitudes of the World Ocean. You never know what tasks may arise for the Soviet cruiser - “Grozny” must be ready for anything!
As a result, a universal weapon system appeared on board the ship, capable of fighting any air, surface and underwater targets. Very high speed - 34 knots (more than 60 km/h), universal artillery, equipment for receiving a helicopter...
But what was especially impressive was the P-35 anti-ship complex - eight four-ton blanks, capable of falling off the guides at any moment and rushing beyond the horizon at supersonic speed (firing range - up to 250 km).
Despite doubts about the long-range target designation capabilities of the P-35, powerful electronic countermeasures and anti-aircraft fire from American AUGs, the cruiser posed a mortal threat to any enemy squadron - one of the four missiles from each launcher had a megaton “surprise”.
Advantages:
- exceptionally high saturation of fire agents;
- great design.
Flaws:
Most of the shortcomings of the Grozny were in one way or another connected with the desire of the designers to place the maximum number of weapons and systems in the limited hull of the destroyer.
- short cruising range;
- weak air defense;
- imperfect weapon control systems;
- fire hazardous design: aluminum superstructure and synthetic interior finishing.
USSR naval power
Missile cruiser Long Beach
1961 Total displacement 17,000 tons. Crew 1160 people.
Full speed - 30 knots. Cruising range - 360,000 miles.
Weapons:
- Terrier medium-range air defense system (2 launchers, ammunition 102 missiles)
- Talos long-range air defense system (1 launcher, 52 missiles ammunition)
- anti-submarine missile system ASROC (ammunition 24 missile torpedoes)
- two universal guns of 127 mm caliber;
- two Phalanx anti-aircraft guns, 8 Harpoon anti-ship missiles, 8 Tomahawk missiles (modernized in the early 1980s).
The world's first nuclear-powered cruiser is undoubtedly worthy of mention in the list of the best ships of the 20th century. In combination, Long Beach became the world's first specialized missile cruiser - all previous designs (Boston-class missile cruisers, etc.) were just improvisations based on artillery cruisers of World War II.
The ship turned out to be gorgeous. Three missile systems for various purposes. The unusual “box-shaped” shape of the main superstructure, dictated by the installation of SCANFAR phased radars, also unique radio systems of its time. Finally, the nuclear heart of the cruiser, which made it possible to accompany the nuclear aircraft carrier Enterprise everywhere, for interaction with which this miracle was created.
However, an incredible price was paid for all this - 330 million dollars (about 5 billion at the current exchange rate!), In addition, the imperfection of nuclear technology did not allow the creation of a compact nuclear power system of the required power in the 50s - the cruiser rapidly “grew” in size, finally reaching 17 thousand tons. Too much for an escort ship!
In addition, it turned out that Long Beach did not have the opportunity to realize their advantage in practice. Firstly, the ship's autonomy is limited not only by its fuel reserves. Secondly, the aircraft carrier’s retinue included many ships with conventional power plants, which made it difficult for the nuclear cruiser to move quickly.
Long Beach served honorably for 33 years. During this time, he left a million nautical miles astern, while managing to fight in Vietnam and Iraq. Due to its exceptional complexity and cost, it remained the lonely “white elephant” of the fleet, however, it had a significant influence on the development of world shipbuilding (including the birth of our next “hero”).
Advantages of Long Beach:
- unlimited autonomy in terms of fuel reserves;
- radars with phased array;
- versatility.
Flaws:
- monstrous cost;
- less survivability compared to conventional cruisers.
Heavy nuclear missile cruiser pr. 1144.2 (code "Orlan")
1998 Total displacement 26,000 tons. Crew 635 people.
Full speed – 32 knots. Cruising range is not limited by fuel reserves.
Weapons:
- anti-ship complex "Granit" (20 launchers, ammunition 20 missiles);
- long-range air defense system S-300F “Fort” (6 launchers, ammunition 48 missiles);
- long-range air defense system S-300FM “Fort-M” (6 launchers, ammunition 46 missiles);
- short-range air defense system "Dagger" (12 launchers, ammunition 128 missiles);
- anti-submarine complex “Waterfall” (ammunition of 20 missile torpedoes);
- 6 anti-aircraft missile and artillery complexes “Kortik”;
- three rocket launchers;
- three helicopters.
For comparison, the TAVKR "Peter the Great" was chosen - the last and most advanced of the heavy nuclear-powered missile cruisers of the "Orlan" type. A real Imperial cruiser with an amazing array of weapons - the entire range of systems in service with the Russian Navy is collected on board.
Theoretically, in one-on-one combat, the Orlan has no equal among all the ships in the world - a huge ocean killer will be able to deal with any enemy. In practice, the situation looks much more interesting - the enemy against whom the “Eagles” were created does not go alone. What awaits the Orlan in a real battle with an aircraft carrier and its escort of five missile cruisers? Glorious Gangut, Chesma or the terrible Tsushima pogrom? Nobody knows the answer to this question.
The appearance of the first Orlan in 1980 greatly excited the whole world - in addition to its cyclopean size and heroic stature, the Soviet heavy cruiser became the world's first warship with below-deck vertical launch systems. The S-300F anti-aircraft complex caused a lot of fear - nothing like it simply existed in any country in the world at that time.
In fact, the first ship with the S-300F experimental complex installed was the Azov BOD. In addition, the S-300F guides are not installed completely vertically, but at an angle of 5° to the normal to prevent the rocket from falling onto the deck if the launch engine fails.
As in the case of the American “Long Beach”, when discussing “Orlan” the opinion is often heard about the adequacy of creating such a Miracle. Firstly, nuclear missile submarines Project 949A look more attractive for destroying AUGs. The submarine's stealth and security are an order of magnitude greater, the cost is lower, and the 949A salvo contains 24 Granit missiles.
Secondly, 26 thousand tons of displacement is a direct consequence of the presence of nuclear reactors, which do not provide any real advantages, only wasting space, complicating maintenance and worsening the survivability of the ship in battle. It can be assumed that without the YSU, the displacement of the Orlan would have been reduced by half.
By the way, a paradoxical coincidence, the bald eagle is the national emblem of the USA!
Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser
1986 Total displacement 10,000 tons. Crew 390 people.
Full speed – 32 knots. Cruising range – 6000 (at 20 knots).
Weapons:
- 122 vertical launchers Mk.41 (launching almost all types of missiles in service with the US Navy, with the exception of submarine-launched ballistic missiles);
- 8 anti-ship missiles "Harpoon";
- two lightweight universal artillery systems Mk.45 of 127 mm caliber;
- six anti-submarine torpedoes of 324 mm caliber;
- two Phalanx anti-aircraft guns;
- two Bushmaster automatic cannons of 25 mm caliber.
“Stand by admiral Gorshkov: “Aegis” - at sea!” - “Beware, Admiral Gorshkov: Aegis is at sea!” - it was with this message that the first Ticonderoga went to sea - an unsightly ship from the outside, with the most modern electronic filling.
For comparison, the cruiser CG-52 “Bunker Hill” was chosen - the lead ship of the second Ticonderoga series, equipped with Mk.41 UVP.
A modern ship thought out to the smallest detail with unique fire control systems. The cruiser is still focused on providing air defense and anti-submarine defense for aircraft carrier formations, but can independently launch massive strikes along the coast using Tomahawk cruise missiles, the number of which can reach hundreds on board.
The highlight of the cruiser is the Aegis combat information and control system. Coupled with stationary phased radar panels AN/SPY-1 and 4 fire control radars, the ship's computers are capable of simultaneously tracking up to 1000 air, surface, and underwater targets, while automatically selecting them and, if necessary, attacking 18 of the most dangerous objects. At the same time, the energy capabilities of the AN/SPY-1 are such that the cruiser is capable of detecting and attacking even fast-moving point targets in low Earth orbit.
Advantages of Ticonderoga:
- unprecedented versatility at minimal cost;
- enormous striking power;
- the ability to solve missile defense problems and destroy satellites in low orbits;
Disadvantages of Ticonderoga:
- limited dimensions, and, as a result, dangerous overloading of the ship;
- widespread use of aluminum in the design of the cruiser.
Missile cruiser pr. 1164 (code "Atlant")
1983 Total displacement 11,500 tons. Crew 510 people.
Full speed – 32 knots. Cruising range – 6000 (at 18 knots).
Weapons:
- anti-ship missile system P-1000 “Vulcan” (8 twin launchers, ammunition 16 missiles);
- anti-aircraft missile system S-300F “Fort” (8 drum launchers, ammunition 64 missiles);
- two short-range anti-aircraft missile systems "Osa-MA" (2 beam launchers, ammunition 40 missiles);
- anti-submarine complex "Waterfall" (ammunition of 10 missile torpedoes);
- one twin automated artillery mount of 130 mm caliber;
- three batteries of automatic anti-aircraft guns AK-630 (total 6 guns + 3 fire control radars);
- two rocket launchers;
- an anti-submarine helicopter and a hangar for its long-term storage.
With 2.25 times less displacement than the huge nuclear-powered Orlan, the Atlant cruiser retains 80% of its strike power and up to 65% of its anti-aircraft weapons. In other words, instead of building one Orlan supercruiser, you can build two Atlantas!
Two Atlant missile cruisers, which, by the way, are 32 Vulcan supersonic anti-ship missiles and 128 S-300F anti-aircraft missiles. As well as 2 helipads, 2 AK-130 artillery mounts, two Fregat radars and two hydroacoustic stations. And all this instead of one “Orlan”! Those. This suggests an obvious conclusion - the missile cruiser Project 1164 is the “golden mean” between the size, cost and combat capabilities of the ship.
Even despite the general moral and physical obsolescence of these cruisers, the potential inherent in them is so high that it allows the Atlanteans to still operate on an equal footing with the most modern foreign missile cruisers and guided missile destroyers.
For example, the S-300F complex, which has no analogues, even modern anti-aircraft missiles of the US Navy, due to the limited size of the standard Mk.41 UVP cells, are inferior in energy characteristics to the missiles of the Fort complex (in other words, they are twice as light and half as slow).
Well, we can only wish that the legendary “grin of socialism” is modernized as often as possible and remains in combat service for as long as possible.
Advantages of "Atlanta":
- balanced design;
- excellent seaworthiness;
- missile complex S-300F and P-1000.
Flaws:
- the only fire control radar of the S-300F complex;
- lack of modern self-defense air defense systems;
- overly complex design of the gas turbine unit.
Maltese sunset, November 1989. The stern of the cruiser "Slava" is visible, in the foreground is the bow end of the cruiser "Belknap"
The Russian Navy will still receive new surface ships in the far ocean zone. The Russian Ministry of Defense has approved the preliminary design of the destroyer Leader of the Northern Design Bureau (St. Petersburg). The technical design of a new generation ship is included in the state weapons program for 2018-2025. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2025, but metal cutting for the eight destroyers will begin in 2018.
The Leader project provides for the construction of unique ships taking into account all modern technologies and trends in the field of weapons systems, communications, navigation and electronic countermeasures. The destroyer with a displacement of 15-18 thousand tons will have a nuclear power plant and, probably, in the coming decades will become a key element of the system for ensuring Russian naval power in the World Ocean.
Destroyers are multi-purpose warships designed to combat enemy submarines, surface ships and aircraft. Current trends are such that destroyers are becoming, in essence, missile cruisers. The emphasis is on enhancing combat capabilities and firepower, using new generation combat information and control systems, introducing “invisibility” elements into the design, increasing seaworthiness and increasing power. The autonomy of navigation in the presence of a nuclear power plant has no restrictions. "Leader" will be built using technology to reduce electromagnetic signature due to a special hull design and the use of special materials.
Best Features
The tasks of the promising destroyer are to protect sea and ocean communications, destroy important coastal objects with long-range cruise missiles, and fire support for landing and anti-landing operations. At the same time, "Leader" will be able to operate independently and as part of strike groups, including aircraft carriers.
In "Leader" the concept of a truly new generation destroyer is embodied for the first time, and the key role belongs to the Krylov State Scientific Center, where the corresponding scientific and technical basis has been created for decades.
Advisor to the general director of the center, Doctor of Technical Sciences Valery Polovinkin noted that the new ship will combine the qualities of several projects at once: "Leader" will become a universal ship capable of replacing three classes of ships in the Russian Navy at once - destroyers themselves, large anti-submarine ships and missile cruisers Project 1144 "Orlan". The destroyer will be smaller than the Project 1144 ships, but better armed and equipped with anti-missile and anti-space defense elements. These ships with unlimited navigation autonomy will become strongholds in the ocean. Their main purpose will be to combat ground targets to support landing forces and enemy surface forces, as well as exceptionally powerful anti-aircraft and anti-submarine defense. In general, the ship will ensure the combat stability of the Russian Navy in the field of air and missile defense in all zones of the World Ocean."
In terms of armament, the "Leader" will surpass the missile cruisers of the 20th century, and will become in all respects a breakthrough ship, which will also have a 7-point seaworthiness and comfortable conditions for the crew.
In terms of its parameters (versatility, use of the widest range of weapons), the destroyer will surpass the American Arleigh Burke class destroyers. It is likely that the Leader will borrow many successful features of the domestic project 1144 (nuclear-powered missile cruiser Orlan), including layered air defense and powerful anti-ship missile systems - the main weapon.
Presumably, the ship will receive up to four Kalibr launchers with Kalibr-NK and Oniks missiles (a total of about 200 missiles for various purposes). Long-range anti-aircraft missile weapons will be presented by a ship-based version of the S-500 Prometheus complex.
The appearance of the ship and its armament may change during the implementation of the technical project, but the main characteristics are already known: length 200 meters, width 23 meters, draft 6.6 meters, full speed 32 knots, crew - up to 300 people, service life - no less 50 years.
Analogues and prospects
A fundamentally new ship cannot appear out of nowhere. He will definitely take all the best from his predecessors. In our case, these are Project 1144 Orlan heavy nuclear-powered missile cruisers, which do not have foreign classmates. This is natural; in the American Navy, cruisers are intended mainly to escort multi-purpose aircraft carriers. Domestic nuclear surface “monsters” were created as independent units with high combat stability. "Leader" will likely follow the same tradition.
The main weapon of Project 1144 cruisers is the third-generation P-700 Granit supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles.
With a launch weight of 7 tons, these missiles reach speeds of up to Mach 2.5, and deliver a conventional warhead weighing 750 kg (in nuclear equipment, a monoblock charge with a capacity of up to 500 kilotons) over a distance of more than 550 kilometers. The Leader's main weapon is also an anti-ship missile.
The basis of the air defense of the Project 1144 cruiser is the S-300F anti-aircraft missile system with an ammunition load of 96 anti-aircraft missiles. The Peter the Great is additionally equipped with the unique S-300FM Fort-M bow system (it hits targets at a distance of up to 120 km, including enemy anti-ship missiles at altitudes of up to 10 meters). For Leader, the shipborne version of the S-500 Prometheus with an ammunition load of 128 missiles was chosen as the main air defense and missile defense system. And here there is continuity.
The second echelon of air defense of Project 1144 is the Kinzhal air defense system, which strikes air targets that have broken through the first line of defense with solid-fuel, single-stage, remote-controlled missiles (128 units). The target detection range in autonomous mode (without the participation of personnel) is 45 kilometers. And the new destroyer cannot do without a second echelon.
The third air defense line - from 8000 to 50 meters - is protected by the Kortik close-in defense complex, which provides full automation of combat control in television-optical and radar modes from target detection to its destruction. Ammunition - 192 missiles and 36 thousand shells. The near zone of the Leader will be covered by two modules of the ship version of the Pantsir air defense missile system.
Perhaps the new destroyer will also receive from Orlan a fairly modern anti-submarine complex "Vodopad", the missile-torpedoes of which are fired with compressed air by standard torpedo tubes. The rocket engine is started underwater, the rocket torpedo takes off and delivers the warhead to the target by air - at a distance of up to 60 kilometers from the carrier ship. You can tell a lot of interesting things about the reservation system and watertight bulkheads of Project 1144 Orlan. Perhaps the Leader destroyer will become even more protected.
Of course, a truly effective and versatile nuclear destroyer in the ocean zone will be expensive, but even a small series of such ships will allow Russia, along with advanced countries, to consistently defend national interests and develop resources in the most remote areas of the World Ocean.
Domestic cruisers of Project 1144 "Orlan" are a series of four heavy nuclear-powered missile cruisers (TARK), which were designed in the USSR and built at the Baltic Shipyard from 1973 to 1998. They became the only surface ships in the Russian Navy equipped with a nuclear power plant. 18 September 2015, 09:25
Domestic cruisers of Project 1144 Orlan, according to NATO codification, received the designation Kirov-class battlecruiser, after the name of the first ship of the Kirov cruiser series (since 1992, Admiral Ushakov). In the West, they were classified as battlecruisers due to the exceptional size and armament of the ships. The chief designer of Project 1144 nuclear cruisers was Boris Izrailevich Kupensky, the deputy chief designer was Vladimir Evgenievich Yudin.
The Kirov cruisers have no analogues in the world shipbuilding industry. These ships could effectively carry out combat missions to destroy enemy surface ships and their submarines. The missile weapons installed on the ships made it possible to ensure, with a high degree of probability, the defeat of large enemy surface strike groups. The ships of the series were the world's largest non-vehicular attack warships. For example, the American Virginia-class nuclear-powered guided missile cruisers were 2.5 times smaller in displacement. Project 1144 Orlan cruisers were designed to engage large surface targets and protect fleet formations from air and submarine attacks in remote areas of the world's oceans. These ships were armed with almost all types of combat and technical equipment that had only been created for surface ships in the USSR. The main strike missile armament of the cruisers was the Granit anti-ship missile system.
On March 26, 1973, the keel of the first lead ship of Project 1144, the heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser Kirov (since 1992, Admiral Ushakov), was laid down at the Baltic Shipyard; on December 27, 1977, the ship was launched, and on December 30, 1980, the TARK was transferred to the fleet. On October 31, 1984, the second ship of the series, the TARK Frunze (since 1992 - Admiral Lazarev), entered service. On December 30, 1988, the third ship was transferred to the fleet - TARK Kalinin (since 1992 Admiral Nakhimov). And in 1986, the plant began building the last ship of this series - TARK "Peter the Great" (initially they wanted to call it "Kuibyshev" and "Yuri Andropov"). The construction of the ship took place during a difficult period in the country's history. The collapse of the USSR led to the fact that construction was completed only in 1996, and testing in 1998. Thus, the ship was accepted into the fleet 10 years after its keel.
Heavy nuclear missile cruiser "Frunze" in the Indian Ocean during the transition to Vladivostok
The first cruiser of project 1144 Orlan (Kalinin)
Today, of the four, only the heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser "Peter the Great" is in service, which is the most powerful attack warship not only in the Russian Navy, but throughout the world. The first ship of the Admiral Ushakov series has been in storage since 1991, and was withdrawn from the fleet in 2002. Its fate has already been decided - the ship will be disposed of at the Zvezdochka Ship Repair Center defense shipyard in Severodvinsk. According to experts, dismantling this TARK will cost approximately 10 times more than dismantling the largest nuclear submarine, since Russia simply does not have the technology and experience in dismantling such warships. With a high degree of probability, the same fate will befall the second ship in the series - the cruiser Admiral Lazarev, the ship has been laid up in the Far East since 1999. But the third cruiser of Project 11442 Orlan, Admiral Nakhimov, is currently undergoing repairs and modernization at Sevmash. It will be returned to the fleet at the turn of 2017-2018, previously called 2019. At the same time, according to Sevmash General Director Mikhail Budnichenko, the cruiser’s service life after completion of repairs will be extended by 35 years. It is assumed that the repaired TARK Admiral Nakhimov will continue to serve as part of the Russian Pacific Fleet, and Peter the Great will remain the flagship of the Russian Northern Fleet.
Project 11442 TARK "Admiral Nakhimov" under repair
The Project 1144 Orlan heavy nuclear-powered missile cruisers did not have and do not have direct analogues abroad. The currently decommissioned nuclear-powered American cruisers of the Long Beach type (17,500 tons) were 1.5 times smaller, and the Virginia (11,500 tons) were 2.5 times smaller and were much weaker both qualitatively and quantitatively weapons. This could be explained by the different tasks that the ships faced. If in the American fleet they were only escorts for multi-purpose aircraft carriers, then in the Soviet fleet nuclear surface ships were created as independent combat units that could form the basis of the ocean-going combat forces of the fleet. The varied armament of Project 1144 TARK made these ships multi-purpose, but at the same time complicated their maintenance and created some problems with determining their tactical and technical niche.
History of the creation of Project 1144 cruisers
In 1961, the first nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser Long Beach became part of the US Navy; this event became the impetus for the resumption of theoretical work on the development of a surface combat nuclear-powered ship in the Soviet Union. But even without taking into account the Americans, the USSR Navy, which was entering a period of rapid development in those years, objectively needed ocean-going ships that could operate for a long time in isolation from coastal bases; the solution to this problem was best facilitated by a nuclear power plant. Already in 1964, research began again in the USSR to determine the appearance of the country's first combat nuclear surface ship. Initially, the research ended with the creation of tactical and technical specifications for the development of a project for a large anti-submarine ship with a nuclear power plant and a displacement of 8 thousand tons.
Heavy nuclear missile cruisers "Peter the Great", "Admiral Ushakov", winter 1996-1997
When designing the ship, the designers proceeded from the fact that the solution to the main task could be achieved only if sufficient combat stability was ensured. Even then, no one doubted that the main danger to the ship would be aviation, so the creation of a layered air defense system for the ship was initially envisaged. At the initial stage of development, the designers believed that it would be very difficult to combine all the necessary equipment and weapons in one hull, so the option of creating a pair of two nuclear-powered surface ships was considered: the Project 1144 BOD and the Project 1165 missile cruiser. The first ship was supposed to carry anti-submarine weapons, the second - anti-ship cruise missiles (ASC). These two ships were supposed to operate as part of a formation, covering each other from various threats; they were equipped with anti-aircraft weapons approximately equally, which was supposed to contribute to the creation of strong layered air defense. However, as the project developed, it was decided that it would be most rational not to separate anti-submarine and anti-ship functions, but to combine them in one cruiser. After this, work on the design of the Project 1165 nuclear cruiser was stopped and all the development efforts were transferred to the Project 1144 ship, which had become universal.
As work progressed, increasing demands on the project led to the ship receiving an ever-increasing range of weapons and various equipment - which, in turn, was reflected in an increase in displacement. As a result, the project of the first Soviet nuclear-powered surface combat ship quickly moved away from narrow anti-submarine functions, acquiring a multi-purpose focus, and its standard displacement exceeded 20 thousand tons. The cruiser was supposed to carry all the most modern types of combat and technical equipment that were created in the Soviet Union for surface combat ships. This evolution was also reflected by the new classification of the ship - “heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser”, which was assigned in June 1977, already during the construction of the lead ship of the series, which was laid down as a “nuclear-powered anti-submarine cruiser”.
In its final form, the technical design of the new nuclear surface ship was approved in 1972 and received the code 1144 “Orlan”. The project of the first Soviet surface combat nuclear-powered vessel was developed at the Northern Design Bureau in Leningrad. The chief designer of Project 1144 was B.I. Kupensky, and from the USSR Navy, the main supervisor of the design and construction of the cruiser from the very beginning until the transfer of the ship to the fleet was Captain 2nd Rank A.A. Savin.
The lead ship of the series, the Project 1144 cruiser "Kirov".
From the very beginning, the new nuclear-powered submarine became the favorite brainchild of S.G. Gorshkov, who served as Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Navy. Despite this, the design of the ship was difficult and quite slow. The increase in the cruiser's displacement as the requirements for the project were revised and made forced the designers to look for more and more new options for the ship's main power plant - first of all, its steam-producing part. At the same time, Gorshkov demanded that a backup power plant be placed on the cruiser, which would run on organic fuel. The fears of the military of those years could be understood: Soviet and world experience in operating nuclear-powered ships in those years was not extensive enough, and even today accidents with reactor failures occur from time to time. At the same time, a surface combat ship, unlike a submarine, can afford to switch from a nuclear reactor to burning ordinary fuel in furnaces - it was decided to take full advantage of this advantage. It was assumed that the reserve boiler could also help ensure the ship's parking. The insufficiently developed basing system for large warships in the Soviet Union has long been a sore spot for the navy.
While the lead ship of the series was still on the slipway, an improved project had already been created for the next cruiser, which received the index 11442. It provided for the replacement of some types of weapons and equipment with the latest systems at that time: the Kortik anti-aircraft artillery complex (ZRAK) instead of the turret 30- mm six-barreled machine guns; The Kinzhal air defense system instead of the Osa-MA air defense system, the universal twin 130-mm AK-130 installation instead of the two single-gun 100-mm AK-100 turrets on the Kirov, the Vodopad anti-submarine complex instead of the Metel, RBU- rocket launchers 12000 instead of RBU-6000, etc. It was planned that all the ships in the series following the Kirov cruiser would be built according to an improved design, but in fact, due to the unavailability of all planned weapons for serial production, they were added to the ships under construction as development was completed. Ultimately, only the last ship, the Pyotr Velikiy, could correspond to Project 11442, but this too had reservations, and the second and third ships, Frunze and Kalinin, in terms of armament, occupied an intermediate position between the first and last ships of the series.
Description of the design of Project 1144 cruisers
All Project 1144 Orlan cruisers had a hull with an extended forecastle (by more than 2/3 of the total length). The hull is divided into 16 main compartments using watertight bulkheads. There are 5 decks along the entire length of the TARK hull. In the bow of the ship, under the bulb fairing, there is a fixed antenna of the Polynom hydroacoustic complex. At the stern of the ship there is an under-deck hangar, which is designed for the permanent deployment of 3 Ka-27 helicopters, as well as storage facilities for fuel reserves and a lift designed to transport helicopters to the upper deck. Here, in the aft part of the ship, there is a compartment with a lifting and lowering device for the towed antenna of the Polynom hydroacoustic complex. The developed superstructures of the heavy cruiser are made with extensive use of aluminum-magnesium alloys. The main part of the ship's armament is concentrated at the stern and bow.
Heavy nuclear missile cruiser "Peter the Great"
Project 1144 cruisers are protected from combat damage by anti-torpedo protection, a double bottom along the entire length of the hull, as well as local armoring of vital parts of the TARK. As such, on the Project 1144 Orlan cruisers there is no belt armor - the armor protection is located deep in the hull - however, along the waterline from the bow of the ship to its stern, a thickened skin belt with a height of 3.5 meters was laid (of which 2.5 meters above the waterline and 1 meter below the waterline), playing an important role in the structural protection of the cruiser.
TARK Project 1144 "Orlan" became the first warships after World War II, the design of which included fairly advanced armor. Thus, engine rooms, missile magazines of the Granit complexes and reactor compartments are protected on the sides by 100 mm (below the waterline - 70 mm) and on the deck by 70 mm armor. The premises of the ship's combat information post and the main command post, which are located inside its hull at the waterline level, also received armor protection: they are covered with 100 mm side walls with a 75 mm roof and traverses. In addition, in the stern of the cruiser there is armor along the sides (70 mm) and on the roof (50 mm) of the helicopter hangar, as well as around the ammunition and aviation fuel storage. There is also local armor above the tiller compartments.
A nuclear power plant with KN-3 reactors (VM-16 type core), although based on OK-900 type icebreaker reactors, has significant differences from them. The main thing is in fuel assemblies, which contain uranium with a high degree of enrichment (approximately 70%). The service life of such an active zone until the next recharge is 10-11 years. The reactors installed on the cruiser are double-circuit, thermal neutron, water-cooled. They use bidistillate as a coolant and moderator - high-purity water, which circulates through the reactor core under high pressure (about 200 atmospheres), ensuring boiling of the secondary circuit, which ultimately goes to the turbines in the form of steam.
The developers paid special attention to the possibility of using the cruiser's twin-shaft power plant, the power on each shaft of which is 70,000 hp. The complex-automated nuclear power plant was located in 3 compartments and included 2 nuclear reactors with a total thermal power of 342 MW, 2 turbo-gear units (located forward and aft of the reactor compartment), as well as 2 backup automated boilers KVG-2, mounted in turbine compartments. With only a backup power plant operating - without the use of nuclear reactors - the Project 1144 Orlan cruiser is able to reach a speed of 17 knots, with enough fuel reserves to travel 1,300 nautical miles at this speed. The use of nuclear reactors provides the cruiser with a full speed of 31 knots and an unlimited cruising range. The power plant installed on the ships of this project would be able to provide heat and electricity to a city with a population of 100-150 thousand inhabitants. And the well-thought-out hull contours and large displacement provide the Project 1144 Orlan TARK with excellent seaworthiness, which is especially important for warships in the ocean zone.
The crew of Project 1144/11442 TARK consists of 759 people (including 120 officers). To accommodate the crew on board the ship, there are 1,600 rooms, including 140 single and double cabins, which are intended for officers and midshipmen, 30 cabins for sailors and petty officers for 8-30 people each, 15 showers, two baths, a sauna with a 6x2 swimming pool .5 meters, a two-level medical block (outpatient room, operating room, isolation hospitals, X-ray room, dental office, pharmacy), a gym with exercise equipment, 3 wardrooms for midshipmen, officers and admirals, as well as a lounge for relaxation and even its own cable TV studio.
Armament of Project 1144 Orlan cruisers
The main weapons of these cruisers were the P-700 Granit anti-ship missiles - third-generation supersonic cruise missiles with a low profile flight path to the target. With a launch weight of 7 tons, these missiles developed a speed of up to 2.5 M and could carry a conventional warhead weighing 750 kg or a monoblock nuclear charge with a power of up to 500 kt over a distance of up to 625 km. The length of the rocket is 10 meters, diameter is 0.85 meters. 20 Granit anti-ship cruise missiles were installed under the upper deck of the cruiser, with an elevation angle of 60 degrees. SM-233 launchers for these missiles were produced at the Leningrad Metal Plant. Due to the fact that Granit missiles were originally intended for submarines, the installation must be filled with sea water before launching the missile. Based on the experience of operational and combat training of the Navy, it is very difficult to shoot down a Granit. Even if an anti-missile missile is hit by an anti-ship missile, it, due to its enormous speed and mass, can retain sufficient momentum to “reach” the target ship.
Launcher of the shipborne air defense system "Fort-M"
The basis of the anti-aircraft missile armament of the Project 1144 Orlan cruisers was the S-300F (Fort) missile system, which was placed on rotating drums below the deck. The full ammunition load of the complex consisted of 96 anti-aircraft missiles. On the only ship of the Petra the Great series (instead of one S-300F complex), a unique S-300FM Fort-M bow complex appeared, which was produced in one copy. Each such complex is capable of simultaneously firing at up to 6 maneuvering small targets (accompanying up to 12 targets) and simultaneously directing 12 missiles at them in conditions of active and passive jamming by the enemy. Due to the design features of the S-300FM missiles, the ammunition load of the Peter the Great was reduced by 2 missiles. Thus, the Peter the Great TARK is armed with one S-300FM complex with 46 48N6E2 missiles and one S-300F complex with 48 48N6E missiles, the full ammunition load consists of 94 missiles. "Fort-M" was created on the basis of the army air defense complex S-Z00PMU2 "Favorite". This complex, unlike its predecessor, the Fort anti-aircraft complex, is capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 120 km and successfully combating enemy anti-ship missiles at altitudes of up to 10 meters. The expansion of the affected area of the complex was achieved by improving the sensitivity of the receiving channels and the energy characteristics of the transmitter.
The cruiser's second echelon of air defense is the Kinzhal air defense system, which was included in Project 11442, but in fact appeared only on the last ship of the series. The main task of this complex is to defeat air targets that have broken through the cruiser’s first air defense line (Fort air defense system). The Kinzhal is based on solid-fuel, single-stage, remote-controlled missiles 9M330, which are unified with the Tor-M1 air defense system of the ground forces. The rockets take off vertically with the engine not running under the influence of a catapult. The missiles are reloaded automatically, the launch interval is 3 seconds. The target detection range in automatic mode is 45 km, the number of simultaneously fired targets is 4, the reaction time is 8 seconds. The Kinzhal air defense system operates autonomously (without the participation of personnel). According to the specification, each Project 11442 cruiser was to have 128 such missiles in 16x8 installations.
The third line of air defense is the Kortik air defense system, which is a close-in defense complex. It is intended to replace the conventional 30-mm six-barreled AK-630 artillery systems. ZRAK "Kortik" in television-optical and radar modes is able to provide full automation of combat control from target detection to its destruction. Each installation consists of two 30-mm six-barreled AO-18 assault rifles, the total rate of fire of which is 10,000 rounds per minute, and two blocks of 4 two-stage 9M311 rockets. These missiles have a fragmentation rod warhead and a proximity fuse. In the turret compartment of each installation there are 32 such missiles in transport and launch containers. 9M311 missiles are unified with the 2S6 Tunguska land complex and are able to fight anti-ship missiles, guided bombs, helicopters and enemy aircraft. The range of action of the ZRAK "Kortik" missile unit is 1.5-8 km, and the final firing from 30-mm artillery mounts is carried out at a distance of 1500-50 meters. The height of the air targets hit is 5-4000 meters. In total, each of the three Project 11442 cruisers was supposed to carry 6 such complexes, the ammunition of which consisted of 192 missiles and 36,000 shells.
The anti-submarine weapons of the Project 1144 cruiser were represented by the Metel complex, which in Project 11442 was replaced by the more modern Vodopad anti-submarine complex. Unlike the Metel, the Vodopad does not need a separate launcher - the missile-torpedoes of the complex are loaded into standard torpedo tubes. A model 83RN rocket (or 84RN with a nuclear warhead), like an ordinary torpedo, is fired from a torpedo tube with compressed air and dives into the water. Then, upon reaching a certain depth, the rocket engine is started and the rocket-torpedo takes off from under the water and delivers the warhead by air to the target area - up to 60 kilometers from the carrier ship - after which the warhead is separated. The UMGT-1, a 400-mm small-sized homing torpedo, can be used as a warhead. The range of the UMGT-1 torpedo, which can be mounted on missile torpedoes, is 8 km, the speed is 41 knots, and the depth is 500 meters. The cruiser's ammunition load includes up to 30 of these missile-torpedoes.
The Russian Navy has 203 surface ships and 71 submarines, including 23 nuclear submarines equipped with ballistic and cruise missiles. Russia's defense capability at sea is ensured by modern and powerful ships.
"Peter the Great"
The heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser "Peter the Great" is the world's largest non-aircraft-carrying attack ship. Capable of destroying groups of enemy aircraft carriers. The only afloat cruiser of the famous Soviet project 1144 Orlan. Built at the Baltic Shipyard and launched in 1989. Put into operation 9 years later.
Over 16 years, the cruiser covered 140,000 miles. The flagship of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy, home port is Severomorsk.
With a width of 28.5 meters, it has a length of 251 meters. Total displacement 25860 tons.
Two nuclear reactors with a capacity of 300 Megawatts, two boilers, turbines and gas turbine generators are capable of providing energy to a city with a population of 200 thousand. It can reach speeds of up to 32 knots, and its cruising range is unlimited. The crew of 727 people can sail autonomously for 60 days.
Armament: 20 SM-233 launchers with P-700 Granit cruise missiles, firing range - 700 km. Anti-aircraft complex "Reef" S-300F (96 vertical launch missiles). Anti-aircraft system "Kortik" with a reserve of 128 missiles. AK-130 gun mount. Two Vodopad anti-submarine missile and torpedo systems, and an Udav-1M anti-torpedo system. Bombing rocket launchers RBU-12000 and RBU-1000 “Smerch-3”. Three Ka-27 anti-submarine helicopters can be deployed on board.
"Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov"
Heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" (project 11435). Built at the Black Sea Shipyard, launched in 1985. He bore the names “Riga”, “Leonid Brezhnev”, “Tbilisi”. Since 1991 it became part of the Northern Fleet. Carried out military service in the Mediterranean, participated in the rescue operation during the sinking of the Kursk. In three years, according to the plan, it will go for modernization.
The length of the cruiser is 302.3 meters, the total displacement is 55,000 tons. Maximum speed - 29 knots. A crew of 1,960 people can stay at sea for a month and a half.
Armament: 12 Granit anti-ship missiles, 60 Udav-1 missiles, 24 Klinok (192 missiles) and Kashtan (256 missiles) air defense systems. It can carry 24 Ka-27 helicopters, 16 Yak-41M supersonic vertical take-off aircraft and up to 12 Su-27K fighters.
"Moscow"
"Moskva", guards missile cruiser. Multipurpose ship. Built at the shipyards of the plant named after 61 Communards in Nikolaev. Initially it was called “Slava”. Commissioned in 1983. The flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
Participated in the military conflict with Georgia, in 2014 he carried out a blockade of the Ukrainian Navy.
With a width of 20.8 meters, it has a length of 186.4 meters and a displacement of 11,490 tons. Maximum speed 32 knots. Cruising range up to 6000 nautical miles. A crew of 510 people can stay in “autonomy” for a month.
Armament: 16 P-500 "Basalt" mounts, two AK-130 artillery mounts, six 6-barreled AK-630 artillery mounts, B-204 S-300F "Reef" air defense systems (64 missiles), "Osa-MA" air defense missile launchers (48 missiles), torpedo tubes, RBU-6000 rocket launchers, Ka-27 helicopter.
A copy of the Moscow, the cruiser Varyag is the flagship of the Pacific Fleet.
"Dagestan"
The patrol ship "Dagestan" was commissioned in 2012. Built at the Zelenodolsk shipyard. In 2014, transferred to the Caspian Flotilla. This is the second ship of Project 11661K, the first - Tatarstan - is the flagship of the Caspian Fleet.
“Dagestan” has more powerful and modern weapons: the universal Kalibr-NK missile launcher, which can use several types of high-precision missiles (the firing range is more than 300 km), the Palma air defense missile system, and the AK-176M AU. Equipped with stealth technology.
With a width of 13.1 meters, the Dagestan has a length of 102.2 meters and a displacement of 1900 tons. Can reach speeds of up to 28 knots. A crew of 120 people can sail autonomously for 15 days.
Four more such ships are laid down at the shipyards.
"Persistent"
The flagship of the Baltic Fleet, the destroyer Nastoichivy, was built at the Zhdanov Leningrad Shipyard and launched in 1991. Intended for the destruction of ground targets, air defense and anti-ship defense formations.
With a width of 17.2 meters, it has a length of 156.5 meters and a displacement of 7940 tons. The crew of 296 people can sail without calling at a port for up to 30 days.
The destroyer is carrying a KA-27 helicopter. Equipped with twin AK-130/54 gun mounts, six-barreled AK-630 mounts, P-270 Moskit mounts, six-barreled rocket launchers, two Shtil air defense systems and torpedo tubes.
"Yury Dolgoruky"
The nuclear submarine “Yuri Dolgoruky” (the first submarine of Project 955 “Borey”) was laid down in 1996 in Severodvinsk. Commissioned in 2013. Home port - Gadzhievo. Part of the Northern Fleet.
The length of the boat is 170 meters, the underwater displacement is 24,000 tons. Maximum surface speed is 15 knots, underwater speed is 29 knots. Crew 107 people. It can carry out combat duty for three months without entering a port.
“Yuri Dolgoruky” carries 16 Bulava ballistic missiles, is equipped with PHR 9R38 “Igla”, 533-mm torpedo tubes, and six REPS-324 “Barrier” acoustic countermeasures. In the coming years, six more submarines of the same class will be built on the Russian shores.
"Severodvinsk"
The multipurpose nuclear submarine Severodvinsk became the first submarine of the new Russian project 855 Yasen. The quietest submarine in the world. Built in Severodvinsk. In 2014, it became part of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy. Home port – Zapadnaya Litsa.
With a width of 13.5 meters, a length of 119 meters, an underwater displacement of 13,800 tons,
The surface speed of the Severodvinsk is 16 knots, and the underwater speed is 31 knots. Navigation autonomy – 100 days, crew – 90 people.
It has a modern, silent nuclear reactor of a new generation. The submarine is equipped with ten torpedo tubes, P-100 Oniks, Kh-35, ZM-54E, ZM-54E1, ZM-14E cruise missiles. It carries Kh-101 strategic cruise missiles and can hit targets within a radius of up to 3,000 kilometers. By 2020, Russia plans to build six more Yasen-class submarines.
Heavy nuclear cruiser "Peter the Great" / Photo: forum.worldofwarships.ru
The missile cruiser "Peter the Great" will undergo repairs and modernization in 2019, as a result of which by 2021 the Russian Navy will have two updated heavy nuclear-powered missile cruisers (TARKR) of Project 1144 "Orlan", a source in the defense industry told RIA Novosti on Monday ".
“After modernization, Admiral Nakhimov and Pyotr Velikiy will operate at the head of surface ship groups”
Currently, the Severodvinsk enterprise Sevmash is undergoing repairs and modernization of the Admiral Nakhimov TARKR, work on which is planned to be completed in 2018.
“Work on the modernization and repair of the Peter the Great can begin in 2019 after the repair and modernization of the Admiral Nakhimov is completed by the end of 2018. Thus, by 2021, the Navy will have two modernized heavy nuclear-powered missile cruisers ", said the agency's interlocutor.
After modernization, "Admiral Nakhimov" and "Peter the Great" will operate at the head of groups of surface ships, the source clarified. () TARKR project 1144 "Orlan" is the world's largest non-aircraft-carrying attack warships with a nuclear power plant. These cruisers are designed to engage large surface and coastal targets and provide comprehensive air defense and anti-submarine defense.
The ships of this project have a displacement of 25.8 thousand tons and a length of 250 meters, the crew is 759 people, including 120 officers, RIA Novosti reported.
Technical information
Order of Nakhimov nuclear cruiser "Peter the Great"- the fourth and only heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser (TARKR) of the third generation of Project 1144 “Orlan” in operation. As of 2011, it is the world's largest operational non-aircraft-carrying attack warship. It is the flagship of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy.
The main purpose is to destroy enemy aircraft carrier groups.
“Peter the Great” in May 2010 / Photo: ru.wikipedia.org
Designer - Northern Design Bureau.The cruiser was laid down in 1986 on the slipway of the Baltic Shipyard (when laid down it was called Kuibyshev, then Yuri Andropov). On April 25, 1989 it was launched. Renamed “Peter the Great” by decree of the President of the Russian Federation on April 22, 1992. In 1998 he joined the fleet.
Industrial enterprises carry out constant work on the cruiser; they make it possible to carry out trips to sea for eleven years in a row without putting the ship into average factory repairs. The TsKB-designer withdrew from work on the ship, considering it unprofitable. Before the renaming, “Peter the Great” bore tail number 183, now tail number is 099.
The plant began construction of the last ship of Project 1144 in 1986. After 10 years, the cruiser left for sea trials. In accordance with the state testing plan, the running program was carried out in the harsh conditions of the Arctic.
On October 27, 1996, a steam line under pressure of 35 atmospheres and a dry steam temperature of 300 °C ruptured in the bow engine and boiler room. Two sailors and three workers of the delivery crew were killed.
Photo: ru.wikipedia.org
When investigating the cause, it was revealed that the burst pipe was installed in 1989 and the thickness and grade of steel did not correspond to the design. In March 1998, the nuclear-powered cruiser was transferred to the fleet under the name "Peter the Great".
Despite the fact that the warranty period of the Baltic Shipyard has expired, the company, for the first time in world practice, continues to carry out maintenance of the cruiser. The Navy command made this decision due to the fact that the ship’s personnel did not have sufficient skills to maintain and operate the cruiser’s equipment. Under the terms of the state contract, the Baltic Shipyard will continue to provide technical support for Peter the Great until the first scheduled repair in 2008.
On the night of August 12-13, 2000, the cruiser was the first to discover and drop anchor at the site of the Kursk APRK disaster, awaiting rescue ships. The cruiser also patrolled the area during the rise of the Kursk.
Participated in the filming of the film “72 Meters” (2004).
In October 2008, it passed through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea.
In December 2008, he took part in the joint naval exercises of the Russian Federation and Venezuela “VENRUS-2008”, which began on December 1, 2008 in the Caribbean Sea. The detachment also includes the anti-submarine ship Admiral Chabanenko.
On February 13, 2009, the cruiser detained 3 Somali pirate ships in the Gulf of Aden. Some analysts note that catching small pirate ships is not exactly the job for which a heavy nuclear cruiser is designed.
On March 30, 2010, the TARKR "Peter the Great" left Severomorsk to conduct exercises in the far sea zone (the senior voyage was Captain 1st Rank S. Yu. Zhuga), which marked the beginning of the largest Russian Navy exercises in the world's oceans in recent years. The cruiser must pass through the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans and arrive in the Far East, where exercises dedicated to the 150th anniversary of Vladivostok took place from June 28 to July 8, 2010.
The campaign of “Peter the Great” lasted until November 2010. On April 4, the cruiser successfully passed through the English Channel, on April 7, together with the Baltic Fleet patrol ship Yaroslav the Wise, through the Strait of Gibraltar and entered the Mediterranean Sea, after which the ships separated. On April 13-14, “Peter the Great” called at the Syrian port of Tartus. On April 16, it passed through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea, proceeding further to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, sailing together with the missile cruiser "Moscow" of the Black Sea Fleet.
140,000 miles in 16 years.
On July 28, 2012, the heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser "Peter the Great" was awarded the Order of Nakhimov by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation "for courage, dedication and high professionalism shown by the ship's personnel when carrying out combat missions of the command." On January 10, 2013, President V.V. Putin, during his visit to Severomorsk, presented the award to the commander of the cruiser. The order's naval flag with the image of the Order of Nakhimov was raised on the ship.
Tactical and technical indicators
| Service: | Russia |
| Vessel class and type | Heavy nuclear missile cruiser Project 1144 "Orlan" |
| Home port | Severomorsk |
| Organization | Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy |
| Manufacturer | Baltic plant |
| Construction has started | 1986 |
| Launched | 1989 |
| Commissioned | 1998 |
| Status | In service |
| Awards | Order of Nakhimov |
| Main characteristics |
|
| Displacement, t | 23 750 - standard; 25 860 - full |
| Length, m (at waterline) | 262 (230) |
| Width, m | 28,5 |
| Height (from the main plane), m | 59 |
| Draft, m | 10,3 |
| Engines | 2 boilers, 2 nuclear reactors |
| Power, hp (MW) | 140 000 (103 ) |
| Mover | 2 propellers |
| Travel speed, knots | 32
|
| Cruising range | unlimited (at the reactor) 1000 days on boilers at 17 knots |
| Navigation autonomy, days | 60 |
| Crew | 635 (105 officers, 130 midshipmen, 400 sailors) |
| Armament |
|
| Artillery | 1 × AK-130 |
| Flak | 6 × ZRAK "Dirk" |
| Missile weapons | 20 × P-700 "Granit" anti-ship missiles S-300F "Fort" air defense system (48 missiles) S-300FM "Fort-M" air defense system (46 missiles) 16 × Kinzhal air defense missile launchers (128 missiles) 6 × 16 ZRAK "Dirk" (144 missiles) |
| Anti-submarine weapons | 1 × RBU-12000 2 × RBU-1000 |
| Mine and torpedo weapons | 10 × 533 mm TA (20 torpedoes or PLUR “Waterfall”) |
| Aviation group | 3 × Ka-27 |
Technical information
Heavy nuclear missile cruiser "Admiral Nakhimov"(TARKr) Project 1144 nuclear-powered missile cruiser "Orlan" of the Russian Northern Fleet.
The world's largest non-aircraft-carrying attack ship. It is designed to destroy large surface targets, protect naval formations from air attacks and enemy submarines in remote areas of the seas and oceans. NATO called him the “aircraft carrier killer.”
History of the cruiser "Admiral Nakhimov"
- Laid down on May 17, 1983.
- Launched on April 25, 1986
- December 30, 1988 entered service
- Until 1992 it had the name "Kalinin"
- April 22, 1992 renamed "Admiral Nakhimov"
Since 1999, it has been idle in Severodvinsk awaiting repairs.
Theavy nuclear missile cruiser "Admiral Nakhimov" (formerly "Kalinin") of project 11442 in storage at OJSC "PO Sevmash". Severodvinsk / Photo: dokwar.ru
As designed, the Orlans were armed with Granit anti-ship missile systems, Vodopad-NK anti-submarine missiles, Smerch-3 and Udav-1 rocket launchers, AK-130 artillery systems, and Fort anti-aircraft missile systems. and the Osa-MA anti-aircraft system, 533 mm torpedo tubes. An air group of three Ka-27PL anti-submarine helicopters is provided on board.
Of the four ships of this project, only one remains in the Navy - the flagship of the Northern Fleet TARK "Peter the Great". The other three Orlans are mothballed: Admiral Lazarev is rusting in the Pacific Fleet, Admiral Ushakov and Admiral Nakhimov are in the Northern Fleet. TARK "Admiral Nakhimov" (until 1992 it was named "Kalinin") was laid down at the Baltic Shipyard in 1983, accepted into the USSR Navy in 1988, and made its last voyage in 1997. Since 1999, it has been standing “against the wall” at Sevmashpredpriyatiya (part of USC).
Modernization plans:
A few months ago, the future of the heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser Admiral Nakhimov was announced. It was stated that in the near future it will undergo repairs and by 2018-20 will return to service with the navy. The technical and economic details of such a project were not made public, and the start date for work was set in the coming years. Last Thursday, June 13, the press service of the Sevmash shipyard published new data regarding the modernization of the cruiser. The plant and the Ministry of Defense have signed a corresponding contract and will begin its implementation in the very near future.
As follows from official information, so far only the basic agreement has been concluded, in accordance with which the work will proceed. At the same time, the project itself, in accordance with which the ship will be modernized, does not yet exist. The Minister of Defense has already approved the basic tactical and technical requirements for the updated cruiser, but the contract for the development of the modernization project has not yet been concluded. The project developer will be the Northern Design Bureau (St. Petersburg). This organization at one time created Project 1144 “Orlan”, in accordance with which the cruiser “Admiral Nakhimov” was built, and now it will update and modernize it.
Photo: dokwar.ru
While the Ministry of Defense and the Northern Design Bureau are negotiating the terms of the contract, preparatory work continues at Sevmash. Plant workers prepare technological equipment and also check various components and assemblies of the ship. A preliminary examination of the cruiser will allow us to identify the main shortcomings and take them into account in a timely manner when developing a modernization project. Next year, it is planned to dock the ship in the enterprise's waterworks (drainable bulk pool measuring 159x325 meters). Before this procedure begins, the Admiral Nakhimov will stand at the quay wall of the plant, where it has been located since the late nineties.
During the upcoming work, it is planned to dismantle a large number of components and assemblies of the ship. Due to the lack of timely, comprehensive maintenance, the Admiral Nakhimov is currently in serious condition. According to the head of the repair, modernization and warranty supervision department of the Sevmash plant S. Khviyuzov, 70% of the removed equipment will have to be replaced. It is not difficult to imagine the scale of the upcoming work. First Deputy General Director of the enterprise S. Marichev compared the amount of work on modernizing the Admiral Nakhimov with the recent repair and renovation of the Vikramaditya aircraft carrier.
The financial details of the upcoming modernization have not yet been officially announced, which has led to the emergence of different opinions and assessments. For example, the official blog of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies provides a figure of 50 billion rubles, which are planned to be spent on modernization. There has not yet been any official confirmation or refutation of this information and therefore such information is purely evaluative. Moreover, at present it can be assumed that the customer, represented by the Ministry of Defense, and the contractors, represented by Sevmash and Severny Design Bureau, have not yet decided on exact figures. In the case of a deep modernization, it will be necessary to conduct a thorough analysis of the condition of the ship. The results of such a survey can seriously affect the estimate, and under certain circumstances, force the project to be abandoned.
The technical details of the modernization were also not made public. Previously, the media, with or without reference to sources in the military department and industry, announced the installation of new radio-electronic systems, as well as a radical update of the weapons complex. According to some reports, the updated Admiral Nakhimov should receive Caliber missiles instead of the existing Granites and several new anti-aircraft missile systems that surpass the characteristics of the already installed weapons. Some time ago, a number of sources mentioned that the ship would be able to carry up to 300 missiles of all available types. Due to the timing of this information, it is difficult to say how true it will be. It is likely that during the preliminary study of the modernization project, similar options were considered.
However, the greatest interest is not the cost of the project and its technical details, but the factor that combines both of these aspects - feasibility. Disputes about the need to modernize the cruiser Admiral Nakhimov have continued since the first news about such plans appeared, and now they have flared up with renewed vigor. Numerous discussions present arguments for and against updating an old ship, supported by facts and analytics. At the same time, the arguments of both sides look plausible and logical.
The opinion about the need to modernize and return Admiral Nakhimov to service is supported by several facts. First of all, it is noted that during the work to update the heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser, it will not be necessary to build a new hull. In fact, the entire modernization will consist of replacing equipment and some repairs or alterations of the ship structure itself. The possibility of a major redesign of the design cannot be ruled out, but under certain circumstances it will be much cheaper than building a new ship of a similar class. The second argument in favor of modernization is the prospects of the ship. The nuclear power plant gives the cruiser high performance characteristics, which, in combination with new weapons, will give it combat potential sufficient for service over the next 15-20 years.
Photo: dokwar.ru
Opponents of modernization also make valid arguments. For example, they claim that upgrading just one heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser will cost the same amount as building several Project 22350 or 11356R/M frigates at once. Having a smaller size and displacement, these ships, however, will carry the same weapons and, probably, a similar set of electronic equipment. Naturally, several smaller ships will be able to simultaneously perform more tasks than one large one. The second complaint about updating Admiral Nakhimov concerns the final cost of such a project. As practice shows, the cost of any construction and modernization tends to gradually increase due to constantly emerging unforeseen problems. Therefore, it is now impossible to say how the current estimated 50 billion will increase by 2018.
It is worth noting that the question of the feasibility of such large expenses is the main topic of all discussions. At the same time, opponents of modernization talk not only about the estimated amount of the contract, but also about an increase in the actual cost of work. For example, during the repair and renovation of the aircraft carrier Vikramaditya, the financial aspects of the project were repeatedly revised and the final cost of the ship turned out to be noticeably higher than originally planned. According to opponents of the modernization of the Admiral Nakhimov, the Russian cruiser will not be able to avoid this. Supporters, in turn, point out that the Vikramaditya update was the first such project in several decades. During work on the aircraft carrier, Russian shipbuilders gained the necessary experience and therefore can now quickly and efficiently modernize the nuclear-powered missile cruiser.
Judging by the duration and course of the discussions, the issue of the need to repair and modernize the heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser Admiral Nakhimov is indeed complex and ambiguous. Every argument has its own counterargument, and this only provokes further discussion. However, the message from the Sevmash press service speaks clearly and clearly about the position of the Ministry of Defense. The signing of the contract for the work clearly shows that the leadership of the military department and the command of the navy see the need to return the warship to service. For now, we cannot rule out the possibility of abandoning these plans due to unsatisfactory condition, but such a development is unlikely, since Admiral Nakhimov was selected for modernization due to its acceptable condition.
Over the next months, employees of Sevmash, Nevsky Design Bureau and the Ministry of Defense will determine the details of the modernization project and begin the main work. It is already clear that the project will be complex, lengthy and expensive. I would like to hope that the Ministry of Defense has carefully analyzed all the arguments for and against modernizing the cruiser and that the investment of tens of billions of rubles will be fully justified.
Characteristics of the cruiser Admiral Nakhimov
| Project 1144 | Project 11442 | |
| Crew, people | 759 (including 120 officers) | 760 (including 120 officers) |
| Length, m | 250.1 | 250.1 |
| Width, m | 28.5 | 28.5 |
| Draft, m | 7.8 (overall - 10.33) | 7.8 (overall - 10.33) |
| Displacement standard, t | 25860 | 24300 |
| Full speed, knots | 31 | 31 |
| Travel speed on reserve "non-nuclear" steam, knots | 17 |
|
| Cruising range | not limited | not limited |
| Cruising range on reserve "non-nuclear" pair, miles | 1000 |
|
| Autonomy, days | 60 | 60 |
MOSCOW, WEAPONS OF RUSSIA, Stanislav Zakaryan
www.site
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