Russian Kirov-class battlecruisers: a nightmare that won’t end

Summary: The Kirov-class battlecruisers, once considered the jewels of the Russian navy, have failed to live up to their formidable reputation. Although they are among the largest warships, second only to American aircraft carriers, their operational effectiveness has been questioned. Launched in 1977, these nuclear-powered giants were heavily armed but struggled to match the enduring capabilities of their American counterparts. With only two of the original four ships remaining by 2023, and one stuck in dry dock since 1999, their future appears uncertain amid ongoing modernization efforts.

-This scenario reflects a broader trend in which traditional surface warships face obsolescence due to advanced anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) systems and hypersonic weapons. The Russian and US navies have invested heavily in these large platforms, potentially to the detriment of other, more relevant capabilities like submarines. The sinking of the Moskva, a small Russian battlecruiser, by Ukrainian forces highlights the vulnerability of these assets in modern warfare.

– Focus should instead be placed on developing effective countermeasures against emerging threats and improving the reach of offensive systems beyond A2/AD bubbles, ensuring that naval forces remain competitive in environments contested.

End of an Era: The Decline of the Powerful Kirov-Class Battlecruisers

If the centerpiece of the American Navy’s offensive strategy was the aircraft carrier, since the Cold War, the Russian Navy’s main offensive system has been its battlecruiser. Heavily armed, equipped with nuclear propulsion and seriously armored, the Kirov-The battlecruiser-class was to be the Russian fleet’s most important strategic asset.

Yet, as my colleague Peter Suciu pointed out in an article that appeared in these pages last year, the Kirov-the class “never lived up to the hype.”

Of course, the same could be said of America’s much-vaunted aircraft carriers in the era of anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) defensive systems of the type possessed by China and Russia (and their partners). in Iran and North Korea). ).

The fact is that the era of surface warships may be coming to an end due to the sophistication of the A2/AD (and the ubiquity of these systems). Regarding the Kirov-class, they struggled in a way that American flat roofs never did. The Soviets and, later, the Russians, imagined these beasts raging across the world’s oceans in ways that made even Americans shudder.

The Kirov class never lived up to its hype

Launched in 1977, the KirovThe eponymous II-class warship was the second largest warship to cross the oceans (after American aircraft carriers). Four of these behemoths have since been built. They inspired so much fear and loathing among the top brass of the United States Navy that the Iowa-The class battleships were renovated and recommissioned in the 1980s to counterbalance the threat from Soviet battlecruisers. THE Kirov were loaded with powerful long-range missiles rather than the traditional “big guns” that usually armed the decks of warships of similar size.

These warships carried an assortment of other missiles as well as torpedoes. They also housed three helicopters.

Despite these beastly armaments, the Kirov-class lacks the durability that other systems, such as those belonging to the US Navy, enjoy. Four warships were built between 1977 and 1988.

Of these four, only two remain until 2023. Admiral Nakhimov languishing in dry dock since 1999! The other battlecruiser, the Pyotr Veliky, was to be modernized, but the Russian Navy finally announced its withdrawal last year.

Regarding the Admiral Nakhimov, it has been “modernizing” in the port for years. Russian military planners are genuinely concerned that the warship will never leave port; that it will just be constantly updated. However, the Russians seem determined to refurbish this weapon of war, while also giving it new and more deadly weapons!

The Russian battlecruiser and the American aircraft carrier are no longer useful today

However, this brings us back to a point made earlier: are large surface warships still relevant in today’s era of A2/AD and hypersonic weapons?

The Americans have overcommitted to their aircraft carrier capabilities at the expense of other, more relevant capabilities, such as their submarines. Meanwhile, the Russians seemed to have done something similar with their Kirov-class battle cruisers.

In fact, the Russians should have been awakened when their warship, the Moskva, which belonged to the smaller and cheaper Russian battlecruiser Slava-class, was sunk by the Ukrainians at the start of the Russo-Ukrainian War.

Invest massively in modernizing the rest KirovClass battlecruisers are a waste.

Bypass A2/AD with distance

A similar fate befell the Moskva could easily arrive at Kirov-class, despite modernization. A better use of resources for any navy today would be to devote its money to developing effective countermeasures against drone swarms, hypersonic weapons, and massive numbers of anti-ship missiles.

At the same time, being able to deploy offensive systems well beyond the range of A2/AD systems would ensure that a navy remains relevant in this era of contested environments.

The Russians are making the same mistake as the Americans by investing so much in their prestige surface weapons. These systems will not prove decisive. These are boondoggles.

About the Author

Brandon J. Weichert is a former congressman and geopolitical analyst who contributes to the Washington Times, as well as American Greatness and the Asia Times. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower (Republic Book Publishers), Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. Weichert can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.