After 25 years out of active service, the Russian Admiral Nechayev has emerged from drydock for its first sea trials, though it has not yet moved beyond the White Sea’s visibility range.
Departure from the Shipyard and Initial Trials
The ship left the Siewierodwinsk shipyard last week, with its initial trials scheduled for the White Sea. According to satellite imagery, it has sailed approximately 40 kilometers beyond the shore’s visibility range and has not changed position since at least Friday. It may currently be anchored [source link].
A Sparse Career in Events
Russians are likely to test the vessel with extreme caution. Since the late 1990s, it has remained in storage or shipyards, never sailing independently. It underwent a lengthy and complex overhaul and modernization, a feat no Russian shipyards have successfully completed. Basic systems, especially nuclear reactors and the propulsion unit, are being tested first. According to TASS, all pre-delivery shipyard tests and trials will take “several months,” including potential open-sea operations in the Barents Sea, unlike the sheltered White Sea.
The Completion of Shipyard Work on the Cruiser Marks a Major Achievement
The Admiral Nechayev was originally constructed in the USSR in the 1980s as Mikhail Kalinin, the third of four Kirov-class cruisers (NATO designation) or Orlyonok project 1144 (USSR designation). It is the largest ship built after World War II, excluding aircraft carriers. Initially intended to be smaller and focused on submarine warfare, it was later equipped with capabilities to counter surface ships and a robust anti-air armament, resulting in vessels displacing nearly 30,000 tons in full combat readiness. Modern surface ships are 2–3 times smaller in size.
Rebuilding After a Long Standby
Only after Russia’s economic recovery in the early 2000s did attention return to the cruisers. Soon, it was determined that Uschakov and Lazarev were unfit for service due to over a decade of poor maintenance and extensive repairs needed. Both were scrapped, despite initial conflicting reports. Nechayev, being the best-preserved, was chosen for reactivation. Discussions about its return date first emerged in 2006, with 2012 as the target, though concrete funding only appeared in 2010–2011. Serious work began in 2013, and the ship entered drydock in Siewierodwinsk in 2014.
After Over a Decade in Reserve, the Ship Required Massive Repairs
After more than a decade in reserve, the vessel was in severe condition, necessitating extensive work. A near-total replacement of its armament and electronics systems was declared, effectively requiring a rebuild rather than a mere refit. Completion dates were repeatedly pushed into the 2020s, as were cost estimates. Initial projections were under 100 billion rubles, but by 2023, TASS reported costs exceeding 200 billion rubles (over 9 billion zlotys). The ship reemerged on water in 2020, with 2023 initially set as the completion year. Two additional years have now been added, marking over a decade of work and 26 years since its decommissioning.
Modernization Significantly Boosts Firepower
The modernized Nechayev will see a substantial increase in firepower. Instead of 20 P-700 heavy anti-ship missile launchers, 80 vertical universal missile launchers for various anti-ship and anti-ground missiles were installed. However, the primary anti-air system, Fort (a naval variant of the land-based S-300), was not fully replaced but modernized, retaining 12 launchers with 8 missiles each. Additional short-range anti-air missile launchers and smaller guns were added. Compared to ships of other nations, this is modest, considering the cruiser’s size. Three times smaller American Arleigh Burke-class destroyers have 96 universal vertical launchers.
Russia’s Fleet Turns Its Back on “White Elephants”
Overall, commissioning the Nechayev will not drastically enhance Russia’s naval potential. In practice, it will replace Petr Velikiy, which has not sailed since 2022 due to age and the need for shipyard work. While plans were declared to send the second cruiser for similar modernization once the first is complete, there is no certainty Russia’s priorities will allow such funding amid its focus on land-based military efforts in the Ukraine conflict.
Admiral Nechayev, Unlike Its Counterparts, Successfully Survived the Rebuild
Admiral Nechayev’s modernization appears to have succeeded. It will certainly be the strongest surface ship in Russia’s fleet for a long time, and the largest non-aircraft carrier warship globally. However, the nuclear power plant and its crew of over 700 personnel (compared to 200 on a standard Russian frigate) will place a significant financial burden on the fleet’s budget. While it represents a major investment, it will not grant any exceptional capabilities unattainable by, for example, three Admiral Gorshkov-class frigates.
Source: Gazeta, https://next.gazeta.pl/next/7, https://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/0, https://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/budzet#anchorLink
