Kirov-class battlecruiser
The Kirov class, Soviet designation Project 1144 Orlan (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, and of similar size to a World War I-era battleship. The ships are often referred to as battlecruisers by Western defence commentators 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).
Kirov-class battlecruiser Frunze | |
Class overview | |
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Name | Kirov class |
Builders | Baltic Shipyard, Leningrad |
Operators | |
Preceded by | Kara class |
Succeeded by | Lider class |
Built | 1974–1998 |
In service | 1980–present |
Planned | 5 |
Completed | 4 |
Cancelled | 1 |
Active | 1 (1 undergoing refit) |
Retired | 2 |
General characteristics | |
Type | Heavy guided-missile cruiser/battlecruiser |
Displacement |
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Length | 252 m (827 ft) |
Beam | 28.5 m (94 ft) |
Draft | 9.1 m (30 ft) |
Propulsion |
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Speed | 32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph) |
Range |
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Complement | 710 |
Sensors and processing systems |
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Electronic warfare & decoys | 2 × PK-2 Decoy dispensers (400 rockets) |
Armament |
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Armour | 76 mm plating around reactor compartment, light splinter protection |
Aircraft carried | 3 helicopters |
Aviation facilities | Below-deck hangar |
The appearance of the Kirov class 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.