Soviet battlecruiser Kirov

Kirov, the lead ship of her class of missile cruisers, is one of the major and biggest surface warships of the Russian Navy, though it was originally built for the Soviet Navy. It is one of the biggest warships of the world and is similar in size to a World War I battleship. The appearance of the Kirov class was a significant factor in the US Navy recommissioning the Iowa class.

This ship has an impressive armament of missiles and guns as well as electronics. Its largest radar antenna is mounted on its foremast, and called "Top Pair" by NATO. Kirov's main weapons are 20 × SS-N-19 Shipwreck missiles mounted on deck, designed to engage large surface targets, and air defense is provided for with 12 × S-300F launchers with 96 missiles, 2 × Osa-MA with 40 missiles and the Kashstan air-defence missile/gun system.

Other weapons are the automatic 130 mm AK-130 gun system, 30 mm AK-630, 10 × torpedo/missile tubes, Udav-1 with 40 anti-submarine rockets and the 2 × RBU-1000 six-tube launchers.

Kirov (renamed Admiral Ushakov in 1992 for political reasons) was laid down in June of 1973 at Leningrad (now St. Petersburg)'s Baltiysky Naval Shipyard, launched on December 26, 1977 and commissioned on December 30, 1980. When she appeared for the first time in 1981, NATO observers called her BALCOM I (Baltic Combatant I).

Kirov suffered a reactor accident in 1990 while serving in the Mediterranean Sea. Repairs were never carried out, due to lack of funds and the changing political situation in the Soviet Union. She may have been cannibalized as a spare parts cache for the other ships in her class.

Statistics

• Displacement: 28,000 tons
• Dimensions:
  • Overall length: 826.8 ft (252.0 m)
  • Waterline length: 754.6 ft (230.0 m)
  • Beam: 93.5 ft (28.5 m)
  • Draft: 29.5 ft (9.0 m)
• Propulsion System:
  • 2 × KN-3 water pressurized nuclear reactors
  • 2 × oil fired high pressure boilers
  • 2 × GT3A-688 geared steam turbines 70,000 hp (52 MW) each
  • Two shafts with fixed pitch propellers
• Performance:
  • Power: 140,000 hp (104 MW)
  • Maximum speed: 30 to 32 knots (56 to 59 km/h)
  • Endurance: 1000 nautical miles (1,852 km) at full speed
• Weapon Systems
  • Guns
    • 2 × 100 mm/59 cal AK-100 (Kirov)
    • 1 × twin 130mm AK-130
    • AK-360 30mm rotary cannons as the CIWS system
  • Missiles
    • Surface-to-air missiles:
      • 2 × twin retractable SA-N-4 Gecko missiles twin launchers
      • 12-cell VLS for SA-N-6 Grumble missiles
    • Surface-to-surface missiles: VLS for SS-N-19 Shipwreck missiles
    • Anti-submarine warfare
      • 1 × twin cylinder launcher for SS-N-14 Silex missiles
      • Torpedoes: 10 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes.
• Electronic Systems
  • Radar:
    • Voskhod MR-800 (Top Pair) 3D search radar on foremast
    • Fregat MR-710 (Top Steer) 3D search radar on main mast
    • 2 × Palm Frond navigation radar on foremast
    • 2 × Top Dome for SA-N-6 fire control
    • 4 × Bass Tilt for AK-360 CIWS System fire control
    • 2 × Eye Bowl for SA-N-4 fire control
  • Sonar:
    • Horse Tail VDS (Variable Deep Sonar)
• Aircraft: 3 × Kamov Ka-27 "Helix" stored in a below-deck hangar at the stern
• Crew:
  • Ship's complement: 727
  • Aircrew: 18
  • Flag staff: 15

See also: Soviet battlecruiser Kirov, 1973, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1990, 1992, Anti-submarine warfare, Battleship, Boiler