Kirov class battlecruiser

Kirov-class battlecruiser Frunze
Class overview
Builders:	Baltic Shipyard, Leningrad
Operators:	Soviet Navy  Russian Navy
Built:	1974–1998
In service:	From 1980
Planned:	5
Completed:	4
Cancelled:	1
Active:	1 (1 undergoing modernization)
Retired:	2
General characteristics
Type:	Heavy guided missile cruiser/battlecruiser with nuclear marine propulsion
Displacement:	24,300 tons standard 28,000 tons full load
Length:	252 m (827 ft)
Beam:	28.5 m (94 ft)
Draft:	9.1 m (30 ft)
Propulsion:	2-shaft CONAS, 2× KN-3 nuclear marine propulsion with 2× GT3A-688 steam turbines 140,000 shp (100,000 kW)
Speed:	32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph)
Range:	1,000 nmi (1,900 km; 1,200 mi) at 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph) (combined propulsion) unlimited at 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph) on nuclear power
Complement:	710
Sensors and processing systems:	Radars: (NATO reporting name): Voskhod MR-800 (Top Pair) 3D search radar, foremast Fregat MR-710 (Top Plate) 3D search radar, main mast 2 × Palm Frond navigation radar, foremast Sonar: Horse Jaw LF hull sonar Horse Tail VDS (Variable Depth Sonar)
Electronic warfare & decoys:	2 x PK-2 Decoy dispensers (400 rockets)
Armament:	Missiles: 20 × P-700 Granit (SS-N-19 Shipwreck) AShM 14 × SS-N-14 Silex ASW cruise missiles (Ushakov only) 96 S-300F Fort SA-N-6 Grumble surface-to-air missiles (Ushakov, Lazarev, Nakhimov) 48 S-300F Fort and 48 S-300FM Fort-M (SA-N-20 Gargoyle) long-range SAM (Pyotr Velikhy) 128 9K95 Tor (SA-N-9 Gauntlet) point defense SAM 40 OSA-MA (SA-N-4 Gecko) PD SAM Guns: 1 × twin AK-130 130 mm/L70 dual purpose gun (2 × AK-100 100 mm/L60 DP guns in Ushakov) 8 ×AK-630 six-barreled Gatling 30 mm/L60 PD guns (Ushakov, Lazarev) 6 × CADS-N-1 Kashtan gun/missile system (Nakhimov, Pyotr Velikiy) Torpedoes and others: 1 × 10 RBU-1000 305 mm ASW rocket launchers 2 × 6 RBU-12000 (Udav-1) 254 mm ASW rocket launchers 10 × 533 mm ASW/ASuW torpedo tubes, Type 53 torpedo or RPK-2 Vyuga (SS-N-15) ASW missile
Armour:	76 mm plating around reactor compartment, light splinter protection
Aircraft carried:	3 helicopters
Aviation facilities:	Below-deck hangar

The Kirov-class battlecruiser is a class of nuclear-powered warship of the 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 official designation of the ship-type is "heavy nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser" (Russian: тяжёлый атомный ракетный крейсер). The ships are often referred to as battlecruisers by western defense commentators due to their size and general appearance.

Originally built for the Soviet Navy, the class is named for the first of a series of 4 ships to be constructed, Kirov, which was renamed Admiral Ushakov in 1992. Original plans called for the construction of 5 ships, however the last was cancelled. In Russia this class of ship is usually referred to by the designation Project 1144 Orlan (sea eagle). Only Pyotr Velikiy is currently operational. Admiral Nakhimov is projected to re-enter the Russian Navy in 2018. Russia planned to reactivate the remaining two vessels by 2020, but recent reporting suggests that the reactors in Admiral Ushakov and Admiral Lazarev are in a poor condition, and these ships cannot be safely reactivated.

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.