Upgraded Kirov class: Project 11442 [Admiral Nakhimov] #2

Which new advanced systems were installed on the ship besides the upgarde to pantsir and the change of the strike missile complex?

Presumably any floppy drives and HDDs will have been replaced with solid state drives and the copper wires likely improved with fibre cables and modern processors and modern computing equipment.

The single purpose SS-N-19 Shipwreck missile launch tubes and SS-N-14 Metel anti sub anti ship missile launcher has been replaced with the UKSK universal missile launch system and presumably the S-300F system will have hopefully, its rotary launch system that was large and bulky replaced by fixed cells carrying rather more missiles as well as the S-350 missiles and perhaps also the improved naval Tor system with new missiles have been installed too.

The scope for new radars and new sonar equipment and new EW equipment is rather broad, and presumably they have probably expanded their options for helicopters... including, but not limited to Ka-52 and Ka-226 types as well as the new helicopter to replace the Helix which presumably if not seen on the upgraded Kirov class ship might be shown on the new helicopter carriers.

They might retain 30mm cannon, with air burst shells for anti drone use, but equally they might have added 57mm gun mounts for extended effective shooting range against a variety of air and surface targets.

By fitting multipurpose launchers of the UKSK and Redut type they essentially future proof the design as new missiles will be designed for these launchers.

New AESA radar and EO systems should improve performance and situational awareness.

The AK-130 seriously lacks range though it is not a terrible gun.

Longer ranged ammo could be created but I suspect joint work with the Russian Army on new long range 152mm rounds makes rather more sense for both parties wanting accurate long range rounds.

Further down the track a 203mm round might be useful for both forces to add further payload and range without making the systems huge and expensive.

The-thing-next-door wrote:There were images of the rear where the gun could not be seen. I assumed it would be obvious that I was referring to that image as everyone knows the gun is at the back.

FWIW I suspect that the gun was yet to be installed in the earlier photos.  It might even be late for delivery if it is indeed a navalised 152mm piece based on the Koalitsiya, ie seriously behind schedule like the A-192M for the Gorshkovs. I'll be genuinely shocked if a gun isn't installed.

Nakhimov is currently being degaused before it sets off for sea trails. Hopefully all these years of hard work and likely equally hard lessons learned during this huge modernization process, will prove to be a success and pave the way for Peter's mod as well.

Next step should be a replacement for the Slavas. A small number (4) of nuclear powered destroyers/cruisers is the logical option.

Can't wait to see her move under her own steam. That will be a monumental moment.

You won't have to wait too long

The physical launch of the nuclear reactors is planned to be carried out before the end of this year as soon as they finished demagnetizing the cruiser's hull.
Factory sea trials of the ship are planned to begin in the summer of 2025. After the transfer to the fleet, Admiral Nakhimov will serve for at least 30 years.

https://tass.ru/armiya-i-opk/22711227

I wonder how much crew from her sister ship are involved. Will the new crew be mostly Pyotr Velikiy allumni? Will the PV stay in operation, be modded or be mothballed? I assume the sea trials will be a factor in deciding this. for it to make sense to update the PV they would need to be able to do the updates within 5 years and yield a 30Y lifespan.With major interesting weapons like Oreshnik emerging, maybe they will put a navalized version of Oreshnik on the PV and have this ship able to delete anything within 5000 km like the very hand of god.

The PV will be a useful ship for a rather long time to come and the fact that they wont be able to make something to replace her for a decade or two to come suggests keeping her operational makes sense.... the vertical launch systems on the ship makes it much easier to adapt to new vertical launch systems with newer weapons than the Slava class cruisers.

I rather think what will happen is this new upgraded ship will put to sea and be tested and checked and the systems and equipment will be evaluated to determine if it is good value for money.

New sensors and new weapon systems make sense because the original stuff is now a bit old... like replacing a CD player or audio cassette player with a solid state system with flash memory with no moving parts and enormous capacity to store information.

Replacing the 1980s computer hardware should free up enormous volumes of space and even just replacing the copper wire with glass fibre will make it lighter, take up less space with smaller cable bundles and probably save a lot of money when you sell or repurpose the copper.

A modern cellphone has more processing power than a building sized mainframe computer from back then and the Kirovs were command vessels with lots of electronics...

Replacing old single purpose missile launchers with modern modular systems like UKSK and Redut should mean they are able to use all the new weapons in the navy without problems.

The first Udaloy destroyer entered service without the radar and control equipment for the naval TOR fitted, so it is possible it might enter the water and sail around a bit without a new gun fitted or with an older gun filling the gap while tests of the new guns are completed.

Testing and getting operational a new 152mm gun with the Kirov class ships would be a good way to bug test the systems and integrate it into other systems and sensors... getting it operational on a Kirov would mean when they make destroyers it will be already tested and bug free... They could even develop a new 203mm gun for navy and for the Army that could be fitted to future new cruiser designs.

The Army will have realised how powerful and useful guns remain even in this time of drones and missiles and helicopters and aircraft.

A 203mm gun with longer range and a heavier payload would be interesting to both as drones and satellite recon improves to the point where extra long range shells become effective with terminal guidance for use against even moving targets.

Would be interesting to see how big the Hazelnut is... if it was based off Bulava or Liner... imagine a Typhoon class armed with 20 Hazelnuts... the size of the sub and the automation would mean a reduced size crew with more food storage could operate for 8-12 months in the southern oceans ready to attack almost any target on earth with little warning...

https://news.mail.ru/politics/64393720/

TASS: Nuclear reactor on Admiral Nakhimov undergoes physical launch

MOSCOW, January 11. /TASS/. The physical launch of the nuclear reactor was carried out on the heavy nuclear missile cruiser Admiral Nakhimov of Project 11442 M. A source in the defense industry complex told TASS about this.

"In the third ten days of December 2024, a planned physical start-up of the nuclear reactor was carried out on the cruiser Admiral Nakhimov without the ship going out to sea. The operation to demagnetize the ship was also completed," he said.

He noted that the physical launch of the reactor does not mean the completion of the repair and modernization of the cruiser, "but indicates that the nuclear power plant is ready to operate at maximum capacity." TASS does not have official confirmation of this information. Earlier, TASS reported that the physical launch of the two nuclear reactors of the Admiral Nakhimov is planned to be carried out before the end of 2024.

During the Fleet-2024 International Maritime Defense Show, one of the sources told the agency that the task of conducting the physical launch of the cruiser's two reactors and lifting off from the pier had been set for the fall of 2024. The ship's factory sea trials were planned to begin in the summer of 2025, followed by state trials. Another source told TASS that, according to new plans, the ship's delivery after completion of the relevant trials is planned for 2026.

As Mikhail Budnichenko, General Director of Sevmash , told the agency , Admiral Nakhimov is a unique ship in terms of technical equipment. It has fully realized all the potential inherent in this project. The cruiser is capable of successfully performing combat missions anywhere in the World Ocean in any weather and climate conditions. Neither storms nor hurricanes are scary for it. After being handed over to the fleet, Admiral Nakhimov will serve for at least 30 years.

The cruiser has been under repair since 1999. Actual work on it has been underway since 2013. The main result of the modernization is a noticeable increase in the cruiser's striking power. According to open sources, it will carry, in particular, 10 universal ship-based firing systems for 8 Kalibr-NK and/or Oniks cruise missiles each.