Languages

Sevmash ready to modernize nuclear cruiser

The "Admiral Nakhimov" (Sevmash.ru)

Sevmash is ready to start modernizing the nuclear cruiser “Admiral Nakhimov” as soon as the means for this are found. Russia can get a state-of-the-art battle cruiser within 2012.

Location

- We have all the production facilities needed to make “Admiral Nakhimov” a super modern cruiser, says General Director of Sevmash shipyard Nikolay Kalistratov, web site Shipbuilding.ru reports, citing RIA Novosti.

According to Kalistratov, a full modernization of the cruiser will cost around 20 billion RUB (app. 455 million EUR), and can be completed within 2012, if the project is started now.

The cruiser was taken into service in 1988. In 1999 it moored at Sevmash for repairs, but because of lacking financing, the repairs were never completed.

As BarentsObserver reported, Russian Deputy Minister of Defense Vladimir Popovkin recently said that there is a need for a renovated fleet of surface vessels. In particular, the nuclear powered cruisers are subject to reconstruction programs, which now are being developed.

Today, Russia has only one nuclear powered battle cruiser, “Pyotr Veliky”, based in the Northern Fleet. This vessel was taken into service in 1996 and is today considered to be the fleet’s flagship.