Russian Nuclear Battle Cruiser ‘Pyotr Veliky’ Up For Repairs

Russia has put its Kirov class nuclear battle cruiser, Pyotr Veliky for repairs.

The Pyotr Veliky’s repairs at the Roslyakovo shipyard near Murmansk are geared to keep the ship, which was commissioned in 1996, on the water until 2018, when it’s expected that the Sevmash shipyards in Severodvinsk would have space to begin an extensive modernization of the battle cruiser, Russian Media reported Friday.

The Kirov Class vessel is one of the four cruisers built by Russia and is powered by two nuclear reactors. All the four vessels are capable of engaging large surface ships and provide defense for the fleet against air and submarine attacks.

From 2018 to 2021, the Pyotr Veliky’ is scheduled to undergo a major overhaul and modernization, which will outfit it with new radio-electronic equipment and missile equipment, the Lenta.ru Russian news portal reported.

According to Vadim Serga, head press spokesman for the Northern Fleet, the current repairs on the Pyotr Veliky will wrap up by the end of the year, Lenta.ru reported.

They will include work on its hull, propeller systems, and cleaning and painting of the submerged portion of the hull, said Serga. Repairs will also be made to a number of the Pyotr Veliky’s battle and weapon’s systems, he said.

Maxim Shepovalenko, an analyst with the Centre for the Analysis of Strategies and Technologies told The Moscow Times that Russia’s naval rearmament program of 2011 envisions new destroyers and battle cruisers to begin construction in the late 2020s.

He further told the paper the three-step rearmament program is currently focusing on beefing up the submarine fleet, which is consistent with reporting by Bellona.

The Russian Navy will also be building new frigates, Shepovalenko told The Moscow Times.