Kirov Class Battlecruiser

The Kirov Class Battlecruisers are the largest and heaviest Combat ships (excluding aircraft carriers) in operation today. Four of these battlecruisers were constructed and just the Pyotr Velikiy is in operation in the Russian Navy but the other three are planned to return to operation after an extensive modification, the Admiral Nakhimov in 2012 and the Kirov and the Frunze in 2020.

Description
The Kirov-class cruisers were launched during the 70s and formed a surprise to the West. Its huge dimensions surprised Western analysts, even though it is known that since the 60's the Soviet Union had begun to show great interest in the construction of large naval units.

It is classified as battleships is something archaic, but it's the closest you can find a very powerful and fast ship with a displacement that exceeds that of the battleships of World War I, but at the same time not shielded, as a battleship. The ships are great platforms for launching missiles and share part of the structure of the Kiev Class Aircraft Carrier.

Besides the anti-ship missiles SS-N-19 (P-700 Granit), which can carry nuclear warheads, missile ships have SA-N-6 vertical launchers, missiles, SA-N-4 launchers double missiles SA-N-9 in vertical launchers Kashtan CIWS octuplets and systems that have missiles and cannons. It is also possible to attack ships with missiles SS-N-15 Starfish. The set also includes two towers with twin 130mm cannons. The anti-submarine torpedoes is made possible either by a 533mm (40 units on board) or by system saturation RBU-1000.

The profusion of weapons, requires the proliferation of sensor systems and radar control. This feature turns so the Kirov easy a target for different types of missiles and torpedoes.

The dissolution of the former Soviet Union much delayed construction of ships. The last to be delivered to the Navy Pyotr Veliky the Russia or Peter the Great had taken 12 years to be delivered.

The only surviving ship make part of the Russian fleet in the North Sea, based at Severomorsk. He is primarily a prestigious ship, used by the Russian government to show more power and impress that for actual use, since Russia does not have the means to afford a suitably sized squadron at sea, with ability to meet the sea in western countries.

The first ship of the class, the Kirov seems to have been "cannibalized" for the reconstruction of Pyotr Vilikiy or "Peter the Great" but the Kirov is planed to return to operation in 2020. 

The Admiral Nakhimov was seen being towed to the shipyard in May 2008, which seems to indicate the possibility of recovery, since the ship is reportedly in good repair despite having been stopped nine years.

Specifications

 * Displacement: 24.000 (standard), 28.000 (full load)
 * Lenght: 251m
 * Width: 28.5m
 * Draft: 9.1m
 * Speed: 32 Knots (59Km/H)

Armament

 * 1x twin towers AK-130
 * 6x AK-630 Gatling Machineguns
 * 6x Kashtan CIWS AA system
 * 10x RBU-1000 Rocket launchers
 * 6x RBU-12.000 Rocket launchers
 * 10x 533mm Torpedo Tubes
 * Armor: 76mm
 * Aircraft Carried: three helicopters