Kathrine Frich
The nuclear-powered giant ranked as the largest “operational” attack warship on the planet outside of aircraft carriers.
Keeping a giant machine running takes deep pockets.
Whether it is an old family car or a massive piece of military hardware, there comes a day when the mechanic’s bill simply costs more than the vehicle is worth.
For one major navy, that painful moment has finally arrived.
Too costly to fix
According to the Daily Express, Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing to scrap his navy’s most powerful surface vessel because fixing it has grown too expensive.
The guided missile cruiser Peter the Great, known in Russia as Pyotr Veliky, is valued at £750 million and serves as the flagship of the Northern Fleet.
For 28 years, the nuclear-powered giant ranked as the largest “operational” attack warship on the planet outside of aircraft carriers. Yet the Daily Express noted that the vessel has not actually gone out on active patrols recently.
Now the ship is heading for the scrapyard instead of the open ocean. Vladimir Maltsev, who leads the All Russian Movement for Fleet Support, told reporters, as cited by the Daily Express: “The cruiser is beyond repair. The ship has a certain degree of wear.”
Years behind schedule
Walking away from the cruiser comes after Moscow poured huge sums into its sister ship, the Admiral Nakhimov. According to the Daily Express, refitting that second Kirov-class battlecruiser has already swallowed around £1.5 billion and is running eight years late.
After sitting out of action for nearly 30 years, the Admiral Nakhimov finally headed back to sea for trials last year. Even so, the vessel is still going through final tests and has not rejoined active navy duty.
On paper, the Peter the Great was built for raw power. The Daily Express reported that two nuclear reactors give the ship 600 megawatts of energy, driving two 70,000-horsepower turbines to a top speed of 31 knots.
Boasts from the past
Losing the flagship marks a sharp turnaround for the Kremlin. Back in 2013, Putin bragged that the vessel had “virtually no equal in the world” and “no equal”, according to the Daily Express.
At the time, the Russian leader praised the ship’s reach across the globe. “The cruiser has repeatedly distinguished itself in long sea voyages. It was on active duty, displaying the Russian flag in key strategic areas of the world’s oceans,” Putin said, as quoted by the outlet.
He also hailed the sailors aboard the nuclear giant, adding: “The crew performed the assigned tasks perfectly, showing impeccable professionalism, skill and courage.”
