August M
After 25 years in dry dock and billions spent on upgrades, one of Russia’s most formidable-looking warships is back at sea.
But some naval analysts question whether its firepower matches its real-world usefulness.
A giant returns
According to WPtech, the nuclear-powered cruiser Admiral Nakhimov resumed sea trials in mid-2025 after a quarter-century of repairs and modernization.
Originally built in the 1980s, the vessel is part of the Soviet-era Project 1144 Orlan class. With a displacement of about 28,000 tons and a hull stretching 252 meters, it is currently the largest active warship in the world excluding aircraft carriers.
The ship is equipped with 176 vertical launch system (VLS) cells, giving it one of the heaviest missile loads afloat.
Cold war legacy
Construction of the cruiser began in 1983 and it entered service five years later. It was laid up for repairs in 1999, remaining in the shipyard until its recent return to sea.
The Orlan-class ships were conceived under Soviet Admiral Sergei Gorshkov’s vision of a blue-water navy capable of challenging the United States globally. Economic strain after the Soviet collapse halted those ambitions, leaving Russia with a small number of aging large surface combatants.
Today, many of Moscow’s biggest vessels date back to the late 20th century, including the troubled aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, whose repairs have reportedly been suspended.
Firepower overhaul
Before modernization, the cruiser carried 20 P-700 Granit anti-ship missiles, each capable of carrying a heavy conventional or nuclear warhead.
During its refit, those launchers were replaced with 176 VLS cells. Of these, 96 are allocated for S-400 air defence missiles, while 80 can carry P-800 Onyx, Kalibr or Zircon missiles.
On paper, that launcher count exceeds that of South Korea’s Sejongdaewang-class destroyers with 128 cells, China’s Type 055 destroyers with 112, and the US Arleigh Burke Flight IIA/III variants with 96.
Power and vulnerability
The cruiser is powered by nuclear reactors driving steam turbines, allowing speeds of around 29 knots, with oil-fired boilers available to boost performance further.
Yet maritime analyst HI Sutton wrote in Naval News that the estimated $2–5bn modernization cost may not translate into meaningful battlefield advantage.
He argues that despite upgraded missiles, the vessel remains exposed to emerging threats such as naval drones, which have damaged or forced other Russian ships into port during the war in Ukraine.
Sutton describes the ship as a potential “white elephant” — an expensive, prestigious platform with limited practical value and too symbolic to risk in combat.
Sea trials are expected to conclude in 2026. Meanwhile, Russia is reportedly preparing to decommission another major cruiser, Pyotr Velikiy, after assessing modernization costs as prohibitive.
Sources: WPtech; Naval News.
