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Warship

Russia

United Shipbuilding Corporation

Kirov-class

The largest and most heavily armed surface combatants in the world outside aircraft carriers, nuclear-powered battlecruisers built to hunt carrier battle groups with massed anti-ship missiles. Only Admiral Nakhimov remains active following a lengthy modernization.

In service since 1980 · 1 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

24,300

14,000

nmi

VLS

710

crew

Several performance figures for Russia-origin systems are manufacturer or state claims with limited independent verification. Treat these specs as directional, not tested values.

Pricing: No public modern unit cost

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

Russian state channel

Rosoboronexport monopoly; Western sanctions exposure and payment/logistics risk for many buyers.

Channel: Rosoboronexport (state)

Fielded & proven

Limited · 1 operator

In service since 1980. Status: active · ~4 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from.

Interoperability

Mk 41 VLS-class

Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.: 130 mm AK-130 twin naval gun
VLS cells Vertical-launch missile cells on a warship — a proxy for magazine depth. Higher means more missiles before rearming.: 20

Stronger than 29% of warships

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 252 m

Naval

Displacement, speed, endurance and diving depth.

Displacement Standard displacement in tonnes — the ship’s size class. Larger hulls carry more but cost more and are less agile.: 24,300 t
Full-load displacement Displacement fully loaded with fuel, stores and munitions.: 28,000 t
Max speed Top speed in knots (surfaced, for submarines). Higher aids positioning and screening.: 32 kn

Top 9% of warships
Range Cruising range in nautical miles. Nuclear vessels are effectively unlimited (fuel-wise). Higher means more reach without replenishment.: 14,000 nmi

Top 1% of warships
Complement Crew size. Fewer eases manning cost; more may indicate a larger, more capable platform.: 710
Aircraft carried Embarked aircraft/helicopters. Higher extends the ship’s sensor and strike reach.: 3

Stronger than 63% of warships
Propulsion plant Machinery type — nuclear reactor, gas turbine (COGAG), CODAG, diesel-electric, AIP.: 2x nuclear reactor (CONAS)

Sensors & avionics

Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.

Radar Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art.: Voskhod MR-800 3D radar
Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.: Top Pair air-search radar, hull-mounted sonar

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.: 4

Stronger than 57% of warships
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 1

Stronger than 45% of warships

Specifications compiled from public United Shipbuilding Corporation and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

Compare with rivals

See how it stacks up

Warship

Kirov-class Alvaro de Bazan class (F100)

Navantia Alvaro de Bazan class (F100)

View Alvaro de Bazan class (F100) ↗

Warship

Kirov-class Bonifaz class (F110)

Navantia Bonifaz class (F110)

View Bonifaz class (F110) ↗

Warship

Kirov-class Bergamini class (FREMM)

Fincantieri Bergamini class (FREMM)

View Bergamini class (FREMM) ↗

Frequently asked questions

What is the main armament of the United Shipbuilding Corporation Kirov-class? +

The United Shipbuilding Corporation Kirov-class's primary weapon is the 130 mm AK-130 twin naval gun.

What is the United Shipbuilding Corporation Kirov-class used for? +

The United Shipbuilding Corporation Kirov-class is a warship typically used for deep strike, air defense.

How many countries operate the United Shipbuilding Corporation Kirov-class? +

The United Shipbuilding Corporation Kirov-class is operated by 1 countries.

How much does the United Shipbuilding Corporation Kirov-class cost? +

United Shipbuilding Corporation Kirov-class: No public modern unit cost. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.