---
title: "Admiral Nakhimov: The Giant Returns. Final Stage of Trials for the World's Largest Non-Aircraft Carrier"
description: "The heavy nuclear cruiser \"Admiral Nakhimov\" has begun the final stage of trials after repairs. The 25,000-ton giant returns to service after decades of downtime and modernization costing 200 billion rubles. 🚢🇷🇺"
date: 2026-06-03T09:43:33.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/admiral-nakhimov-final-stage-of-trials-2025
tags: []
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Admiral Nakhimov: The Giant Returns. Final Stage of Trials for the World's Largest Non-Aircraft Carrier

![Admiral Nakhimov (hull number 080) at port during final trials — the world’s largest non-carrier warship returns to service](https://xab.info/media/2026/06/03/admiral-nahimov-zavershayushchiy-etap-ispitaniy-2025/admiral-nahimov-zavershayushchiy-etap-ispitaniy-2025-1.webp)

The heavy nuclear-powered guided-missile cruiser "Admiral Nakhimov" has commenced the final stage of trials. This was officially announced by the press service of the Russian Northern Fleet. The ship, which is currently in the dry dock at the "Sevmash" plant in Severodvinsk, is ready to head to sea following a long cycle of repairs and extensive modernization.

This event marks the revival of one of the most ambitious and complex projects in the history of Soviet and Russian shipbuilding. The "Admiral Nakhimov" is not just a warship; it is a monster with a displacement of over 25,000 tons, equipped with a nuclear power plant. In terms of size, it remains the largest non-aircraft carrier warship built in the world after World War II.

### A Long Road to the Water

The history of the cruiser's return to service is a story of a process that has dragged on for decades. The ship was laid down in the late 1980s, but by the late 90s, it was sent for repairs. Real work to return the "Admiral Nakhimov" to the Russian Navy began only in 2013.

The modernization process turned into a true long-term construction project. The work schedule was revised numerous times. In August 2020, the ship was moved from the floating dock to the factory embankment, but work did not stop and continued for another five years. It was only in January 2025 that the physical launch of the nuclear reactors on board was carried out.

### New Weapons and Old Vulnerabilities

During the modernization, the ship was supposed to receive fundamentally new armaments. According to open sources, the "Admiral Nakhimov" is being equipped with 80 universal vertical launch systems (UKSK) 3S14. These allow for the launch of a wide range of missiles: from "Kalibr" and "Oniks" cruise missiles to hypersonic "Zircon" missiles.

To protect against air and surface threats, the cruiser is being fitted with "Fort-M" and "Pantsir-M" air defense systems, as well as "Paket-NK" and "Otveta" anti-submarine systems.

However, experts assess the ship's prospects ambiguously. The base Project 1144.2M, despite its gigantic size, had weak points, specifically vulnerability to low-flying subsonic anti-ship missiles. Although the modernization was intended to eliminate these shortcomings, many analysts believe that even the updated ship remains extremely vulnerable to modern means of destruction.

### The Cost and Alternatives

The cost of reviving the "Admiral Nakhimov" is unofficially estimated at astronomical sums—around 200 billion rubles (more than $2.7 billion). At the same time, experts note that in terms of strike potential, this giant is inferior to significantly cheaper nuclear ballistic missile submarines of Projects 949 "Granit" and 949A "Antey".

Today, Russia has only one cruiser of this class in service—the "Pyotr Velikiy". While the "Admiral Nakhimov" undergoes final trials, Russian shipbuilding continues to develop other directions. Recently, the keel was laid for a new Project 22350 frigate "Admiral Fleet Gromov" at the "Northern Shipyard", and a month ago, the small missile ship "Burya" of Project 22800 was accepted into the fleet in Baltiysk.