Russia’s nuclear-powered cruiser to begin sea trials

Russia’s nuclear-powered missile cruiser Admiral Nakhimov is expected to begin sea trials in August or September, local media reported on Wednesday.

“The cruiser is now in the final stage of preparation for sea trials,” said RIA Novosti, quoting a source from Russia’s defense industry.

“All systems, units and equipment are undergoing checks, and the delivery crew is being formed.”

In July, Andrei Kostin, head of the VTB Bank and chairman of the board of directors of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, said that repairs on the Admiral Nakhimov had been completed.

He also said that the ship was ready for trials.

The Admiral Nakhimov, a Kirov-class battlecruiser, is the largest surface combat ship in the Russian Navy, with a displacement of more than 25,000 tonnes and a nuclear propulsion system.

It is designed to destroy large surface targets and provide integrated air and anti-submarine defence.

Built in the late 1980s, the cruiser served with the Northern Fleet before being sent for repairs in the late 1990s.

The overhaul and modernisation work began in 2013.