The russians still cannot decide whether to scrap their Pyotr Velikiy heavy nuclear-powered cruiser of the Project 1144 class. The options being considered are either to modernize it or to direct the saved funds toward building additional smaller frigates — and russia is weighing which choice would be more efficient.
These alternatives were reported by Kremlin-aligned media, despite a "definitive decision" announced back in 2023 to withdraw the ship from the fleet permanently. That plan is now being re-evaluated.
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Pyotr Velikiy is the youngest completed ship of Project 1144. It was laid down in 1986, launched in 1989, and entered service with the russian navy only in 1998. Since then, it has served with the Northern Fleet, interrupted only by scheduled repairs in 2008.
Over this time, the ship's systems have both become obsolete and worn out from decades of operation. Its original armament — 20 launchers for P-700 Granit anti-ship missiles — no longer looks so intimidating either.
For years, there has been a proposal to modernize the cruiser by replacing the old launchers with universal UKSK 3S14 systems, compatible with Kalibr, Oniks, and Zircon missiles, along with other upgrades.
A similar project is underway on another Project 1144 ship, Admiral Nakhimov, which only recently returned to sea trials for the first time after 25 years under repair and modernization.
On one hand, the russians argue that the Pyotr Velikiy upgrade could be cheaper and faster, since specialists now have relevant expertise from the Admiral Nakhimov project.
On the other hand, Pyotr Velikiy has been in active service for more than 25 years, while Admiral Nakhimov was sent for overhaul after less than 10 years of operation. This means Pyotr Velikiy would require not only modernization but also extensive repair and restoration.
There is also the larger question of whether it makes sense to invest in such large warships at all, given the immense cost of their repair, operation, and modernization. One russian admiral even compared them to the World War II battleships Yamato and Bismarck — massive investments with great firepower that were sunk before achieving much combat effect.
Because of this, a number of admirals support building more smaller ships, such as frigates, which would allow the fleet to expand in numbers and flexibility. These vessels could also be armed with Kalibr, Oniks, and Zircon missiles.
Supporters of modernizing Pyotr Velikiy counter that russia cannot rely solely on smaller coastal vessels — a strange remark, since frigates are fully capable of operating in the ocean zone as well.
It is also stressed that russia has no plans to build a new cruiser of this class anytime soon. Given the real state of its shipbuilding industry, "never" seems a more accurate term.
As for Pyotr Velikiy itself, the navy's leadership reportedly believes it still has the resources for continued service. In the end, however, this may once again be a case of russia rejecting reality for the sake of prestige — just as with the ill-fated Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier.
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