Russia Starts Reviving Soviet Era Pyotr Veliky Nuclear Armed Warships |
Moskow - Russia is ready to deploy the largest and most fearsome warship of the Kirov Class Battlecruiser cruiser type, Pyotr Veliky. The nuclear-powered ship, often referred to as the "American nightmare", was developed in the late 1970s.
As quoted from the Daily Star reports, the giant ship that once appeared in the Cold War era has reappeared with sophisticated weaponry.
President Vladimir Putin has deployed the Russian Northern Fleet with tactical nuclear weapons for the first time since the Soviet era and sent a nuclear bomber on a flight that lasted more than seven hours.
The Pyotr Velikiy is just one of four similar ships of its class that have appeared in recent decades. Now, Moscow is reviving the ship with its "sisters", including the Admiral Nakhimov.
During the Cold War, Russia built four giant warships 252 meters long and 28 thousand tons in weight. The Pyotr Velikiy has become a threat to the US Navy's aircraft carrier fleet.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia spent a large amount of money to finance the maintenance of the largest warships. The nuclear missile-equipped Admiral Nakhimov ship is undergoing modernization in the port of Severodvinsk.
The Nakhimov ship first entered service in 1988, but has been rusting in dock for the past 15 years. However, Russian media reports that the ship will be back in service at the end of next year with a new, lethal weapon.
To accommodate the missiles, Russia plans to overhaul the ship's vertical launch system. According to Navyrecognation.com records, the contract for the overhaul alone was worth 2.56 billion rubles, or about $33.5 million.
Russia has not officially confirmed the life of its largest warships. It is not yet clear what their purpose is to reactivate the nuclear-powered ships.