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Russian battlecruiser Petr Velikiy
RIAN archive 669522 Long-distance voyage of Pyotr Veliky nuclear-powered cruiser
Career Naval Ensign of Russia
Name: Petr Velikiy
Laid down: 1986
Launched: 1996
Commissioned: 18 April 1998
Status: in active service, as of 2024
General characteristics
Class & type: Kirov class battlecruiser
Displacement: 24,300 tons Standard, 28,000 (Full Load)
Length: 252 m (827 ft)
230 m (750 ft) (Waterline)
Beam: 28.5 m (94 ft)
Draft: 9.1 m (30 ft)
Propulsion: 2-shaft CONAS, Nuclear propulsion with steam turbine boost
140,000 shp
Speed: 32 knots (59 km/h)
Range: 1,000 nautical miles (2,000 km) at 30 knots (56 km/h) (combined propulsion),
Essentially unlimited with nuclear power at 20 knots (37 km/h)
Complement: 727
Aircrew: 18
Flag staff: 15
Sensors and
processing systems:
·Voskhod MR-800 (Top Pair) 3D search radar on foremast
·Fregat MR-710 (Top Steer) 3D search radar on main mast
·2 × Palm Frond navigation radar on foremast
·2 × Top Dome for SA-N-6 fire control
·4 × Bass Tilt for AK-360 CIWS System fire control
·2 × Eye Bowl for SA-N-4 fire control
·Horse Jaw LF hull sonar
·Horse Tail VDS (Variable Depth Sonar)
Armament: 20 P-700 Granit (SS-N-19 Shipwreck) anti-ship missiles
16x8 (128) 3K95 "Kinzhal" (SA-N-9) surface-to-air missiles
12x8 (96) S-300PMU Favorit (SA-N-6 Grumble) surface-to-air missiles
44 OSA-MA (SA-N-4 Gecko) PD SAM
2x RBU-1000 (Smerch-3) 305 mm ASW rocket launchers
2x RBU-12000 (Udav-1) 254 mm ASW rocket launchers
1 twin AK-130 130 mm/L70 dual purpose gun
10 533 mm ASW/ASuW torpedo tubes, Type 53 torpedo or SS-N-15 ASW missile
6x Kashtan (CADS-N-1) point defense gun/missile system
Armour: 76 mm plating around reactor compartment, light splinter protection
Aircraft carried: 3 Kamov Ka-27 "Helix" or Ka-25 "Hormone"
Aviation facilities: Below-deck hangar

Petr Velikiy (Петр Великий) is a heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser (TARKR), the fourth Kirov class battlecruiser of the Russian Navy, originally shipyard name Yuri Andropov (Юрий Андропов). Although the ship is not a battlecruiser by the traditional definition of the type, but a missile cruiser (official: "Heavy Rocket Cruiser"), its size has given it the unofficial designation of a battlecruiser in the mass media of many countries. Petr Velikiy is the flagship of the Northern Fleet.

Because of economic problems both before and after the fall of the Soviet Union, work on the ship was severely postponed. It was not commissioned until 1996, ten years after the construction started. It had by then been renamed Petr Velikiy, Russian for Peter the Great.

After completing its acceptance trials in November 1996, the vessel was transferred to the Northern Fleet at Severomorsk becoming the flagship of the Northern Fleet.

In August 2000 Petr Velikiy was in the Barents Sea involved in the largest naval training exercise since the fall of the Soviet Union. The ship was to be the designated target of the Oscar-II class submarine K-141 Kursk, and was conducting evasive maneuvers when communication with Kursk was lost, the submarine apparently having suffered a catastrophic torpedo detonation with all hands lost. Petr Velikiy guarded the area where the submarine sank during the subsequent salvage operation in 2001. In March 2004, Russian Navy chief Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov declared Petr Velikiy unfit for service due to problems with the ship's engineering maintenance.[1] On April 19, 2004, it was docked in the floating drydock PD-50 for painting of the underside of the hull, repairs and examination of the steering system. The repairs were completed later that year, and it was carrying out missions again by August. Petr Velikiy has been known to carry two pennant numbers during its service; "183" and currently "099".

2008-09 deployment[]

On September 8, 2008, it was announced that Petr Velikiy would sail to the Caribbean Sea to participate in naval exercises with the Venezuelan Navy, along with the destroyer Admiral Chabanenko and other support ships. This action would represent the first major Russian show of force in that sea since the end of the Cold War.[2]

On September 22, 2008, Petr Velikiy and Admiral Chabanenko left their homeport of Severomorsk.[3]

On October 22, 2008 Petr Velikiy made a port visit to Aksaz Karagac, Turkey[4] and on November 6–9, 2008 the nuclear cruiser and Admiral Chabanenko made a port visit to Toulon, France,[5] before departing the Mediterranean on November 10, 2008 passing through the Strait of Gibraltar.[6] The Petr Velikiy arrived in La Guaira, Venezuela on November 25, 2008[7] coincident with a visit by Russian President Medvedev and a combined exercise VENRUS-200 with the Venezuelan Navy took place on December 1–2, 2008.[8] After finishing the exercises, Admiral Chabanenko made a short visit to Panama December 5–10, 2008 then to Bluefields, Nicaragua December 13 to 15[9] and Havana, Cuba from December 19 to 23.[10]

Petr Velikiy continued alone to Cape Town, South Africa. On January 11, 2009, the chief of the Russian General Staff announced that Petr Velikiy and six other Russian warships would participate in a joint naval exercise with the Indian Navy later the same month.[11] On the way to India, the Kirov-class cruiser made a three-day visit to Cape Town, South Africa.[12] On January 31, Petr Velikiy left the port of Mormugao in the Indian state of Goa. After a two-day visit that included a naval exercise with the Indian guided-missile destroyer INS Delhi the cruiser left for African waters where the vessel joined other warships from the Russian navy and conduct the INDRA-2009 exercise.[13][14]

On February 12, 2009, the ship captured 10 pirates in three boats off the coast of Somalia.[15]

On March 10, 2009 Petr Velikiy returned to its homeport of Severomorsk, ending a six-month deployment.[16]

2010 deployment[]

On March 30, 2010 Petr Velikiy left the Northern Fleet for a new six-month deployment. During its six-month tour of duty, the warship passed through the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea before entering the Indian Ocean via the Suez Canal. In the Indian Ocean the Cruiser conducted maneuvers with other Russian warships from the Black Sea Fleet.[17]

On April 14 the missile cruiser visited the Mediterranean port of Tartus in Syria. In September 2008, Russia was reported to be in talks with Syria about turning Tartus into a permanent base for Russian warships in the Middle East.[18]

In early May 2010 Petr Velikiy met up with the Russian missile cruiser Moskva in the South China Sea. There they conducted joint exercises and held a traditional farewell ceremony on May 5. The two vessels are due to arrive in Russia's Far Eastern port of Vladivostok to take part in the Vostok-2010 large-scale strategic exercise.[19]

On 29 September Petr Velikiy returned to its home base in the Northern Fleet after six months at sea. The flagship of the Northern Fleet had covered about 28,000 nautical miles since the beginning of the mission on March 30, 2010.[20]

2013[]

During early September 2013 Petr Velikiy led a flotilla of Russian navy ships through the Russian portion of the Northern Sea Route in preparation for establishment of regular patrols.[21]

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. "Nuclear battle cruiser 'in danger of exploding'". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2004-03-24. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/03/23/1079939651673.html. Retrieved 2008-09-22. 
  2. Sweeney, Conor (2008-09-08). "Russia says to send battleship to Caribbean Sea". Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSL871354420080908?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews. Retrieved 2009-01-06. 
  3. Moscow Interfax-AVN Online in Russian 1102 GMT 10 March 09
  4. Moscow Vesti TV in Russian 2100 GMT 22 October 08
  5. Moscow Zvezda Television in Russian 1900 GMT 06 November 08
  6. St Petersburg Rosbalt-Sever in Russian 11 November 08
  7. Moscow Zvezda TV in Russian 1304 GMT 25 November 08
  8. Moscow Kommersant Daily in Russian 03 December 08
  9. Moscow Vremya Novostey in Russian 15 December 08
  10. "Russian warships head for Cuba". Breitbart.com. 2008-01-15. http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=081215151217.gl11u87v&show_article=1. Retrieved 2009-01-20. 
  11. "Six Russian warships to take part in joint drills with India navy". RIA Novosti. 2009-01-11. http://en.rian.ru/russia/20090111/119424753.html. Retrieved 2009-01-20. 
  12. "Russian warship leaves Cape Town for Indian Ocean". RIA Novosti. 2009-01-15. http://en.rian.ru/russia/20090115/119515337.html. Retrieved 2009-01-20. 
  13. "Russian cruiser Pyotr Veliky leaves India | Russia | RIA Novosti". En.rian.ru. 2009-01-31. http://en.rian.ru/russia/20090131/119900886.html. Retrieved 2010-06-08. 
  14. 8/6/2010 13:36. "Russian cruiser Pyotr Veliky in India | Video | RIA Novosti". En.rian.ru. http://en.rian.ru/video/20090202/119928585.html. Retrieved 2010-06-08. 
  15. James Kilner (February 13, 2009). "Russian warship seizes 3 pirate ships off Somalia". Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE51C2QZ20090213. Retrieved 2010-06-08. 
  16. Moscow Vesti TV in Russian 1436 GMT 11 March 09
  17. "Russia's Pyotr Veliky nuclear-powered cruiser crosses English Channel | Russia | RIA Novosti". En.rian.ru. http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100405/158438299.html. Retrieved 2010-06-08. 
  18. "Russian nuclear cruiser makes port call in Syria | Defense | RIA Novosti". En.rian.ru. 2010-04-14. http://en.rian.ru/mlitary_news/20100414/158581904.html. Retrieved 2010-06-08. 
  19. "Russian missile cruisers complete joint exercises | Russia | RIA Novosti". En.rian.ru. http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100512/158983977.html. Retrieved 2010-06-08. 
  20. "Russia's most powerful warship returns home after tour-of-duty | Defense | RIA Novosti". En.rian.ru. http://en.rian.ru/mlitary_news/20100912/160562800.html. Retrieved 2011-12-31. 
  21. Andrew E. Kramer (September 14, 2013). "Russia Preparing Patrols of Arctic Shipping Lanes". http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/15/world/europe/russia-preparing-patrols-of-arctic-shipping-lanes.html. Retrieved September 15, 2013. 

External links[]

Coordinates: 69°05′08″N 33°25′32″E / 69.085437°N 33.425592°E / 69.085437; 33.425592


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