MOSCOW. Aug 14 (Interfax) - At-sea trials of Russia's Admiral Nakhimov heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser, which is currently undergoing an upgrade, are due to begin at the end of 2023, Russian United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) CEO Alexei Rakhmanov said.
"We expect the Nakhimov to begin at-sea trials at the end of this year. The nuclear reactor will be started. Consequently, the ship will conduct its first at-sea trials," Rakhmanov said in an interview with the Zvezda television channel on Monday.
"After that, we will have to complete its construction, put the finishing touches on it, complete the tests of all of its systems, and then begin testing the weapons. That is why, this ship will indeed be second to none in the Russian Navy in terms of might," he said.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that the Admiral Nakhimov cruiser would be equipped with Tsirkon missiles, the product of JSC Tactical Missiles Corporation, and Almaz-Antey's Kalibr missiles.
"We will cause an unpleasant surprise to our 'partners' by the number of weapons that will be deployed on the cruiser during its modernization," Rakhmanov said in an interview with Interfax earlier.
On May 30, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the upgrade of the Admiral Nakhimov nuclear-powered missile cruiser will be completed by the end of 2024.
"After the cruiser is commissioned, it will continue to perform missions as part of the Northern Fleet," Shoigu said then.
"An upgrade of the Admiral Nakhimov missile cruiser implies its equipment with cutting-edge systems and long-range precision-guided weapons, including Tsirkon hypersonic missiles," he said.
The Admiral Nakhimov has been undergoing an in-depth upgrade.