"The Mghty Kirov Class" Topic

Greetings all

Just been reading an interesting article about the Kirov class battlecruisers.

foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/russias-kirov-class-battlecruiser-fleet-is-expanding-an-1763392754

It appears that Russia is beginning a program of re-activating and upgrading these mighty but dated ships.

The re-fitted ships will reportedly boast fully modernized weapon and sensor systems.

Rory
rorycrabb.wordpress.com

A more interesting part of this article was the link describing how Russia can't afford it's military.

link

Basically the same situation that I have with wargaming miniatures… I want a large force with hundreds of new perfectly painted miniatures but in reality can only afford a small second hand one with a crap paint job!

Yep, my "defense budgets" aren't what they used to be either, especially since two or more nations usually need that at the same time.

Love that battlecruiser.

Certainly a "looker", and very well armed too.

Wish we had a few of them, since they are so stunning, but no, we get a butt-ugly arsenal ship instead, which looks ready to turn turtle at the first sign of rough water.

The late Tom Clancy had an ironic sense of humor… Kirov being taken out by a 435 ton coastal submarine.

No irony, Kirovs are weak in ASW. And a pair of Mk37s or Mk48s would blow the crap out of just about anything short of a carrier.

Yeah, but she was surrounded by ASW ships at the time of her demise.

So are US carriers, but that doesn't stop good/determined/lucky submarines from any nation from getting close.

Been there, done that, got periscope photos in the patrol report.

You know it is really like rock-paper-scissors.

Pig-boats kill skimmers, airdales kill pig-boats, skimmers kill airdales and missiles kill all.

A real navy needs all that stuff including assets like the poor little LCS, ugly old Zumwalt, mighty Arleigh Burkes and Ticos, gator-freighters, and the brass-beloved carriers.

The real question is does a Navy's opposition have sufficient resources "To conduct prompt and sustained combat operations at Sea" long enough to carry the battle and win the war? I only know of one Navy that will still be mostly floating after a real Navy War and it is probably not the folks that sail the might Kirov.

;-)