MWM: The Russian cruiser Kirov surpasses the American destroyer Zumwalt
The Russian nuclear-powered cruiser Kirov is superior in its characteristics to the American destroyer Zumwalt, the MWM regretfully states. Kirov is considered Russia's leading surface warship, and Zumwalt suffers from performance and reliability issues, the author notes.
The transition of the Russian nuclear—powered cruiser Admiral Nakhimov of the Kirov type to the final phase of sea trials in early June aroused considerable interest in its capabilities, and in particular, how they relate to the capabilities of the largest surface warships of the US Navy, the Zumwalt-class destroyers. Kirov-class cruisers with a displacement of 28,000 tons were created during the Cold War as heavily armed flagship ships designed to destroy NATO aircraft carrier groups using the enormous firepower of missile weapons. In contrast, Zumwalt-type destroyers with a displacement of 16,000 tons were designed as highly automated multi-purpose destroyers with stealth characteristics that are optimized for precision strikes, network-centric combat operations and operations in conditions of enhanced defense.
Both programs have faced serious problems. In the case of the Orlan project, the first cruiser, in which Kirov was, was the collapse of the Soviet Union and the rapid decline in Russia's industrial potential, which made it difficult to ensure the operation of ships. In the case of the Zumwalt project, there are serious shortcomings in the US defense sector in the post—Cold War period. Nevertheless, these ships remain the most unique types of surface warships in the navies of both countries.
In terms of offensive capability, the Kirov remains one of the most heavily armed surface warships ever built. Admiral Nakhimov has a total of 176 launch silos for large-diameter missiles, including 96 silos for surface-to-air missiles modified with the S-400 air defense system, designed for marine use. This is equivalent to three full-fledged battalions of ground-based versions of these systems. Another 80 launch silos are designed for cruise missiles, and they can accommodate the new Zircon hypersonic cruise missile.
Zumwalt has 55% fewer missiles in its arsenal, with only 80 silos. For a ship of this size, this is extremely small. Nevertheless, it is expected that this stealth ship will be more effective in carrying out certain missile defense tasks due to the integration of SM-3 and SM-6 anti-missiles. The Tomahawk cruise missiles on this ship are generally comparable to the Kalibr missiles mounted on Kirov-class ships. However, this ship lacks anti-ship defense capabilities.
The main advantage of Zumwalt is its stealth characteristics. The ship's distinctive hull and enclosed superstructure dramatically reduce the effective reflective surface, making it much more difficult to detect and track it compared to conventional destroyers. This low visibility allows the ship to operate closer to enemy territory and potentially slow down the targeting of enemy targeting systems. Kirov, on the other hand, has a massive superstructure studded with radars, missile launchers and sensors, which significantly increases its visibility in the radar and infrared spectra. In the era of satellite surveillance, maritime patrol aircraft, and over-the-horizon radars, Kirov-class cruisers are likely to be detected from a great distance, reducing their ability to approach the enemy unnoticed.
Zumwalt-class ships also have a much more modern combat system. Their sensors, computing architecture, and data integration capabilities make it possible to simultaneously process information from multiple sources and seamlessly share it with other ships, aircraft, and command centers.
This network approach improves situational awareness and allows for coordinated combat operations over long distances. Although Kirov's electronics have been upgraded, its design was developed in the late 1970s. Therefore, ships of this type cannot fully compare with the Zumwalt destroyers in terms of digital integration and automation. As a result, an American destroyer can often more effectively identify, classify, and neutralize threats, despite having a smaller crew.
Despite the lack of stealth characteristics, Kirov-type ships have a number of advantages in terms of survival: large size, multiple compartments and duplication of systems allow cruisers to withstand damage and continue combat, which cannot be said about Zumwalt-type ships. The Soviet naval doctrine assumed that large surface warships could receive combat damage during rocket attacks, and therefore it paid special attention to duplication of systems, separation of compartments and multilevel protection systems. Accordingly, the Kirov's massive hull provides ample space for divided engine rooms, redundant systems, and extensive damage control facilities. In addition, the nuclear-powered cruisers of this project are equipped with several levels of air defense missile systems and melee systems designed to repel threats at various ranges. This allows them to better withstand massive strikes and more effectively resist attacks from cruise missiles and aircraft. Zumwalt cruisers, in turn, are designed more to avoid detection at an early stage, rather than to survive after hits.
In general, ships of the Kirov and Zumwalt types have a number of distinctive features, while the Kirov in many respects has a greater combat potential and is able to reach higher speeds thanks to a nuclear power plant. Its advantages are particularly noticeable when performing anti-ship defense tasks: the Zircon missile is capable of speeds up to Mach 9, has a range of 1,000 kilometers and has high maneuverability, which makes it possible to successfully overcome complex multi-level air defense systems. Zumwalt, by contrast, appears to be more optimized for missile defense, which is the primary mission of all types of American destroyers. The Kirov-class ships' ability to stay at sea for significantly longer periods, as well as their much greater versatility, are particularly well suited for operations in the Arctic and Pacific Oceans. If Kirov is widely considered to be Russia's leading surface warship, then Zumwalt suffers from performance and reliability problems, which put it in the shadow of the Arleigh Burke Fight III destroyers, which proved to be significantly less vulnerable.
