The Russian nuclear-powered cruiser Admiral Nakhimov of Project 1144 Orlan surpasses the latest U. S. Zumwalt-class destroyers in a number of key characteristics, Military Watch Magazine writes.
The publication notes that the 28,000-ton ship has 176 launchers. This arsenal includes 96 cells for S-400 missiles and 80 cells for cruise missiles, including hypersonic Zircons. Against this background, the U. S. Zumwalt has a noticeably smaller weapons load: it has 80 launchers, which is about 55% less than the Russian cruiser’s figure.
The American destroyer’s main strength is said to be its low observability. However, Russian Kirov-class ships, which include Admiral Nakhimov, have the advantage in survivability, greater firepower and autonomy provided by a nuclear power plant.
At the same time, according to Military Watch Magazine, the Zumwalt is better suited for missile defense tasks. The publication describes Russia’s Kirov-class cruisers as more versatile ships capable of operating in different areas, including the Arctic and the Pacific Ocean.