Russian battlecruiser Admiral Lazarev

Admiral Lazarev (Russian: Адмирал Лазарев) was the second Kirov-class battlecruiser. Until 1992 she was named Frunze (Russian: Фрунзе) after a Project 68 cruiser (named after Bolshevik leader Mikhail Frunze); at that time she was renamed after Russian rear admiral Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev. Scrapping of the ship began in April 2021.[1]

For other ships with the same name, see Russian ship Admiral Lazarev and Soviet ship Frunze.

Frunze c.1986
History
Russia
NameFrunze
Namesake
BuilderBaltiysky Naval Shipyard, Leningrad
Laid down27 July 1978
Launched26 May 1981
Commissioned31 October 1984
Out of service1999
RenamedAdmiral Lazarev
StatusLaid-up in Abrek Bay, Fokino, Primorsky Krai, scrapping began in April 2021
General characteristics
Class and typeKirov-class battlecruiser
Displacement24,300 tons Standard, 28,000 (Full Load)
Length
  • 252 m (827 ft)
  • 230 m (750 ft) (Waterline)
Beam28.5 m (94 ft)
Draft9.1 m (30 ft)
Propulsion
  • 2-shaft CONAS, Nuclear propulsion with steam turbine boost
  • 140,000 shp
Speed32 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
Armour76 mm plating around reactor compartment, light splinter protection
Aircraft carried3 Kamov Ka-27 "Helix" or Ka-25 "Hormone"
Aviation facilitiesBelow-deck hangar

Construction and design

She was laid down on 27 July 1978 at Baltiysky Naval Shipyard, Leningrad, launched on 26 May 1981, and commissioned on 31 October 1984.[2]

Differences from lead ship

Admiral Lazarev was constructed differently from the lead ship of the class. On the forward part of the ship, the twin SS-N-14 ASW missile launcher was replaced with 8 octuple SA-N-9 surface-to-air missile vertical launchers (planned, but not installed). On the aft part, a single twin AK-130 130 mm gun, similar to the guns used on Slava and Sovremennyy, was used instead of two 100 mm guns. Near the flight deck, the 30 mm CIWS cannons were moved to the aft superstructure and replaced with place for 8 octuple SA-N-9 vertical launchers (not installed). There were also some differences in the sensors, ESM/ECM suite and communication systems.[3]

Career
Frunze in 1985

In August to November 1985 she sailed from the North via the Cape of Good Hope and the Malacca Strait to join the Soviet Navy's Pacific Fleet.[2] She visited Luanda, Aden, and Vietnam along the way. Holm writes that the ship only conducted local-waters training from 1987 to 1992, and was inactive from 1994 onwards.

In 1999 the cruiser was taken out of service and prepared for scrapping as no money was available for its overhaul.[4] In 2004–2005 the cruiser's nuclear fuel was unloaded.[4]

As of 2009 it was reported that the ship was moored near Vladivostok, in conservation status. The Russian Navy planned to modernize the ship and return it to active service, provided that the necessary funds were found.[5] In 2012 it appeared unlikely modernization would occur, as the ship was "considered to be beyond repair... will be scrapped, a source in the military complex says".[6]

Admiral Lazarev in Abrek Bay, 2014

Admiral Lazarev has appeared in aerial imagery from 2006 to 2014 moored in the Abrek Bay mothball fleet, near Fokino, Primorsky Krai.[7][8] Its berth is around 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from the Russian nuclear-powered vessel decommissioning facility at the Chazhma Bay naval yard. In northern summer 2014, Admiral Lazarev was painted at "30 судоремонтный завод" (roughly 30th Ship Repair Factory) in the Chazhma Bay drydock to extend preservation time in the reserve fleet.[9] The latest aerial imagery shows the ship located at 42°55'46.0"N 132°25'08.0"E in the Bukhta Abrek.[10]

In April 2019, Russia decided to scrap and recycle the Admiral Lazarev in 2021. A contract for ship recycling was signed in February 2021.[11]

Updated scrapping photos were posted in October 2021[12] and October 2022.[13]

References
  1. SeaWaves Magazine [@seawaves_mag] (30 April 2021). "Project 1144 Admiral Lazarev departed Strelok Bay today for the breakers" (Tweet). Retrieved 1 May 2021 – via Twitter.
  2. Holm, Michael. "Project 1144 Kirov class". ww2.dk. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  3. Miller, David; Miller, Chris (1986). Modern Naval Combat. London: Salamander Books. p. 114. ISBN 978-0-86101-231-2.
  4. Адмирал Лазарев [Admiral Lazarev]. Flot.com (in Russian). Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  5. Petrov, Vladimir (11 November 2009). "Russia plans reactivation of two Kirov-class cruisers". Janes.com. Archived from the original on 14 November 2009.
  6. Pettersen, Trude (27 September 2012). "Only one nuclear cruiser to be modernized". The Barents Observer. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  7. Google Earth Images from September 2006 to May 2014.
  8. Tymchenko, Sergey (7 April 2014). "Photo of "Admiral Lazarev"". Panoramio. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  9. Крейсер "Адмирал Лазарев" подготовили к стоянке на ТОФ [The cruiser "Admiral Lazarev" was prepared for storage at the Pacific Fleet]. Flotprom.ru (in Russian). 17 December 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  10. "Admiral Lazarev". Google Maps. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  11. "Контракт № 2126725300032023600000000 : Утилизация тяжелого атомного ракетного крейсера "Адмирал Лазарев" проекта 1144.1 заводской № 801" [Contract No. 2126725300032023600000000: Disposal of the heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser "Admiral Lazarev", project 1144.1, serial No. 801]. Federal Treasury (in Russian). Archived from the original on 4 May 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  12. @capt_navy (24 October 2021). "Scrapping of the battlecruiser Admiral Lazarev in a floating dock in October 2021. Photos from Roman Rybakov" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 24 October 2021. Retrieved 14 April 2022 – via Twitter.
  13. @capt_navy (12 October 2022). "The new pictures of the scrapping of the battlecruiser Admiral Lazarev (former Frunze) in a floating dock in autumn 2022" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 30 July 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023 – via Twitter.

42.929623°0′0″N 132.419354°0′0″E

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