Kirov-class

The Soviet Kirov class guided-missile cruiser was the largest warship other than aircraft carriers built by any nation since World War II. The first ship of it's class, Kirov, was commissioned into Soviet fleet service in 1980. The ship was assigned the RKR (Raketnyy Kreyser, or missile cruiser) by the Soviets and a CGN designation by NATO. The cruiser was originally planned to locate and engage enemy missile submarines but it was found to be a much more capable warship when armed with the long-range P-700 Granit anti-ship missile. It is likely that had the Cold War ever turned hot, the Kirov class cruisers together with Slava class cruisers and Sovremenny class destroyers would have used their long-range anti-ship missiles in a small part of a massive, multi-layered air, surface and submarine attack on US carrier battle groups.

References

• Chant, Chris Warships Today (2004) ISBN 0-7607-6700-9