Soviet Kirov Class Nuclear Powered Missile Cruisers

In the 1970s, the Soviet Union decided to build a surface warfare vessel comparable in size to the battleships of World War I and World War II.
Originally built for the Soviet Navy, the class is named for the first of a series of 4 ships to be constructed, Kirov, which was renamed Admiral Ushakov in 1992. Original plans called for the construction of 5 ships, however, the last was cancelled. The USSR not only built the ships but have kept them in service even after the Cold War ended. Originally intended to threaten the U.S. Navy’s most precious warships, aircraft carriers, and ballistic missile submarines, the surviving ships now play a different role, showing the flag​ and ensuring that the world keeps Russian naval power in mind. Russia is developing a new anti-ship missile to equip Kirov-class ships called the 3M22 Zircon, which is capable of traveling at Mach 5 (hypersonic speed).