Q&A · 38:19-38:53

Why the fifth Kirov-class battlecruiser disappeared

The proposed fifth Kirov was defeated by cost and then made impossible by the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Kirov Class Battlecruisers Naval Procurement Soviet Navy Soviet Union

Question

What killed the proposed fifth Kirov-class battlecruiser?

Short answer

The Soviet Union could not afford it, and the later collapse of the communist state ended any remaining chance of construction.

Notes

The Soviet Navy wanted the additional ship but could not afford it. Naval demand therefore did not translate into construction. The subsequent collapse of communism ended any remaining chance of completing the order.