Why the Soviet Navy built the Kirov class

The roughly 28,000-ton Kirovs were unusually large and capable surface combatants. Soviet planners designed them for a different operational concept from American carrier warfare. Twenty P-700 Granit missiles gave each ship exceptional offensive weight without making it an aircraft-carrier substitute. British and Chinese debates over carrier design, together with the Soviet choice of STOBAR for the Kuznetsov class, place propulsion, launch systems, air-wing plans, cost, and training support within a navy's intended operations.