An ageing destroyer force and its refit burden

Admiral Chabanenko, described as the newest Russian destroyer to enter service, was laid down in 1989 and commissioned in 1999. After about fourteen years in service, it entered overhaul in 2013 and had spent thirteen years there by the time of the video, longer than it took to build. It still counted among eight destroyers on the navy's books. Launch date and commissioning date measure different things: Pyotr Velikiy launched in 1989 and commissioned in 1998, so its physical age exceeds its years of service. Admiral Kuznetsov and the Kirov-class ships belong to the same ageing inheritance of hulls built around Soviet resources and missions. Britain's replacement of Type 42 destroyers by Type 45s provides a comparison, with further British replacement expected in the 2030s. Britain's own procurement record is criticised as poor, which makes Russia's slower design turnover more striking. These Russian vessels can remain powerful warships while presenting an increasingly difficult replacement and maintenance problem.