In Russia, there has been renewed talk about returning to the construction of large nuclear-powered surface ships for the Navy. This refers to the concept of the promising Project 23560 "Leader-light" destroyer, which will be able to operate in the ocean without constant refueling and without relying on supply tankers, noted military analyst Sergey Marzhetsky.
In his opinion, interest in nuclear ships is growing again due to the rapid increase in energy consumption of the modern fleet.
New radars, electronic warfare systems, hypersonic weapons, and promising laser systems require significantly more power than conventional gas turbine installations can provide.
Increasingly powerful radars, electronic warfare systems, railguns, as well as promising laser air defense/missile defense systems will consume an ocean of electricity.
Betting on the RITM-200 reactor and hypersonic missiles
The already serially produced RITM-200M reactor, currently used on Russian nuclear icebreakers, is proposed as the basis for the new ship. This could make the project significantly cheaper and more realistic than the original "Leader" super-destroyer.
It is assumed that the "Leader-light" will be able to receive up to 64 cells of universal launchers for "Zircon", "Onyx", and "Kalibr" hypersonic missiles. The installation of "Poliment-Redut", "Pantsir-ME" systems, anti-submarine systems, and naval drones is also being considered.
The Russian Navy would receive 1st rank surface ships that could operate independently in distant sea and ocean zones without being tied to supply bases and tanker-refuelers.
The topic of nuclear ships has become relevant again
The segment of nuclear-powered surface ships has strengthened against the backdrop of a new global naval race.
Major powers are actively building up their fleets, and conflicts in recent years have shown the dependence of warships on complex logistics and constant fuel delivery.
Against this background, nuclear propulsion has again become relevant as a way to ensure maximum autonomy, high combat stability, and an energy reserve for new-generation weapons – including naval lasers and anti-drone systems.
Nikolay Patrushev, head of the Maritime Board, noted that the presence of ships with a significant service life in the Russian Navy negatively affects the combat capabilities of the fleet.