Military Watch Magazine published a comparison of the Russian heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser "Admiral Nakhimov" of Project 1144 "Orlan" and the American stealth destroyer Zumwalt, evaluating their size, armament, and combat potential.
The authors note that both ships are considered unique to their respective fleets, but were created under completely different concepts. Project 1144 "Orlan" was developed as a heavy nuclear-powered strike cruiser, capable of operating anywhere in the World Ocean and carrying powerful missile armament. Zumwalt, on the other hand, was created as a high-tech destroyer with minimal radar signature and extensive use of modern digital systems.
In terms of size, the Russian cruiser significantly surpasses the American ship. The full displacement of the "Admiral Nakhimov" exceeds 28 thousand tons, which is almost twice that of many modern destroyers. Thanks to its nuclear power plant, the ship is capable of performing tasks for a long time without refueling, maintaining high autonomy.
After completing a deep modernization, the "Admiral Nakhimov" will receive universal vertical launch systems for the use of "Kalibr," "Oniks," and "Tsirkon" cruise and hypersonic missiles. In addition, the project provides for a significant strengthening of the air and missile defense system, which significantly expands the ship's capabilities compared to its original configuration.
The American Zumwalt features a stealth hull, which significantly reduces its effective radar cross-section. However, the ship's initial concept changed repeatedly after the closure of several expensive programs. As a result, the destroyer was gradually reoriented to perform new tasks, including the prospective use of hypersonic weapons.
The American Zumwalt received 80 universal Mk 57 Peripheral VLS cells, located around the perimeter of the hull to increase the ship's survivability. They can be used to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles, SM-2, SM-6, and ESSM anti-aircraft missiles, as well as RUM-139 VL-ASROC anti-submarine missiles.
As Military Watch Magazine notes, a direct comparison of these ships remains conditional, as they belong to different generations and were created to solve different tasks. Nevertheless, the modernized "Admiral Nakhimov" of Project 1144 "Orlan," after returning to the fleet, could become one of the most powerful surface warships in the world due to the combination of nuclear power, a large ammunition load, and modern strike missiles.
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