2. Kirov-class Battlecruiser
The enormous nuclear-powered battlecruiser of the Soviet Union marked a hitherto unheard-of increase in naval force projection. The biggest surface combatants built since World War II, these boats combined nuclear endurance with amazing firepower. In any naval operation, the ship was a feared opponent because of its enormous weapon count—including P-700 Granit anti-ship missiles. Its advanced sensors and combat systems made it a powerful command and control platform; its nuclear power plant gave it practically unlimited range. The simple existence of the Kirov-class could change the strategic equilibrium in any area.
