In its heyday the Russian Navy was the only force that could challenge the might of the U.S. Navy. Amongst its most modern ships were Kirov-class battlecruisers (“large missile cruisers” in Russian parlance) built under the designation Project 1144 Orlan. These were enormous vessels – similar in size to a WWI battleship – and second in scale only to aircraft carriers. Dragon has produced a stunning 1/700 scale model kit of the fourth ship in the Kirov class, the Yuri Andropov. Construction of the original Yuri Andropov began in 1986 but it wasn’t completed until 1996, when it was renamed Pyotr Veliky (which translates as “Peter the Great”). Pyotr Veliky now serves as the flagship of the Russian Northern Flee.

Dragon has released a kit in the guise of Pyotr Veliky before, but now it has been completely reworked as a Premium Edition 3-in-1 kit. The other Kirov-class large missile cruisers that can be assembled from this kit are Admiral Nakhimov (formerly christened Kalinin, and which is also actively serving in the Northern Fleet) and Frunze. All parts necessary to accurately render any of these three vessels are included in the kit, offering modelers more choice than ever. As with other Premium Edition releases there is a generous provision of photo-etched parts for items like helicopter's rotar blades, railings, antennas and radar. This is a mightily impressive kit from Dragon representing one of the most powerful naval ships patrolling modern-day oceans.