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A longstanding tradition of the Soviet Union, Russian Navy Day was revived by President Vladimir Putin in 2003. Every year since, on the last weekend of July, celebrations include a two-hour fleet review and the ceremonial raising of the St. Andrew’s flag, the ensign of the Russian Navy. With the war in Ukraine still ongoing, the risk of armed conflict between Russian forces and the West is at its highest in decades, leading many to wonder how tough the Russian Navy would be to beat.
When considering what makes one warship dominant over another, displacement, length, speed, weaponry, and technology all play a vital role.
The most powerful navies around the world are fronted by an impressive destroyer that symbolises the country’s might, but a few are considerably mightier than the rest.
South Korea’s Sejong the Great-class destroyers are potentially the most technologically advanced warships afloat today.
Designed to see off virtually any threat from sea, land or air, the South Korean navy operates three of these vessels coming in at 545ft and bearing a combat displacement of 11,000 tonnes.
The weapons, sensors, fire controls, propulsion, and other systems are all fully-automated and controlled by the American-made Aegis Combat System, the most advanced in the world.
With a top speed of over 30 knots, the ships are loaded with 128 missiles and have two hangars for helicopters.
Putin eyes the Pyotr Velikiy in preparation for Russian Navy Day this Sunday (Image: GETTY)
A South Korean Sejong the Great-class destroyer in the East Sea in 2019 (Image: GETTY)
The Royal Navy’s most effective combat ships are Daring-class vessels, headed by the 500ft-long HMS Daring.
The first of the class entering service in 2009, the sixth and last was commissioned in 2013.
With a displacement of 9,200 tonnes and a top speed in excess of 30 knots, the main role of the class is to provide air defence for the fleet.
The ships are packed with the latest radars, sensors and anti-aircraft missiles and their armaments will eventually include famed long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Requiring a crew of just 190, the ship can onboard a complement of 60 Royal Marine Commandos and a Merlin helicopter on the flight deck.
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HMS Daring enters Sydney Harbour to commemorate 100 years of the Royal Australian Navy in 2013 (Image: GETTY)
Chinese Luyang-class destroyer docked in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour in 2017 (Image: GETTY)
China’s most formidable warships are Luyang III class destroyers, coming in at 515ft long and displacing 7,500 tonnes fully loaded.
Since the first of the class entered service in 2014, China has been building the ships at an astonishing pace, with 18 in active service and 25 more planned.
With a top speed of 30 knots, the ship’s offensive capabilities are the envy of navies across the globe.
The ships can hold and launch a variety of missile types, from surface-to-air to anti-submarine, a defensive close-in weapon system capable of firing 10,000 rounds a minute, a 130mm main gun and a “Chinese Aegis” centralised control system rivalling the American original.
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US Navy Arleigh Burke off the coast of Marseille in France in 2021 (Image: GETTY)
The biggest destroyers currently in service in the US Navy are Arleigh Burke-class warships, coming in at 510ft long and with a displacement of 9,500 tonnes.
The ships were also the first to feature the highly advanced Aegis Combat System and incorporate stealth shaping in the design to elude enemy radar.
First entering service in 1991, the US Navy currently operates 70 of the destroyers, having improved the design over the course of the last 30 years.
Their armaments include anti-aircraft missiles, Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles, anti-submarine missiles, two defensive close-in weapons systems, a 127mm dual-purpose gun and a hangar housing two helicopters.
The pride of the Japanese navy are Atago class destroyers, primarily tasked with providing air defence for the fleet but carrying a versatile range of weaponry.
Built between 2004 and 2008, the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force operates two of these modern destroyers, both 541ft long with a displacement of 10,000 tonnes fully-loaded and operated by a crew of 300.
Integrating a mix of Japanese and American-made systems, these vessels also feature the Aegis Combat System, alongside a 127 mm dual-purpose gun in a stealth-shaped mount, a range of anti-aircraft, anti-ship and anti-ballistic missiles, as well as a helicopter hangar.
Two Atago-class destroyers of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force accompany the USS Carl Vinson (Image: GETTY)
The crown jewel of the Russian Navy is the Pyotr Velikiy, the largest surface combatant ship in the world with a displacement of 28,000 tonnes fully-loaded.
A Kirov-class battlecruiser commissioned in 1998, the 827ft long gunboat serves as the flagship of Russia’s northern fleet.
Nuclear-powered, the ship boasts a top speed of 32 knots and the world’s largest missile battery, at 352 missiles, as well as torpedoes, 76mm armour plating, three helicopters and a crew of 710.
Although the Soviet Union originally commissioned four Kirov-class vessels, only the Petr Velikiy is currently in active service, while one other, the Admiral Nalhimov, is undergoing delayed renovations and is expected to return to service this year or next.