Ural II
The Ural II is the Monitoring Command Ship for Bethany Base, containing its Command Center and staff. [1] It is briefly seen moored off the base during the battle between Eva-05 and the Third Angel, and more clearly seen after the Eva self-destructs. It is possible that Bethany Base, acting as a facility for the containment and study of the Third Angel, either does not need a permanent, full-time command center as part of the base, or needs a dissociated command center for safety purposes. If the latter case is true, the ship serves its purpose: it is too far to be seriously damaged when Eva-05's self-destruct demolishes the roof of Bethany Base.
The Command Ship is based on a genuine vessel, the nuclear-powered SSV-33 Ural command ship of the former Soviet Union, itself based on the powerful Kirov-class cruiser. The real Ural was put out of action after the fall of the Soviet Union due to its high operating costs(and poor condition) and was considered for use as a floating power station for a while, although Russia now plans to either scrap or sell the vessel. [2][3]
