Russian combat icebreaker "Ivan Papanin" begins testing
Patrol ship "Ivan Papanin" and its crew
The construction of universal patrol ships, project 23550 "Arktika" / "Ermak" for the naval fleet and border service. Two pennants of this type have already been launched and are undergoing the necessary procedures and measures. The lead ship of the series, Ivan Papanin, intended for the Navy, recently received a full-time crew and is now preparing for testing. It is expected to be delivered to the customer at the end of this year.
Ships for the fleet
Let us recall that Project 23550 with the code “Arctic” was developed in the first half of the 2016s at the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau, which has extensive experience in the field of military and civil shipbuilding. The project received approval from the Ministry of Defense, and in May XNUMX a contract for the construction of two new ships appeared. The construction was entrusted to the Admiralty Shipyards enterprise (St. Petersburg). According to initial plans, both pennants were supposed to enter service during the first half of the XNUMXs.
The lead patrol ship, named Ivan Papanin, was laid down on April 19, 2017, and construction on the slipway took more than two years. In October 2019, the ship was launched for completion at the berth. Due to the novelty of the project, technical complexity and other circumstances, completion took several more years. The assembly of structures and installation of equipment and mechanisms were completed only in the recent past.
According to the Ministry of Defense, the Admiralty Shipyard and the United Shipbuilding Corporation, the Ivan Papanin is now at the stage of preparation for factory sea trials. The ship's first sailing is scheduled for this summer.
On April 16, another important event was reported. The regular crew has moved onto the ship. Previously, the sailors were trained at the Joint Training Center of the Navy (St. Petersburg), and now they have arrived on the ship. They accepted the equipment from factory specialists, are mastering it and are participating in preparation for future tests.
"Ivan Papanin" during launching, 2019
Further plans have not yet been officially disclosed. However, it is expected that factory and state tests of the lead ship of Project 23550 will take several months and will last until autumn or winter. Thanks to this, “Ivan Papanin” will be accepted by the customer before the end of this year. Then it will be transferred to its permanent home base, and in 2025 the ship will begin service as part of the Northern Fleet.
In November 2019, Admiralty Shipyards laid down the keel of the second Arctic-class patrol ship, Nikolai Zubov. This order is currently under construction in the workshop. Ongoing work is nearing completion and the hull is expected to be launched in Q3 2024. Experience from the lead ship is expected to help speed up work on the next one. As a result, the completion and testing of the second pennant will take no more than a year and a half, and it can be handed over to the customer before the end of 2025. How realistic such estimates are is still unknown.
"Ermaki" coast guard
In October 2019, at the launching ceremony of the Ivan Papanin, the future construction of two new ships, Project 23550, was announced. Their customer was not the Navy, but the Coast Guard of the Border Service of the Federal Security Service. In this regard, the ships are classified as border patrol ships. The order for the construction of two pennants was received by the Vyborg Shipyard.
The first patrol ship of the Ermak type was laid down in July 2020; he received the name "Blizzard". Construction in the workshop continued for just over two years. In October 2022, the finished hull was launched into the water and placed against the quay wall for completion. The completion of this stage and the preparation of tests have not yet been reported. However, at the end of last year it was reported that Purga would be accepted by the customer before the end of 2024.
In December last year, the keel of the second ship for the BCHR took place in Vyborg. The new patrol ship was named “Dzerzhinsky” - this name has been borne by several ships of the border troops/border service fleet since 1934. The last of them, known as the “Dzerzhinsky” III generation, served since 1984 and was withdrawn from combat service in April 2023 due to obsolescence. The exact plans for the construction of the fourth Dzerzhinsky are still unknown. It is expected to begin service no earlier than 2027-28.
Laying down of the ship "Nikolai Zubov", November 2019
On a common platform
Project 23550 in both its versions provides for the construction of a patrol / guard ship capable of operating in northern latitudes and in ice-covered waters. Due to the presence of such capabilities, ships under construction are often called combat icebreakers. The two versions of this project have common hull structures, but differ in electronic equipment and weapons - the Navy and the FSB PS have different tasks and requirements.
The ships of Project 23550 have a hull with characteristic icebreaker lines with a reinforced bow and bottom. Ice class – Arc7. The ship is able to overcome ice up to 1,7 m thick. The hull has a high superstructure with a bridge and a mast for antenna devices. The total length of the ship is 114,5 m with a width of less than 20 m. Total displacement is 8500 tons.
The project uses the so-called. Unified Electric Power System (UEES). It is based on four 28-9DG diesel generators with a capacity of 3,5 MW each. Two running electric motors with a power of 6,3 MW (8600 hp) are responsible for the movement. The UEES also provides power supply to all on-board systems and equipment. In clear water the ship is capable of reaching a speed of 18 knots. An economic speed of 10 knots provides a cruising range of 10 thousand nautical miles.
Ships of both modifications are equipped with cargo equipment in the form of a pair of 28 cranes and a winch with a force of 80 tons. A search and rescue helicopter and boats can be placed on board.
The ship's regular crew is 60 people. There is the possibility of accommodating several dozen more people. Comfortable living conditions are provided for the crew. Sailors and foremen are accommodated in four-bed rooms, midshipmen and officers are accommodated in twos, and command staff are allocated single cabins. The living quarters have all the necessary equipment, incl. sanitary block. On board there is a mess room, a dining room, a relaxation area and a gym.
Arctic-class patrol ships for the Navy have full-fledged combat capabilities. They receive an AK-176MA artillery mount with a 76-mm gun, Kord machine guns and MANPADS of current models. In addition, the ship can carry a container launcher with Uran or Caliber missiles. Depending on the list of installed weapons, the ship is capable of patrolling and fighting intruders or striking at ships and coastal targets.
Design appearance of the ship pr. 23550
The Ermak border patrol aircraft has a simpler set of weapons. It also carries a 76mm artillery mount, which is complemented by two 30mm AK-630 assault rifles and machine gun mounts. To protect against attack from the air, MANPADS are provided. With all this, the ship for armored personnel carriers does not have strike missile weapons.
On the northern borders
Patrol / patrol ships with icebreaker functions were created for service in the northern direction. In this regard, two Arktika-class ships will be transferred to the KSF. Plans for the deployment of Ermakov missiles have not yet been disclosed, but it is clear in which regions they will be based. By joint efforts, ships of the fleet and the military personnel will have to protect the northern borders of the country, territorial waters and the exclusive economic zone.
First of all, the new ships will have to conduct patrols and identify various threats, as well as respond to them. For search and detection, the ships have a full range of electronic equipment, and various weapons will allow them to fight intruders. At the same time, the border "Ermak" will use only barrel systems, and the military "Arctic" will optionally receive missiles.
Combat icebreakers will also have to interact with the civilian fleet. They will be able to pave the way for ships and caravans, and also, if necessary, protect them from possible threats. Thanks to the appropriate equipment, ships of Project 23550 will be able to take part in search and rescue operations and provide assistance to victims, incl. in difficult weather conditions.
The patrol and patrol ships of the new project will not be numerous - so far only four units are planned to be built, and the possibility of increasing the series has not yet been reported. However, even in such quantities they will become an important addition to the ship’s composition of the KSF and BOHR. They will give the fleet and border service new important capabilities and simplify the solution of a number of combat and other tasks.
It should be remembered that the full potential of the new project in two versions will only be realized in the distant future. The lead ship, Project 23550, is just getting ready for testing, and the other three hulls are at different stages of construction. The Navy will receive both desired ships only by the end of 2025, and the FSB PS even later. However, the result of the construction program will fully justify all expectations.
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