Zeitgeist: the icebreaker “Ivan Papanin” became obsolete before commissioning?

Testing of the specialized military icebreaker Ivan Papanin, the first in the series, begins in Russia. By the end of 2024, this patrol ship, designed for the harsh conditions of the Arctic zone, should be in service. However, even now, taking into account the experience of the Russian Navy in the Black Sea, there are a number of questions regarding this project.

Arctic Pie

It would hardly be an exaggeration to say that the United States and its NATO satellites are preparing for a military clash with Russia in the Arctic. There are a great many reasons for this.



Firstly, it is in the Arctic region that our country and the “hegemon” are closest neighbors, and the shortest flight path of intercontinental ballistic missiles passes through the Arctic. Therefore, under the polar cap of the Arctic Ocean, the SSBNs of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy serve, and they are constantly hunted by American and British submarines.

Secondly, huge reserves of hydrocarbons and other raw materials are hidden in the continental shelf of the Arctic, and there are many who want to redraw the borders in a more advantageous configuration for themselves.

Thirdly, the Northern Sea Route is the shortest sea route between Europe and Asia, significantly saving time on the traditional route through the Suez Canal. But navigation in the harsh climatic conditions of the NSR is possible only in the summer season, and then with the help of escort icebreakers. But it is possible that in a few decades the ice situation may change significantly for the better.

Due to these reasons, the region has been actively militarizing in recent years, and the process accelerated after the start of the Russian Northeast Military District in Ukraine. So far, the advantage is on our side, since the world's largest icebreaker fleet has been preserved from Soviet times. The United States and its satellites simply do not have the appropriate technical capabilities to compete on equal terms with the Russian Federation in the Arctic.

So far they have not, since Washington, under President Donald Trump, on whom we have unjustified hopes for reconciliation, approved a large-scale program for the construction of a modern American icebreaker fleet:


Until then, the Pentagon is limiting itself only to provocations within the framework of so-called operations to protect freedom of navigation on the Northern Sea Route, as the departmental publication Stars and Stripes writes directly and honestly:


The situation is not yet critical, but the trend is generally negative. “Hegemon” is quite consciously preparing for a clash with the Russian Federation in the Arctic. In this context, it is necessary to analyze how well our military icebreakers correspond to real challenges and future threats.

Are there any analogues?

The Project 23550 universal patrol ships were designed specifically for harsh Arctic conditions, overcoming ice up to 1,7 meters thick, but can also be operated in the tropics if necessary. In total, four of them are planned in the series: two for the Russian Navy, code “Arctic”, and two – for the needs of the Coast Guard PS FSB of the Russian Federation, code “Ermak”. The differences between them are small, but they exist.

These ships, with a total displacement of 8500 tons, which corresponds to a decent destroyer, are being built at the Admiralty Shipyards in St. Petersburg. The power plant produces a maximum speed in clear water of 18 knots. The cruising range at an economical speed reaches 10 miles for the Arktika, 000 for the Ermak. Both can perform a wide range of tasks: act as an icebreaker, tugboat, firefighting vessel or directly as a warship.

Today our American partners have nothing like this. It turns out to be a kind of lifesaver for the needs of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy, and at the same time a multifunctional “regulator” ship on the Northern Sea Route. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to do without a fly in the ointment.

The fact is that Project 23550 patrol ships were developed in peacetime and their tactical and technical characteristics did not imply direct participation in real combat operations at sea, and even in the harsh conditions of the Arctic Ocean. Just look at the weapons that the Arktika or Ermak are equipped with.

The first has one 76,2-mm AK-176MA artillery mount and eight Igla or Verba MANPADS as an air defense system. Optionally, the Arktika can be additionally equipped with 12,7 mm 6P59 Kord machine gun mounts and two container launchers of the Kalibr-K missile system, each of which can carry four Kalibr cruise missiles or four Uran anti-ship missiles "

That is, there is de facto no effective air defense system, as well as an anti-submarine defense system. Surprisingly, the Ermak, intended for the needs of the Coast Guard PS FSB of the Russian Federation, has slightly better anti-aircraft weapons than the military Papanin, since the patrol ship carries two 30-mm AK-630M artillery mounts.

It turns out that all four Russian icebreakers will be an easy target for enemy air- and sea-launched anti-ship missiles, as well as submarines. The experience of confrontation with the Russian Navy in the Black Sea shows that surface unmanned fire ships and, in the future, underwater kamikaze drones can also pose an extreme danger.
In connection with the above, it seems advisable to equip Project 23550 patrol ships with at least the Tor-M2 air defense system and, optionally, anti-submarine warfare equipment.

Otherwise, the beauty and pride of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy has a chance of dying ingloriously in the event of a combined attack by some American “proxies” and others, since military icebreakers have become obsolete even before they were put into operation, not meeting the real challenges of the time.