Northern Guardian: Nikolai Zubov military icebreaker launched
The first serial ice-class patrol ship Nikolai Zubov was launched in St. Petersburg. The Project 23550 combat icebreaker has missile and artillery systems and is designed to protect the northern regions of the country. According to experts interviewed by Izvestia, the Russian Navy needs a full-blooded flotilla to patrol the Northern Sea Route and borders in the Arctic.
Icebreaker flotilla
On December 25, a solemn ceremony of launching the ice-class patrol ship "Nikolai Zubov" took place in St. Petersburg at the Admiralty Shipyards, a USC enterprise. It was held under the leadership of Admiral Alexander Moiseyev, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy.
- Another modern high-tech combat unit of the Navy is moving to the final stage of construction, - said the admiral. - The ships of this project will form the basis of the grouping of surface forces in the Arctic zone. They will allow the Russian Federation to further strengthen its presence in remote areas of the Far North, demonstrating a firm and unwavering position to protect our national interests in strategically important areas of the world ocean.
The ceremony was also informed that immediately after the launching, the ship will start completion works.
"Nikolai Zubov" is the first in the series and the second ship of the project. The lead icebreaker - "Ivan Papanin" - is currently undergoing tests in the Baltic Fleet's sea combat training grounds.
The Pacific and Northern Fleets need ships of this project, Admiral Sergei Avakyants, former commander of the Pacific Fleet, told Izvestia.
- Icebreakers are needed to monitor the surface and air situation in the area of the Northern Sea Route and to cover the most important transportation communication for us," the admiral explained. - They should support our sovereignty in the Arctic by projecting force. In case of complication of the situation or an attempt to violate our sovereignty, they must exert force on the enemy. They will also conduct caravans that need the escort of heavy icebreakers.
In the future, Russia should create an Arctic flotilla, which will be closed to the Northern Fleet, the admiral said.
- Such an association should include patrol, anti-submarine and air defense ships, minesweepers and so on," said Sergei Avakyants. - All these ships should be of ice class and built according to special designs. They will have to solve an important task - to protect the most important for us Northern Sea Route.
Newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump talked about Greenland, which, according to him, one way or another should come under U.S. control - it is the largest island in the Arctic, which indicates the country's interest in developing the northern regions of the planet, military expert Captain First Rank Vasily Dandykin told Izvestia.
- The U.S. should be much more interested in the Arctic than in Ukraine," Vasily Dandykin said. - We should be ready for confrontation in the northern latitudes, replenish our Navy with surface ships, submarines and, of course, icebreakers. "Nikolai Zubov" is powerful, it can conduct surface combat, including landing ships, supply our far island garrisons, engage in providing support for the work of our nuclear submarines. We should not forget that it is also a warship - it has artillery, missiles, air defense equipment, can carry boats and a helicopter on board. As we see, "Nikolay Zubov" is not accidentally named in honor of our first head of the Northern Sea Route. Its commissioning will increase the Navy's capabilities in the Arctic latitudes.
Armed and very useful
Project 23550 icebreakers (code "Arktika") are universal patrol ships designed for operations in the Arctic latitudes. They are designed for escorting convoys in ice, towing, monitoring Arctic waters, escorting support vessels and convoying detained watercraft. The ships can also participate in rescue operations and transportation of special cargoes.
The displacement of 8500 tons makes the icebreakers of this project the largest warships built in the post-Soviet years.
The Project 23550 ships are built both for the Russian Navy - they have received the code "Arktika" - and for the maritime units of the Border Troops of the Federal Security Service of Russia - the code "Ermak".
The icebreaker develops speed up to 18 knots and can overcome ice fields up to 1.7 meters thick. The ship's autonomy is 70 days, and the range of navigation is 10 thousand nautical miles.
The ship is well armed. Its arsenal includes AK-176MA artillery of 76.2 mm caliber, the accuracy of which has been significantly improved in comparison with the previous versions due to the new digital control system and all-weather optoelectronic equipment. In addition, the ship can be additionally equipped with four Kord large-caliber machine guns.
The icebreaker can also carry Kalibr cruise missiles or anti-ship Kh-35 Uran anti-ship missiles. The team has in service portable anti-aircraft missile systems "Igla" or "Verba".
One hovercraft "Manul" and landing boats of "Raptor" project can be based on board the icebreaker. The hangar can accommodate UAVs and one multi-purpose helicopter.
The contract for the construction of two Project 23350 ice-class patrol ships was signed between the Russian Defense Ministry and Admiralty Shipyards in 2016. The lead ship Ivan Papanin was laid down on April 19, 2017, and is currently undergoing trials. The icebreaker "Nikolai Zubov" was laid down on November 27, 2019.
New icebreaker fleet
In addition to Project 23550 ships, Russia is also building a whole line of other icebreakers - Project 21180M. The lead in it is the Ilya Muromets, which is already serving in the Northern Fleet. The ship was laid down in 2015 and transferred to the Navy in 2017. It became the first icebreaker built for the Navy in 45 years. The second representative of the series - "Evpatiy Kolovrat" - joined the Pacific Fleet this year.
Project 21180 icebreaker "Ilya Muromets"
It was built under the modernized project 21180M. In particular, the developers reduced the size and draft. The reduced draft will allow the ship to call at the ports of Tiksi in Yakutia and Dikson in Krasnoyarsk Krai, which have been actively used by the Russian Navy in recent years.
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