Polar influence: what will the Alexandrite project minesweeper do in the Arctic

The Polar, the tenth minesweeper of the Alexandrite project 12700, has joined the Russian Navy. The ceremony of the first raising of the St. Andrew's flag on board took place in Baltiysk after the completion of all tests of equipment and weapons. In the Arctic, the new vessel, according to experts, will be responsible for the safety of the Northern Fleet's nuclear submarines and the protection of maritime communications.

Tasks of minesweepers in the fleet

A ceremony of raising the St. Andrew's flag was held in Baltiysk on the newest anti-mine defense ship Polyarny of project 12700 Alexandrite, the Russian Defense Ministry said. It was built for the Northern Fleet at the Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard (SNSZ) United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC).

—The raising of the battle banner is the most solemn event in the life of a ship," Admiral Konstantin Kabantsov, Commander of the Northern Fleet, said at the ceremony. — His birth as a combat unit is a significant day for the Navy. Today we raised the naval flag on the Polar minesweeper. This is the second mine action ship of Project 12700, which joins the ranks of the Red Banner Order of Ushakov of the Northern Fleet and stands up for the protection of the maritime borders of the Russian Federation.

Before joining the fleet, the crew successfully conducted a full cycle of tests at the ranges of the Baltic Fleet. The units, systems and assemblies, as well as navigation and radio equipment and weapons were checked.

— This is a modern minesweeper with a high degree of mine protection. Ships of this type have already proven themselves well in the Baltic and the Black Sea," military expert, Captain 1st rank Vasily Dandykin told Izvestia. — He will become one of the key representatives of the Northern Fleet's minesweeping forces. The main tasks are to ensure the actions of surface and submarines, and, if necessary, to mine the waters.

Enemy multi-purpose boats can engage in mining, and minesweepers cannot be dispensed with in this case either, the expert added.

— There will be work for minesweepers, it is no coincidence that they are called "ploughmen of the sea," he noted. — In the future, it may be necessary to mine the marine areas where mines have been laid. In these conditions, the ships of the Alexandrite project will be in demand.

The expert stressed that it is advisable to have one combination of modern minesweepers in each of the four fleets and the Caspian Flotilla — five to six units each.

— Without minesweeping forces, it is impossible to protect bases, including the bases of nuclear submarines in Kamchatka and in the North, Dandykin stressed. — They are also necessary for long-distance trips. Our minesweepers also participated in the fight against pirates in the late 1980s. But the main thing is trawling. The ships of Project 12700 are equipped with unmanned mine search vehicles.

The replenishment of the Northern Fleet with modern anti-mine ships is especially important against the background of the growing naval activity in the Arctic.

"These are the most modern ships of this class in the Russian navy," military expert Dmitry Boltenkov told Izvestia. — It is planned to form a group of four such minesweepers in the Northern Fleet. In addition to the Polar and Afanasy Ivannikov, there are still several ships built in the last century, which are gradually being decommissioned.

According to the expert, the main task of the mine defense ships in the North is to ensure the safe exit of submarines from their bases and escort them to their deployment areas.

What kind of minesweepers are being built in Russia

Polyarny became the tenth mine defense ship of the Alexandrite project 12700 in the Russian Navy. Two of its predecessors serve in the Baltic Fleet, three in the Black Sea, and three more are part of the Pacific Fleet. Until recently, the Northern Fleet had only one minesweeper of this project, the Afanasy Ivannikov.

Currently, the Dmitry Lysov ship is being prepared for testing, which, after completion, will also be sent to the Northern Fleet. Five more representatives of the series are under construction.

At the end of last year, Vice Admiral Igor Mukhametshin, Deputy Commander of the Russian Navy for Armament, said that at least 20-30 minesweepers of this project would be built by 2050.

The mine defense ships of project 12700 have a displacement of 890 tons, a length of 61 meters, a width of 10 meters, a speed of 16.5 knots, and a crew of 44 people. A complex of various thrusters gives it high maneuverability.

Alexandrites have the largest monolithic fiberglass body in the world, created by vacuum diffusion. It is more durable than steel, has a longer service life and significantly lower weight. And most importantly, marine mine fuses do not react to such a hull. The ships are armed with an AK-306 artillery system and machine guns.

On the new ship, the crew can form an anti-mine circuit using the latest sonar stations, an integrated bridge system, and an automated mine action control system.