The ‘unique’ Ivan Papanin combat icebreaker begins testing

Construction of combat icebreakers under Project 23550 Arktika/Ermak for the Russian navy and border guard continues, currently the two leading ships have been launched and are about to be completed for handover.

The lead ship of the series named Ivan Papanin for the Russian Navy recently received its crew and is about to enter the testing phase. It is expected to be delivered to the Russian Ministry of Defense by the end of 2024.

Let us recall that Project 23550 with the code Arktika was developed in the first half of the 1990s 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 Russian Ministry of Defense and in May 2016, the contract to build two new ships was signed, so 8 years have passed.

Construction was assigned to Admiralty Shipyards in St. Petersburg. According to the original plan, both of the above mentioned combat icebreakers were to be put into use in the first half of the 2020s.

The lead patrol ship named Ivan Papanin was started construction on April 19, 2017. Fabrication of the body frame and installation of some necessary equipment took more than two years. By October 2019, the ship was completely launched at the wharf.

Due to the project’s newness, technical complexity and many other difficulties, completion will take several more years. Structural assembly and equipment installation were only recently completed.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, Admiralty Shipyard and United Shipbuilding Corporation, the Ivan Papanin is currently in the preparatory stage of sea trials, with the ship’s first voyage expected to take place in the summer. This.

On April 16, another important event was announced, that is, the permanent crew moved on board the ship. Previously the sailors were trained at the Naval Joint Training Center (in St. Petersburg) and now they went on board ships.

The sailors received the equipment from the factory specialists, they are trying to master the vehicle and carry out preparations for future tests.

The next plan has not yet been officially revealed. However, it is expected that factory-level and state-level tests of the Project 23550 lead ship will take several months and last until the fall or winter of 2024.

If all goes well, the Ivan Papanin will be delivered before the end of the year. It will then be returned to its permanent base and by 2025, the ship will begin serving as part of the Northern Fleet.

In November 2019, Admiralty Shipyard began construction of the second Arktika-class icebreaker named Nikolai Zubov. Work is underway and it is expected to be launched in the third quarter of 2024.

Experience from the lead ship is expected to help speed up progress on the next one. Therefore, completion and testing will take no more than a year and a half and could be delivered before the end of 2025. However, it is unclear how realistic the above estimate is.