The Navy plans to strengthen the defense of the northernmost transport artery of the country with the combat icebreaker Ivan Papanin
The Northern Sea Route will be guarded almost year-round by Russian submarine hunters. To do this, the 14th brigade of anti-submarine ships of the Northern Fleet will soon receive the combat icebreaker Ivan Papanin. It will allow you to search for submarines of a likely enemy, including in difficult weather conditions. Experts note that such a decision will strengthen the defense not only of the areas through which the northernmost transport artery of Russia passes, but also of the entire country.
Strategic Patrol
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation has made a fundamental decision to ensure the almost year-round presence of Navy ships in the Arctic, in the waters of the Northern Sea Route (NSR). To solve this problem, the 14th brigade of anti-submarine ships of the Kola Flotilla of the Northern Fleet will soon receive the icebreaker Ivan Papanin, sources told Izvestia in the military department. It is planned that it will ensure the activity of warships in the most difficult weather conditions.
According to the interlocutors of the publication, the icebreaker will allow patrolling the waters of the Northern Sea Route most of the year, except for the months when the Arctic waters are covered with a dense ice cover. The NSR is locked by an ice plug, which forms at the end of autumn in the area of the Novosibirsk Islands and can last for several months.
Ice-class patrol ship "Ivan Papanin"
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Alexey Danichev
The 14th brigade, which will receive a new icebreaker, includes four large anti-submarine ships of Project 1155 and 1155.1 — Severomorsk, Vice Admiral Kulakov, Admiral Chabanenko and Admiral Levchenko.
The Northern Fleet has been regularly conducting Arctic expeditions in recent years, military expert Dmitry Boltenkov told Izvestia.
— Groups of ships make trips along the NSR with calls at important ports and islands, — he noted. — In these expeditions, the command of the 14th Brigade has accumulated a lot of experience in the Arctic latitudes. Now our anti-submarine ships will be able to stay in the northern latitudes for even more time. This will help strengthen control over the waters of the Northern Sea Route and the surrounding areas. The icebreaker "Ivan Papanin" was specially designed to work in the Arctic latitudes.
As the ice melts, the role of the NSR will grow not only for Russia, but also for the global global economy, Vasily Kashin, director of the HSE Center for Integrated European and International Studies, told Izvestia.
Large anti-submarine ship "Vice Admiral Kulakov"
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Dmitry Dubov
— It is important for us for economic and military reasons, — the expert noted. — Large volumes of minerals are currently being developed in the Arctic. The NSR is important from the point of view of the development of the fleet and the reliability of the country's defense from the northern direction. Here we support and develop the infrastructure to ensure the strategic security of the country. The Arctic separates us from our main opponent, the United States. In the Arctic zone, in addition to the fleet, there are air defense, aviation, radar units and other forces. If we lose or weaken our military presence and control there, we will face a sharp deterioration in our strategic deterrence capabilities.
Legendary name
"Ivan Papanin" is the lead in the line of icebreaking patrol ships of project 23550, it should be transferred to the fleet in 2024. The second such ship is the Nikolai Zubov.
The ships of project 23550 are designed for conducting vessels in ice, towing, monitoring Arctic waters, escorting support vessels and escorting detained ships and vessels.
Ice-class patrol ship "Ivan Papanin"
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Alexander Galperin
The icebreaker has an AK-176MA artillery installation in its arsenal, and it can also carry Kalibr cruise missiles. If necessary, a multi-purpose helicopter can be based on its board. The team is armed with portable anti-aircraft missile systems.
It develops a speed of up to 18 knots and can overcome ice fields up to 1.7 m thick. The autonomy of the ship is 70 days, and the range is 10 thousand nautical miles.
His characteristics made a serious impression on the American admirals. Earlier, the commander of the US Navy in Europe and Africa, Admiral James Foggo, speaking about the Ivan Papanin, noted that it can carry cruise missiles, and stressed at the same time that this type of missile is not a defensive weapon.
Representatives of the Russian Foreign Ministry in response stated that they did not understand the essence of the claim: "Ivan Papanin" is not a classic icebreaker, but a multifunctional warship, so the installation of authorized weapons on it cannot raise questions.
Launch of the Kalibr high-precision cruise missile
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Sevmorput is a national treasure
In the Russian law "On Internal Sea Waters and the Territorial Sea and the Adjacent Zone of the Russian Federation", the status of a historically established transport communication, which is considered a national treasure, is assigned to the Northern Sea Route.
Representatives of the United States have repeatedly stated at the peak of Russia that the Northern Sea Route should be an open transport artery. Moreover, the American government is challenging the rights of a coastal country to establish rules for conducting ships in northern latitudes not only from Russia. For example, they do not recognize Canada's right to dispose of Arctic routes.
The US claims regarding the Northern Sea Route go back to the Cold War. Back in 1964, Washington and Moscow exchanged notes of protest because of an attempt by American ships to proceed unauthorized along the Arctic coast of the USSR.
Russia has been actively building infrastructure in the Arctic and deploying forces to cover the Northern Sea Route since the middle of the last decade. Coastal missile systems "Bal" and "Bastion", as well as air defense systems are located on the Arctic islands. The polar airfields where fighters are on duty have been reconstructed.
A serviceman of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation at the coastal missile complex "Bal"
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Igor Zarembo
In recent years, the Ministry of Defense has been constantly working out the transfer of forces to the Arctic from other regions. For example, two years ago, a detachment of ships of the Northern Fleet during maneuvers trained amphibious landings along the Northern Sea Route. In different areas, the polar shores were stormed by units of marines and Arctic motorized infantry.
Along with the appearance of military bases in the region, a transport infrastructure is being built that will help use the Northern Sea Route for civilian needs.
Alexey Ramm
Bogdan Stepovoy