Project 23550 patrol ship

Ivan Papanin in July 2024
Class overview
Builders
Operators
Preceded by
Built2017–present
In commissionAugust 2025 (current estimate)[1]
Planned4[2]
Building4
General characteristics
TypeIcebreaking patrol ship
Displacement
  • 6,800 t (6,700 long tons; 7,500 short tons) standard[3]
  • 8,500 t (8,400 long tons; 9,400 short tons) full load
Length114 m (374 ft 0 in)
Beam18 m (59 ft 1 in)
Draught6 m (19 ft 8 in)
Ice classRS Arc7[4]
Installed power4 × Kolomna 28-9DG diesel generators (4 × 3,500 kW)[5]
Propulsion
Speed18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Range10,000 nmi (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement60 core crew + 50 extra mission crew
Armament
Aviation facilitiesHelipad and hangar for Ka-27 helicopter

Project 23550 is a class of armed icebreaking patrol ships under construction for the Russian Navy.[7][9][10] Two ships were ordered from Saint Petersburg-based Admiralty Shipyards in 2016.[11] The ships are designed to patrol the Russian territorial waters and exclusive economic zone in the Arctic. The ships are also referred as "Arktika" type (Russian: шифр «Арктика», lit. 'codename Arctic').

During the launching ceremony of the lead ship, it was announced that two additional ships of slightly revised design would be built for the FSB Border Service of Russia by Vyborg Shipyard. The derivative design is also referred to as "Ermak" type (Russian: шифр «Ермак», lit. 'codename Yermak').[2][7][9]

Design

Scale model of the Project 23550 patrol ship

Project 23550 patrol ships have a planned displacement of 8,500 tonnes (8,400 long tons; 9,400 short tons), a length of 114 metres (374 ft 0 in) and a draught of 6 metres (19 ft 8 in).[10] The ships will be equipped with two Raptor-class patrol boats, a Ka-27 helicopter and small hovercraft. The core crew is planned at 60 with accommodation for an additional 50 mission specialists. Armament will include a 76-millimeter (3 in) naval gun (some sources state a 100 mm (3.9 in) naval gun)[12] and 3M-54 Kalibr anti-ship missiles in the Club-K container variant.[3][4][13]

Project 23550 will have an integrated electric propulsion with four 3,500-kilowatt (4,700 hp) Kolomna 28-9DG main diesel gensets consisting of 16-cylinder 10D49 diesel engines driving alternators produced by Ruselprom. In addition, the ships will have two auxiliary diesel gensets with Kolomna diesel engines and Ruselprom alternators. While the early concept featured ABB Azipod azimuthing propulsion units, the final design has two conventional shaft lines, propellers and rudders. The 6,300-kilowatt (8,400 hp) propulsion motors will be produced by Ruselprom.[6][8] The ships will have an endurance of 70 days and a range of 10,000 nautical miles (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at economic speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). Their maximum speed is 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph).[4][13]

The vessels are strengthened for navigation in ice-covered arctic seas according to the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping ice class Arc7.[4][10] They are designed to break ice up to 1.7 metres (5 ft 7 in) thick.[13]

Think tank Global Security pointed out several similarities between the Project 23550 design and NoCGV Svalbard, and Canada's Harry DeWolf class.[10] All three class are of approximately the same displacement, capable of transitting similar thickness of ice and have similar size crews, with room for mission specialist. Project 23550 is, however, much more heavily armed.

In 2020, it was announced that the Russian Navy would begin sea trials to test the installation of module containers on patrol vessels permitting such ships to carry significantly upgraded armaments tailored to different missions. The containers were envisaged to carry various weapons including sonars and torpedoes or anti-ship and cruise missiles.[14]

Ships in class

Name Russian Namesake Builder IMO number Laid down Launched Commissioned Status
Russian Navy ("Arktika" type)
Ivan Papanin Иван Папанин Ivan Dmitrievich Papanin Admiralty Shipyards, Saint Petersburg 9898151 19 April 2017 25 October 2019[15] August 2025 (current estimate)[1] Launched
Nikolay Zubov Николай Зубов Nikolay Nikolaevich Zubov Admiralty Shipyards, Saint Petersburg 9898163 27 November 2019[11][16] 25 December 2024[17] 2024 (original plan)[18] Launched
Coast Guard of the FSB Border Service ("Ermak" type)
Purga Пурга[19] Russian for "blizzard" Vyborg Shipyard, Vyborg 9916599 25 July 2020[19] 7 October 2022[20][13] 2024 (original plan)[19] Launched[20][13]
Dzerzhinsky[21] Дзержинский Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky Vyborg Shipyard, Vyborg 4775976 22 December 2023[21] Under construction

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Project 23550.
  1. ^ a b "Корабль проекта 23550 «Иван Папанин» планируется передать ВМФ России до августа 2025 года". PortNews. 25 December 2024. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Два патрульных ледокола проекта 23550 построят для ФСБ". Mil.Press FlotProm (in Russian). 25 October 2019. Archived from the original on 12 December 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  3. ^ a b Tyler Rogoway (27 March 2017). "This Is Russia's Warship Built Specifically For Arctic Fighting". The Drive. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d "АО "АДМИРАЛТЕЙСКИЕ ВЕРФИ" СПУСТИЛО НА ВОДУ ПАТРУЛЬНЫЙ КОРАБЛЬ ЛЕДОВОГО КЛАССА "ИВАН ПАПАНИН"". Admiralty Shipyards (in Russian). 25 October 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  5. ^ "На Коломенском заводе запущено производство основных и вспомогательных дизель-генераторов для патрульного ледокола "Иван Папанин"". JSC "Kolomensky Zavod" (in Russian). 21 April 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  6. ^ a b ""Русэлпром" запустил в производство электрические машины для ледокола "Иван Папанин"". Ruselprom (in Russian). 20 June 2017. Archived from the original on 25 October 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  7. ^ a b c "Project 23550 Arktika". Russianships.info. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  8. ^ a b ""Адмиралтейские верфи" объяснили сдвиг сроков передачи сторожевых кораблей". RIA Novosti (in Russian). 21 March 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  9. ^ a b Vladimir Yeranosyan (8 February 2021). "Скоро в Арктике будет "Пурга"". Zvezda Armed Forces Teleradio Company (in Russian). Archived from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  10. ^ a b c d "Project 23550 Ivan Papanin - patrol icebreaker". Global Security.
  11. ^ a b "Второй патрульный ледокол «Николай Зубов» будет заложен в 2020 году". TASS (in Russian). 19 June 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  12. ^ Joseph Trevithick (14 November 2019). "Russia Is Eying More Armed Icebreakers After Launching Missile-Toting Arctic Patrol Ship". The Drive. Archived from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  13. ^ a b c d e "Russia Launches Project 23550 Patrol Ship "Purga"". Naval News. 9 October 2022. Archived from the original on 12 October 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  14. ^ Xavier Vavasseur (3 August 2020). "Russian Navy To Begin Trials Of Modular Systems For Surface Vessels". Naval News. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  15. ^ ""Иван Папанин" сошёл со стапелей на "Адмиралтейских верфях"". Mil.Press FlotProm (in Russian). 25 October 2019. Archived from the original on 9 December 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  16. ^ "На "Адмиралтейских верфях" заложили второй патрульный ледокол проекта 23550". Mil.Press FlotProm (in Russian). Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  17. ^ "Состоялся спуск на воду патрульного корабля "Николай Зубов"". Sudostroenie.info. 25 December 2024. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
  18. ^ "Спуск на воду «Ивана Папанина» состоится в 2019 году". Sudostroenie.info (in Russian). 10 April 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  19. ^ a b c "Как Выборгский завод начал строительство пограничного корабля "Пурга"". Sudostroenie.info (in Russian). 25 July 2020. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  20. ^ a b "В Выборге спущен на воду сторожевой корабль "Пурга"!". Korabel.ru (in Russian). 7 October 2022. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  21. ^ a b "На Выборгском СЗ заложен пограничный сторожевой корабль ледового класса "Дзержинский" проекта 23550". Media Paluba (in Russian). 24 December 2023. Retrieved 24 December 2023.