The Russian Defence Ministry reported on December 25, 2024, that Russia has launched a new icebreaker patrol ship of Project 23550 named Nikolay Zubov. It was learned that the ship was launched at the USC Admiralty Shipyard in St. Petersburg.
As the climate gets warmer and ice melts, new maritime routes in the Arctic become practical. Russia wants to keep the region under control. The Russian Navy will use the icebreaker patrol ship on the Northern Sea Route and the Arctic border. The launching ceremony shows how Russia considers Icebreaker Patrol ships. Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Alexander Moiseev, led the ceremony.
The contract for constructing two icebreaker patrol ships of Project 23350 was signed by the Russian Defence Ministry and the Admiralty Shipyard in 2016. The Project 23550 ship was designed by the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau (CMDB) as a replacement for the Project 21180 military icebreaker Ilya Muromets. Nikolay Zubov is the second ship of Project 23550 under construction for the Russian Navy.
The first ship, Ivan Papanin, was laid down on April 19, 2017, and is currently undergoing testing at the Baltic Fleet's combat training ground. The ship is planned to be handed over to the Russian Navy in 2025.
The Project 23550 icebreaker is 114 m long and 20 m wide. Its displacement is 8,500 tons. This patrol ship is equipped with a radar to monitor the air and surface and a hydrometeorological station. The ship is armed with a 76.2 mm calibre AK-176MA automatic cannon, an Igla or Verba portable air defence system, and a heavy machine gun. The ship can also carry Kalibr cruise missiles or X-35 Uran anti-ship missiles.
A Manul hovercraft and a Raptor amphibious assault ship can be placed on the icebreaker patrol ship. There is also a hangar for one UAV and one multi-purpose helicopter.
The ship can cruise at up to 18 knots and navigate ice as thick as 1.7 m. Its cruising range is 10,000 nautical miles, with an endurance of around 70 days.
