Russia’s New ‘Combat Icebreaker’ Heads For Sea Trials

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) –

Russia continues to push forward with the rapid renewal and expansion of its icebreaker fleet. In addition to commissioning three new nuclear icebreakers in the last four years, with three more currently under construction, Russia’s first armed combat icebreaker, Ivan Papanin, is now headed for open water factory trials. 

Ivan Papanin was laid down in 2017 and is expected to join Russia’s Northern Fleet by the end of 2024. Two additional vessels of the type are under construction for the naval units of the country’s border patrol.

“The patrol ship Ivan Papanin, built for the Russian Navy at the Admiralty Shipyards, has entered factory sea trials. During this stage of the trials, the functioning of the propulsion system and onboard equipment systems will be checked,” the Russia Ministry of Defense announced in a statement. 

Unlike nuclear icebreaking vessels operated by state-owned Atomflot, which primarily serve to escort merchant vessels through the icy waters of the Northern Sea Route, the combat icebreakers are equipped with offensive capabilities. They include the 76mm AK-176MA gun and pre-installed launchers for Uran anti-ship and Kalibr-NK cruise missiles.

With a displacement of around 9,000 tonnes Ivan Papanin is around half the size of the delayed U.S. Coast Guard Polar Security Cutter. 

Capable of breaking through five and a half feet of ice it will be able to access most of the Arctic Ocean unassisted, except during the depth of winter. Its capabilities are comparable to Norway’s Svalbard icebreaking patrol vessel, though the Russian counterpart will be much heavier armed. 

Another new icebreaker also entered into service this week in China, bringing the country’s total number of research icebreakers to three, with a fourth under construction. 

The Polar Class 6 vessel Ji Di follows Xue Long 1 and 2. The 5,600 tonnes Ji Di was constructed in just over two years following the awarding of the contract in March 2022. Its operations will be limited to summer and fall in first-year ice conditions. 

A larger 9,200 tonnes Polar Class 4 icebreaker named Tan Suo San Hao is under construction simultaneously at the Guangzhou Shipyard. The vessel was launched in April 2024 and is expected to enter into service in 2025.

Meanwhile, a new U.S. icebreaker remains at least 6-7 years into the future, at the earliest. Recent Congressional hearings highlighted ongoing program delays and cost overruns, with construction yet to start more than five years after awarding the contract to VT Halter Marine, now Bollinger. 

The Coast Guard’s sole heavy icebreaker, the 50-year old Polar Star, is currently undergoing another round of refurbishment to eke out a few more years of service.

“Major maintenance extends the service life of Polar Star beyond that of its original design,” the Coast Guard explained. 

The service life extension program (SLEP) is conducted annually at Mare Island Dry Dock in Vallejo, California. This year’s three-months program includes maintenance and overhaul of the HVAC system, electrical control stations for the boilers, and a complete redesign of the flooding alarm system. 

The current refurbishment is the fourth out of five planned phases, which target propulsion, communication and machinery control systems. 

Last year’s SLEP phase included installation of a new fire detection system to help contain and fight onboard fires. Polar Star was faced with an onboard fire in 2019.