MOSCOW, October 15. /TASS/. The Ivan Papanin-class multirole Arctic dual-purpose reefer ship being developed by the St. Petersburg-based company Yugreftransflot can be outfitted with a Kalibr-K container-type cruise missile system, project supervisor and member of the company’s board of directors Victor Kot told TASS on Friday.

"The Ivan Papanin-class Arctic reefer vessel can carry a mobile Kalibr-K missile system. This will require three standard cargo containers that can be delivered to the ship and unloaded ashore by 40-tonne shipboard cranes," he explained.

Given the need to unload the mobile missile system onto the shore, the fourth container can be installed aboard the reefer ship to accommodate the Kalibr-K combat squad, the project supervisor specified.

"The personnel will be living in the ship’s passenger cabins during the period of its transit along the Northern Sea Route. If necessary, the Ivan Papanin will be capable of fulfilling the role of an expeditionary vessel while conducting shuttle voyages along the Northern Sea Route," he added.

As reported earlier, the Ivan Papanin-class multi-purpose reefer transport will be capable of traveling along the Northern Sea Route without icebreaker support thanks to its ice-reinforced hull, the Azipod electric propulsion system, and an ice-type radar station. The vessel will be able to promptly deliver modules with repair shops, medical and housing blocks, and also groups of specialists to research and military bases in the Arctic. The reefer ship will focus on delivering seafood from the Far East to European Russia.

According to open sources, the Kalibr missile system consists of a standard container-type versatile launching module as its basic unit. Its configuration includes an inclined or vertical launcher, a fire control system, combat control, navigation and communications equipment and also life-support, power supply and fire extinguishing systems. The missile system consists of four launching modules placed into 12-meter cargo containers.

The Kalibr-K can receive target acquisition data from any coastal, shipboard, airborne and satellite systems. Kalibr cruise missile systems are currently operational in the Russian Navy. As data from open sources suggest, a 3M-14 cruise missile of the Kalibr system develops a subsonic speed and is capable of striking targets at a distance of about 2,000 km. Russia has developed the Kalibr-NK cruise missile system for its surface ships and the Kalibr-PL version for its submarines.