MOSCOW, August 31. /TASS/. The newest Project 23550 ice-class patrol ship, the Ivan Papanin, is capable of operating in ice concentration of up to 10 points and thickness of up to 1.7 m, the icebreaker’s commander, Captain 2nd Rank Kirill Tkachenko told the Na Strazhe Zapolyarya (Guarding the Arctic) newspaper, which was obtained by TASS.

"The Ivan Papanin has been assigned the high Arctic class Arc7. This means it can operate in first-year ice with concentration of up to 10 points and ice thickness up to 1.7 meters," he said.

Nevertheless, Tkachenko emphasized that the ship is capable of handling even thicker ice. "[In such cases] we clear a passage in 'bursts' – we slow down, back off, accelerate, ram into the ice, and break through. This maneuver is used even in a standard one-meter-thick layer of ice when there is no need to ensure continuous movement of the ship," he explained.

The ice-class patrol ship Ivan Papanin was laid down in April 2017 and was launched in October 2019.

The ship has a displacement of about 9,000 metric tons and an unlimited operating range. Its cruising range is about 10,000 nautical miles, and it can operate autonomously for about 70 days. Its maximum speed is about 18 knots. It is armed with a 76-mm automatic artillery mount and equipped with a helicopter pad and hangars, including those for unmanned aerial vehicles.

Its capabilities combine the functions of a patrol ship, an icebreaker, and a tugboat. The ship is capable of patrolling and monitoring water resources in Arctic waters, escorting and towing detained vessels to port, accompanying support vessels, and participating in rescue operations.