With the arrival of Ivan Papanin at the port of Severomorsk, the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy has officially received the first of its new Project 23550 polar patrol vessels. The addition of this new ship, with a displacement of 9,000 tons and built by Admiralty Shipyards, is significant, as Russia—like other polar powers—seeks to strengthen its patrol and surveillance capabilities in the Arctic region, which is emerging as a point of geopolitical contention.
Designed and built by Admiralty Shipyards, located in the city of Saint Petersburg, Ivan Papanin is the lead ship of the new class of polar patrol vessels intended for both the Russian Navy and the Coast Guard of the Border Service.
Launched in 2019, its construction was completed in recent years and the ship underwent intensive sea and systems trials to ensure its proper functioning before being delivered to the Northern Fleet, which will serve as its home port for Arctic and adjacent regional patrols.
Prior to completing sea trials and evaluations on Ivan Papanin, Admiralty Shipyards launched the second Project 23550 vessel, Nikolay Zubov, at the end of last December. As with the first patrol ship, the shipyard is currently focused on the superstructure of the vessel, as evidenced by photos that circulated online in late February.
Regarding the two vessels assigned to the Coast Guard of the Border Service—Purga and Dzerzhinsky—they are at various stages of construction. The latest updates indicated that the former was launched in 2020, but no further official updates or announcements have been made since.
Lastly, as reported by Escenario Mundial a few days ago, Ivan Papanin arrived at the port of Severomorsk at the end of March. As of now, there has been no official commissioning ceremony held by Russian naval authorities, though it may take place in the coming days or weeks.
Cover photo credits to their respective owners.
