Icebreaker "Ilya Muromets": a polar hero. "Ilya Muromets" in the Arctic: what makes the newest diesel-electric icebreaker unique

Diesel-electric icebreaker "Ilya Muromets" is the lead ship of project 21180, which is being built at JSC "Admiralty shipyards" in St. Petersburg for the Navy Russian Federation... After commissioning, the Main Command of the Navy plans to use it to support the activities of diverse groupings of forces of the Northern Fleet in the Arctic zone. Named in honor of Ilya Muromets - one of the main character of the Old Russian epic epic, a hero who embodies the common popular ideal of a hero-warrior.

Project 21180 was developed by JSC Admiralty Shipyards.

The new single-deck multifunctional vessel of project 21180 is intended for icebreaker support for the basing and deployment of fleet forces in ice conditions, independent pilotage of ships and vessels, as well as their tug support.

The icebreaker of project 21180 is a new generation vessel with new principles of electric propulsion and a modern power plant.

January 16, 2015 for the supply of rowing electrical installation for a new icebreaker. Based on the results of consideration of the documentation, the TsNII SET branch was recognized as the winner.

Ilya Muromets is the first icebreaker in Russia, on which the Azipod-type rudder propellers are fixed outside the ship's hull using a hinge mechanism and can rotate 360 degrees around the vertical axis, which allows the icebreaker to move equally freely with its bow, stern and side.

Main characteristics: Displacement 6000 tons. Length 85 meters, width 20 meters, side height 9.2 meters, draft 6.8 meters. Travel speed on clean water 15 knots. Swimming autonomy up to 60 days. Travel range up to 9000 miles. The crew is 35 people. It will be able to pass an ice field up to 1.5 meters thick.

Propeller type: diesel-electric ship with rudder-propellers, 3.5 MW each.

RS class notation: KM✪ Icebreaker6 AUT1-ICS FF3WS EPP HELIDECK special purpose ship.

Diesel-electric icebreaker "Ilya Muromets" (serial number 02470): metal cutting for the first section of the ship was started in October 2014. April 23, 2015 took place. According to a message dated January 11, 2016, Techi Rus (part of OJSC Severstal-metiz, the hardware group of PJSC Severstal) for the supply of rope products for the ship. June 10, 2016 on the water. As of February 21, 2017, it is at the completion stage, which is being carried out in accordance with the schedule. As of June 08, at the pier of the plant. Will go to factory sea trials in mid-July. On August 30, the factory sea trials were successful, which began on August 29. The tests were carried out in the waters of the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea by the icebreaker crew under the command of Captain Gleb Rutkovsky and the acceptance team of the Admiralty Shipyards. The second stage of the factory sea trials of the icebreaker from August 25 in the sea ranges of the Gulf of Finland and in the water area of the city of Baltiysk, which was completed on September 13. On October 04, the outfitting embankment of the enterprise will go to state tests, which will take place from 04 to 07 October. October 05 for state tests. According to a report dated October 17, during the stage of state tests of the icebreaker's aviation complex, Ka-27PS deck helicopters made more than 40 landings on the ship's air site. Handing over to the customer for the fall of 2017. According to the message from November 01 to the end of the month in Murmansk and will be part of the auxiliary fleet. It will become a part of the Northern Fleet, where it will carry out the tasks of supporting the actions of the Arctic group, including the basing and deployment of the forces of the Navy in difficult ice conditions. On November 30, on board the Naval flag and the vessel were accepted into the Russian Navy. At that time, the icebreaker was in St. Petersburg on the territory of the Admiralteyskie Verfi enterprise.

On May 24, 2017, at Vympel Shipyard JSC, the lead small hydrographic boat of project 21961 was launched in a series of two boats that the company is building for Admiralty Shipyards. MGK are designed to equip an icebreaker. They must be handed over to the customer before July 01, 2017.

For reference: The purpose of the small hydrographic boat of project 21961: survey of the bottom relief and survey of navigational hazards at depths from 2 to 200 meters; delivery of topographic and geodetic parties to the coast; delivery of personnel, medical staff, repair crews, small-sized cargo, spare parts and accessories, food for coastal navigation equipment in accordance with the established navigation area.

Navigation areas: roadsteads, harbors, water areas of ports of basing points and approaches to them, lakes, rivers, as well as to coastal sea areas with a distance from the coast or a basing vessel no more than 12 miles with sea waves up to 3 points inclusive.

Main characteristics: Overall length 8.6 meters, overall width 2.52 meters, midship depth 1.46 meters, draft 0.6 meters. Speed 10 knots. Autonomy 1 day. Sailing range full swing not less than 150 miles, with 6 knots about 400 miles. Crew / number of seats 2/8 people

According to a message dated December 26, 2017 from the Baltic naval base and headed for the Barents Sea. 02 January 2018 to the Northern Fleet.

According to the message dated March 13, 2018, take part in the exercise "Barents-2018". April 12 for ice tests, which are taking place in the eastern part of the Barnetsev Sea. It is planned that the tests will last until the end of the month, after which the ship will return to Murmansk. April 24 to the Karskiye Vorota Strait between the islands New earth and Vaygach. The tests lasted 19 days, and then to Murmansk. Having successfully completed work in the area of the Karskiye Vorota, the icebreaker's crew provided the first ice escort in the White Sea for a strategic submarine, after which they headed to Murmansk. August 8, as part of a detachment of ships and support vessels of the Northern Fleet from the main base of the Northern Fleet in the city of Severomorsk in the Barents Sea and headed for the eastern regions of the Arctic.

Icebreaker Ilya Muromets is the newest Russian military icebreaker, the first of its kind in 50 years

Just recently, a new generation diesel-electric icebreaker Ilya Muromets was launched from the stocks in St. Petersburg. The project was developed by the Vympel engineering and design bureau located in the Nizhny Novgorod region. In the documents, this ship, unique in its capabilities, is designated as No. 21180; ships of this class have not been produced by Russian enterprises for more than 40 years. It is surprising that this ice drift was created by order of the military department, belongs to the class of auxiliary ships and, after passing the tests, will be included in the Arctic group of the naval forces. Let's get acquainted with this latest development of domestic shipbuilding in more detail.

History of creation

The history of this project 21180 goes back to post-war years, when Soviet government faced an acute shortage of an icebreaker fleet in order to fully develop the northern latitudes. Of course, several icebreakers were part of the Northern Fleet, but morale and technical ships were not taken into account. As a result, it was decided to equip the flotilla with ships of the "Captain Belousov" class, which was supposed to ensure spring-autumn navigation.

The new icebreaker received number 97 "Ilya Muromets", was created on the basis of the German ship Eisbar. The first vessel of this series was launched in 1965, and became the first sign in the history of the development of the most popular ship in the USSR. This ship was decommissioned from the Pacific Fleet in 1993 and scrapped. In total, 32 ships were produced within the framework of Project No. 97, some of which continue to serve. In October 2017, Ilya Muromets received a second birth.

general description

The name of the icebreaker does not reflect the entire depth and power of the updated project 21180 "Ilya Muromets", although the ship is indeed able to overcome ice obstacles up to 1 meter thick, paving the way for ships in the Arctic latitudes. In fact, it is a multifunctional supply vessel designed to solve a wide range of tasks when servicing military and civilian bases in the northern latitudes.

At first glance, a single-deck ship does not look remarkable, and even loses in many respects to heavy nuclear-powered ships. However, it is not. Unique feature of the project can be considered propeller-steering columns, carried outside the body with the possibility of multidirectional rotation of the blades. This allows the ship to move even sideways, and such a scheme was first implemented on ships of this class.

An interesting solution looks like four diesel-generator power plants of the "Azipod" type with a total power of 10 600 watts. Note that Ilya Muromets can be autonomous for up to 2 months, and its cruising range is 22,244 kilometers, which is 2 times the length of the Northern Sea Route. On the deck of the ship there will be a crane with a lifting capacity of 21 tons, a fire pump, water-foam carriages and a boat for installing booms (collection of spilled oil products). In addition, a helipad is provided on the deck, capable of receiving K-27 class vehicles, which are widely used in the Russian Navy. We add that, if desired, the icebreaker can be equipped with onboard armament: such a possibility was nominally incorporated at the stage of project development.

Purpose

The main task of the new generation icebreaker Ilya Muromets is to lay caravan routes in Arctic waters and tow ships. Thanks to innovative rudder propellers, the ship is able to change course almost instantly, which provides incredibly high maneuverability in the ice field.

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In addition, the Russian ship will be able to deal with:

Container transportation by placing cargo on decks and cargo hold.
Elimination of the consequences of accidents that lead to the spill of oil products.
Fire extinguishing at surface and coastal facilities.
Conduct hydrographic surveys
In addition, the vessel will fully take over the supply of coastal bases and airfields located in the Arctic zone.

Specifications

The main specifications project 21180 vessels are as follows:

Dimensions (edit)

The length is 85 meters.
Width - 20 meters.
The height along the sides is 9.2 meters.
The largest draft is 7 meters.
Displacement - 6,000 tons.

Main characteristics

Speed indicators - 11 and 15 nautical knots in economical and maximum travel modes, respectively.
The maximum thickness of the ice barrier is 100 cm.
The maximum duration of autonomous sailing is 60 days.
Cargo hold capacity - 500 m3.
Rated lifting capacity - 500 tons.
The volume of the tank for the collected oil products is 300 m3.
The permanent crew of the supply icebreaker consists of 32 crew members. Support personnel: 50 members of the Marine Corps or Border Patrol.
In addition, the ship is equipped with modern electronics and GPS-navigation systems that determine the location of the ship with an accuracy of several meters.

Power plants

Propeller engine power - 2 * 3,500 kW.
The power of the main diesel generator is 4 * 2 600 kW.
Auxiliary motor - 2 * 300 kW.
Emergency diesel generator - 1 * 150 kW.

Prospects of the project

It is no secret that there is now an undeclared war for domination in the Arctic between the world's superpowers. Politicians of all countries understand the strategic advantage that the development and development of the Arctic gives. At present, the Russian icebreaker fleet in total exceeds the number of ships of this class available to other countries. In addition, only the Russian Navy has super-powerful nuclear-powered ships.

Project 21180 is the first milestone of the newest Russian history fleet. A contract has now been signed for the construction of 4 similar icebreakers, which will be redistributed between units of the Northern and Pacific fleets. In addition, there are active work over the patrol vessel "Ivan Papanin", which will perform service and combat missions in the Arctic latitudes. This ship is scheduled to be launched in 2020.

It can be assumed that icebreaker 21180 will be engaged in piloting the new Yasen and Borey class nuclear submarines from Severodvinsk. Therefore, the commissioning of the multifunctional icebreaker Ilya Muromets opens incredible prospects for the development and development of the Arctic zone.

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Compared to other states wishing to use the riches of the Arctic, Russia is in a better position. The advantage lies in the presence of a nuclear icebreaker fleet, which is not found in any other country in the world, as well as extensive experience in high latitudes.

In order to firmly consolidate the position of the Russian Navy in the Arctic zone, the country's leadership decided to build a leading military icebreaker. "Ilya Muromets" of project 21180 will be the first multifunctional vessel created in the interests of the Russian Navy and the Ministry of Defense in the last forty-five years.

In total, it is planned to replenish the Northern and Pacific fleets with four auxiliary vessels. The icebreakers will be built as a separate series. One of them will be the project 21180 Ilya Muromets icebreaker. The photo of the ship is presented in the article.

History of creation

At one time, the workers of the "Admiralteyskaya Verf" built "Ilya Muromets" (project 97). He served in the Pacific Fleet from 1965 to 1993. For history Soviet Union Based on this icebreaker, at least 32 ships were built. All of them were intended exclusively for military purposes. Eight of them performed the tasks of border patrol ships, and one facility was used as a survey vessel. Unlike their counterpart, Project 21180 ice ships are created as multifunctional. They can be used by both military and military scientific expeditions.

What is a ship?

Icebreaker "Ilya Muromets" of project 21180 is a single-deck multifunctional Russian auxiliary diesel-electric vessel. It belongs to a new generation of ships using powerful energy complexes and modern rowing electrical installations. In addition, according to the plans of Russian developers, the presence of extended functionality and large premises should become one of the characteristic features of the Ilya Muromets icebreaker.

Developers

The technical design of the new icebreaker Ilya Muromets was carried out by the employees of the Vympel ship design bureau under the leadership of the chief designer M. V. Bakhrov. Working design documentation the employees of the enterprise "Admiralteyskaya Verf" were engaged, with which the Ministry of Defense of Russia signed an agreement on March 21, 2014. The vessel was developed under the technical project No. 21180.

Bookmark the ship

Construction work was carried out taking into account all the requirements set forth in the State Program for Military Shipbuilding. In April 2015, the ceremonial laying of the Ilya Muromets military icebreaker was held at the Admiralteyskaya Verf enterprise.

According to the commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Viktor Chirkov, the laying of the icebreaker was carried out taking into account the characteristics inherent in ships tomorrow... A year later, this vessel was launched, where outfitting works are carried out on it to this day.

When will the ship be ready?

According to the plans of the developers, the icebreaker "Ilya Muromets" after the completion of all design work will pass mandatory tests. Presumably, they will take place in October 2017. Then, as planned, the Ilya Muromets icebreaker will be sent to the Arctic zone to serve in the Russian Navy.

How are you going to use the ship?

The icebreaker "Ilya Muromets" will be delivered to the Arctic zone for effective independent ice escort of warships and ships of the Russian Navy. The ship will perform the following tasks:

Patrol territories Arctic zone.
Tow other ships.
Transport cargo. For this purpose, it is planned to use the ship's cargo hold, as well as decks on which special refrigerated containers will be installed. Loading and unloading operations will be possible thanks to a 21-meter crane with a lifting capacity of 26 tons installed on the ship. Additionally, a crane-manipulator will be installed on the icebreaker. Its carrying capacity will be two tons. The bow of the vessel is planned to be equipped with a helipad. On the deck of the icebreaker there is a place for a multifunctional work boat BL-820, which uses an inflatable board.
The icebreaker will be used as a carrier for additional crews (in the amount of fifty people).
Pave the way over ice for non-ice-class ships.
Supply coastal and island bases and airfields located in the Arctic zone.
The icebreaker will also be used by scientists for hydrographic surveys.

In case of emergencies at emergency facilities, the ship is used to extinguish the fire. Especially for this purpose, the icebreaker is equipped with two water-foam monitors and a fire pump. Also, using this pump and a multifunctional boat, it will be possible to carry out containment and collection in the event of an oil leak. The icebreaker is equipped with 400-meter booms to collect oil products from the water surface.

Thus, with the help of the icebreaker "Ilya Muromets" (photo presented in the article), the basing and deployment of the forces of the Russian Navy in the Arctic zone will be carried out. This will make it possible to strengthen the military presence of the Russian Federation in the territorial waters of the Arctic.

Design

Conventional icebreakers contain superstructures with a vertical front wall. Since the "Ilya Muromets" is also intended to perform combat functions, its superstructures have an inclined front wall. Frigates and destroyers have a similar design. On the icebreaker "Ilya Muromets", if necessary, it will be possible to install artillery pieces. Presumably, the new icebreaker will use the AK-306. Mainly, it is with this artillery installation that auxiliary mobilized ships are armed.

What makes the ship unique?

The Ilya Muromets ship has performance typical of many ice-class ships providing the Russian military presence in the Arctic zone. The vessel is characterized by high seaworthiness, maneuverability and versatility. These conceptual principles were laid down in the 2015 shipbuilding program.

Nevertheless, the lead auxiliary vessel has its own innovation. According to the developers of the icebreaker, it will manifest itself when it comes to cruising range and autonomy. "Ilya Muromets" is designed for two-month voyages. According to experts, this ability is a good indicator for an icebreaker that does not use a nuclear power plant. Thus, this vessel is able to cover distances within 12 thousand nautical miles.

Use of new ridges

The icebreaker is equipped with four diesel generators with a capacity of 2600 kW each. Thus, the total power is 10,600 kW. The individual rudder propellers are equipped with two propeller motors. Each of them has a capacity of 3500 kW. It is planned that they will be powered by four diesel generators. The uniqueness of this icebreaker lies in the presence of ridge electric motors outside the hull. The screws are thus able to rotate 360 degrees on the shafts. Due to this, the icebreaker will be able to move in any direction. This ability is especially important when the ship is in the ice. According to experts, in the Arctic zone icebreakers very often have to back up. For a new icebreaker equipped with propellers, it will not be problematic to carry out a side stroke.

Engines

Ilya Muromets is equipped with engines of the Azipod type. These steering columns are used by the famous Mistral helicopter carriers and Arctic tankers of the R-70046 project. At one time, the workers of the "Admiralty Shipyard" also built the ship "Mikhail Ulyanov", equipped with the same columns. Russian icebreakers are using Azipod engines for the first time. A feature of "Ilya Muromets" can be considered the fact that it will be equipped with domestic propeller-driven steering columns. They are designed and manufactured by employees of the St. Petersburg Central Scientific Research Institute of Ship Electronics and Technologies.

Tactical and technical characteristics

Ilya Muromets belongs to the class of ice ships. It is suitable for operations with ice thickness not exceeding one and a half meters.
Country of origin - Russia.
The manufacturer is the Admiralteyskie Verfi enterprise.
Designed for the Russian Navy.
The crew consists of 32 people.
Displacement - 6 thousand tons.
The length of the vessel is 84 m.
Width - 20 m.
Board height 10 m.
The icebreaker has a draft of 6.8 m.
Travel speed - 11 knots (economical) and 15 knots (full).
"Ilya Muromets" is capable of continuous movement with an ice thickness of no more than one meter.

Conclusion

The lack of supplies of auxiliary vessels for the Russian navy significantly limited its ability to maneuver in Arctic waters. It is expected that the commissioning of the Ilya Muromets icebreaker will fill this gap. According to the developers, unlike its epic namesake, the icebreaker will not wait "thirty years and three years", but will defend the homeland in the very near future. The icebreaker will be launched at the beginning of 2018.

Universal ice ships of the Russian Navy return to the Russian Arctic

In two years time, the newest multifunctional vessel, the Ilya Muromets support icebreaker, will join the Arctic group of the Russian Navy. All in all, the Northern and Pacific fleets will include four such auxiliary vessels: as the military plans, the icebreakers will be built in a separate series.

The lead ship of the project was laid down at the Admiralty shipyards in St. Petersburg in April this year. Its appearance clearly indicates that plans to strengthen Russia's military presence in its Arctic territorial waters are being implemented not in words, but in deeds. Suffice it to say that the domestic military fleet has not received such auxiliary vessels for almost four decades. And now this gap, which significantly limited the capabilities of the Russian Navy in the Arctic theater, is being closed.

Icebreaker of tomorrow

The icebreaker "Ilya Muromets" is called for simplicity. In fact, this is a multifunctional support vessel with a high ice class. But since the Arctic will become the main place of service for him, the ability to pave the way for himself and the "wards" ships in ice up to a meter thick has come to the fore. In addition, Ilya Muromets will be able to supply coastal and island bases and airfields in the Arctic zone; towing of ships and other floating structures in ice conditions and on clean water; extinguishing fires at emergency facilities; containment of spills and collection of oil products from the sea surface; transportation of containers on the open part of the upper deck, including refrigerated containers with appropriate power supply, as well as other deck and hold cargo. In short, the Russian navy will receive a completely modern multifunctional vessel that will significantly strengthen the Arctic grouping.

“When this ship was being designed, the characteristics of the icebreaker were not even of today, but of tomorrow,” said the commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Viktor Chirkov, on the day the Ilya Muromets was laid down. - It is seaworthiness, maneuverability, versatility and a completely new electric principle of movement. The conceptual principle of shipbuilding, laid down in the shipbuilding program for the period up to 2015, has been implemented - this is multifunctionality. " And this statement accurately reflects the mission and capabilities of the new icebreaker.

General Director of JSC Admiralty Shipyards Alexander Buzakov during the ceremony of laying down the Ilya Muromets icebreaker in St. Petersburg. Photo: Svetlana Kholyavchuk / Interpress / TASS

Unlike its epic namesake, who lay on the stove for thirty years and three years before rising to defend his native land, the icebreaker Ilya Muromets will get back on its feet much faster - in just over three years. The contract between the Ministry of Defense and JSC Admiralty Shipyards for the development and construction of a new icebreaking vessel for the Arctic group was signed on March 21, 2014. A little later, in April, the Nizhny Novgorod design bureau Vympel signed an agreement with the Admiralty shipyards for the development of a technical design for a diesel-electric icebreaker with a capacity of about 7 MW. The project received its own number - 21180, and the chief designer of the KB Mikhail Valerievich Bakhrov led the development.

Nizhny Novgorod design bureau "Vympel"

Founded in 1927 on the basis of a branch of the Leningrad Central Bureau of Marine Shipbuilding. In 1930, the design bureau became independent and received the name "State office for the design of river and sea vessels" ("Rechsudoproekt"). In 1939 it was renamed into the Central Design Bureau No. 51, in 1966 - into the Central Design Bureau "Volgobaltsudoproekt", in 1972 it was named "Vympel".

In the 1940s, the bureau created a series of warships and ships: large and small submarine hunters, landing boats and barges, floating batteries, motorboats, mine sweeping and hospital ships. In the post-war period, one of the main activities of the design bureau was the design and technical support for the construction of ships and floating facilities that ensure the combat effectiveness of the Navy (in particular, vessels for demagnetization and control of the physical fields of submarines and ships).

In recent decades, the bureau has developed (many of the developments have been put into series):

Harbor tug of project 705B;

Salvage tugboat project 22030;

Rescue and tugboat project 22870;

Small hydrographic vessel of project 19910;

Large hydrographic boat of project 19920;

Project 1799E submarine demagnetization and magnetic and acoustic field control vessel;

Project 21980 anti-sabotage boat "Grachonok".

A separate area of the design bureau's work is the design of ships for nuclear-technological support of the Navy: floating plants for the treatment of liquid radioactive waste and ships for transporting containers with spent nuclear fuel (SNF).

On December 12, 2014, the main contractor of the order - Admiralty Shipyards - and KB Vympel, as the developer of the icebreaker 21180 project, defended the technical design materials from the general customer - the military. By this time, at the preparatory site of the shipyards, metal cutting for the construction of a new vessel had been going on for a month. On April 23, 2015, the laying ceremony of the Ilya Muromets icebreaker took place. The lead ship of the new series should be commissioned at the end of 2017.

Long-range and all-terrain

Speaking about the fact that the new icebreaker will be capable of much, since it will become a completely innovative vessel, neither the military nor the shipbuilders are cheating. Although at first glance, its characteristics do not demonstrate anything unexpected. Displacement of "Ilya Muromets" - 6000 gross register tons; length - 85 m, maximum width - 20 m (calculated - 19.2 m), side height - 9.2 m, minimum draft - 5.9 m, maximum - 6.8 m; full speed - 15 knots, economic - 11 knots. According to the classification of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping "Ilya Muromets" belongs to the ice class Icebreaker6, that is, it is capable of performing icebreaking operations in non-Arctic seas with an ice thickness of up to 1.5 m and continuously advancing in solid ice up to 1 m thick.

All of these are fairly typical indicators for most ice-class ships that still sail along the Northern Sea Route and provide a Russian presence in the Arctic. Innovations begin when it comes to the range and autonomy of the Ilya Muromets, as well as the type of its engine. The new icebreaker will be able to sail for up to two months - a very good indicator for a ship that does not have a nuclear power plant. Even more remarkable is the cruising range: it is 12,000 nautical miles, or 22,244 km. And this is more than four times the total length of the Northern Sea Route from Kara Gates to Provideniya Bay - 5600 km and twice the distance along the Northern Sea Route from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok, which is over 14,000 km.

Laying down of an icebreaker of the Ilya Muromets project at JSC Admiralty Shipyards in St. Petersburg. Photo: Denis Vyshinsky / TASS

The data on the Ilya Muromets engine looks even more innovative. It will be equipped with four diesel generators with a total capacity of 10 600 kW (each generator has a capacity of 2600 kW). They will power two propeller motors with a capacity of 3500 kW each, installed in separate rudder propellers. It is they who make “Ilya Muromets” a unique vessel: the electric motors outside the hull with propellers on their shafts rotate 360 degrees, allowing the vessel to move in any direction! Exactly what is needed in the ice, when sometimes it is required to give not just a forward or a back, but a "side" course, and "Ilya Muromets" is quite capable of doing this.

Such engines are called "type Azipod" - from English name Azipod, which consists of the words azimuth (literally - azimuth, polar angle) and pod (in this case - engine nacelle). Such rudder propellers are, for example, on the infamous Mistral helicopter carriers, as well as on the Arctic tankers of the R-70046 project (Mikhail Ulyanov), which were built several years ago at the Admiralty shipyards. But such engines are installed on icebreakers for the first time in Russia. And on "Ilya Muromets" will be installed propeller-driven propellers of domestic production: especially for the vessels of this project, they were designed and produced by the Central Research Institute of Marine Electrical Engineering and Technology (Central Research Institute of Marine Electrical Engineering and Technology) in St. Petersburg.

What is Ilya Muromets capable of?

It is usually easy to judge what tasks a particular ship can perform if you study the list of its additional equipment and crew accommodation data. And from this point of view, it is very interesting to study the specification of "Ilya Muromets". In particular, on board the new icebreaker there will be: a cargo crane (length - 21 m, lifting capacity - 21 t) and a manipulator crane (length - 21 m, lifting capacity - 2 t), a multipurpose work boat with an inflatable board BL-820, two water-foam fire monitors and a fire pump. And, in addition, 400 meters of booms and a launch boat for them: this is part of the equipment for collecting spilled oil. To this must be added a lifting capacity equal to 500 t, 380 square meters cargo deck on the icebreaker's quarterboard and 500 cubic meters of cargo hold. Plus a helipad on the tank, which can receive helicopters of the Ka-32 type or the more common Ka-27 in the military fleet.

All this confirms the words of the military and shipbuilders that the new icebreaker will be a very “versatile personality” and will indeed be able to solve a variety of tasks. But there is another interesting point in the specification. Somewhere it goes under the name "passenger capacity", somewhere - "additional crew", but the number is the same everywhere: 50 people. And this despite the fact that the own, permanent crew of "Ilya Muromets" - only 32 people! Why is it necessary to accommodate another fifty people on board?

And here the name of the icebreaker can tell a lot. The fact is that he inherited it from the project 97 Ilya Muromets icebreaker (Vasily Pronchishchev), built at the same Admiralty shipyards and serving in the Pacific from 1965 to 1993. According to this unique project, a total of 32 vessels were built - the largest series of icebreakers in the history of the USSR! And the most interesting thing is that all three dozen icebreakers of Project 97 from the very beginning were intended for military service... Among them there was a place and eight icebreaking border patrol ships, and a hydrographic vessel, and the world's only research icebreaker "Otto Schmidt".

So it is likely that border guards, marines, escorts of military cargo, and members of military scientific expeditions may turn out to be an "additional crew". The fact that the icebreakers of project 21180 can perform not only auxiliary, but also quite combat functions, is also indicated by another of them characteristic feature... Unlike conventional icebreaker superstructures, which have a vertical front wall, the superstructures of military icebreaker patrollers have a very recognizable sloping front wall, reminiscent of the superstructures of modern frigates and destroyers. Ilya Muromets has exactly the same. And the free space between the helipad and the superstructure is quite enough so that, if necessary, an artillery mount of the AK-230, AK-630 or AK-306 type can be installed there (the latter is most likely, since it was originally intended for the re-equipment of auxiliary mobilized vessels).

And yet another possible role of the new icebreaker is hinted at by the history of its predecessors. Another icebreaker - "bogatyr" of project 97 - "Dobrynya Nikitich" - during service in the Northern Fleet, repeatedly participated in ensuring the transition of nuclear submarines of the Northern Fleet to Pacific Ocean... Taking into account the program for the construction of new nuclear submarines of the Yasen and Borey projects at the plant in Severodvinsk, it can be assumed that icebreakers of Project 21180 will be engaged in their escort to the Pacific Fleet. In any case, the cruising range, autonomy, passenger capacity, and carrying capacity , and the icebreaking ability is quite possible for them.

The head of the press service of the Northern Fleet, Captain 1st Rank Vadim Serga, the newest diesel-electric icebreaker Ilya Muromets, which is in service with the fleet, has started ice tests. They will pass in the eastern part Barents Sea until the end of April. In addition to testing the icebreaker, an assessment will also be made of the possibility of using the surface forces of the fleet in this area in the current season. The vessel has already approached the ice edge, the position of which corresponds to the average values of many years of observations. The thickness of the ice in the test area varies from 50 to 100 centimeters, the ice concentration is nine to ten points. This corresponds to the technical capabilities of the icebreaker. It is planned that the tests will last until the end of April, after which the ship will return to its permanent base, Murmansk. The use of "Ilya Muromets" significantly increases the Northern Fleet's own logistics capabilities when performing assigned tasks in the Arctic. The first participation of the icebreaker in the Arctic cruise of warships and support vessels along the Northern Sea Route is planned for this year. Due to its versatility, the icebreaker can be widely used to perform research, transport, rescue and other tasks in the Arctic. In Arctic voyages, the main emphasis when navigating ships and ships of the Northern Fleet through ice fields will be on the Ilya Muromets. Russia will not give up its Foreign and Russian expert communities predict the fate of Syria and Iraq in the Arctic: for arctic ice the dispute will certainly go. The fact is that this is, in fact, the last one on the globe an untouched pantry of minerals.

During last year's trip “to the north,” President Vladimir Putin emphasized the importance of the Arctic for Russia: “According to the Russian Academy of Sciences, the overwhelming share of all-Russian and global reserves is concentrated in the Arctic zone, including gold - 40%, oil - 60%, gas - from 60 to 90%, chromium and manganese - 90%, platinum metals - 47%, indigenous diamonds - 100% and so on, and so on ... The cost of mineral raw materials in the region is estimated at $ 30 trillion. "

It is clear that there are more and more people willing to "join" the development of the Arctic. Also in early XXI For centuries, they started talking about the mythical international status of Siberia, and recently the United States proposed to give the Northern Sea Route international status. Whether there will be more ... Russia does not intend to give anyone away the wealth that belongs to it by right. Therefore, now a powerful military fist is being created in the Arctic to protect its untold riches. Russian Defense Minister General of the Army Sergei Shoigu said: "We came here, to the Arctic, not for a year or two, but for a long time - for centuries." Now for our military, guarding the northern borders of the state, more and more high-tech weapons and special equipment are being created. The ship of tomorrow Compared to other states wishing to use the riches of the Arctic, Russia today is in an exceptional position: it has the world's largest Arctic coastal strip, has many years of experience in high latitudes, has an icebreaker fleet, including nuclear, which is no longer in the world no one else. However, all these icebreakers serve exclusively for paving the way through the Arctic ice to other ships and for conducting scientific research... If necessary, they will not be able to defend themselves. And it is hardly possible to put on them the means of protection against external attack. The design of "civilian" icebreakers is such that there is simply no place on them for the installation of artillery and anti-ship installations. The new icebreaker "Ilya Muromets", created specifically for the Russian Navy, is intended, among other things, to perform combat missions in the Arctic zone. According to the commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Viktor Chirkov, the laying of the icebreaker was carried out taking into account the characteristics inherent in the ships of tomorrow. The uniqueness of Ilya Muromets lies in a fundamentally new main power plant (GEM). It consists of four diesel generators with a total capacity of 10,600 kilowatts, which feed two propeller motors with a capacity of 3,500 kilowatts each. They are installed in separate rudder propellers and placed on the outer surface of the body: they can rotate 360 degrees. Therefore, "Ilya Muromets" can move in any direction - even forward, even back, even sideways, even obliquely. This allows him to quickly change course and maneuver on the ice field.

In 2015, the Ministry of Defense officially announced that a "self-sufficient grouping" of Russian troops would be created in the Arctic by 2018: on the islands of Alexandra Land (Franz Josef Land archipelago), Kotelny (Novosibirsk Islands archipelago), Sredny (Severnaya Zemlya archipelago), in the village Rogachevo (Novaya Zemlya), on the Schmidt and Wrangel Islands. Airfields, closed-loop military camps and combat positions of Arctic units and subunits, radar stations are being built at the bases. This grouping must be supplied. "Ilya Muromets" will have to cope with this task as well. As conceived by the designers, the cargo hold of the ship, as well as decks on which special refrigerated containers will be installed, will be used to solve the problems of cargo transportation. Loading and unloading operations will be possible thanks to a 21-meter crane with a lifting capacity of 26 tons installed on the ship. Additionally, a crane-manipulator is installed on the icebreaker. Its carrying capacity is two tons and the icebreaker will be able to transport personnel up to 50 people. "Passengers" can be marines accompanying military cargo, soldiers of Arctic bases, border guards and members of military scientific expeditions. In the bow of the icebreaker there is a helipad. It can accommodate Ka-32 and Ka-27 helicopters.

"Handyman" The main tasks of Ilya Muromets today include independent patrolling of the territory of the Arctic zone, towing other ships, transporting cargo, laying paths on the ice surface for ships that do not have an ice class, supplying coastal and island bases and airfields located in the Arctic zone. and specific. In case of emergencies on ships of ice convoys or emergency facilities on the coast, the ship can be used to extinguish the fire: for this there is necessary equipment... The icebreaker will also be able to localize and collect oil products in the event of a leak, for this it has 400-meter booms on board.

It is this versatility that turns a seemingly ordinary icebreaker into a “jack of all trades”, capable not only of solving navigation and transport tasks, but also of participating in combat operations. Ilya Muromets is characterized by high seaworthiness, maneuverability and versatility.