Russian shipbuilder Admiralty Shipyards started construction of a new ice-class patrol ship with an official ceremony in St. Petersburg on April 19.
The first of two ordered Project 23550 vessels is named Ivan Papanin and will be used for patrols in the Arctic.
The ceremony was attended by the Russian Navy’s Commander-in-Chief, Vladimir Korolyov, who praised the event and noted that construction of the second ship in the class would start soon.
Ivan Papanov is a combination of a patrol ship and an icebreaker. Measuring 110 meters in length and displacing 8,500 tons, the ship will be capable of navigating through ice up to 1.5 meters of thickness.
It will also feature a helipad and helicopter hangar and carry two high-speed boats.
The shipbuilder said the Ivan Papalin would be delivered to the Russian Navy after 2020.