Khariton Laptev (icebreaker)

Khariton Laptev (Харитон Лаптевн) was a Soviet and later Russian icebreaker in service from 1962 until 1996. It was one of twelve Project 97A icebreakers built by Admiralty Shipyard in Leningrad in 1961–1971.

Description


In the mid-1950s, the Soviet Union began developing a new diesel-electric icebreaker design based on the 1942-built steam-powered icebreaker Eisbär to meet the needs of both civilian and naval operators. Built in various configurations until the early 1980s, the Project 97 icebreakers and their derivatives became the largest and longest-running class of icebreakers and icebreaking vessels built in the world. Of the 32 ships built in total, the unarmed civilian variant Project 97A was the most numerous with twelve icebreakers built in 1961–1971.

Project 97A icebreakers were 67.7 m long overall and had a beam of 18 m. Fully laden, the vessels drew 5.35 m of water and had a displacement of 2935 t. Their three 1800 hp 10-cylinder 13D100 two-stroke opposed-piston diesel engines were coupled to generators that powered electric propulsion motors driving two propellers in the stern and a third one in the bow. Project 97A icebreakers were capable of breaking 70 to 75 cm thick snow-covered ice at very slow but continuous speed.

History
The third of twelve Project 97A icebreakers was laid down at Admiralty Shipyard in Leningrad on 10 February 1962, launched on 11 August 1962, and delivered to the Sakhalin Shipping Company on 25 December 1962. Initially named simply Ledokol-3 (Ледокол-3), Russian for "icebreaker", it was renamed Khariton Laptev in 1966 after the 18th century Russian naval officer and Arctic explorer. The icebreaker was stationed in Vanino in the Russian Far East.

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Khariton Laptev passed over to the successor state, Russia.

Khariton Laptev was taken out of service in 1996 and sold to Vietnam for scrapping.