Project 23550 patrol ship

Project 23550 is a class of armed icebreaking patrol ships under construction for the Russian Navy. Two ships were ordered from Saint Petersburg-based Admiralty Shipyards in 2016. The ships are designed to patrol the Russian territorial waters and exclusive economic zone in the Arctic. The ships are also referred as "Arktika" type (шифр «Арктика»).

During the launching ceremony of the lead ship, it was announced that two additional ships of slightly revised design would be built for the FSB Border Service of Russia by Vyborg Shipyard. The derivative design is also referred to as "Ermak" type (шифр «Ермак»).

Design
Project 23550 patrol ships have a planned displacement of 8500 t, a length of 114 m and a draught of 6 m. The ships will be equipped with two Raptor-class patrol boats, a Ka-27 helicopter and small hovercraft. The core crew is planned at 60 with accommodation for an additional 50 mission specialists. Armament will include a 76 mm naval gun (some sources state a 100 mm naval gun) and 3M-54 Kalibr anti-ship missiles in the Club-K container variant.

Project 23550 will have an integrated electric propulsion with four 3500 kW Kolomna 28-9DG main diesel gensets consisting of 16-cylinder 10D49 diesel engines driving alternators produced by Ruselprom. In addition, the ships will have two auxiliary diesel gensets with Kolomna diesel engines and Ruselprom alternators. While the early concept featured ABB Azipod azimuthing propulsion units, the final design has two conventional shaft lines, propellers and rudders. The 6300 kW propulsion motors will be produced by Ruselprom. The ships will have an endurance of 70 days and a range of 10000 nmi at economic speed of 10 kn. Their maximum speed is 18 kn.

The vessels are strengthened for navigation in ice-covered arctic seas according to the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping ice class Arc7. They are designed to break ice up to 1.7 m thick.

Think tank Global Security pointed out several similarities between the Project 23550 design and NOCGV Svalbard, and Canada's Harry DeWolf-class offshore patrol vessel. All three class are of approximately the same displacement, capable of transitting similar thickness of ice and have similar size crews, with room for mission specialist. Project 23550 is, however, much more heavily armed.

In 2020, it was announced that the Russian Navy would begin sea trials to test the installation of module containers on patrol vessels permitting such ships to carry significantly upgraded armaments tailored to different missions. The containers were envisaged to carry various weapons including sonars and torpedoes or anti-ship and cruise missiles.