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The nuclear icebreaker "Soviet Union" is being scrapped. Icebreaker Soviet Union Main technical characteristics

Details Category: Marine Transport Published: 09.08.2017

The icebreaker "Soviet Union" is a nuclear-powered icebreaker of project 10521 Arktika, built in 1989. It is designed for the most Arctic conditions with ice thickness up to 3 meters, and can also be converted for military needs in the shortest possible time.

The vast territory of our country, stretching "from the southern mountains to the northern seas," as the popular song of Soviet times sang, makes it necessary to have a fleet that is able to move freely through the waters of these most severe seas and the Arctic Ocean. Powerful nuclear-powered icebreakers are the only type of ships capable of breaking through thick ice in the Arctic waters. Therefore, in the Soviet Union, and then in Russia, great attention was paid and continues to be paid to the creation of ships of this class. As a result, our country is the only owner in the world of a fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers.

In order to ensure dominance in the water space of this region, to fulfill national economic tasks, in the early seventies of the last century, a project was conceived and began to be implemented to create ten nuclear-powered ships of the Arktika class, named after the first ship in the series. After the "Arktika", "Siberia" and "Russia", on the last day of October 1986, the icebreaker "Soviet Union" was launched from the shipyard of the Baltic Shipyard in Leningrad. In its creation, however, as in the production of other vessels of the class, a large number of enterprises were involved, including: OKBM im. Afrikantov from Gorky, Mayak Production Association in the city of Ozersk, Chelyabinsk Region, the Iceberg Central Design Bureau in Leningrad, etc.

The "Soviet Union" began to function in 1989 with a planned working resource of 25 years. Vessel registration - Murmansk port.

Description

All Arktika-class icebreakers have four decks and two platforms. To combat ice jams, the Soviet Union has a double hull made of alloy steel, which is particularly durable. The vessel has the ability to move through the water area, both in the forward direction and in the reverse mode, using three fixed-pitch propellers with four blades each.

The main node of the icebreaker are two OK-900A nuclear reactors that produce energy for the "Soviet Union". The working elements of a steam turbine plant are water and steam, which make the turbine rotor rotate. It consists of two steam generators. The power of each of them is 37,500 liters. With. The power supply system is backed up by a backup complex consisting of a 1,000 kW diesel generator and two emergency ones - 200 kW each.

A modern nuclear-powered icebreaker, which is the "Soviet Union", is a large floating house, which you can navigate without leaving the deck. Despite being equipped with high-tech equipment, there is still space on the ship to accommodate a wardroom, a dining room, a bar, a medical department, a sauna, a swimming pool, a cinema hall, etc.

Specifications

Here are some figures on the characteristics of the atomic icebreaker "Soviet Union", regarding its dimensions and functional parameters.

Length - 147.9 m.
Width - 29.9 m.
Height on board - 17.2 m.
Displacement - 21 120 tons.
The highest speed in free water is 20.8 knots (approximately 38.5 km / h).
Power - 75,000 liters. With
Draft depth 11 m.
The crew of the ship consists of 100 people.
Autonomous navigation of the icebreaker - seven months.

Icebreaker Features

The features of the project "Soviet Union" was its possible conversion in a short time into a ship for military service. Some of this equipment is in a mothballed state on the ship, the rest is onshore. This provides for the use of the MP-123 shipborne artillery fire control system, consisting of a radar station that helps to detect and track targets, as well as a TV and an ECU (electronic control units). As a weapon, it is possible to use an artillery mount of the AK type (automatic ship).

When creating, much attention was paid to the security system of the "Soviet Union". A system of measures was developed that controlled and notified in time about any deviations in the operation of the nuclear filling.

Loop control in the first coolant.
System for detecting microscopic leaks in the coolant of a nuclear plant.
Observation of the state of the metal of the shell of a nuclear reactor.

It must be said that over the years of operation of the Arktika-class icebreakers, not a single failure in the operation of this most complex device has been recorded. The reliability of the vessels remains at the highest level.

Exploitation

His activities were extremely varied. We list the main points of its operation.

Arctic tourism (1991, 1992, 1997, 1998).
Installation of equipment for meteorological observations in 1991. Combining tourist activities with research practice, the crew installed 5 automatic stations and 1 meteorological buoy from the USA on drifting ice floes.
In 2002, the practice of connecting the power plant of the Sovetsky Soyuz icebreaker to the power grid of buildings on the coastline of Murmansk was tested. The experiment was a complete success, but was found to be too costly.
In 2004, an expedition was organized to the underwater Lomonosov Ridge near the North Pole to carry out a unique drilling experiment. In addition to our nuclear-powered ship, two icebreakers from Sweden and Norway took part in it. A well 428 meters deep was drilled in the body of the ridge. The installation was located on the Norwegian ship Vidar Viking. "Soviet Union" and the Swedish "Oden" by their constant maneuvering freed the site for the experiment from ice jams.
In order to increase the service life in 2007-2008, new modern equipment was supplied by the native Baltic Shipyard. A year before, the "Soviet Union" ceased to be operated.

Currently, the icebreaker is working on re-equipment of the vessel. Their completion is scheduled for 2017.

The future of the fourth nuclear-powered icebreaker of the Arktika class is vague. The leadership of Rosatomflot, the current owner of the ship, wants to send it to the department of the Russian Ministry of Defense for use as the head command post of the Northern Fleet. The military department, in turn, hesitates, not considering this proposal expedient. Of course, the financial side of the issue also plays an important role. The maintenance of a nuclear ship costs a lot of money.

If the re-profiling of the "Soviet Union" does not take place, then the icebreaker will return to its usual work activity. The term of his new labor resource is 20 years.

"Soviet Union"

Icebreaker "Soviet Union" (right).
Flag
Vessel class and type	nuclear icebreaker
Home port	Murmansk
Organization	Russian Federation
Operator	FSUE "Atomflot" of the state corporation "Rosatom"
Manufacturer	JSC "Baltiysky Zavod"
Launched into the water	1986
Commissioned	1989
Withdrawn from the Navy	2010
Status	in the sludge
Main characteristics
Displacement	22920 tons
Length	150 m
Width	30 m
Height	17.2 m (board height)
Draft	10-11 m
Engines	GEM
Power	75 thousand liters With.
mover	3 fixed pitch propellers with 4 removable blades
travel speed	Max. 20.8 knots on the water
Autonomy of navigation	Seven months
Crew	100 people

Icebreaker « Soviet Union is a Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker of the Arktika class, built at the Baltic Shipyard in Leningrad. Launched on October 31, 1986, commissioned in 1989. Included in and used by the Murmansk Shipping Company.

The icebreaker is designed in such a way that it can be retrofitted into a warship in a short time. Some of this equipment is in a mothballed state on board, and some is in coastal warehouses. In particular, a fire control radar of the MP-123 detachable artillery mount was installed on the tank in front of the felling.

In 1991, 1992, 1997 and 1998 "Soviet Union" served for Arctic tourism. During the transpolar cruise from July 27 to August 16, 1991, 5 automatic meteorological ice stations (No. 20, 21, 23, 18, 26) and one American meteorological buoy No. I.D. 7058 were installed on board drifting ice. Installation methods - carrying stations from the icebreaker to the selected ice floe or delivery of stations to the drifting ice floe by the icebreaker's helicopter.

During a transpolar cruise in 1992, under the command of the captain of the nuclear-powered ship "Soviet Union" A. G. Gorshkovsky, at the parking lot at the North Pole on August 23, 1992, the Andreevsky flag and the flag of the city of St. Petersburg were raised on the flagpole of the vessel in honor of Russian sailors and shipbuilders " Baltic Plant" in the city of St. Petersburg. The raising of the flags was carried out by the passenger assistant to the captain N. N. Rumyantsev

In March 2002, during the icebreaker's mooring at the berth in Murmansk, for the first time in practice, its power plant was used to supply onshore facilities. At the same time, the power of the installation reached 50 megawatts. The experiment was successful, but was considered unprofitable.

In 2004, he was one of three icebreakers participating in research on the impact of global warming in the Arctic.

The service life of the icebreaker is set at 25 years. In 2007-2008, the Baltic Shipyard supplied equipment for the Sovetsky Soyuz icebreaker, which makes it possible to extend the life of the vessel.

Currently, the icebreaker is planned to be restored, but only after a specific customer is identified or until transit along the Northern Sea Route is increased and new areas of work appear. As Vyacheslav Ruksha, Director General of Rosatomflot, stated in August 2014, “we are extending the service life of the Sovetsky Soyuz icebreaker and will restore it by 2017.”

Main technical characteristics

The greatest length is 147.9 m.
The greatest width is 29.9 m.
Board height 17.2 m.
Displacement 21,120 tons.
Type of main plant: nuclear turboelectric, two reactors up to 55 megawatts.
Maximum speed in clear water 20.8 knots.

Notes

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Lenin class

Arctic class

Taymyr class

Northern Sea Route class

Class LK-60Ya

Class LK-110Ya

Napoleon enters Moscow after a brilliant victory de la Moskowa; there can be no doubt about victory, since the battlefield remains with the French. The Russians retreat and give up the capital. Moscow, filled with provisions, weapons, shells and untold riches, is in the hands of Napoleon. The Russian army, twice as weak as the French, does not make a single attempt to attack for a month. Napoleon's position is the most brilliant. In order to fall on the remnants of the Russian army with double strength and exterminate it, in order to negotiate a favorable peace or, in case of refusal, to make a threatening movement against Petersburg, in order even, in case of failure, to return to Smolensk or Vilna , or stay in Moscow - in order, in a word, to keep the brilliant position in which the French army was at that time, it would seem that no special genius is needed. To do this, it was necessary to do the simplest and easiest: to prevent the troops from being plundered, to prepare winter clothes that would be enough in Moscow for the entire army, and to properly collect provisions for the entire army that were in Moscow for more than six months (according to French historians). Napoleon, the most brilliant of geniuses and having the power to direct the army, historians say, did nothing of the sort.
Not only did he not do any of this, but, on the contrary, he used his power to choose from all the paths of activity presented to him that which was the most stupid and pernicious of all. Of all that Napoleon could do: spend the winter in Moscow, go to St. Petersburg, go to Nizhny Novgorod, go back, north or south, the way that Kutuzov went later - well, whatever you think up is more stupid and more pernicious than what he did Napoleon, that is, to remain in Moscow until October, leaving the troops to plunder the city, then, hesitating whether to leave or not to leave the garrison, leave Moscow, approach Kutuzov, do not start fighting, go to the right, reach Maly Yaroslavets, again without experiencing the chance to break through , to go not along the road along which Kutuzov went, but to go back to Mozhaisk and along the devastated Smolensk road - nothing could be more stupid than this, more detrimental to the army, as the consequences showed. Let the most skillful strategists come up with, imagining that Napoleon's goal was to destroy his army, come up with another series of actions that would, with the same certainty and independence from everything that the Russian troops did, would completely destroy the whole French army, like what Napoleon did.
The brilliant Napoleon did it. But to say that Napoleon destroyed his army because he wanted it, or because he was very stupid, would be just as unfair as to say that Napoleon brought his troops to Moscow because he wanted it, and because that he was very smart and brilliant.
In both cases, his personal activity, which had no more power than the personal activity of each soldier, only coincided with the laws according to which the phenomenon took place.
Quite falsely (only because the consequences did not justify the activities of Napoleon) historians present to us the strength of Napoleon weakened in Moscow. He, just as before, as after, in the 13th year, used all his skill and strength to do the best for himself and his army. Napoleon's activity during this time is no less amazing than in Egypt, in Italy, in Austria and in Prussia. We do not know correctly about the extent to which the genius of Napoleon was real in Egypt, where forty centuries looked at his greatness, because all these great feats are described to us only by the French. We cannot correctly judge his genius in Austria and Prussia, since information about his activities there must be drawn from French and German sources; and the incomprehensible surrender of corps without battles and fortresses without siege should incline the Germans to recognize genius as the only explanation for the war that was waged in Germany. But there is no reason for us to recognize his genius in order to hide our shame, thank God. We have paid to have the right to simply and directly look at the matter, and we will not cede this right.
His activity in Moscow is as amazing and ingenious as elsewhere. Orders after orders and plans after plans come from him from the moment he enters Moscow until he leaves it. The absence of residents and deputations, and the fire of Moscow itself, do not bother him. He does not lose sight of either the good of his army, or the actions of the enemy, or the good of the peoples of Russia, or the administration of the valleys of Paris, or diplomatic considerations about the forthcoming conditions of peace.

In military terms, immediately upon entering Moscow, Napoleon strictly orders General Sebastiani to follow the movements of the Russian army, sends corps along different roads, and orders Murat to find Kutuzov. Then he diligently orders the strengthening of the Kremlin; then he makes an ingenious plan for a future campaign across the entire map of Russia. In terms of diplomacy, Napoleon calls to himself the robbed and ragged captain Yakovlev, who does not know how to get out of Moscow, sets out to him in detail all his policy and his generosity and, writing a letter to Emperor Alexander, in which he considers it his duty to inform his friend and brother that Rostopchin badly ordered in Moscow, he sends Yakovlev to Petersburg. Having set out in the same detail his views and generosity before Tutolmin, he sends this old man to St. Petersburg for negotiations.

The Russian nuclear icebreaker "Soviet Union" is being scrapped. This was reported by RIA Novosti Vyacheslav Ruksha, General Director of the enterprise of the state corporation Rosatom FSUE Atomflot (Rosatomflot).

Nuclear icebreaker "Soviet Union" in the port of Murmansk. Photo: RIA Novosti / Sergey Subbotin

“The icebreaker “Soviet Union”, unfortunately, is being disposed of. An official order was signed,” Ruksha said.

What is the reason?

Ruksha explained that the reason for this decision was the sanctions of Western countries against Russia. “Due to the effect of Western sanctions on the joint project of Rosneft and the American ExxonMobil for the extraction of hydrocarbons on the shelf of the Kara Sea, the icebreaker was “out of work,” said the head of Rosatomflot.

He also said that the issue of using the icebreaker by the Arctic group of the RF Armed Forces was being studied. But for this purpose, it turned out to be redundant in terms of power and there is no economic feasibility in its use, Ruksha explained.

What did the icebreaker do?

Since 2010, the "Soviet Union" has not been operated. It was withdrawn from the fleet due to a decrease in the volume of work in the Arctic.

However, in 2014, the leadership of Rosatom decided to restore the nuclear-powered ship by 2018 and use it in new offshore projects. It was assumed that he would be able to move in the ice at a speed of 12-14 knots (22-26 km / h). After extending the resource of the reactor plant, the Sovetsky Soyuz could serve another 20 years.

What are the characteristics of an icebreaker?

The Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker of the Arktika class Sovetsky Soyuz was commissioned in 1989. The peculiarity of the icebreaker is that it was designed in such a way that it could be retrofitted into a battle cruiser in a short time.

"Soviet Union" was used for Arctic tourism and for scientific purposes. In 2004, he was one of three icebreakers that participated in research on the impact of global warming in the Arctic.

Rosatom offered the Ministry of Defense to modernize the Sovetsky Soyuz nuclear-powered icebreaker by installing special military equipment on it. After that, the ship can be used in Arctic waters as a mobile command post for the newly created Joint Strategic Command North. "Our Version" figured out how realistic this idea is and what could be behind it.

As we know, the Ministry of Defense has already received an offer from Atomflot, but the reaction of the military department is still unclear. Unofficial sources are also silent. All this gives rise to two versions: either the Ministry of Defense has not yet decided how to respond to such a proposal, and does not know what to say, or some kind of plan has really matured in the depths of the ministry, but it is so secret that any information is shrouded in secrecy .

On the "Soviet Union" there is a place for a gun

The Sovetsky Soyuz is the fourth ship in a series of nuclear-powered icebreakers of the Arktika type of project 10520. It was built at the Baltic Shipyard and put into operation in 1989. Its displacement is about 23 thousand tons, the maximum speed is 20 knots. Nuclear steam generating plant OK-900A, developed in OKBM named after V.I. I.I. Afrikantova, includes two water-cooled power reactors with a nominal capacity of 171 megawatts each, which allows the ship to autonomously stay at sea for seven months.

Thus, it is obvious that the icebreaker has wide possibilities. That's just why they are military?

Here you need to reveal a secret: from the very beginning, icebreakers of this type were designed so that they could be converted into a warship in a short time. To do this, the necessary equipment is stored in coastal warehouses, and some systems are in a mothballed state right on board. So, in the bow of the ship in front of the wheelhouse, a fire control radar of the MP-123 removable artillery mount was installed.

Given this circumstance, the idea of converting the icebreaker into a command ship no longer seems so unexpected. It seems even more logical against the background of statements about the development of the Arctic and Russia's plans to create an Arctic naval fleet. Therefore, although the question arises of how modern equipment manufactured 30 years ago can be considered, it is still worth recognizing: the idea of converting an icebreaker to a command ship may, in principle, turn out to be viable.

On you, Shoigu, what is worthless to us

However, as in any project, the main question arises: how much will it cost to transform a civilian icebreaker into a combat unit? And why did Rosatom suddenly decide to abandon the ship in favor of the military? What an attraction of unheard-of generosity?

Here it is worth paying attention to the fate of the "Soviet Union". After the collapse of the USSR, icebreakers were looking for areas of application for a long time, they tried the "Soviet Union" in various qualities. From 1991 to 1997, it was used for Arctic tourism, and at the same time for research work. However, the use of a nuclear-powered icebreaker as a carriage for tourists was hardly an adequate way to recoup the costs of its maintenance. In March 2002, while the icebreaker was moored at the berth in Murmansk, its power plant was used to supply onshore facilities. At the same time, the power of the installation reached 50 megawatts.

From the very beginning, icebreakers of this type were designed in such a way that they could be converted into a warship in a short time. To do this, the necessary equipment is stored in coastal warehouses, and some systems are in a mothballed state right on board.

As a result, in 2010, the "Soviet Union" was withdrawn from the fleet. It was reported that work on technical restoration and modernization was planned on it. Two years later, it was announced that the withdrawal of the "Soviet Union" from the technological reserve would be completed by 2014. Then the cost of loading fuel for the two reactors of this nuclear-powered ship and its repair was estimated at a billion rubles.

However, Rosatom's promises never came true. Of course, it would be interesting to know how much money the corporation has written off over the years for the repair of the icebreaker, but, alas, this is unlikely to succeed. As a result, a version arises: it seems that in the department of Sergei Kiriyenko they simply decided to transfer their old problem to the Ministry of Defense, entrusting the military to put the "Soviet Union" in order. Well, what - the budget of the Ministry of Defense is growing every year and under the brand name of the need to defend the Arctic, the transfer of the icebreaker will look like a completely patriotic decision.

But still, doubts are born: is it possible to create a command post on such a gigantic, weakly protected and slow ship? After all, it will be incredibly easy to detect and destroy such an object, and therefore significant forces will be required to protect it. And if you imagine that a missile hitting a nuclear icebreaker can cause radioactive contamination of a large area, then the idea of Rosatom will seem completely ridiculous.

Viktor Kravchenko, Chief of the Main Staff of the Navy (1998 - 2005), admiral:

- The fleet does not need to convert icebreakers into command posts at all, since all large ships of the Russian Navy have the ability to place them on board. We are talking not only about the flagship of the Northern Fleet, the heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov of the Fleet of the Soviet Union, but also ships of the first rank. These ships are equipped with special communications and fleet management equipment, as well as protective equipment. Why use something else is completely incomprehensible. To create a command post from an icebreaker, you will need large, completely unjustified financial investments. Moreover, the icebreaker "Soviet Union" was used exclusively for civilian purposes, so it will have to be almost completely modernized. The assertions that the icebreaker will be able to pass through the ice and that is why the fleet in the North needs such a command post also does not stand up to scrutiny. Such options for using icebreakers were not considered even under the Soviet Union. In the ice, he simply has nothing to control. Apparently, Rosatom has no money and does not know how to use their ship, so they offer such adventurous options.

Specifically

Proposals for the creative use of ships with nuclear power plants appear regularly. For example, in 1997, the idea was born to use nuclear-powered ships to ensure Northern delivery. This is how a unique experiment was carried out: a submarine of the Northern Fleet delivered cargo to the Kharasavey shift camp in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. However, the military sailors could not fully complete the task: due to the shallow water, the boat could not approach the shore closer than 300 meters, since there was a danger of bottom silt getting into the reactor cooling system. Therefore, bags of flour and sugar were unloaded through the loading hatch onto the ice, after which the goods were delivered to the village on reindeer teams.

In 2000, the Rubin Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering began to study the possibility of converting Project 941 Akula nuclear submarines into underwater vehicles. The project was initiated by the Ministry of Defense and OJSC Norilsk Nickel. The latter was forced to rent several icebreakers to deliver its products from the Taimyr Peninsula to the mainland, so the idea of carrying cargo under the ice looked very promising. However, the project was never implemented, since in order to convert the submarines into transports, they would have to be almost completely rebuilt, in addition, due to the shallow water, the submarine had to overcome part of the way on the surface, following the icebreaker.

Another idea to use submarines in the national economy arose in 2011, when the Ministry of Defense decided to decommission all Project 941 Akula strategic nuclear submarines. At the Sevmash enterprise in the North Dvina, it was proposed to convert the Sharks into underwater gas carriers or sea trucks. However, this idea was abandoned immediately after the budget was drawn up, which turned out to be astronomical. However, in 2014 the idea got a second wind: Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said that the technology of under-ice oil and gas production has a great future, so the idea of nuclear submarine gas carriers should not be completely written off.

Next year, another nuclear-powered icebreaker will be put into operation on the Northern Sea Route. Thus, in total, six ships of this class will operate in the Arctic. Stanislav Golovinsky, head of the FSUE Atomflot representative office, told reporters about this, speaking at a round table on the topic "The Arctic transport system as a fundamental factor in the development of the region."

“Given the growing cargo traffic in the Arctic, in 2012 we are commissioning a nuclear-powered icebreaker that was laid up,” he said. “This will be the sixth vessel of this class to enter the Northern Sea Route.”.

The icebreaker being returned to work is called "Soviet Union", and under this name he will walk in the Arctic, said Golovinsky. “Yes, we are not renaming it,” he stressed.

The first Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker of a new design will be built in 2017 Golovinsky said.

The construction of a series of three such vessels will begin in 2012., said the representative of Atomflot. “The budget has been adopted, money has been allocated for this,” he said, recalling that “this pleasure is not cheap - the cost of construction is 32 billion rubles.” However, this step is necessary in view of the plans for the economic development of the Arctic.

The main task of the new icebreakers is to promote the development of the Yamal Peninsula, escorting ships that take out natural resources mined there, Golovinsky explained. At the same time, ships will be able to lay fairways in the ice both at sea and on rivers. This is achieved due to the fact that they will change their draft due to the ballast of water in special tanks. The width of the ship's hull is such that "a tanker with a displacement of 70,000 tons can follow it almost freely," the specialist noted. The most advanced world technologies will be introduced on this icebreaker, Golovinsky stressed.

The nuclear icebreaker fleet solves state tasks, the specialist said. The main ones are emergency rescue operations if necessary, participation in the work to determine the boundaries of the shelf, that is, in fact, to determine the boundaries of the Russian economic zone. In addition, Golovinsky noted, “together with Roshydromet, we are monitoring the weather, as well as importing and picking up the North Pole expeditions, and fulfilling the tasks of the Ministry of Defense to ensure the activities of the Navy in the northern seas.”

However, at the same time, the representative of Atomflot emphasized, the icebreaker fleet is performing more and more work on a commercial basis. “We strive to ensure that the nuclear icebreaker fleet earns its own living. But not by increasing tariffs, but on the contrary, by reducing them - due to a corresponding increase in demand," Golovinsky said, noting that "we managed to double our commercial revenue in three years."

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