Russia is secretly building icebreakers equipped with cruise missiles.
Russian media has just published a list of the types of ships the country is building or has undergone testing, notably including ships belonging to Project 23550.
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| Currently, the Klub-K missile-equipped icebreaker construction program, part of Project 23550, is progressing rapidly, with the hull structure nearing completion. This is clearly surprising news, as the Russian Navy had previously stated that the construction of Project 23550 ships would be delayed for several more years. |
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| Alexander Buzakov, General Director of Admiralty Shipbuilding Company, announced that, under pressure from financial factors, the development program for the new Project 23550 ice-class patrol vessel has been suspended until 2023-2024. |
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| The general director stated: "The deadline for the Project 23550 icebreakers under the national armament plan 2018-2027 has unfortunately been changed to 2023-2024." |
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| In 2016, the Russian Ministry of Defense ordered two Project 23550 ice-class patrol vessels from Admiralty Shipbuilding Company, a subsidiary of United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC). The ships were developed by the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau under the auspices of chief designer Boris Leikis. |
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| According to initial information, in addition to its ability to break through ice up to 1.5m thick in the Arctic, this class of icebreaker is also equipped with a weapons system comparable to any heavy warship, including the Klub-K missile system. Besides the main weapon, the Klub-K system, the ship is also equipped with a 100mm A190-01 naval gun. |
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| With such a weapons system, the Project 23550 icebreaker is considered an all-powerful killer, capable of attacking all types of surface ships (including aircraft carriers) and land and coastal targets. |
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| However, just two years after the project was launched, the program was postponed until after 2023-2024, and there is no guarantee that it will be restarted on schedule. But the Russians surprised the West by revealing images of Project 23550 ships under construction, as if there had never been a decision to halt the project. |
