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U.S. eyes on Russian icebreakers?

U.S. eyes on Russian icebreakers?

And again we return to the Arctic. The US has actively embarked on a program to build its own icebreaker fleet, which is necessary for the development of both poles of our planet. Americans are able to build ships, but many observers were attracted by President Trump's Memorandum to mention the possibility of “buying” an atomic icebreaker. Who did the head of the White House mean: their shipbuilders or “generous soul”?

Washington unexpectedly found itself lagging behind in the development of Arctic open spaces. The United States has just seven diesel icebreakers, and the most powerful of them, Polar Star, at the same time, the oldest and literally forced to “devour” parts for the repair of his brother Polar Sea. Also in 2012 Polar Security Cutter Program Adopted, according to which three heavy icebreakers and three medium ones were to be built. The basis of the new American "conqueror of the poles" took the modernized German icebreaker project Polarstern II, which surpasses the prototype in displacement and power. kind of, all is well: there is a contractor, funds allocated, but eight years later, President Trump is radically revising the shipbuilding program. Suddenly it turned out, that the characteristics of the icebreakers do not meet the new requirements of the US Navy: their power is only 33,7 MW, they are subject to ice thick in 1,8 m, and the autonomy of ice navigation is only 90 day. for comparison, the shaft power of the Russian icebreaker of the LK-60Ya Arktika project is 60 MW, and they break ice up to 2,6 m. Besides, our ships have variable draft, allowing them to walk across the oceans, and along riverbeds. And how can one not recall the promising domestic super-icebreaker of the Leader project, which can break the ice cover up to 4,3 meters and leave a corridor wide up to 30 m, suitable for passage of large vessels along the Northern Sea Route. "Leaders" should become our "wunderwaffe" at the NSR, opening navigation even in winter, when it is simply impossible. TO 2033 year at the shipyard "Star" is expected to launch three icebreakers of this class. The "Arctic" and the "Leaders" will provide Russia with "all-weather" dominance in the conditions of the Arctic Ocean. It is quite obvious, that Washington is no longer "seasonal" diesel-electric icebreakers. USA has the necessary technology and is able to build icebreakers, but they don’t have experience in creating nuclear ships of this class. If you literally understand the statement of trump about the possibility of "purchase", then icebreakers are also being built by their allies from Canada and Finland, but they don’t do nuclear powered. China, showing interest in the Northern Sea Route, recently started building its first nuclear icebreaker, suspiciously similar to the Russian Arctic. As a matter of fact, Russia and China are the very potential suppliers for the needs of the US Navy. Here you can reasonably object, But what about our dominance in the Arctic, why do we give icebreakers to the Americans ourselves? All right, that's just an exclusive monopoly on this region with us, Unfortunately, no: other countries also have the legal right to use the Northern Sea Route as an international transport artery, and there are no ways to prevent this, except military. The only source of funding for Arctic programs is the federal budget., order "worn out" due to all kinds of "oil" and "gas wars", sanctions, coronavirus pandemics etc. Already when Russia took upon itself additional quotas for oil production under the OPEC + deal, it was said, that new resource projects in the High North will be called into question. At the same time, the Russian government confirmed its intention to gain a foothold in the region:It is necessary to continue the development of a fleet of powerful modern icebreakers. This is an important and necessary work for the country..
It is worth recalling, that one Leader-class icebreaker is valued at 127,5 billion rubles, not excluded, that the final cost will become even greater. Expensive pleasure. it seems, may be, and wrong, that further development and division of the Arctic will take place as part of the most unexpected alliances. Not much surprised, if new domestic nuclear-powered icebreakers, with the permission of the government under a leasing program, then float to the West, where will serve the US and international polar stations announced by President trump. Money does not smell, right?

Author: Sergey Marzhetsky

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