Russia unveils world's biggest nuclear icebreaker

*sigh*

Wish that was done in North America.

Here's a picture of the really awesome Canadian icebreaker that'll never get built:

I'm sure the Russians will be glad to break the ice for us. Maybe we could give them a bit of our Northern territory in return.

Well, if you actually did some research you would discover that this is an artist rendition of an Arctic Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) that is currently under construction in Halifax.

Pardon, you're right. It's not an icebreaker. The image was mis-identified as an icebreaker in my Google search.

The Captain of Russia's Nuclear Icebreaker.

Russian boat

586 feet long and more than 100 feet wide
Displacement 33,540 metric tons
Twin nuke reactors
Nuclear-turbo-electric
Three shafts, 52 MW (combined)


AOPS

Length: 103.6 m (340 ft)
Beam: 19 m (62 ft)
Displacement: 6,440 metric tonnes
Installed power: Four 3.6 MW (4,800 hp) generators
Propulsion: Diesel-electric; two shafts (2 × 4.5 MW (6,000 hp))

We will have to be careful the Russian ships doesn't just run us over, it'll be like
a tractor trailer hitting a Mini.

They've already laid the keel on the first one (HMCS DeWolf) and the second one will be started soon.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/business/1 ... -wolf-coin

THAT class , or at least part if it, will be built. Unfortunately, they may make up our entire navy in a couple of decades when there are no oilers, frigates, destroyers.

I can just hear some Gliberal/NDPr standing up in the house and declaring that "Canada has no use for a fleet of Dreadought battleships. As John Lennon once said, "give peace a chance""

Russian boat

586 feet long and more than 100 feet wide
Displacement 33,540 metric tons
Twin nuke reactors
Nuclear-turbo-electric
Three shafts, 52 MW (combined)


AOPS

Length: 103.6 m (340 ft)
Beam: 19 m (62 ft)
Displacement: 6,440 metric tonnes
Installed power: Four 3.6 MW (4,800 hp) generators
Propulsion: Diesel-electric; two shafts (2 × 4.5 MW (6,000 hp))

We will have to be careful the Russian ships doesn't just run us over, it'll be like
a tractor trailer hitting a Mini.

It's that it can steam right over the pole and anywhere in our Arctic archipeligo that they want to go that is so troubling. The Arctic Patrol vessels are built to operate in first year ice, only (which is a heck of an improvement over the Navy's current Northern capabilities, I will grant you) At least, the new Canadian ships appear to have been designed to carry and deploy troops. That we would even consider defending our motherland with boots on the ground is almost a brand new concept.

In 2006/'07 I read about the "50 Let Pobedy". Construction was started just before the break-up of the Soviet Union, it was expected to be finished in 1995. The name means "50 years since victory", meaning 50 years since the end of World War 2. It had sat unused and incomplete for years. In 2006 Russia completed it, but had no plans for it. In the first week of February 2007 it underwent sea trials, then parked. I wanted it for Canada. I wanted Canada to negotiate a deal to buy it. It was surplus to Russia, so we should be able to get a deal. But I was a member of the Liberal Party, Harper's Conservatives were elected in January 2006, so I had no contacts in government.

This was the most powerful icebreaker in the world at the time. The Arktika class icebreakers had nuclear reactors, able to break 2.4 metre thick multi-year ice. That includes the Yamal. But "50 Let Pobedy" used a new bow design, invented in Finland. With the same twin nuclear reactors, they could build the ship bigger, hence able to break 3.0 metre thick multi-year ice. Or thicker single-year ice. I was concerned Russia might not want to sell the most powerful icebreaker they ever built.

As an alternative, I noticed the Arktika (class ship) and Sibir were parked. Russian engineers said they could replace the core of the nuclear reactors for 1/4 the cost of a new ship. That would put the ships back into service. Another concern was metal fatigue. I wanted Canada to specialize in keeping older ships in service. I wanted to anneal the hull in place. That's a heat treatment that completely relieves all metal fatigue. It requires heating the metal red hot, then burying in dry sand or vermiculite or something like that to cool over 3 days. That means all flammable items such as wood panelling, or items that could melt like electrical wiring (insulation melts), would have to be removed. So it means gutting the ship, heating, cooling, then re-assembling. All paint would be fried, so it would have to be re-painted. Do that to both Russian icebreakers. Russia would pay for replacing/refurbishing the nuclear reactors in both. Canada takes one ship, Russia keeps the other. They would get a fully functional icebreaker, back in service. Cost to Russia would be 1/4 the cost of a new ship for each, so the whole project would cost 1/2 the cost of a ship. That would save Russia money.

And Canada gets a nuclear ice breaker. A sister ship of Yamal. Canada would have an ongoing relationship with Russia to service the nuclear reactor. That could help with international relations. Russia has a fleet of service ships that can service the reactor at sea. But I also wanted a dock at our main navy port that could service the reactor as well.

But no. No one would listen to me. Got a couple Liberals in Manitoba to listen, but our party was out of power so it went nowhere.

Since then Arktika and Sibir have been decommissioned. Their reactors removed, remains of the ships towed to breaking yard in Siberia. They've been chopped up for scrap metal. "50 Let Pobedy" has been put into service to replace them.

I see this new ship is also called Arktika. Reuse the name after the old ship has been chopped-up. The new ship is "586 feet long and more than 100 feet wide, ... and will be able to break ice up to 10 feet thick, and 13 feet deep." The "50 Let Pobedy" is 523 feet 7 inches long, and beam 98 feet 5 inches. It can break 3.0 metre thick multi-year ice (9.84 feet). Close enough?

How should I conclude? "Told you so?" "Should have listened to me?" Something like that?

Since the Liberals are back in power for a time, I'm waiting for this class to get cut short at two, maybe three ships.

It's an old tradition.

That's why the Navy doesn't fly "ATTACK helicpters" but machines that are old enough to collect Old Age Pension, instead.

Thank you, Ti-Jean!

My hero!

Sunny Ways.

Actually, here's the heavy icebreaker we are building...


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CCGS_John_G._Diefenbaker