An American magazine assessed the new capabilities of Russian Arctic transport vessels of the Ivan class
“Ivan Papanin class vessels” can beare equipped with Kalibr-K cruise missiles, which caused a stir in 2010 when the weapons manufacturer announced that the missile could be transported and launched from shipping containers,” writes 19fortyfive.
The author notes that vessels of the “Ivan Papanin” typereceived a strong hull that allows refrigerators to move in ice without the support of icebreakers. The ships will be able to deliver cargo to research and military bases in the Arctic.
The new complex will turn these ships into a full-fledged armed transport. However, the publication emphasizes that for the effective use of missiles, additional equipment will be required.
“In particular, while "Caliber"is a GPS-enabled weapon that can engage targets at long range based on targeting data transmitted from remote ships and satellites to "Ivan Papanin" a reliable data transmission system will be required to fully utilize the Kalibr’s range,” notes the author of the article.