Russian Army to receive its first combat icebreaker in 2025
The Russian Army will receive a number of new arms systems in 2025, including a nuclear submarine with ballistic missiles and new strategic bombers. According to Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, the ordnance delivery schedule for 2025 has been finalised.
Photo: Dmitry Plotnikov Pravda.Ru by Neuronetwork
Russian Army fighters
Tu-160 strategic bombers
The Russian Aerospace Forces will receive four Tupolev Tu-160M strategic bombers in 2025. The Tu-160M missile-carrying aircraft are part of the air component of Russia’s nuclear triad. They are also capable of carrying missiles with non-nuclear warheads. During the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia used the Tu-160 to launch the Kh-101 and Kh-555 cruise missiles.
The basic version of the Tu-160 with a variable-sweep wing has four NK-32 engines, which provide a maximum flight speed of up to 2,230 kilometers per hour. The Tu-160 can carry 45 tons of combat load. Internal compartments of the missile carrier can accommodate 12 Kh-101 missiles. The modernized version of the aircraft will be superior to its original version in all respects.
Knyaz Pozharsky nuclear submarine
The naval component of Russia’s nuclear triad — the Knyaz Pozharsky submarine — will be the eighth submarine of Project 955. It will also be the fifth one built according to 955A Borey-A modernised project. The submarine was launched in February 2024.
Borey class submarines carry solid-fuel Bulava ballistic missiles. They carry 6-10 warheads with a capacity of 100-150 kilotons. The maximum range of the missile is 9,300 kilometers. The nuclear submarine is also armed with 533-millimeter torpedo tubes that allow the use of mines, torpedoes and missiles.
Ivan Papanin combat icebreaker
The first combat icebreaker will be another new addition to the arsenal of the Russian Navy. In 2025, the navy will receive the ice-class patrol ship Ivan Papanin of Project 23550 (code name Arktika). The ship, which was launched in 2019, is currently completing trials.
Ships of this project can operate in any navigation zones breaking through ice up to 1.7 meters thick. It is believed that the Arktika icebreakers are capable of performing tasks of a tugboat, icebreaker and fireboat, or combat ship.
The Ivan Papanin is armed with an AK-176MA 76-millimeter artillery mount. Ships of this type can also be additionally equipped with machine gun mounts and Kalibr missile container launchers.
In addition to new weapons, the Russian military will receive other units of ordnance. In August 2024, the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Alexander Moiseyev, announced that the heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser Admiral Nakhimov of Project 1144.2M Orlan would be delivered to the navy.
The ship, which was commissioned in 1988, has been undergoing repair and modernization works since 1999. The upgraded ship will feature a universal shipborne firing system 3S14, which can carry Kalibr, Zircon and Onyx missiles, modern anti-submarine systems and air defense systems.
Losharik nuclear deep-sea vehicle
It is possible that the AS-31 Losharik nuclear deep-sea vehicle that has been undergoing repair and modernization works, will also return to service in 2025. The Losharik vehicle of Project 10831 was laid down in 1988, but the construction was frozen in the 1990s. The submarine was completed in 2003. It is believed that Losharik consists of seven titanium spheres, which increase the strength of the structure and allow it to withstand high pressure at great depths.
In addition to large warships, nuclear submarines and bombers, the Russian army will receive smaller, but no less important products, such as personal survival kits for pilots. Factory versions of such products have not been produced for Russian pilots before. The body armour vest holds a supply of water, a special compass, a first aid kit, a pistol holster, and other accessories.
The serial production of the compact AM-17 assault rifle of 5.45 mm caliber is to begin in 2025 as well. The assault rifle weighing 2.5 kilograms is equipped with a folding telescopic butt and a Picatinny rail to mount sights and accessories. The new product can replace the shortened AKS-74U assault rifle, which was developed in the late 1970s. Kalashnikov also plans to modify the recently adopted Chukavin sniper rifle.
Details
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military of Russia. They are organized into three service branches—the Ground Forces, Navy, and Aerospace Forces—two independent combat arms (the Strategic Rocket Forces and Airborne Forces), and the Special Operations Forces Command. The Russian Armed Forces are the world’s fifth largest military force, with about one million active-duty personnel and close to two million reservists. They maintain the world’s largest stockpile of nuclear weapons, possess the world’s second-largest fleet of ballistic missile submarines, and are the only armed forces outside the United States and China that operate strategic bombers. As of 2024, Russia has the world’s third-highest military expenditure, at approximately US$130 billion, or over six percent of GDP, compared to approximately to US$86.5–$109 billion the year before. Its military budget is set to expand by 30 percent, to US$145 billion, in 2025.
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