The Kapitan Chadaev icebreaker of FSUE “Rosmorport” is planned to be provided with broadband satellite communications under the Autonomous Navigation federal project, according to Rosmorport.
In September 2023, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia plans to transfer to the enterprise a set of V-SAT ship-based satellite communication equipment of Russian production for these purposes. The work on the introduction of a sample satellite communications complex on the vessel is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.
The Kapitan Chadaev icebreaker will be one of the vessels on which, with the participation of the enterprise, individual prototypes of domestic equipment developed during the R&D activities of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia will be introduced. The implementation of the project will allow testing the created equipment in real operation.
The development of V-SAT equipment and subsequently its mass production is carried out by Central Scientific Research Institute Kurs JSC.
V-SAT satellite communication equipment is designed for use on sea and river vessels. The set of equipment consists of two parts: equipment for installation inside the superstructure of the vessel (also known as sub-deck equipment) and an antenna post, installed, as a rule, on a special rack (bracket) on the navigation deck of the vessel or on the mast of the vessel, if the design of the mast allows.
The guidance of antenna posts to the spacecraft repeater is carried out by a gyroscopic stable reference platform automatically. For this purpose, antenna modules of navigation equipment are placed on the antenna reflector, receiving signals from GLONASS and GPS satellite navigation systems.
For many years, the Kapitan Chadaev icebreaker has been successfully assisting vessels in the water area of the seaport of Arkhangelsk and on the approaches to it during the winter navigation.
At the moment, a large-scale modernization project is being implemented for this vessel along with other icebreakers of project 1105 built in 1977-1978. The modernization is aimed at extending the service life of the vessels and ensuring their commercial use beyond ice navigation periods. During the modernization, out-of-date and worn-out main and auxiliary mechanisms are planned to be replaced, control systems be updated, and automation class be upgraded.