The Military Educational and Scientific Center of the Navy (VMF), the \"Naval Academy named after Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union N.G. Kuznetsov\", has patented a self-propelled means for breaking ice, intended to ensure the urgent surfacing of submarines in Arctic areas. The document was published in the FIPS database.
According to the description, the development is an autonomous self-propelled device with a double explosive charge. It includes a hull, engine, propeller-rudder group, control unit, auxiliary mechanisms, as well as tanks and a high-pressure air cylinder.
According to the creators' concept, the device is delivered under the ice to a designated point and destroys the ice cover, forming a polynya for the submarine to surface.
The key advantage of the development is eliminating the need for a lengthy search for natural polynyas in an emergency situation. In addition, the device makes it possible to deliver a more powerful charge to the detonation site than the standard equipment carried on board the submarine.
The authors emphasize that the introduction of the new system will not require radical redesign of submarines. The design can be used both in the modernization of existing submarines and in the design of new vessels.