USC is implementing a project for the unique scientific expedition vessel (SES) "Ivan Frolov," which is called the flagship of polar science. The vessel is being built at Admiralty Shipyards. It has no analogues in the world, the corporation's press service reported.
The SES is intended for replacing personnel, providing logistical support to Antarctic stations, unloading onto unprepared shores, ice barriers, fast ice (a type of stationary ice in seas, oceans, and their bays along the coasts), conducting marine research in the ocean, and removing waste and garbage.
The official keel-laying ceremony of the SES took place in October 2024 in St. Petersburg. The project was developed by engineers from the Nevsky Design Bureau ("Nevskoe PKB," part of USC).
The "Ivan Frolov" is being built for the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring. The shipbuilders plan to deliver the vessel in 2028. The SES will join the fleet of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI, a leading scientific center for the study of the polar regions of the Earth).
Technical characteristics of the SES "Ivan Frolov":
- Greatest length: 164.8 m
- Greatest width: 26 m
- Board height: 13.5 m
- Draft at the design waterline (DWL): 8.5 m
- Displacement: 25,308 tons
- Ice class: Arc7
- Speed: 16 knots
- Crew: 70 people
- Scientific staff: 170 people
The vessel can carry up to 2.5 thousand tons of cargo. Up to 20 laboratories will be located on board, as well as a hangar for 2 helicopters and a platform for Mi-8, Mi-38, or Ka-32 helicopters.
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