The world's largest research and expedition vessel for Antarctica, "Ivan Frolov" of Project 23680, will be launched in March 2027, according to Igor Shumakov, head of the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (Roshydromet).
Construction should be completed in December 2028. And in early 2029, it will embark on its first voyage to Antarctica. So far, everything is on schedule.
The vessel's keel laying at the Admiralty Shipyards took place ahead of schedule in October 2024.
"Ivan Frolov" isthe world's largest research vessel, it will replace the "Academician Fedorov" built in 1987, which has exhausted its resources. The new vessel is 165 m long, with a displacement of about 25 thousand tons.
It will accommodate up to 20 laboratories, as well as a helicopter pad and a hangar for two helicopters. The hull of the future research vessel will correspond to the Arc7 class, allowing it to pass through difficult polar ice without icebreaker escort. The number of crew and special personnel is 240 people.
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