The United Shipbuilding Corporation (OSK) presented the project of the Arctic cruise and expedition vessel "Arklainer". The Arc6 ice-class vessel is designed for cruises and expeditions in high latitudes – from the Arctic to Antarctica, the OSK press service told "Pervy Tekhnichesky".
The liner, 163 meters long and 23.5 meters wide, is designed for 292 passengers and 192 crew members. The autonomy of navigation is up to 35 days, and the cruising range is 10 thousand nautical miles. This will allow the vessel to make long voyages in areas with limited coastal infrastructure, including the Northern Sea Route.
The project provides for several routes. In summer, "Arklainer" will be able to sail from Murmansk to Spitsbergen, Novaya Zemlya, and the coast of Norway (7–14 days). The longest route is from Murmansk along the Northern Sea Route to Alaska or Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (up to 35 days). In winter, the vessel will move to Antarctica for cruises near the Falkland Islands and the coast of Antarctica.
The hull is reinforced for operation in ice up to 1.3 meters thick. Double sides in the ice belt area and two-compartment unsinkability are provided. The vessel will run on liquefied natural gas and low-sulfur diesel to reduce its environmental footprint in sensitive Arctic waters.
"Arklainer" is capable of speeds up to 17 knots. It is equipped with a helipad, a developed medical unit, and tender boats for landings on unequipped coasts. On board there are cabins with balconies (78% of the total), restaurants, an observation lounge, a spa center, swimming pools, and a fitness area.
Other Arctic projects of OSK
OSK's Arctic ambitions extend well beyond a single project. In 2024, the Central Marine Design Bureau "Almaz" presented the concept of the cruise liner "Kunashir" based on the Project 23550 icebreaker – an Arc7 ice-class vessel carrying 74 passengers, equipped with a helicopter, UAVs, and hovercraft for landing on an unequipped shore. "Arklainer" builds on the same idea at a markedly larger scale: 292 passengers instead of 74, a length of 163 m instead of 112 m, and a lower ice class of Arc6 paired with significantly increased cruise comfort. In March 2026, OSK also revealed the design of a unique Arc7 ice-class container ship with a capacity of 4800 TEU for "Rosatom Arktiki" – a further step in the company's broader push to develop Arctic transport infrastructure.