Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex and Scientific Research fleet directorate of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Science have signed contract for construction of two multifunctional research vessels (RV) of unrestricted navigation.

Contract signing was held as part of the decision of the Government of the Russian Federation to define Zvezda SSK as the only executor of the order provided by the “Science” project. Such types of vessels haven’t been built in Russia for several decades, renewal of scientific and research fleet is an important objective of the government. Vessels design has already been elaborated by the Central Design Bureau “Lazurit”.

The purpose of the new vessels is to perform fundamental and applied research in the water area of the World ocean including hydrometeorological survey, magnetic, gravity, electric and thermal fields measurement, biological and ecological research, high-resolution geological and hydrographic seafloor survey, sampling and analysis of earth material and sea-floor sediments with the use of underwater engineering and ecological monitoring of the environment. Wide range of measurements will be performed with the use of the  advanced on-board and towed equipment, RV laboratories can process received data in real-time mode.

Due to Arc4 ice class, research vessels can navigate independently in the first-year ice with the thickness of up to 0,6 m in winter-spring period and up to 0,8 m in summer-autumn. The length of the vessels is 122,5 m, deadweight – 8130 t. Endurance is 50 days, distance of the passage is 7500 miles. Vessels are equipped with helicopter pads.