In pursuance of the decision of the RF Government to appoint SC Zvezda as the sole contractor under the programme, two scientific research ships will be constructed by the Zvezda shipyard under the science project.

Lazurit's central design bureau established the design of the scientific research ship. The Russian Maritime Register of Shipping and other supervisory authorities have authorised it.

The ships are intended for a wide variety of basic and applied research work.

The new multipurpose vessels will be deployed in the global ocean for physical, chemical, meteorological, biological, geophysical and other kinds of research. Laboratories for the study of water samples, suspended solids and bottom sediments are to be fitted.

The ships will be able to sail independently with their Arc4 class in a one-year loose pack of ice of up to 0.6 m in the winter-spring season and up to 0.8 m in the summer-autumn season.

At the end of September 2020, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed an order allocating RUB 27.6 billion for the construction of two unrestricted navigational scientific research vessels.

The Rosneft-led Consortium is constructing the Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex on the orders of the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin. At the moment, the order portfolio of the shipyard is 53 vessels. Rosneft, which placed an order for 28 vessels, provides the Shipyard's pilot throughput.

Maritime Business World