VESSEL REVIEW | Kerch Strait – Large, ice-capable salvage ship delivered to Russian Marine Rescue Service

The Russian Marine Rescue Service recently took delivery of a new large emergency response vessel built by the Amur Shipyard division of Russia's state-owned United Shipbuilding Corporation.

Kerch Strait (Керченский пролив; Kerchenskiy Proliv) belongs to the Project MSPV06 series of emergency response vessels that were designed to be capable of search and rescue, surface and underwater salvage, external firefighting, towing of damaged vessels, dive support, surveys, icebreaking in freezing non-Arctic areas (characterised by ice up to 1.5 metres thick), limited cargo transport, and oil spill response.

Space is available for 22 crewmembers and medical staff plus up to 12 additional personnel.

Designed for use in offshore and Arctic zones

The vessel was designed by the Marine Engineering Bureau in compliance with Russian Maritime Register of Shipping requirements and is certified for operation in unlimited navigation areas including waters near offshore oil and gas fields as well as Russia's Northern Sea Route in the Arctic.

Construction of the Project MPSV06 vessel began in 2010 but was put on hold. She was finally launched in November 2020 while her sea trials were completed in 2025.

The vessel has an LOA of 86 metres (280 feet), a moulded beam of 18.5 metres (60.7 feet), a draught of six metres (20 feet), a moulded depth of 8.5 metres (28 feet), and a displacement of 5,129 tonnes at full load. The wheelhouse offers all-round visibility, allowing the bridge crew to directly oversee operations on the aft deck.

Fitted out for firefighting and other emergency response duties

Four diesel generators drive two azimuthing fixed-pitch propellers to deliver a maximum speed of 15 knots, a cruising speed of 11 knots, and a maximum endurance of 30 days. The generators will also supply the service load for the various onboard systems.

Three 1,000kW bow thrusters will meanwhile provide additional lateral manoeuvrability for berthing/unberthing and navigation in congested waters.

The emergency response equipment includes a water curtain system, main engine-driven fire pumps, and foam monitors mounted above the wheelhouse. The electronics suite includes a DP2 system, Furuno radars, and rotating thermal cameras.

Broad range of crew amenities for extended-duration operations

Kerch Strait also has a fully equipped galley, mess areas, crew cabins, and compartments for accommodating rescued accident survivors. The interior spaces are kept comfortable with the aid of a centralised air conditioning system.

A flight deck is available forward of the superstructure to provide temporary staging for a Ka-32 or similar medium transport helicopter. In the cargo transport role, the working deck can carry up to twelve 40-foot ISO containers or 800 cubic metres (28,000 cubic feet) of assorted freight, which will be loaded and unloaded with the aid of two 32-tonne onboard cranes.

The working deck also has provisions for later installation of a stern A-frame with a lifting capacity of 80 tonnes.