VESSEL REVIEW | Patrol and rescue airboat for operation in Far Northern Russia

The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations (RMES) has taken delivery of a new emergency response airboat built by Krasnoyarsk-based company Sever.

The vessel belongs to the Project Sever 650K (Север 650K) series of airboats designed for operation in coastal and inland areas, cruising on surfaces such as frozen waterways, swamps, sand, grass and even asphalt, particularly in Russia’s Far North.

The RMES will use the airboat for search and rescue and maritime safety patrols.

Durable construction ideal for harsh conditions

The newbuild has a welded aluminium superstructure, an inflatable PU skirt with overlapping plastic scales, an LOA of 7.8 metres (26 feet), a beam of 2.85 metres (9.35 feet), a depth of 2.6 metres (8.5 feet), and a capacity of eight passengers and 1,500 kg of assorted cargo.

The PU skirt can withstand temperatures of between –55 and 45 degrees Celsius and is highly resistant to UV radiation and impact damage from driftwood and other small floating debris.

Heavy duty petrol propulsion setup

Power for the vessel is provided by a 430hp (320kW) petrol engine, which is fed by a 420-litre (92-gallon) tank and drives a six-bladed propeller via a gearbox. Sever selected petrol as the sole fuel for the Project Sever 650K airboats, since the company does not regard diesel engines or electric motors as ideal for the extreme temperatures under which these vessels will regularly operate.

The propulsion arrangement delivers a cruising speed of 43 knots, though trials demonstrated that the boats in the series can exceed 60 knots depending on the engine used. An additional 140-litre (31-gallon) aft fuel tank can also be fitted to extend the vessel’s operating range.

Configured for personnel transport

The wheelhouse has a helm station and a navigator’s station with mostly analog instruments, a Raymarine radar, a U-shaped passenger seat, underseat storage spaces, panoramic windows, LED lighting, and sound insulation panels.

The U-shaped seat can be unfolded, thus turning it into a bed for up to four people, while interior space is also available for other features such as a refrigerator and an air conditioner.

The airboat can be operated up to five kilometres (three miles) offshore and in one-metre (3.2-foot) wave heights. It is also light enough to be trailer-transportable, thus ensuring flexibility when deploying to operational sites.