Vympel Design Bureau, a company under Russia's state-owned United Shipbuilding Corporation, has unveiled the first images of a new design of inland pusher tug.
The Project 00443 series will replace earlier pusher tugs that were originally built in Hungary. Over 140 examples of these vessels, which are between 35 and 56 years old, are still operating in Russia's inland waters.
Each Project 00443 vessel will have an LOA of 47 metres, a beam of 14 metres, a depth of 3.5 metres, a draught of 2.3 metres, an endurance of 12 days, and space for 10 crewmembers and two additional personnel. Two 1,000kW main diesel engines will deliver speeds of over 10 knots.
The tugs will be used for pushing and towing of non-self-propelled barges carrying both dry and liquid cargo. They will also be capable of operating in wave heights of up to three metres, while a high level of onboard automation means their crew complements can be smaller compared to tugs of similar size.
Design work on the Project 00443 pusher tugs will be undertaken in compliance with Russian Classification Society rules.