The Russian Navy has taken delivery of a new crane vessel while the US Coast Guard has selected local and overseas shipyards for the construction of its future Arctic icebreakers. Orders have also been placed for workboats for use by Swedish and Chinese operators.
The Swedish Maritime Administration has announced plans to invest in four new vessels to modernise its ageing fleet.
The board has approved the acquisition of two heavy work vessels for fairway maintenance and two specialised vessels for nautical surveying.
Finland's Rauma Marine Constructions has signed a deal to build two icebreaker ships for the US Coast Guard with delivery in 2028, the company said in a statement, as President Donald Trump seeks to boost his country's national security in the Arctic.
The vessels are the first to be constructed under a memorandum of understanding signed in October by Trump and Finnish President Alexander Stubb laying the foundation for commercial agreements on icebreakers.
Russia's Almaz Shipbuilding Company recently handed over a new crane vessel to the Russian Navy.
SPK-63150 belongs to the Project 02690 series of self-propelled crane vessels designed primarily for lifting operations for transport of cargo. They may also take on secondary functions such as installation of equipment on floating berths and loading of weapons and provisions onto the Russian Navy’s surface ships and submarines.
Bollinger Shipyards of Lockport, Lousiana, has entered into an agreement with the US Coast Guard for the construction of four "Arctic security cutters" (ASCs), a new class of medium icebreakers for operation in Arctic waters.
Bollinger will construct ASCs based on a multi-purpose icebreaker (MPI) design developed by Seaspan Shipyards of Canada in collaboration with Aker Arctic Technology of Finland.
Chinese operator Shenzhen Huazhou Ocean Development has selected local company Jianglong Shipbuilding for the construction of a new battery-powered workboat.
Upon completion, the vessel will have an LOA of 43.35 metres, a beam of 8.8 metres, and seating for up to 60 passengers.