Russia's Volga Shipyard plans to build three Project HSV05 Arc7-class hydrographic vessels for Arctic operations.
Evgeny Semenov, the yard's general director, said earlier this month that construction dates have yet to be set.
"Construction of three vessels under this project is planned; the dates have not yet been determined, but our country very much needs vessels like these," Semenov told GoArctic. "Unfortunately, the yard currently has no confirmed contracts for new vessels."
Semenov said the Nizhny Novgorod yard could build series vessels up to Arc9 and could start construction of as many as four or five units simultaneously.
The lead vessel, Pavel Mikhalenko (Павел Михаленко), is under construction for local operator Rosatom. It will support Northern Sea Route operations by conducting hydrographic surveys, servicing aids to navigation and carrying specialists and cargo to remote Arctic locations.
Semenov said the existing specialised fleet was substantially worn.
"One such vessel replaces several narrowly specialised vessels," he said.
He listed rescue, oil spill response, towing and cargo supply among the vessel's other roles.
The ship has an Arc7 hull and Arc5 machinery. Semenov said the hull was designed both for heavy ice operations and for reduced underwater noise during acoustic seabed surveys.
The keel was laid on October 27, 2023, with completion originally due by the end of 2024. In June, Semenov said that a December 2026 completion would not be achieved and the date would probably move to December 2028.
On October 27, the shipyard's press service said the yard contract and employee contracts will expire in December 2026, with construction funding provided only through that period. It said work would stop unless personnel contracts were extended, additional financing was provided, and the contract value increased.
On completion, the vessel will be moved by pontoon around 1,400 kilometres from Nizhny Novgorod to Saint Petersburg. Its mast and wheelhouse roof equipment will be removed so it can pass underneath bridges on the Volga–Baltic system. It will then be reassembled and undergo trials.
Pavel Mikhalenko will have a length of 69.99 metres, a beam of 15.40 metres and a design speed of 12 knots. It will carry 15 crew and up to 35 specialist personnel.
The vessel is expected to support Rosatom's Northern Sea Route survey programme.
