USCG Ice breakers

Thanks, good article on Zvezda. Though I think some companies maybe be working on the edge of the Russian sanctions there.

As far as I know, only technology directly related to drilling is under sanctions - icebreakers should be ok.

This is how a Canadian shipyard is proposing to renew their ageing icebreaker fleet:

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The new Norwegian research vessel “Kronprins Haakon” has been launched in Italy: https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/arctic/2017/02/norway-unveils-most-advanced-research-vessel-sail-arctic-ocean
Why is this Government owned and financed vessel being built in Italy, not at a Norwegian shipyard?
Because Norway is obliged by EU rules to issue tenders to all qualified yards within EU/EEA.

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Yes, good rule, that’s why anyone in any of the U.S. states can bid in the United States. Norway’s economy is about the same size as Minnesota’s

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[quote]Minnesota
Gross State Product $333 B
As of November 2016
At a Glance

Population: 5,520,000
Governor: Mark Dayton
Median Household Income: $61,492
Job Growth (2016): 1.3%
Cost of Doing Business: 3.5% above nat’l avg
College Attainment: 34.7%
Net Migration (2015): 3,200
Moody’s Bond Rating: Aa1
Forbes Lists[/quote]

Norway has abt. the same population as Minnesota: 5.34 Mill.
Norway’s GDP (World Bank): $388 billion (2015 est.)

Norway statistics according to CIA (what can be more reliable than that?): http://www.theodora.com/wfbcurrent/norway/norway_economy.html

PS> Many of the Minnesotan population claim Norwegian decent.

…and was not smart enough to set the requirements at such level that only Norwegian shipyards would have qualified.

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I believe they are learning for the many Electric Ferries to be built in the nearest few years.
Besides, they also want the cheapest possible bid to win to keep the cost of the vessels down.

PS> Most of the machinery and equipment on board are Norwegian made though.

There’s always a risk in ordering a prototype vessel from a shipyard that has never built that particular ship type before. A small saving in the construction cost can lead to unexpected operational expenses and other nasty surprises during the lifetime of the vessel.

I hope the hard-chined hull geometry was an intentional choice from Rolls-Royce and a restriction set by the production capability of Fincantieri.

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no one has ever built a particular prototype ‘before.’ that’s what ‘prototype’ means: first of its kind. There is always a risk of surprise in a prototype, regardless of builder. Throwing more money at it can’t eliminate that risk.

Kjell Inge Rokke joining the other rich guys in doing good with his fortune: http://www.smp.no/nyheter/2017/05/01/Røkke-blar-opp-for-forskningsskip-14667754.ece?cx_front_click=baseline_test&cx_front_click_place=4&cx_front_click_articles=3
Maybe not an Icebreaker, but probably ice strengthened to a high degree.

He may not be such a bad guy after all. Did he learn that in Seattle as well??

PS> A press release in English: http://www.vard.com/Pages/default.aspx (As PDF attachment)
And an article in Straits Times: http://www.straitstimes.com/business/companies-markets/vard-bags-contract-to-design-and-build-182m-vessel-its-longest-ever

Emrobu, I know that nearly every ship is a prototype one way or another, but there’s a significantly higher risk in ordering an icebreaker from a shipyard which has never built an icebreaking ship before instead of choosing a shipyard with at least some background in ice-class vessels.

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BTW The REV will be the world’s biggest Yacht when completed: Røkkes nye fartøy blir verdens største yacht - smp.no
Beating out the Middle Eastern royalty and Russian Oligarchs at the yacht game is not bad for a fisherman from Romsdalen and Seattle.

nice little boat there … but let’s get back on topic maybe. Or at least focus on ice breakers.

Russia Developing Missile-Armed Icebreakers, US Coast Guard Commandant Zukunft Says: http://seapowermagazine.org/stories/20170503-Russia.html

An icebreaker is probably the worst possible weapons platform. What’s wrong with submarines, airplanes and land-based anti-ship missile systems? Or an ice-strengthened naval ship that could operate together with an icebreaker that wasn’t armed to the teeth?

The Russian “missile-armed icebreakers” are similar to the Canadian Arctic offshore patrol ships. They are ice-capable but, in my opinion, not real icebreakers.

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a bit more details on those icebreaking warships:

Russia’s New Arctic Ice Breaker Has One Very Special Feature: Anti-Ship Missiles and Naval Guns

The infamous icebreaking warships also showed up on USCG’s latest icebreaker chart:

https://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/cg552/docs/20170501%20major%20icebreaker%20chart.pdf

@Drill_Bill, Russia actually has only four operational nuclear-powered icebreakers plus a nuclear-powered cargo ship. Atomflot has stated that both Rossiya and Sovietskiy Soyuz have been decommissioned. Three are currently under construction but the lead vessel is couple of years behind schedule.

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via some direct input from Trump advisers maybe :grin:

Which is 4 +1 more than USA.

Well, Russia also has regular ship traffic in the Arctic. With the exception of 50 Let Pobedy, which has ended its icebreaking season, the nuclear-powered icebreaker fleet is hard at work in the Kara Sea and the Gulf of Ob.