The Kerch Shipyard laid down a tugboat, in an impressive setting, that will enter service with the Arctic Basin Subsidiary of Federal State Unitary Enterprise Rosmorport, according to the press service of the Federal Agency for Marine and River Transport (Rosmorrechflot). The ARC6-class tugboat will feature a reinforced hull for navigating in Arctic latitudes.

The highly maneuverable tugboat will escort tankers and freighters in clear water and among ice-floes. It will also be designed for search-and-rescue and firefighting missions and will feature protective crew equipment for dealing with LNG tankers.

“The Northern Sea Route is posting more impressive freight traffic volumes, and Rosmorport therefore continues to expand and upgrade its Arctic fleet. The high-capacity ARC6-class vessel can operate in adverse ice conditions typical of the Extreme North,” said Valery Yakovenko, Deputy Director of the Arctic Basin Subsidiary.

According to media reports, the vessel is to operate at Sabetta seaport, located on the western coast of the Gulf of Ob in the Kara Sea.