Latest news with #icebreakers
Reuters
7 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Russia's Rosatom expects boom in foreign vessels using Arctic shipping route
MOSCOW, May 30 (Reuters) - Russia expects a 50% rise in voyages by foreign vessels using the Northern Sea Route (NSR) along its Arctic coast this year, which Moscow sees as an alternative to the Suez Canal, state-controlled nuclear energy firm Rosatom told Reuters on Friday. Rosatom runs a fleet of icebreakers and is in charge of operations along the NSR, which connects Russian ports with China during the summer months, saving vessels up to 10 days at sea compared to traveling via the Suez Canal. Moscow is promoting the route as a way of avoiding sailing close to the borders of European Union member states at a time of mounting geopolitical tensions. "There is a clear upward trend in international interest in the NSR ... In 2025, foreign companies are expected to conduct at least 1.5 times more voyages through the NSR compared to the previous year," the company told Reuters in emailed comments. As of May 27, a total of 196 applications have been submitted for vessel navigation along the NSR, including vessels sailing under foreign flags, Rosatom said, adding that summer-autumn navigation will be open from July 1 to November 30. A record volume of nearly 38 million metric tons of various goods, including oil and liquefied natural gas, was shipped along the route last year, the company said. However, the NSR presents a massive challenge for ships due to thick ice in winter, and navigation is restricted to warmer months. Long dominated by vessels managed by Russian shipping giant Sovcomflot, Azerbaijan-based Vista Vvave Shipmanagement was among companies using the NSR for the first time last year.
South China Morning Post
27-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Japan offers US shipbuilding help to shore up naval might, ease tariff pain
Japan has offered to support US efforts to rebuild its civilian and military shipbuilding industries – a strategic gesture analysts say could help counter China's growing dominance in the sector and ease the impact of looming American tariffs on Japanese imports. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced Japan's desire to help the United States during a speech in Kyoto on Sunday, emphasising Japanese shipbuilders' skills and the country's long seafaring history. 'The government wants to cooperate in the shipbuilding sector,' Ishiba said. 'Japan has a substantial advantage in terms of icebreakers. Icebreakers are one key area of cooperation,' he added, referring to specialised ships designed to navigate through ice-covered waters, often used for polar research and Arctic or Antarctic operations. Japan has high hopes that the technology developed for its state-of-the-art icebreaker Shirase could be adopted by the US and potentially have crossover applications in US military vessels. Japanese icebreaker Shirase anchors in the Antarctic in December 2023. Photo: Kyodo Ishiba noted that Washington was seeking shipyards in allied countries for repairs and refits of its warships, instead of sending them back to the US. He suggested that Japan was prepared to assist in this effort.
Business Wire
21-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Rauma Marine Constructions: The First Multi-Purpose Corvette Built at Rauma Shipyard Has Been Launched
RAUMA, Finland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The first multi-purpose corvette built for the Finnish Navy's pivotal Squadron 2020 project was launched at Rauma shipyard on Wednesday 21 May 2025. This is a significant milestone and an indication of RMC's ability to successfully realise demanding building projects. RMC's capability is based on excellent engineering expertise, capable project management and a commitment to delivering complex and high-quality vessels. Share The Squadron 2020 project is proceeding on schedule. The building pace will accelerate as work on the second and subsequent multi-purpose corvettes progresses. The direct employment impact of the Squadron project in Finland is equivalent to more than 3,600 person-years. 'We have increased the capacity of Rauma shipyard purposefully while strategically implementing significant investments in the shipyard area. Rauma shipyard is now in peak condition', says Mika Nieminen, CEO of RMC. RMC's capability is based on excellent engineering expertise, capable project management and a commitment to delivering complex and high-quality vessels. The ability to build different types of ships from high-efficiency commercial vessels to warships and icebreakers designed for extreme conditions emphasises RMC's extensive technical expertise and adaptability. 'The newly launched vessel is a strong indication of the close and goal-oriented co-operation between the Finnish Government, the Finnish Defence Forces, the Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Institute, the Finnish Navy, Rauma Marine Constructions, Saab and all our industrial partners', states Timo Ståhlhammar, Project Director of RMC's Squadron Project. RMC will be building a total of four Pohjanmaa-class multi-purpose corvettes for the Finnish Navy. The Pohjanmaa class is one of the most capable vessel types operating in the Baltic Sea region. They are designed to operate year-round in all Baltic Sea conditions. Significant investments have been made in Rauma shipyard throughout the 2020s to strengthen the shipyard's shipbuilding infrastructure and independent production capacity. The closed multi-purpose hall designed for the construction of the multi-purpose corvettes ensures good working conditions, high quality results and the implementation of the required safety measures. In addition, investments have been made in steel production, a launching barge and heavy transfer ramps. 'The building of these corvettes will advance the shipbuilding industry and technological know-how in Finland. RMC is ready to utilise the capabilities acquired through the Squadron 2020 project both in Finland and internationally', says Mika Nieminen, CEO of RMC. Key dimensions of the multi-purpose corvettes: Length: 117 m Beam: 16.5 m Draught: 5 m Crew: 70 Link to photos and videos.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
To Dominate the Arctic, Trump Needs Ice-Breaking Ships. Finland Wants to Help.
The Nordic nation, with its extensive experience in navigating the icy Baltic Sea, has made and designed more icebreakers than any other country.
CBC
09-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Is the promise of military icebreakers political theatre or sensible policy?
A former top naval commander and several defence experts have been left scratching their heads following the governing Liberals and Opposition Conservatives' recent embrace of the notion of giving the Royal Canadian Navy heavy, armed icebreakers to defend the Arctic. They question the military sensibility of building — possibly at a cost of billions of dollars — one, two or even three 10,000-tonne or more polar-class icebreakers with guns and missiles, vessels with possibly limited usefulness that would be vulnerable to both air and submarine attack. "I'm puzzled, because I don't know what it is we're trying to achieve other than the political objective of demonstrating a commitment to Arctic sovereignty. Check. I get it. However, it needs to be sensible, and more importantly, it needs to be practical," said retired vice-admiral Mark Norman in a recent interview. Canada's defence in the Far North was a topic brought up when Prime Minister Mark Carney met with U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Tuesday. A senior Canadian government official said the two leaders spent a lot of time talking about the Arctic. During the recently concluded federal election campaign, the Liberals promised to "expand the capabilities of the navy with new submarines and additional heavy icebreakers," while the Conservatives were more explicit, saying they would build two additional polar icebreakers for the military. If the promise of heavy militarized icebreakers sounds familiar, it's because it was made before. Back in 2006, the former Conservative government of prime minister Stephen Harper rode to power on a pledge to build heavy military icebreakers for the navy. Ultimately, the high construction cost and the fact the vessels would have utility only four months of the year led to the design and creation of Arctic and offshore patrol ships (AOPS), light icebreakers which can operate and patrol off all three of Canada's coastlines. The navy plans on deploying six AOPS and the coast guard is expected to receive two. For Norman, there is a sense of déjà vu about the renewed debate. "We went through this very issue in 2007-08 up to the 2010-12 timeframe, where we had a government of the day that was quite explicit about what they wanted, but couldn't explain why they wanted it," said Norman. "I get it, the government gets to decide. But at the end of the day, it doesn't make a lot of sense." The coast guard is usually the home of Canada's unarmed icebreaking fleet. The Liberals, however, have promised to rewrite the service's mandate to conduct maritime surveillance and integrate them into Canada's NATO defence capabilities. Whether that means arming them is unclear. Norman said there needs to be a clear division of responsibilities between the navy and the coast guard. "We need to decide what we're trying to achieve. If it's surveillance, there's lots of other ways to achieve surveillance," said Norman. "I'm concerned because as soon as we list things that we want to buy, we lose track of what it is we're trying to achieve. And then the entire machinery [of government] becomes focused on buying something which may or may not make sense." Canada, with 18 registered ice-capable boats, has the second-largest number of icebreakers in the world after Russia, which reportedly has 57. And only one of those Russian ships, the Ivan Papanin, is specifically built for combat and has just recently entered service. China has a handful of medium icebreakers in its navy. Overall, though, big icebreakers — with reinforced hulls and special bows — are good for opening up Far North channels. They are slow and noisy, not exactly qualities you want in a combat vessel. 'Offerings into the void' If the objective is surveillance and deterrence in the Far North, defence expert Rob Huebert said, Canada would be better served with investing in under-ice capable submarines. "If you are actually in a shooting conflict, you're going to find out where the icebreaker is right away," said Huebert. "If you're going to be putting money into something, put it into a submarine and give it some form of perhaps anti-missile capability." Wesley Wark, one of the country's leading experts on intelligence and surveillance, said Canada's approach to the Arctic has to be rooted in what makes sense for the defence of the country, not what looks good to the Americans — especially the current administration which seems to have no overarching plan of its own. "I think it dangerous for Canadian officials, for the current government, to imagine that there is a master plan and try to figure out ways in which they can respond to that master plan," said Wark. "Because I think that ends up being what I would call offerings into the void." He pointed to the decision by the Trudeau government to lease old Black Hawk helicopters for border surveillance in the aftermath of the Trump administration's imposition of tariffs — a decision Wark described as political theatre. There are, however, those who say the presence of Canadian ships in the North is essential. The more Canada shows the flag, the better, said Dave Perry, president of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. "I think there is a need to have a more significant, more permanent presence across our entire Arctic archipelago," Perry said in a recent interview. "That could come in a ship that's painted navy grey or a ship painted coast guard red and white, so long as it actually has the ability to meaningfully increase our presence year round throughout our entire territory and help us understand what's happening there."
