A new Russian oceanographic research vessel was launched at the JSC Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad, on the Baltic Sea.
R/V Yantar is designed for deepwater research. The 107.8m-long vessel, with a beam of 17.2m, was developed by the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau, St. Petersburg. The propulsion system includes two fixed pitch propellers and two bow thrusters. The ship will carry the latest, innovative equipment for acoustical, biological, physical, and geophysical surveys. It has a displacement of 5,200 tons, max speed of 15 knots, a range of 8,000nm, and can accommodate a crew of 60 members. The vessel's equipment includes at least two deepwater, autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) which can be used for rescue operations.
The new vessel is named Yantar after the shipyard where it was built (as "Project 22010"); in Russian, Янтарь means "amber." The keel was laid July 10, 2010, and the ship was launched in December 2012 for outfitting and sea trials; it is scheduled for completion this year. Yantar will enter service in the Northern Fleet in 2014.