• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Buque de Clase Polar Proyecto Antártica I

The VARD 9 203 is an Antarctic vessel designed for the Chilean Navy to perform multiple missions operating in the Antarctic Polar Circle. The missions include logistics support, search and rescue, and scientific research vessel. The Antarctica 1 project arose in 2011, when it was already evident that the AP-46 icebreaker ship Almirante Óscar Viel was ending its life cycle and it was necessary to think about its replacement. The Directorate of Programs, Research and Development of the Navy and the Department of Naval Construction Projects of ASMAR jointly collected the requirements of the different entities that are protagonists of the national Antarctic work: the INACh, the Army, the Air Force and, especially , the Chilean Navy.

The symbolic plate cutting ceremony took place on May 9, at the ASMAR Talcahuano facilities, to mark the official start of the project. "It will place the country at the forefront of the protection and projection of the Antarctic continent and its surrounding area," said Chilean President Michelle Bachelet at the solemn ceremony, where she was accompanied by Admiral Enrique Larragaña, commander in chief of the Navy. of Chile, and the Minister of Defense José Antonio Gómez.

Antarctica 1 will be an Ice Class (PC5) icebreaker, whose basic engineering is in the hands of the Canadian company Vard Marine. It will be 111 meters long, 21 meters wide and seven meters deep. You can navigate at a constant speed of two knots in ice up to one meter thick, covered with 30 centimeters of snow. In normal weather conditions it will have a maximum speed of 15 knots. Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, along with senior officials from the Chilean Navy and civil authorities, led the symbolic plate cutting ceremony that formalized the construction of Antarctica 1, on May 9.

Thanks to its hull it will be able to operate in extremely cold environments, at minus 30 degrees Celsius. It will also have an autonomy of 60 days without refueling, with a capacity for 120 people and will be able to operate 250 days a year, unlike the AP-46 Almirante Óscar Viel, which can only do so during the summer months. Chile had four facilities that operate throughout the year on that continent, plus eight summer bases and seven shelters spread across the South Shetland Islands archipelago and the Antarctic peninsula. Both the Chilean bases and those of other countries will have the logistical support of the new ship. For this, Antarctica 1 will have the capacity to transport up to 910 cubic meters of cargo and 400 cubic meters of fuel.

The construction of the new polar ship of the Chilean Navy at the Astilleros y Maestranza de Armada [ASMAR] Shipyard in Talcahuano, being built under the name of the Antarctica I project, will replace the current Navy icebreaker, the Oscar Viel. It will carry out logistical support activities for Antarctic operators, both national and foreign, carrying out tasks such as transporting people and materials, collecting garbage and supplying food and fuel.

To do this, it will have a flight deck and a hangar for two medium-size helicopters for the disembarkation of personnel and cargo, two cranes to lift 20 tons at a distance of 20 meters and a self-propelled boat to unload containers ashore and transport personnel and equipment. In addition, it will have modern hydroacoustic equipment for geological and oceanographic research. The ship will also be able to carry out search and rescue operations and will have the capacity to tow ships, space to transport 18 people rescued from shipwrecks or accidents, and a hospital for medical and dental consultations.

The 13,000-ton, 111-meter-long ship will be capable of speeds of up to 15 knots. It has received the polar class notation from Lloyd's Register PC 5 and with an installed power of 14.5 megawatts, it will be capable of breaking one meter of ice at three knots. GE Marine Solutions will provide an integrated marine propulsion system for the vessel, including diesel electric propulsion, GE's Tier 3 compliant diesel engine, dynamic positioning and vessel automation system. Damen Marine Components has won a contract to supply the steering gear, rudders, and stern tube parts. The ship's design was done in collaboration with Vard Canada.

With a total investment estimated at US $ 315 million, the design of the basic engineering was completed in September 2017 and during the third quarter of the year the company (ASMAR) began the manufacturing stage at its Talcahuano plant, located 505 kilometers from Santiago. "It will be the first shipyard in Latin America to build this type of unit, incorporating new technology and better processes," Alejandro König, Naval Construction Manager at ASMAR Talcahuano, told Diálogo. According to the schedule, the polar ship will have a useful life of 30 years and should be operational for the National Antarctic Campaign season, from 2022 to 2023.

ASMAR had to reinforce the project's infrastructure with the incorporation of a 150-ton gantry crane to increase the lifting capacity at the launch pad and the acquisition of a 230-ton car to transport blocks. It is the first shipyard in Latin America to build a ship of these characteristics.

The ship is scheduled to embark on its maiden voyage to the Antarctic Circle in 2023.