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''Baltika'' is a Russian icebreaker built by Arctech Helsinki Shipyard in Helsinki, Finland. She is the first ship ever built with an asymmetric hull that allows her to operate not only ahead and astern, but also obliquely (sideways) with a large angle of attack. In this way, the relatively small oblique icebreaker is capable of opening a wide channel in ice for large merchant ships. The vessel was initially scheduled for delivery to FGI Gosmorspassluzhba, the Russian Marine Emergency Rescue Service, in early 2014. However, she remained moored at Kaliningrad until late 2014, when the vessel was towed to St. Petersburg, and was finally accepted to service in December 2014.〔(Rosmorrechflot accepts into service oblique icebreaker Baltika ). PortNews, 30 December 2014. 〕 == Development and construction == The development of the oblique icebreaker concept dates back to 1997, when the engineers at Kværner Masa-Yards Arctic Technology Centre (MARC) came up with a new way of assisting large tankers in ice-infested waters. Traditionally, escorting large ships up to wide required two conventional icebreakers with a beam of , a practice that was not very efficient and economical. The solution was a triangle-shaped vessel with three azimuth thrusters in the "corners" pushing the asymmetric hull with a 50-degree angle of attack—almost sideways—in ice to open a channel behind the vessel. Model tests in an ice tank showed that the proposed concept was feasible〔(The Oblique Icebreaker ). ABS Surveyor Summer 2005, page 15. 〕 and the concept was patented.〔Arpiainen, M. et al. (1999): (Icebreaking method and icebreaker ). United States Patent no. 5,996,520. 〕 The development of the oblique icebreaker as continued by MARC and its successor, Aker Arctic, together with ABB and the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation (Tekes). The result was a vessel concept referred to as ''Aker ARC 100'', an oblique icebreaker that could also be used for oil spill response operations.〔(Aker ARC 100 ). Aker Arctic. 〕 On 8 December 2011, Arctech Helsinki Shipyard signed a 76 million euro contract with the Russian Ministry of Transport for the construction of an icebreaking multipurpose emergency and rescue vessel for the Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport of Russia. The vessel is designed to be capable of opening a channel in ice when going sideways. Initially, the hull of the first oblique icebreaker ever built was to be produced by Shipyard Yantar JSC, a shipyard owned by the United Shipbuilding Corporation that also owns half of the Finnish shipyard, in Kaliningrad. The steel production began on 24 April 2012〔(The Production of Icebreaking Multipurpose Emergency and Rescue Vessel Was Started ). Arctech Helsinki Shipyard, 24 April 2012. 〕 and the keel was laid on 6 July 2012.〔 However, instead of launching the unfinished hull in Kaliningrad and towing it to Helsinki for outfitting, the blocks were transported to Helsinki and the hull was assembled in Finland.〔(The Hull Assembly of an Icebreaking Multipurpose Emergency and Rescue Vessel started at Arctech Helsinki Shipyard ). Arctech Helsinki Shipyard, 28 June 2013. 〕 For this reason, the delivery of the vessel was delayed from December 2013 into the spring of 2014.〔(Venäjä saa ainutlaatuisen murtajan – suomalaiskeksintö kulkee jäissä kylki edellä ). Helsingin Sanomat, 9 April 2014. 〕 The first blocks arrived on a barge on 9 April 2013 and the hull assembly started in June.〔(2013-04-09 Arctech NB-508 ). 〕 The vessel was launched on 12 December 2013 and christened ''Baltika''. She was floated out for outfitting on 18 January 2014 and began her first sea trials on 6 March 2014.〔(Icebreaking rescue vessel Baltika left on Sea Trial ). Arctech Helsinki Shipyard, 6 March 2014. 〕 The second sea trials began on 26 March. On 15 May 2014, ''Baltika'' left Helsinki under tow for Kaliningrad where she would be handed over to the owner.〔(Helsingissä valmistui maailman ensimmäinen kylki edellä etenevä jäänmurtaja – "kiinnostusta on riittänyt" ). YLE, 9 April 2014. 〕 However, she was later towed to St. Petersburg and delivered to Rosmorrechflot on 30 December 2014. The ceremonial hoisting of the flag was held on 20 February 2015.〔(Flag of Russia hoisted on board oblique icebreaker Baltika in Saint-Petersburg (photo) ). Portnews.ru, 20 February 2015. 〕 ''Baltika'' will be operated by FGI Gosmorspassluzhba, the Russian Marine Emergency Rescue Service.〔 She is one of four icebreaking salvage vessels currently under construction for Russia. The other three are of the more conventional MPSV06 type. Two vessels, ''Murman'' and ''Beringov Proliv'', were built by Nordic Yards Wismar in 2015. The fourth one, ''Spasatel Petr Gruzinskiy'', was reportedly launched in 2010 by Amur Shipbuilding Plant, but has not been delivered yet.〔(PROJECT MPSV06 ). Marine Engineering Bureau. 〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Baltika (icebreaker)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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