MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina purchases four Russian multipurpose polar Supply-class tugs

A Neftegaz tug under operations in Russia, similar to the ones presumably purchased by Argentina

Argentina's ministry of Defense has signed an agreement for the purchase of four Russian-built multipurpose polar tugs, class NEFTEGAZ, at a total cost of just over eight million dollars.

According to the official release the vessels purchased from a Russian government corporation should be arriving in Argentina sometime in the middle 2015 and will replace decommissioned units, besides the fact that they are safer, more modern and economic to run.

The multipurpose vessels also known as 'Supply' class will also be useful for Antarctic supply support; Search and Rescue operations in the framework of the South Atlantic responsibility that Argentina shares with Chile; for humanitarian actions, scientific research and a variety of other operations.

The twenty year old vessels are also used by the Russians to supply their offshore rigs and oil industry. The Neftegaz class tugs can also be employed for salvage and pulling operations. They are classified by Russia in the Ice L 1 category meaning they can sail on their own in the Arctic during summer months

Argentina' current similar vessels are over fifty years old and the country is also missing the Antarctica operations flagship, Icebreaker Almirante Irizar, which in 2007 caught fire and is still under repairs in a navy yard.

The technical file says they have a displacement of 1.393 tons, are 81.37 meters long, 15.98 meters wide and have a draft of 5 meters. They are powered by 2 Sulzer diesel engines with 7.200 BHP and have a 10-ton hydraulic crane.

Their capacity is 30 people of which 20 crewmembers, and thye can operate during 40 days at 12 knots without having to re-fuel.