Northern Fleet's new crane vessel can lift 150 tons heavy weapons
The Northern Fleet has officially raised the flag on its new self-propelled floating crane.
The crane that carries the name SPK-62150 is most likely Russia's 14th vessel of the kind. It is built at the Almaz shipyard in St.Petersburg.
In a ceremony in Murmansk, Chief of Northern Fleet Logistics Support, rear admiral Vladimir Gorev, praised the capacities of the facility.
"It is a great vessel," he emphasised.
"All units are functioning as intended, and we are confident in the equipment. The crew is prepared to carry out all assigned tasks," ship captain Mikhail Novikov added.
From before, the Northern Fleet probably has at least three cranes of the kind. The first arrived in the north Russian region in 2015. Head of the Northern Fleet at the time, Vladimir Korolev, emphasised that the crane is of great significance for the Northern Fleet.
"In addition to handling conventional cargoes, it can be used to load weapons onto surface ships and submarines, as well as to transport cargoes on the upper deck, the vice admiral said.
Among key assignments could be transportation and handling of missiles, as well as the new nuclear-powered weapons that currently are undergoing testing in the region.
In 2023, the Northern Fleet sent one of its other cranes, the PK-7500, to Novaya Zemlya, the Arctic archipelago that is extensively used for new weapons testing.
The 50 metre long and 22 metre wide SPK-62150 is the newest of Russia's cranes of Project 02690. It can sail autonomously for up to 10 days and at distances up to 3,500 nautical miles. It has a crew of 22 people.
The crane has a lifting capacity from 35 to 150 tons, a technical description shows.
