Almirante Viel will replace its predecessor of the same name (AP-46 “Almirante Viel”, ex Norman McLeod), which was built at the Vickers-Armstrong shipyard in Montreal, Canada, in 1969, and then served in the Chilean Navy from 1995 until its decommission in 2019. Its construction represents an important milestone for the Chilean naval industry: it is the first icebreaker to be built in the South Pacific, the biggest ever built in South America (Argentina’s Almirante Irizar is similar in displacement, but was built in Finland), and is now the newest in the continent.
The project has costed the Chilean government a total of $210 million, and has involved a workforce of 800 people for its construction. The ship has a total displacement of 10,500 tons, with space for 34 scientists together with the crew, and is also fitted with oceanography, hydrography, microbiology, and chemistry laboratories and a multibeam echo sounder for seabed exploration. It also has a flight deck and hangar for two Airbus AS332L transport helicopters.
“We began the sea trials process of our icebreaker ‘Almirante Viel,’ framed in our Antarctica I project, so we are very pleased with this stage after a long journey of construction and design. We are on track to ensure this vessel can reach the cold waters of the white continent and contribute with our national development, to science and the protection of our aquatic environment”.
Rear Admiral Rodrigo Peñara, director of Programs, Research and Development in the Chilean Navy
Following the positive results of this first week at sea, Chilean President Gabriel Boric congratulated the navy via its X account: “A great achievement for Chile. Our Icebreaker Viel, built entirely by ASMAR, will be key in our vocation as an Antarctic country. Congratulations @Armada_Chile!”
Many South American nations have been looking to expand their presence in Antarctica over these past years, driven by the push to exploit the natural resources of the region. Almirante Viel will be a crucial component of Chiles’s aspirations, with which it aims to strengthen its navy and its position in the white continent, while reaffirming their commitment to scientific exploration of the sea and maritime security in the region.
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