Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon George Osborne MP, announced on Friday 25 April 2014 that the Government has earmarked more than £200 million for a new UK polar flagship that will be ready for its first science mission in 2019.
Owned by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), and operated by NERC’s British Antarctic Survey (BAS) on behalf of the UK polar science community, this new state-of-the-art research ship will deliver the next generation of UK world-leading marine science in the Antarctic and the Arctic.
Director of the British Antarctic Survey, Professor Jane Francis said, “This is an exciting time for UK polar science, and I am delighted with this announcement. It signals a firm commitment by the Government and NERC to sustain and promote the UK’s world-leading capability for UK research in both polar regions. The last 15–20 years have seen remarkable developments in science and technology. Incorporating these new technologies in a new ice-strengthened research ship will offer a step-change in Britain’s capability to deliver bigger and better science. It’s fantastic news for our science teams at the BAS, for our partners within UK universities, and for our collaborations with other national polar operators. We very much look forward to helping to develop the specification to enable optimal use of the latest technologies in marine robotic and remotely operated instruments.”
The new flagship will combine the best features of both existing polar research ships; it will be larger, have greater endurance and ice-strengthened capability and will enable scientists to start research cruises earlier in the field season.
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Source: BAS