Is it a patrol vessel or a tug?

摘要

The Norwegian coast guard authority has ordered a new multi-purpose vessel to a Rolls-Royce design, which, although basically a tug, will also be used for patrol and fishery protection duties. The 83m design, designated UT512, will carry out many different duties, including patrolling, fisheries protection, emergency standby, pollution control, and towing. The reasoning behind the concept comes from rapid increases in tanker traffic along the Norwegian coast, especially in the far north. This has raised environmental fears of extensive pollution in the event of a tanker grounding. An important role of the new coastguard ship will therefore be towing and pollution prevention. A high bollard pull has been specified (the vessel will have tug classification), together with a full outfit of oil spill control equipment and a tank capacity for recovered oil of more than 1000m~3.