Japan’s Sankei Shimbun reported on the 13th that the Japanese government intends to invest a total of 33.5 billion yen (about 320 million US dollars) in five years to build Arctic scientific research ships with ice-breaking capabilities.
The proposed scientific research vessel will be able to carry unmanned underwater vehicles to carry out sea ice observation, sonar detection and other tasks.
The collected data will be used to study the distribution and movement of sea ice and ensure the safety of the ship’s navigation.
The report said that the Japanese government allocated funds to build Arctic research ships under financial constraints, including because the Arctic route is the shortest maritime route connecting East Asia and Europe, and Japan decided to strengthen its presence in the Arctic.
