The research station ‘Ice Base Cape Baranova’  will become an important scientific and logistics centre in the Arctic

The station will support polar expeditions and rescue operations in the region, as well as contribute to the development of navigation along the Northern Sea Route, Director of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI) said.

The large-scale expedition ‘North 2024’ will start its journey from the research station next year. The expedition will significantly expand scientific research programmes conducted in Severnaya Zemlya.

Besides, the construction of a new airfield in Severnaya Zemlya has contributed to the station’s development and its further transformation into a scientific and logistics centre in the Arctic. The airfield was built to handle any heavy cargo aircraft and will serve primarily Arctic researchers and their drifting North Pole station. It was opened in April this year.

On 13 October, AARI specialists reported that they had prepared the airfield for operation in polar night conditions. The specialists installed lighting and radio navigation facilities.

The airfield can take aircraft such as An-74, An-72, An-26, and An-12. Engineers plan to expand the airfield's capabilities to receive IL-76, a heavy transport plane.

The Ice Base Cape Baranova is located on Bolshevik Island, Severnaya Zemlya (79°18'N 101°48'E).

The Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute is the oldest and the largest Russian research institution in the field of comprehensive studies of the Polar Regions. The Institute's specialists have organised about 1,100 expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctica over 100 years of scientific work.

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