Russian Arctic fleet plays a key role in the development of the Arctic transport system in the Russian Federation. The authors underline the important role of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) and nuclear ice breakers for maintenance of navigation in Polar areas. The directions of the nuclear Arctic fleet development in Russia and main types of ice-class marine transport in the Russian Federation are discussed. The nuclear ice breakers efficiency in comparison with diesel-electric ice breakers efficiency is presented. The authors state development of the ice-breaking transportation and the prospects of the Russian Arctic fleet development until 2040. There are many international and national political and legal issues that need to be addressed to push the Arctic marine transportation and particular in the NSR into an operational transportation route. Among legal problems in the Russian Arctic there are international struggle for Arctic territory and internal transformation of Arctic fleet in the Russian Federation. The governmental policy and regulations of existing problems is presented. New management and organizational measures on the governmental level can promote economic efficiency and safety of marine transportation on the ways of the NSR in the polar and sub-polar regions.
Challenges of the marine transport activity in the Arctic Ocean, economic growth in the Russian Arctic regions and advancement of the largest oil and gas extracting companies in sub-polar areas cause great demand on the market of ice-class vessels. The Arctic fleet of the Russian Federation which well-known nuclear ice breakers were used for many international projects now passes a stage of rapid development. Russian Arctic Fleet is a base of the polar transport system of the country - the Northern Sea Route. In many areas of Far North it serves to support life of population, economic activity of the Arctic Regions and export of natural resources.
