BBC News: "George Osborne orders new icebreaker for UK polar science"
UK science is to get one of the biggest, most capable polar research vessels in the world. The £200m investment in an icebreaker is to be announced by Chancellor George Osborne in a speech on Friday.
The ship is likely to be 130m long, and sport a helipad, cranes, on board labs, and have the ability to deploy subs and other ocean-survey and sampling gear. It should be ready to enter service in 2019, and will support scientists in both the Antarctic and the Arctic.
Source: BBC News - George Osborne orders new icebreaker for UK polar science
Replacement for HMS Protector, perhaps? No specific mention of RN involvement, but it looks awfully similar to previous Ice Patrol vessels...

UK science is to get one of the biggest, most capable polar research vessels in the world. The £200m investment in an icebreaker is to be announced by Chancellor George Osborne in a speech on Friday.
The ship is likely to be 130m long, and sport a helipad, cranes, on board labs, and have the ability to deploy subs and other ocean-survey and sampling gear. It should be ready to enter service in 2019, and will support scientists in both the Antarctic and the Arctic.
Source: BBC News - George Osborne orders new icebreaker for UK polar science
Replacement for HMS Protector, perhaps? No specific mention of RN involvement, but it looks awfully similar to previous Ice Patrol vessels...