Form Approved
REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE
OMB No. 0704-0188
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1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank)
2. REPORT DATE
3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED
April 1996
4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE
5. FUNDING NUMBERS
The Northern Sea Route: Its Development and Evolving State of
Operations in the 1990s
6. AUTHORS
Nathan D. Mulherin
7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES)
8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION
REPORT NUMBER
U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory
72 Lyme Road
CRREL Report 96-3
Hanover, New Hampshire 03755-1290
9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES)
10. SPONSORING/MONITORING
AGENCY REPORT NUMBER
U.S. Army Engineer DistrictAlaska
P.O. Box 898
Anchorage, Alaska 99506-0898
11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES
12a. DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
Available from NTIS, Springfield, Virginia 22161
13. ABSTRACT (Maximum 200 words)
The summer of 1991 marked the first time in recent history that Russia offered to escort ships of other countries
across the Northern Sea Route (NSR). For moving cargo between the North Pacific region and Northern European
ports, the NSR, along Russia's northern coastline, is between 35 and 60% shorter than the traditionally used routes
through the Suez and Panama Canals. In addition to its shorter distance, there already exists an extensive ports
and shipping infrastructure, a current cargo base, and the potential for developing new markets in Russia and
other northern areas. These incentives are attracting considerable attention from the international shipping
community, including that portion servicing Alaskan and northwestern U.S. ports. This report is a general
compilation of the historical usage, recent trade developments, the current regulatory climate, the physical
environment, the ports and navigational infrastructure, cost factors, and practical considerations that may shape
future U.S. interests in the route.
14. SUBJECT TERMS
15. NUMBER OF PAGES
Icebreakers
Northern Sea Route
Shipping routes
87
Arctic seas
Icebreaking
Russia
USSR
16. PRICE CODE
Geography
Navigation
Sea commerce
17. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
18. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
19. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
20. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT
OF REPORT
OF THIS PAGE
OF ABSTRACT
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
UL
Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2-89)
NSN 7540-01-280-5500
Prescribed by ANSI Std. Z39-18
298-102
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