Nuclear-powered icebreaker
On 17 August 1977, NS "Arktika" ("Arctic") became the first surface ship ever to reach the North Pole. "Arktika" was withdrawn from service in 2008 after clocking up 175,000 hours of reactor operation time and covering more than 1 million nautical miles. Rather than be scrapped, there are calls for her to be converted to a museum ship, like her predecessor "Lenin".
Wasser- und Schifffahrtsamt
The Administration operates a fleet of about a dozen icebreakers. The newest, the "Keiler", was delivered in December 2011. Their oldest existing icebreaker, the "Steinbock", was commissioned in 1935. The "Keiler", and another new vessel, the "Kietz", are long and wide, with a draft of . They are diesel powered, with engines that produce . They cost 5 million Euros each. Other vessels include the "Widder, Stier" and the "Wisent".